The Catbird Seat

Located in a 20' x 30' space that formerly housed a beauty salon, The Catbird Seat burst onto the Nashville food scene in October 2011, receiving numerous accolades for the design and cooking. MZA was responsible for devising a way to seat 30 people in a room whose focus was only the chefs. The walls and ceiling were stripped bare; the room was made devoid of corners; and all surfaces plastered smooth. The project’'s analogy was a “lab for cooking”. The entire area around the cooking suite in the room’s center was designed like a boat: every square inch of precious space had to be utilized. Menus change almost daily so flexibility in the final concept was also critical for the restaurant’s success.
 
Featured on the Today Show, in the New York Times and GQ magazine, The Catbird Seat has established a new paradigm for fine dining in Nashville.