Tandy Wilson

It all began with cornbread, no recipe, just a story in a game of “telephone” from his mother, her mother before that and so on. These are the women in his life who cultivated Tandy Wilson’s appreciation for food at an early age, igniting the fire that has become the backbone to his “heart and soul” cooking philosophy.

While attending the University of Tennessee, Wilson landed his first restaurant job at The Orangery in Knoxville, TN. Quickly transitioning from crushing the dish pit to working on the line, he realized that his love of cooking could—and should—turn into a career. Chef Kevin Fults gifted Wilson On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, leading Wilson to seal the deal on his decision to attend culinary school.

In 2004, Wilson came back home to his roots in Nashville, TN seasoned with Italian travel and eager to advance his culinary confidence. It was while working as a sous chef for Chef/Owner Margot McCormack at Margot Café that Wilson’s dream to open his own restaurant developed. That dream came to fruition in a nineteenth century brick building that once housed the workspace for local Nashvillian artist and sculptor, Alan LeQuire. Located in historic Germantown, City House opened its doors in December 2007. It is here where Wilson showcases his love for fresh, local ingredients as often as possible while creating what he calls, “blue collar Italian” and Southern cuisine.

Wilson was a finalist for the James Beard Award “Best Chef Southeast” in 2013, 2014, 2015, taking home the award in 2016. Wilson is an avid supporter of local and national charities, such as The Nashville Food Project and No Kid Hungry. He is also on the board of the historic Nashville Farmers’ Market and a longtime member of the Southern Foodways Alliance.