Chef Julia Sullivan is planning a new restaurant concept outside the city. Judith will open this fall in Sewanee beside the Sewanee Market and near the Sewanee university campus. An official address has yet to be announced.
Sullivan is behind the concept Henrietta Red, which she opened in 2017 with Allie Poindexter. The upscale restaurant focuses its menu mainly on seafood and oysters alongside a beverage program centered largely around cocktails and wine.
The new spot will also be an upscale restaurant but will have a distinct “American tavern” style, intended to appeal to a broad audience.
“We want to do something that is going to appeal to the students, faculty and family members at the university, but also to the locals and hopefully to a lot of people who are just passing through the area,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan describes the concept as more “meat-and-potatoes” than Henrietta Red, with a more classic menu. While Henrietta Red’s menu is niche and seasonal, Judith’s menu will feature American food with an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients.
Customers can expect traditional offerings like burgers, salads and dishes that include local proteins such as trout, pork and beef. There will also be a significant cocktail and wine list for the bar area, featuring both younger and traditional wines. There will also be bar snacks and shareable plates geared toward happy hours and weekend outings.
Sullivan is angling the menu toward accessibility, planning to add rotating specials to the menu and provide ways for people to drop by for dessert rather than having to take part in a full dining experience at Judith.
Sullivan said the interior will have a moody, somewhat masculine aesthetic that she describes as a “Southern library vibe” but with more natural light.
“The building is a beautiful industrial warehouse-style space that was built in 1950,” Sullivan said. “It was the old steam laundry building for the university, so it has concrete floors and exposed ceiling and really beautiful old industrial windows. We are leaning into that space but warming it up.”
Sullivan and her team plan to balance out the moodier aesthetic with artwork, natural light and the addition of green elements.
Sullivan said she was initially attracted to the area because she was looking for a new opportunity but did not find anything that fit for her in the Nashville city hub. So, she turned toward the more rural areas outside the city.
“When this space came about, I thought it was a chance to do something in the area but for a bit of a different audience,” Sullivan said.
She looks forward to appealing to locals, as well as those who are on weekend getaways or passing through the Sewanee area.
“It’s a great day or weekend destination for those looking to get outside of Nashville and have a nice night away from town,” Sullivan said.
She also teased potential event space at Judith to allow for private dining and events.
Currently, there is no set timeline for opening, but the team is aiming for November. Until then, customers can enjoy Sullivan’s work at Henrietta Red, which offers oyster happy hours five days a week from five to six as well as weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.
