After a year of menu planning and restaurant construction, Honest to Goodness Hospitality announced the launch of their latest concept, Fancypants, opening in East Nashville on Friday, July 26 at 921 Dickerson Pike. Fancypants is on a mission to flip fine dining on its head, offering a “choose your own adventure” culinary experience that puts delicious dishes, funky music, and tasty beverages at the forefront.
Helmed by Founder/Partner Michael Shemtov, Creative Director/Partner Jake Mogelson, and Chef/Partner Bryan Weaver, Fancypants re-imagines the typical upscale restaurant, creating a convivial space where the guest experience is paramount and fine dining is fun. Together with their leadership team, which includes industry veterans Joshua Homacki (chef de cuisine), Katie Fair (executive pastry chef), and David Norris (beverage director), the group has created a menu that surprises and delights, taking guests on a whimsical dining adventure that invites creativity and frivolity.
Unexpected and slightly irreverent, Fancypants’ food menu is designed in a unique grid style, allowing guests to choose from a list of vegetable-forward dishes that can be mixed and matched, shared or not. Chefs Weaver and Homacki celebrate the season’s best produce from their farm partners with plates like Crispy Turnip Noodle Lasagne with Parmesan Foam and Potato Chip Crusted Chicken Fried Cauliflower with Coconut Gravy. Like its savory counterpart, the dessert menu offers a modern interpretation of classic dishes with a side of nostalgia. Chef Fair was inspired by nostalgic sweet treats with the likes of Funfetti Cheesecake and an interactive sundae bar.
Fancypants’ beverage program is just as unique as its food menu, highlighting the best and brightest wines from the West Coast, classic cocktails, and a hyper-focused beer list. Curated by Norris and Mogelson, the wine list is sectioned into different price points to encourage oenophiles to discover new varieties in their desired range. Similarly, the cocktail list pushes the limits with recognizable drinks made with unusual ingredients.
“We’ve had a ton of fun dreaming up the menu and can’t wait to see our guests’ reactions,” says Shemtov in a statement. “Having been in the business for over two decades, I was really excited to bring something different to the scene and together with my partners, think we’ve created something really special at Fancypants.”
Working closely with longtime design collaborator Powell Nashville and graphics partner Made by Mode, Fancypants transformed their 2,200 sq. ft. space into an elevated but approachable restaurant infused with personality, color, and good vibes. The remnants of the building’s former life as a Piggly Wiggly grocery store are on proud display, with the industrial aged concrete and exposed trusses providing a raw, textured canvas. Playing with a bold color scheme of burgundy, emerald green and gold, Fancypants embodies funky with 70s-inspired patterns and a warm glow from dozens of lamps and sconces. Dramatic slabs of colorful stone and modern elements are juxtaposed by warm walnut wood finishes, natural textures and luxe velvet drapery. An open kitchen invites diners into the heart of the restaurant, where creativity and the joy of cooking is on full display. Restaurant seating includes various intimate options, from upholstered booths and banquettes to a communal bar, chef’s counter and a cozy covered veranda.
“Nashville is the ultimate source for design inspiration, and we found lots of treasures around the city to incorporate into the décor,” says Mogelson. “We aimed to create a space that didn’t feel fussy but still felt fancy.”
Located in bustling East Nashville, Fancypants is part of the 921 Dickerson Pike development in the McFerrin/Cleveland Park area. Beginning Friday, July 26, Fancypants will be open for dinner service Thursdays through Sundays starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are now available on Resy.
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