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Chinese-American cuisine restaurant Choy has opened in the North Gulch building last home to the recently closed Tansuo.
Moni Advani and Nishaan Chavda
According to a release, Chou is owned by Moni Advani, a local real estate investor, restaurant owner and hotelier, and Nishaan Chavda, who most recently served as operations director for the Mina Group (Bourbon Steak)
The Choy menu was created in collaboration with James Beard Award-winner Brandon Jew of the Michelin-starred Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco, and chef Brian Griffith (Jew’s longtime sous chef at Mister Jiu’s).
The release notes Choy offers dishes “rooted in classic Chinese-American culture with a Southern American twist.”
The 120-seat art deco-inspired space, designed by Carlton Edwards (whose previous projects include Kayne Prime, Virago and Saint Anejo in Nashville) “pays homage to mid-20th century Shanghai,” according to the release.
Advani teams with Maneet Chauhan to operate Morph Hospitality Group, which owns Chauhan (located adjacent to Choy) and had owned Tansuo.
East Nashville dive bar opens on Woodland Street
The Iowa-based parent company of Ernie’s Boondock has opened an outpost of the Midwest dive bar-inspired concept in the basement of Up-Down, Nashville Business Journal reports.
Ernie’s operates at 927 Woodland St., Mondays through Fridays from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m.
The Ernie’s interior features wood-paneled walls, leather booths, vintage neon signs and pool tables.
Sam Summers owns both Up-Down and Ernie’s, NBJ reports.
Atlanta vegan eatery concept offers Lennox Village pop-up
The team behind Atlanta-based Slutty Vegan will offer a pop-up presence from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7 at Lennox Village in South Davidson County.
Pinky Cole-Hayes, the concept’s owner, has been recognized by VegNews Magazine, Time Magazine and PETA.
Information from Slutty Vegan shows the restaurant is valued at about $100 million (with financial backing from Essence Ventures founder, Richelieu Dennis and restaurateur Danny Meyer of Shake Shack).
Slutty Vegan celebrity fans include Tyler Perry, Will Packer, Tiffany Haddish, Taraji P. Henson, Iyanla Vanzant, Usher, Jermaine Dupri, Viola Davis and Lala Anthony, among others.
About 70 percent of Slutty Vegan’s customer base eat meat eaters, the company notes.
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