Featured image: Minnie Morklithavong
Vivek Surti’s journey to becoming one of Nashville’s most celebrated chefs began online.
His parents were from Gujarat in India, and migrated to the United States. Throughout his childhood, his parents infused Southern techniques into their favorite Gujarati dishes, sparking an early love of food and flavors for a young Vivek. Born in rural Manchester, Tennessee, Vivek and his family moved to Nashville at age five. He would go on to attend Montgomery Bell Academy, then pursue a political science degree at Vanderbilt University.
It was during those college years that he started cooking for friends as a hobby, and after graduation, a political position whisked him away to Washington, D.C. But all the while, his real passion lay in exploring the world of food.
“Every time there was a restaurant week, I’d go out,” he recalls, each dish fueling not only a passion for flavors but a desire to know the stories behind them.
Soon, Surti entered the food world as a writer, launching his blog, Vivek’s Epicurean Adventures, during the blogging boom in 2009. Back then, Nashville’s food scene was just beginning to flourish, with new restaurants, recipe bloggers, and press coverage bringing a focus to local dining that hadn’t existed before.
Surti connected with fellow flood bloggers through Twitter and collaborated on projects, forming a tight-knit, food-focused community that helped push Nashville’s culinary culture forward. But while Surti enjoyed writing about recipes, he was most drawn to the stories behind the dishes: the people and traditions, the ingredients, the memories, that brought it to life.
Surti’s vision grew beyond writing; he began hosting intimate dinners out of his parents’ home. These supper clubs were a way to celebrate farm-fresh ingredients and a direct connection to the source. Soon, his dinners gained a loyal following, pioneering what many consider Nashville’s first pop-up restaurant.
Nashville was on the cusp of a restaurant renaissance, and by 2013, Surti had expanded his events to include high-end Champagne dinners, collaborations with local favorites like Hattie B’s and Arnold’s Country Kitchen, and tasting menus at the 404 Kitchen. But it wasn’t until 2017 that his dream of a dedicated supper club space began to materialize.
A partnership with fellow Nashville culinary trailblazer Tandy Wilson led Surti to a space above City House, and Tailor opened its doors for the first time in December 2018. The restaurant’s intimate, family-style coursed dining concept paired with Surti’s storytelling approach when presenting dishes caught the attention of local diners and national rankings alike, earning Tailor a spot on Bon Appetit’s Top 50 New Restaurants and Surti a James Beard nomination.
“With Tailor, I wanted to create an experience that was as much about the people as the food,” Surti says. “I call it ‘first-generation American’ food because it’s what we grew up with in the place we call home.”
The vision is rooted in the concept of hospitality unique to Nashville, where people support one another, from farmers to distilleries. Surti wanted Tailor to evoke the warmth of growing up in a close-knit, immigrant community, where food was central to social life.
“We’d go to dinner parties every weekend at our parents’ friends’ houses, and that’s where friendships were created,” he remembers. “I wanted to bring that feeling into Tailor—it’s arguably one of the most ‘Nashville’ restaurants because it’s born out of my life here.”
Leveraging another Nashville tradition, the Tailor experience is thoughtfully crafted to feel like a songwriter’s night, swapping behind-the-scenes stories of songs to memories and inspirations behind food. Each of the meal’s five courses is elegantly presented and woven with personal history.
“These are not dishes you find in any restaurant; they’re meant to be served in homes,” says Surti, emphasizing the importance of capturing and sharing memories through the meals.
Approaching its sixth year as a Nashville favorite, Surti remains committed to championing the city’s chefs and homegrown food culture. Surti’s journey from Nashville’s first pop-up focused on fostering community to Tailor’s family-style concept is a reflection of Surti’s on culinary journey, one dedicated to the culmination of food, culture, and community.
At Tailor, you’ll find southern delicacies like a dressed-up tomato sandwich served beside Surti’s family-favorite Gujarati cuisine. It’s a convergence of traditions, a melting pot of flavors, and a shining example of Nashville’s continued innovations.
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