Nashville Best Of 2026 · Best Chef
Philip Krajeck
Handmade pasta, wood-fired cooking, and house-baked bread that helped put Nashville on the national dining map. The chef behind Germantown’s beloved Rolf and Daughters, Philip Krajeck is our pick for the best chef in Nashville.
The Verdict
Why Krajeck Earns the Title
Long before Nashville became a national food destination, Philip Krajeck was showing the country what the city could do. When Rolf and Daughters opened in 2012, his seasonal, shareable cooking helped spark Germantown’s dining boom and set a new standard for Nashville’s neighborhood restaurants. More than a decade later, it remains one of the city’s most beloved places to eat.
Krajeck describes his style as modern peasant food: handmade pastas, wood-fired meats, vegetables from regional farms, house-baked bread, and dishes designed for sharing. The accolades have followed, from Bon Appétit and Esquire to a place in the Michelin Guide, a 2022 James Beard finalist nod for Best Chef: Southeast, and another James Beard semifinalist nomination in 2026.
2012
Opened Rolf and Daughters
#3
Bon Appétit Best New Restaurant, 2013
2022
James Beard Finalist, Best Chef: Southeast
Michelin
Guide Recommended
Taste His Cooking
What to Order
Menus change with the seasons, but these are the hallmarks of a meal at Rolf and Daughters.
Handmade Pasta
The pasta is the star. Bon Appétit famously wrote that Krajeck was “put on earth to make pasta,” and seasonal dishes like plump tortelloni and bright green spaghetti prove the point.
Wood Fire & House Bread
Wood-fired meats and vegetables from regional farms, served alongside house-baked bread that alone is worth the trip. Everything is designed to share.
Natural Wine & Communal Tables
An ever-evolving natural wine list and house cocktails pair with communal tables that give the room its lively, welcoming neighborhood feel.
The Story
From the Beach to Germantown
Before Nashville, Philip Krajeck earned a James Beard semifinalist nod in 2011 for his cooking at Fish Out of Water in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. He left the beach to open a place of his own, and in November 2012 he launched Rolf and Daughters in the boiler building of the old Werthan Bag Company factory in Germantown, before the neighborhood became a dining destination.
Within a year, Bon Appétit named it the No. 3 best new restaurant in America, and Esquire followed with honors of its own. Krajeck went on to become a James Beard finalist in 2022, open Folk in East Nashville and his newest spot, Junior, on Dickerson Pike, and earn another James Beard semifinalist nod in 2026.
“It was never our goal to be nationally recognized.”
Philip Krajeck, on opening Rolf and Daughters in 2012
Where to Taste It
Dine at Rolf and Daughters
Rolf and Daughters is in Germantown, just north of downtown. Reservations are recommended, though a few bar seats are held each night for walk-ins.
Location
Rolf and Daughters
700 Taylor St
Nashville, TN 37208
(615) 866-9897
Inside the historic Werthan factory in Germantown.
Hours
Dinner nightly from 5 pm
The menu changes with the seasons, so there’s always something new to try.
Reservations
Book the dining room, communal tables, or bar online. A few bar seats are held each night for walk-ins, so solo diners and spontaneous couples still have a shot.
Pull Up a Chair in Germantown
Book a table at Rolf and Daughters and taste the cooking that helped put Nashville’s dining scene on the map.