Our Story
Rooted in Nashville
Chef Elena Vasquez
Coming Home to Cook
Elena grew up in Nashville, watching her grandmother cook with whatever the garden gave that week. She left for the Culinary Institute of America at 18 and spent the next 15 years in New York City's most celebrated kitchens — Gramercy Tavern, Olmsted, and a Michelin-starred residency that taught her discipline without losing her soul.
In 2021, she came home. Not to replicate New York, but to cook the way she always wanted to: seasonally, honestly, over live fire, with ingredients she could trace back to the farmer who grew them.
She partnered with David Park — sommelier, longtime friend, and the calm center of the front of house — and together they opened Sage & Ember in Germantown.
“No freezer. Everything fresh. Every farm within 100 miles.”
Our Philosophy
Honest Food, Cooked with Fire
At Sage & Ember, the menu is written by the season. We don't source ingredients to match a recipe — we build recipes around what the land gives us that week. Our wood-burning hearth is the heart of the kitchen. Everything touches smoke, ember, or open flame at some point.
We believe great restaurants aren't built on technique alone. They're built on relationships — with farmers, with guests, with the land. That's what makes dinner here feel different.
Our Partners
The Farms Behind the Food
Sweetwater Farm
Seasonal ProduceOrganic vegetables and herbs from 45 acres in Franklin, TN. Less than 30 miles from our kitchen.
Rolling Hills Ranch
Heritage MeatsGrass-fed beef and heritage pork from a third-generation family ranch in Leiper’s Fork.
Harpeth River Dairy
Artisan DairySmall-batch cheeses, butter, and cream from pasture-raised cows in Kingston Springs.
Wild Mountain Mushrooms
Foraged FungiWild and cultivated mushrooms foraged from the Cumberland Plateau, delivered daily.
The Team
The People Behind the Plate
Elena Vasquez
Executive Chef & Owner
Nashville native. CIA trained. 15 years in New York’s top kitchens. Returned home to cook with fire.
David Park
General Manager & Wine Director
Certified sommelier with 12 years in hospitality. Curates our cellar with a focus on small producers.
Maria Chen
Pastry Chef
Classically trained with a Southern twist. Known for her seasonal crumbles and chocolate torte.
James Whitfield
Sous Chef
Elena’s right hand. Specializes in fermentation, pickling, and live-fire technique.
Sarah Mitchell
Events Coordinator
Brings 8 years of event planning to every celebration. Your single point of contact from inquiry to toast.
The Space
A Germantown Original
Sage & Ember lives in a converted warehouse on 5th Avenue North in Germantown — one of Nashville's oldest neighborhoods, now one of its most vibrant. The building dates to the 1920s, and we kept as much original character as we could.
Exposed brick walls. Wide-plank reclaimed wood floors. An open kitchen anchored by our custom wood-burning hearth. The space seats 60 in the main dining room, plus 12 at the bar and 24 in our private dining room.
In warm months, the patio opens onto 5th Avenue with room for 20 more. It's the kind of place where you linger — over a last glass of wine, watching the kitchen close down for the night.
