Home Care In Glen Leven, ON

Operating in the same space on Sixth Avenue since 1910, the historic Hermitage Hotel is the grande dame of Nashville’s luxury lodging options. As the state’s only AAA Five Diamond/Forbes Five Star hotel property, The Hermitage Hotel stands out in a crowded hospitality field. Its signature restaurant, Capitol Grille, is located in the German-style rathskellar in the basement of the gorgeous Beaux-Arts-style building and is beloved as one of the oldest restaurants in Tennessee.

In the face of constant downtown construction of towering new skyscraper hotels and boutique properties popping up in old office and bank buildings in the neighborhood around Printers Alley, how does The Hermitage Hotel manage to still stand out in this crowded field? Hotel General Manager Dee Patel chalks it up to a laser focus on the experience of the guest. “It boils down to attention to the details,” she explains. “We teach our employees grace and preach a culture and tradition of basic practices of civility. Whether you’re taking the time to prepare a guest’s meal or taking care of their guest room, we always want to be mindful and thoughtful of the idea of experiential service.”

That doesn’t mean that The Hermitage Hotel can rest on its laurels; indeed the staff always has an eye on what’s current. Director of Food and Beverage Tony Liartis recognizes that out-of-town guests and locals alike have plenty of choices. “More than a hundred restaurants have opened in Nashville in the past year, but we’ve proven that we can stand the test of time. Our chef looks at the new menu, the restaurant decor and even the tablescapes with an eye on today. We’re going to be current, but we’re not going to do something crazy.”

Dee concurs that it’s possible to be classic and current at the same time. “We’re always progressing year after year, and I enjoy seeing us continue to grow. When we work hard to add new elements to the guest rooms every year to upgrade the experience, it’s always lovely to hear from our loyal guests that they notice that we’ve added a new bathroom mirror with a television embedded in it or more pillow choices for the room or new device charging stations. Even though our most loyal guests will probably stay with us regardless, it’s nice that they notice. We try to be very thoughtful about what details we add so we can be approachable without being stuffy.”

One important new detail that The Hermitage Hotel and Capitol Grille have added in the past year is new executive chef, Derek Brooks, who joined the team in December of 2017. Chef Brooks has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and at luxury resorts across the country before moving to Nashville. A major reason that The Hermitage Hotel was able to lure Brooks to their kitchen was their relationship with The Land Trust for Tennessee and their joint venture operating an heirloom garden at The Land Trust for Tennessee’s historic 65-acre Glen Leven Farm tucked away off of Franklin Road just a few miles from the hotel.

“The menu speaks for itself,” exclaims Chef Brooks. “Locals and out-of-town guests expect to see the Southern classics like fried green tomatoes, Brunswick stew and the sweet onion bisque, but the access to the garden is what makes it truly special!” A full-time staff gardener works the two-acre plot most days, but much of the labor to plant, tend to and harvest the garden comes from volunteer staff from the hotel and restaurant. “Glen Leven really is a team effort,” explains Chef Brooks. “The team and I are there almost every day, and it’s beautiful to go out there and relax while thinking about what’s going to be coming out of the garden and how we can use it to delight our guests. I get to take our younger cooks out there to see where their produce comes from so that they appreciate it more. Knowing that you had a hand in growing something really makes you take better care of your ingredients.”

This year marks the 10-year anniversary between The Hermitage Hotel and The Land Trust. Dee says it’s a natural fit. “We started a visionary program around our centennial celebration in 2008 to identify who we are and how we can celebrate our culture.”

Liz McLaurin, President and CEO of The Land Trust for Tennessee stresses the importance of the organization’s alliance with the hotel. “The team at The Hermitage Hotel is a visionary one – a local asset with a global reach. As a nonprofit organization working to conserve land across the state, we rely on philanthropy to achieve our mission. Through The Hermitage Hotel’s innovative guest giving program, The Land Trust has received over $800,000 to support both our statewide work and our stewardship of Glen Leven Farm. The Hermitage Hotel’s commitment is so deep that they ensure that their guests have the opportunity to learn about the importance of forever conserving irreplaceable places in Tennessee.”

