In her book My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals, Melanie Dunea asked 50 great chefs what they would plan for their final meal — what would be on the menu? Where would be it held? We borrowed the idea and posed the same question to local chefs and foodies.
With the assumption they are heading off to Mars (or another non-Earth location of their choice), these local food experts answered the question: What would you choose as your last meal on Earth? Here are their answers!
Katie Davis, NashvilleFoodFan
“City House‘s belly ham pizza, with a Bandit cocktail and a slice of their Tennessee Waltz Cake (when they have it) for dessert. Maybe the octopus appetizer too. I mean, it’s my last meal on earth after all.”
Benny Kaminski, Union Common
“An assortment of triple-creme cheese and good bread, 10 pounds of boiled crawfish, buffalo wings, hickory-smoked pork chop, skillet-fried potatoes and onions, and collard greens. I would love Heineken, coffee and cigarettes, too! For dessert, a bowl of whipped cream and a bag of Haribo Gummi Bears.”
Johnny Haffner, Catering by Johnny Haffner
“My grandmother’s bolognese with polenta.”
Emily Frith, The Corner Market
“It would be a perfectly ripe early-August peach, warm crusty ciabatta straight out of the oven, oozy Edel de Cleron cheese and a split of Chateau Yquem.”
David Story, The Local Taco
“Pierogi, kielbasa and golumpki. I come from a Polish background and always remember this dinner — and still to this day make this for all holidays. It reminds me of family.”
Jill Melton, Edible Nashville
“Mine would be a bowl of fresh local berries — blueberries or strawberries — with fresh local cream and turbinado sugar on them.”
Steven Robilio, Amerigo
“It would be a whole roasted chicken, seasoned simply with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, with potatoes, carrots and onions roasted along with the bird. And of course, a side of my family’s ravioli and meat sauce!!”
Nick Jacobson, 360 Bistro
“Five portions of oysters and pearls from The French Laundry, bread and butter from France, a Big Mac like the ones in the TV commercials, and a perfectly made hot fudge sundae.”
Laura Lea, LL Balanced
“Burger with medium-rare grass-fed beef, Gruyère cheese, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce and ‘special sauce’ — basically a Russian dressing — on a brioche bun. On the side, my version of sesame soba noodles and balsamic-roasted Brussels sprouts topped with Parmesan cheese. For dessert, my mom’s homemade chocolate bundt cake with chocolate ganache frosting, hot out of the oven, and whipped cream!
Kristen Winston, Kristen Winston Catering
“Medium-rare filet, Caesar salad, warm crispy French fries, a great glass of pinot noir and dark chocolate mousse cake with salted caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.”
Matt Farley, The Southern Steak & Oyster and Acme Feed & Seed
“I would eat pizza every day if I could. I’m originally from New York City, so for my last meal I’d have to get pizza from Nino’s. Just a big slice of plain cheese pizza, not too hot. The second course would be a pastrami sandwich from Katz’s Delicatessen. And I’d be drinking George Dickel No. 12.”
Charles W. Hunter III, The Salted Table
“This is quite the question for someone who enjoys Haribo gummy candy as much as a smothered homemade biscuit in peppered gravy. But if I had to narrow it down, I believe that my last meal on earth would be my great-grandmother’s beef-and-rice hand pies. It was one of the meals we looked forward to when arriving to her house from school. Its composition is rather simple — it’s biscuit dough rolled out thin and filled with sautéed onions, ground beef and white rice, then rolled over and pinched together to create what appeared to be a fried apple pie, but t’was not. It was seasoned with Nature’s Seasoning and black pepper. I remember the flavor and joy of the first bite vividly. I think a last meal should be something to bring you a sense of peace and comfort. This hand pie would be that perfect thing. My great-grandmother’s name was Janie Beasley, but we affectionately referred to her as ‘Nanny.'”
Curt Cole, Firefly Grille
“Stainless-steel carts full of a vast array of Chinese dim sum would be streaming through the room — pick almost any major city in the world.”
Gep Nelson, Yellow Porch and Wild Iris
“My last meal on earth would have to harken back to when my now-wife Katie and I first met in 1997. She had recently opened Wild Iris, and our first date was there. She bartended, and I washed dishes. At the end of the night, we sat down at the bar and had pork tenderloin with lingonberry pan jus, sautéed spinach and smashed new potatoes. I had been a vegetarian for 15 years, and it tasted heavenly to me. I remember it still!!”
Find more scoop on local foodies, chefs and restaurants here.
