It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since Sean Brock has actually worked in a restaurant where he was cooking and plating food. But he hasn’t spent that time focusing solely on his ode to fast comfort food at Joyland. Along with his impending massive shrine to Appalachia, Audrey, which is nearing readiness in East Nashville, Brock has been focusing on a fascinating exploration of contemporary American cuisine at The Continental in the new Grand Hyatt at 1000 Broadway. With these two projects, Brock sincerely believes that he has created the two restaurants where he will cook for the rest of his life.
But wait, didn’t The Continental already open back in November? It’s true that the restaurant was ready to go and had already begun accepting reservations — but then COVID cases began to skyrocket in the winter, leading Brock to decide it just wasn’t prudent to open to the public. Quickly pivoting to a carryout-only model in an effort to keep his staff working, Brock did release his initial menu at the time, but the experience was less than optimal for all involved. “We had done all these months of R&D to prepare for the restaurant, and then to have everyone’s first impression to be out of a to-go container was really disappointing,” Brock tells the Scene. He decided to completely shut down for the duration and allow his two incredibly talented pastry chefs, Keaton Vasek and Michael Werrell, to operate their own side venture, Trēt Baking Co., out of the kitchen at The Continental.