Since then, the funds raised by The Hermitage Hotel have directly supported the acquisition and conservation of more than 85,000 acres of land in Tennessee through the Land Trust. These protected lands will offer opportunities for visitors to bike, hike, fish and farm for generations to come. The Hermitage Hotel was also instrumental in helping The Land Trust restore the 1857 home on the historic Glen Leven grounds.

Dee and her team aren’t afraid of hard work. “We’re actually out there getting our hands dirty.”

Chef Brooks adds, “I’m out there working closely with our gardener Sarah Edmonds, walking the rows a couple times a week making plans for what’s next to harvest and how we can use it on our menu. The kitchen is never routine at the Capitol Grille; we’ve always got new things to look forward to, and the summer garden truly helps support the menu as the staff comes up with new dishes.

Tony is thankful that so many Hermitage employees volunteer to work at Glen Leven. “We love to have the chef out there, but we need him in the kitchen too! Our structure allows the chef to do both things.”

Liz appreciates the efforts of The Hermitage Hotel staff. “The team at Capitol Grille takes tremendous care to cultivate their heirloom garden at The Land Trust for Tennessee’s Glen Leven Farm. Through this unique farming partnership, diners at the Capitol Grille not only enjoy fresh, locally harvested food, they experience the meaningful connection between people and place.”

Although Glen Leven Farm is not usually open to the public, occasionally hotel staff will take a guest on a private tour of the garden, or the hotel will hold special events on the farm. Walking around the farm, visitors can see row after row filled with future menu items for Capitol Grille or the Oak Bar: various varieties of heirloom beans, edible flowers like nasturtium, corn, greens, herbs, tomatoes, squash and root vegetables.

Dee values the relationship with The Land Trust for Tennessee and Glen Leven. “It’s an important part of our story, one that we want to share with our guests. In addition to breakfast, lunch and dinner, we use Glen Leven produce for banquet service, bar snacks, room service and for our employee cafe, where we provide our team two meals a day.”

Chef Brooks is already planning for his next menu. “We’re working on a cover crop for fall and planning for autumn,” he says. “We’re looking for more varieties of heirloom squashes and pumpkins, types that aren’t available in your local grocery to help us stay on the culinary cusp. We also save our seeds and share them with other farms to help preserve these heirloom crops. Part of being a chef is giving back, making sure our kitchen is being engaged and properly trained. Thanks to Glen Leven and The Land Trust, we have opportunities to work with ingredients they don’t see just anywhere, and that’s great.”

It’s also pretty special for the guests at The Hermitage Hotel and diners at Capitol Grille.

The Hermitage Hotel and Capitol Grille are located at 231 Sixth Ave. N., Nashville, TN 37219. Learn more at thehermitagehotel.com and capitolgrillenashville.com.

This article is sponsored by The Hermitage Hotel. All photography by Grannis Photography unless otherwise noted.

On a perfect “sweater weather” fall evening, some 700 guests gathered for The Land Trust for Tennessee’s annual fundraiser, Once in A Blue Moon, Oct. 10 at the historic Glen Leven Farm.

Glen Leven is a working, urban farm, located merely four miles from downtown Nashville on Franklin Pike. Originally owned by Thomas Thompson, who came to Nashville with James Robertson in 1780 — think Thompson Lane — the farm was deeded to the Land Trust in 2006. In addition to a significant farm operated in collaboration with The Hermitage Hotel, the farm produces honey and raises cattle.

Patrons arrived early to the historic Federal-style home for the Benefactors Reception, where they were offered a cocktail and enjoyed the vibe from Back 80 Bluegrass Band. Board Chairman Mark Manner recognized co-chairs Emme Baxter and Lisa Aston. Mayor Megan Barry then feted retiring Land Trust CEO Jeanie Nelson and new Land Trust President Liz McLarin gave an update on the preservation nonprofit’s good works.

Afterward guests toured the grounds and garden before heading to the enormous dinner tent for the main party. "Phases" was the theme, and everyone marveled over the decorative focal point: a 12-foot suspended glowing "moon" that transitioned to a new phase every 45 minutes throughout the night.

