Tune in, epicureans: caviar hour is the new happy hour. The new “Caviar Celebration” menu at luxury seafood restaurant Halls Catch offers elevated coastal dishes in a relaxed environment. “That was my biggest goal — to make caviar more approachable,” says executive chef Morgan Lewis. “Because it can be really intimidating.”
To Morgan, a caviar-centered dining experience is a party — hence the new menu’s apt name and a restaurant atmosphere often accompanied by lively DJ sets.“I am in love with anything that’s whimsical,” Morgan says.
To begin your glamorous night out, Halls Catch’s new signature cocktails — The Glass Garden and Tidal Note Sour — are a must. And if you want to amp up the luxury, be sure to order your drink with a “kiss of kaluga caviar” on the side.
As for dining, each menu item is impressively laidback and luxurious within the same bite. And quality is no question — all caviar served at Halls Catch is sourced from Altima Caviar, one of the world’s top purveyors. When savoring caviar-dressed delicacies — such as deviled eggs, vegetable sushi rolls, chips and dip, and sweet buns topped with crème fraîche — I naturally marveled at how well the famed fish eggs complemented the multitude of dishes sprawled out in front of me, with each one seeming richer and more delectable than the one before.
Morgan’s dedication to craftsmanship presents itself in every meal. He admits that an integral part of his learning process includes devoting himself to specific food items and perfecting their creation. Take his “rice training” for example. “For a year straight, I made rice three times a day, and that was all I did,” says Morgan.
Now that he’s mastered rice (along with a plethora of Asian-inspired seafood dishes), Morgan can harness his culinary creativity, which he pairs with the talents of his fellow chefs. This combination adds flair and fun to every plate. “One of my chefs is from Tennessee, so he was the one that came up with the devilled eggs,” says Morgan. “[It’s] always really joyful for me as a chef, because they get to be creative, have their name on it and then I get to show them off.”
The egg salad is entirely of Morgan’s creation, being the first caviar-centric dish that ever graced the Halls Catch menu. “The fact that egg salad and Southern food [are] heavy and rich does lend itself to really good caviar,” says Morgan. “That was kind of where it went.”
While creating culinary dishes with artistic skill, Morgan works to break a familiar pattern in the dining world — one where guests enjoy delicious food but still manage to leave hungry. “I think there’s a lot to be said for finesse and surgical precision,” he says. “You can blend the two and leave someone satiated.”
It’s safe to say that Morgan and his team have broken this status quo. I left Halls Catch feeling full and happy, buzzing with the excitement of not only consuming delicious food but also enjoying these delights with new friends. “Ultimately, what I want on the plate is something that makes you think of a memory and is nostalgic,” says Morgan. “It brings joy, because to me, that’s what food’s all about — the intimacy of getting to prepare something with a lot of passion and love and time.”
To learn more, visit https://hallscatchnashville.com.
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