Margot spent many Saturday mornings as a little girl in the kitchen with her mother frying doughnuts, baking bread and making candy. Cooking was fun and it tasted good.
So
it was restaurant work she turned
to for a part time job while
studying creative writing at the
University
of Tennessee in Knoxville. Margot
excelled in the work and was
quickly promoted.
Back in Nashville after graduation,
she found herself drawn to the
kitchen at Faison’s.
Jody encouraged Margot to be
creative
and introduced
her to the work of chefs like
Alice Waters.
After a year of experience,
Margot decided to pursue a career
in the culinary arts and enrolled
at the
Culinary Institute of
America.
During the two year program,
Margot set her
sights on NYC and moved there
the day after graduation. She
held positions
in many different restaurants
to gain knowledge and experience.
In 1992 she
became the chef at Danal, a tiny
European café in the east
village. Margot was exposed to
the more
rustic dishes
of France and Italy. Her developing
style attracted a following and
garnered reviews in the NY
Times and NY
Magazine.
After
ten years in NY, Margot returned
home to
Nashville in 1996 and worked
as chef de cuisine and then
executive chef at F. Scott’s.
During her five years there, Margot
made a name
for herself in Nashville as
the
restaurant received rave reviews
and many accolades.
But
Margot wanted a restaurant of her
own
and left F. Scott’s in
February of 2001. She partnered
with
businessman Jay Frein to
open Margot café and
bar in June of 2001.
Together they funded and built the restaurant. Jay manages the business aspects of the restaurant and creates the wine list while Margot tends the stove at night along with Matt Davidson, Ryan Bernhardt & Avon Lyons. Betsy Johnston is the AM chef, taking on daily prep duties with Pastry Chef Lisa Donovan. Veteran server Destin Weishaar manages the front of the house. many of the staff live nearby in the neighborhood.
Margot’s
philosophy on food and
cooking is rooted in
the cultures
of
southern France and Italy
where cuisine is pure
and uncomplicated.
She enjoys
the sturdy flavors of
peasant cookery in these regions
where inexpensive
ingredients play the
major
roles. Her cooking style
is personal and
features
food that you can be
comfortable with. It is seasonal
and
therefore, fresh.
Margot is not looking
to reinvent food but to reintroduce
it.
Read more about the restaurant's background and history.
