Junior, Nashville, TN
Sorry for the mediocre/low-lighting picture quality.
This was my second visit to Junior back in July 2026. This restaurant is Philip Krajeck’s newest concept (adding on to Rolf & Daughters and Folk, also both in Nashville). The vibe is elevated but simple dishes rooted in classical French cooking techniques. I’m a vegetarian, and this restaurant initially piqued my interest because of the creative non-meat dishes. My review is likely a little biased because I’m a regular and huge fan of Rolf and Daughters!
I meant to write this earlier, so apologies if I missed some of the dish details. The menu changes regularly and is fully à la carte.
- This was a savory pepita praline wrapped in nasturtium with a fresh peach slice and edible flower. Meant to be a single bite dish. I was blown away by the flavor combo here. It seemed average until I tasted the pepita praline center. Very strong and exciting flavor. Junior’s single bites seem to consistently be excellent considering my first visit (I believe one was a barbajuan…don’t remember the filling). 8.5/10
- This was a squash dish with nasturtium with a citrus-based sauce (sorry, I’m blanking on the flavor profile!) and some nice, aged chèvre cheese. There may have been pistachios mixed in as well…..The cheese was very good, but the squash was a bit plain to me. One was charred, and I believe the other slice was pickled. The sauce helped but overall the dish felt like it was lacking something. 5/10
- Vegetarian entrée. Junior doesn’t always have a vegetarian main course, but they will happily prepare something for you if you ask. 🙂 It was a medley of tomatoes, onions, and peppers over a bed of Lima (? maybe a different type of bean) beans in a tomato consommé. The dish was garnished with fresh herbs from their garden (basil, etc). The central flower was filled with a ricotta and mushroom filling. I know it sounds crazy, but this is the best dish I’ve ever had in my 29-year life (and inspired me to post this). I felt like Anton Ego in Ratatouille. The tomatoes/onions/peppers were prepared in many different ways. The tomato consommé had such a vibrant and warm flavor. The basil was the best basil I’ve had before—such a complex and rich flavor (minty, vanilla, etc). The plating was simple but elegant. I could go on and on and on. It felt like it was made with love, truly. 10/10
- The dessert was a parsley root ice cream with a carrot/caramel Madeline + espresso. Very good! I wish the parsley root flavor had been a bit more pronounced. The carrot flavor was nice and strong and paired with everything well. Good, dark espresso. 7.5/10
*not pictured: porridge (sourdough) bread with Amish butter. Good bread, nice, rich butter, but nothing crazy. 6.5/10
When I’ve been to Junior, it’s been relatively quiet, which has led to very nice, personalized service. I usually sit at the bar for convenience but stick with water. The space has refined speakeasy vibes and a warm/rich color scheme and atmosphere.
I really hope that this restaurant becomes as big as it deserves to be. I had a great time. I obviously can’t speak to the non-vegetarian dishes, but the ones I saw looked great!
If you’re ever in Nashville, I highly recommend you check it out. The presentation was less refined than the Nashville michelin stars (Bastion, The Catbird Sear, Locust), and perhaps intentionally so, but the flavors are incredible and firing on all cylinders.