Bad Idea, the East Nashville restaurant from Nashville’s resident wine expert, Alex Burch, will open its doors to the public on Tuesday, October 10, located at 1021 Russell Street. The neighborhood spot offers diners and imbibers an explorative, service-forward approach while doubling as a center for wine education. Burch has enlisted Colby Rasavong to helm the kitchen, where dinner and late-night bites will be created drawing from his Lao-American heritage and seasonal ingredients. Housed in a former church sanctuary, Bad Idea’s interiors were brought to life by Nashville-based design studio, Design Object.
Burch, a CMS Advanced Sommelier, founded Bad Idea with the purpose of bringing guests into the fold of the sometimes-intimidating world of wine. After leading the wine programs at some of Nashville’s most renowned restaurants, including Bastion and Henrietta Red, Burch took a leap of faith and decided to open a restaurant centered around a wine program that celebrates variety in style, origin, and availability, and plans to offer educational and exploratory experiences such as classes and regional dinners. Since wine comes from all over the world, Burch wants to create space for guests to comfortably explore new varieties and regions with the help of Bad Idea’s knowledgeable staff.
A custom wine cellar keeps up to 3,000 bottles properly stored at all times, and the wine list will feature around 125 selections and continue to grow over time.
The cuisine at Bad Idea, led by Executive Chef Colby Rasavong, is based on a combination of his knowledge and passion for the history of Lao cuisine. Chef Colby Rasavong has created a menu that reflects the restaurant’s playful approach to dining out, mirroring the wine program’s dedication to introducing guests to new regions, ingredients, and flavor profiles.
Small plates and shareable mains govern Rasavong’s menu, with dishes like Nam Khao Croquettes served with Jeow Mak Len (Lao tomato dipping sauce); Anson Mills Broken Rice Porridge with egg, wild mushrooms, and ginger; and a Scallop-Stuffed Crepe with nam prik blanquette and laced tuile. Larger format dishes for the table include Bucksnort Trout served with turmeric crepes, Royal Red Shrimp-stuffed trout, hydroponic lettuces, sprouts, tamarind Nam Jim, sea buckthorn nam prik; Bear Creek Pork Collar with scallion crepes, hydroponic lettuces, radishes, nori, jeow mak keua, jeow bong; and Chicken Served Two Ways: Khao Piak (Proper Sake udon & picked dark meat) or Chicken Rice (Fold in Crispy Skin and Chicken Fat), garlic, ginger, scallions, umami topping (poached breast & grilled neck sausage).