Bravo to Paiden Hite, Delia Darst and Kelley Estes for clever rustic-chic decor.

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Guests sipped Jack Daniel's spiked "Waxing Moon" and "Waning Moon" beverages and sampled hors d'oeuvres prepared by d. Kates Catering. Before dinner, guests rose and sang "America The Beautiful," led by vocalist NatalieEstes, then joined hands for a blessing by Adam DeVries. After a scrumptious dinner, guests danced and were entertained by Boy Named Banjo, fresh from its Bonnaroo appearance this summer. Then it was over to the raging bonfire to make s'mores.

Enjoying the casual evening were Butch Baxter, Lang Aston, Jane and Bill Coble, Brooks and Bert Mathews, Edie Bass, Tooty Bradford, John Cain, Lee Pratt and Neil Krugman, Elizabeth and David Fox, Carolyn and Del Webb, Nancy and MarkBeveridge, Robin Briggs, Dorothy Earthman, Buck Cole, Margaret Ann Robinson, and Stephanie and John Ingram.

Members of two churches — Glen Leven Presbyterian Church and Woodmont Hills Church of Christ — lined up Wednesday evening in front of the Rev. Mark Bryan, waiting their turns for the imposition of ashes.

"From dust you have come, from dust you shall return," Bryan said, repeating the blessing as he drew a cross in black ash on each of their foreheads.

They walked back to their pews in the sanctuary at Glen Leven Presbyterian Church wearing the symbol synonymous with Ash Wednesday, a religious observance Bryan said was not originally a part of either church's Christian traditions. Not only did the worship service mark the start of the Lenten season of reflection and penance, but it also represented the unique friendship forged nearly 20 years ago by the congregations despite their differences in Christian worship styles and practices.

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"It is a great thing to have both of our congregations sharing in this worship together," Bryan, the senior pastor of Glen Leven Presbyterian Church, said at the start of the service.

The friendship began nearly two decades ago when Woodmont Hills moved next door to Glen Leven on Franklin Pike, and Bryan welcomed the church's minister at the time. The congregations started coming together for two services a year. When a new minister came to Woodmont Hills, Bryan met him when he showed up during an Ash Wednesday service at Glen Leven. Currently, Woodmont Hills is searching for a new senior minister, but the congregations are hopeful their friendship will continue.

"I’ve talked to people around this nation in my denomination and that’s just very unusual that those two groups get together, which makes it special. Therefore I do say it’s an anomaly," Bryan said.

Bryan and Joan Gregory, the caring services minister at Woodmont Hills Church of Christ, pointed out a few of their differences. Compared to Woodmont Hills, the worship style at Glen Leven, a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA) denomination, is more liturgical, Bryan said. The music is primarily sung a capella at Woodmont Hills, Gregory said. Women can serve as pastors in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Bryan said. In terms of denominational structure, Woodmont Hills is autonomous, Gregory said.

While the congregations have differences, they prefer to focus on and celebrate the common ground they share as Christians. That is why they come together year after year, Gregory said.

“So we could serve together and work together and concentrate on what we shared in common as opposed to what differences we have,” Gregory said. "We’re good neighbors and we may not see each other every week, but we know that they are there and I would hope they would know that we are there. I think it’s a very good relationship that I think will get better."

On Wednesday evening, the ashes that blackened Bryan's fingers and the foreheads of those in attendance came from palms used during both churches' Palm Sunday services. They were burned to ash before the service, but then combined with more ashes created Wednesday night.

Bryan asked those in the pews to write down on small slips of white paper the parts of their lives in which they desire God's intervention and forgiveness. He then invited everyone to drop them in a bowl at the front of the sanctuary, and he lit them on fire, burning them into ash. The smell of smoke perfumed the room as he explained further why acknowledging mortality isn't a negative thing to do.

"When God says, 'I know you're dust, I made you.' That's when God says, 'I share my grace, my love and my mercy, because I know how frail and fragile you are, and I know that you cannot do it alone," Bryan said.

Reach Holly Meyer at [email protected] or 615-259-8241 and on Twitter @HollyAMeyer.