Food Notes: Harper’s names GM

Dallas-based hospitality group Milkshake Concepts has tapped industry veteran Heather Karst to serve as general manager of its soon-to-open Harper's restaurant in Rolling Mill Hill.

According to a release, Karst has been with Milkshake for more than a year and previously held food and beverage management positions with the Dream Hotel Nashville, The Westin Nashville and Chartwell Hospitality.

Heather Karst

Karst is a graduate of the University of Memphis.

Relatedly, Milkshake senior culinary director/chef Rodman Shields and corporate chef Eric Friedline will be part of the Harper's team. The two have crafted a menu that takes U.S. steakhouse roots while drawing on inspiration from Asia, Europe and the Americas, the release notes.

Harper's will open later this summer at mixed-use building Peabody Plaza. Nashville's Dowdle Construction Group is nearing completion of work on the 9,000-square-foot ground-floor space, with an address of 10 Lea Ave. Franklin's Barnett Design Group is overseeing interior design efforts.

"We are committed to personalized service and building lasting connections within the community at Harper's, and Heather is perfectly suited to execute on this and act as the face of Harper's for our guests," Imran Sheikh, Milkshake Concept co-founder and CEO, said in the release.

Milkshake Concepts will in the fall open The Finch by Union Station Hotel, a grill and raw bar. In addition to Harper's, Milkshake Concepts restaurants include Stirr, Vidorra, Citizen, Serious Pizza, Dirty Bones and Skyrocket Burger.

Evelyn's, billed as a "modern American restaurant," is scheduled to open mid-July in the Hutton Hotel in Midtown.

Evelyn's will take a space once occupied by West End Kitchen & Bar. The hotel offers an address of 1808 West End Ave.

A rendering of one of the spaces at Evelyn's

Post sister publication Nashville Scene reports the Evelyn's space is undergoing a full renovation, which will include outdoor seating along West End Avenue. Two private dining rooms are available for special events.

Jonathan Rush, Hutton Hotel director of operations, told the Scene the Evelyn's menu will focus on classic American dishes and Southern specialties. Specific dishes will include fish and chips, roasted ribeye, broiled red snapper and Dover sole. The dessert menu will include biscuit cobbler and seasonal tarts.

The restaurant is named for Evelyn Sharp, a 20th-century philanthropist, art collector and hotelier who lived in many of her hotels, including the Gotham Hotel and Carlyle Hotel. Wall art at the Hutton Hotel space will suggest pieces in Sharp's collection.

Evelyn's will be open for breakfast and lunch Mondays through Fridays and for dinner seven nights a week.