“What would Dolly Parton’s rooftop have looked like in 1980?”
That’s the question White Limozeen, the vintage-glam bar and restaurant atop Nashville’s Graduate Hotel, aims to answer with bright pink walls, an onyx wraparound bar, glittery chandeliers and even a giant pink chicken-wire sculpture of the “Jolene” singer herself.
The newly opened, indoor-outdoor space, named after a song and album of Parton’s, represents the glitzy pinnacle of a thematic voyage at the 12-story Midtown hotel, said Graduate Hotels CEO and founder Ben Weprin. He’s the one who came up with the Dolly idea.
High style and down home
“We have a character in every hotel,” he said. “Here, it’s a country girl who moves to the city and makes it big.” Guests who want to fully live the experience can also book the “9 to 5” suite, Weprin adds, which features a waterbed.
White Limozeen aims to be a high-style yet down-home destination for visitors to Music City, particularly those to nearby Vanderbilt University.
Vintage-fabric day beds, flowery chaise lounges and a wading pool create a throwback cocktail party vibe. It’s the perfect backdrop for Demi Natoli, the mixologist behind Nashville’s Patterson House,who offers a menu of playful drinks such as the Frozen Aperol Spritz, Champagne Jell-O shots and a rosy-colored Queen of the Rodeo. A list of American and French natural wines emphasizes the sparkling variety.
Mouth-watering menu
White Limozeen’s menu, developed by hospitality duo Marc Rose and Med Abrous with chef Chris Lewallen (of Nashville eateries Bastion, Nicky’s Coal Fired and Henley), puts a retro-Southern spin on French party food such as trout fritters with almondine dip, white bread burgers, chicken liver pie with pumpernickel crust, biscuits and caviar, and mussels steamed in Nashville hot butter.
And while the vibe is fun and retro, the bar and hotel assure visitors their Covid-19 protocols are serious and current with social distancing standards in place.
Dolly’s not the only musician represented here – a life-size portrait of country singer-songwriter Eric Church taking a shot of Jack Daniels onstage has already become a selfie fave – but her bubbly, everyone-is-welcome aura is the dominant one.
She hasn’t stopped by yet, but “I hope she comes,” said Weprin. “We’d love to have her!”
