Mole negro The long-awaited brick-and-mortar iteration of Maiz de la Vida is finally here, standing as yet another testament to chef Julio Hernandez’s talent, creativity and ambition . Located in the Antiques Building at the border of the Gulch and Pie Town, the new restaurant pays homage to both Mexico and Tennessee — and celebrates what can happen when the two cultures converge. “I don’t think it would be fair to just do everything Mexico,” Hernandez tells the Scene .
“As I don’t think it will strike as good if we do everything Nashville. So we’re trying to balance that act, and I think it’s showing.” It is.
Take the beautiful pots that decorate the building. Though they look like they could have been imported from Mexico (as is the case for the restaurant’s stone plates, which are sourced from Oaxaca), the pots are made by local artist Cesar Pita — and they’re available for purchase. And while Maiz de la Vida’s heirloom corn, which is the very soul of Hernandez’s food, is imported from Mexico, the chef has been collaborating with Caney Fork Farms to grow similar varieties here in Middle Tennessee.
Though the partnership is compelling, the farm is not yet able to match the demand. Hernandez says that between the new restaurant, the East Nashville food truck, the Bordeaux-area commissary kitchen that sells tortillas and to-go lunches and catering services, Maiz de la Vida goes through a thousand pounds of corn each week. Maiz de la Vida 606 Eigh.