Nashville’s only upscale restaurant for the GLBT community, RED, located in Tribe on Church Street, has named Tracy Barkley as its head chef.
Barkley brings with her skills learned as executive sous chef at the Nashville City Club, as well as Arthur’s in the Union Station Hotel.
Barkely plans on maintaining some very popular menu items that were started by former Chef Gene Kote, including the Gouda chicken.
“I plan on adding a portabella tempura, blackened snapper, New York strip, new pastas, sauces, and salads,” she said. “But don't worry; the Gouda chicken is not going anywhere.”
It was the elegant atmosphere, “wonderful people, and the professionalism of management and staff” that attracted Barkley to Red.
“We are so pleased to have Tracy Barkley as our executive chef,” said David Taylor, co-owner of Tribe. “She brings a wealth of experience, having graduated from the Culinard School, and serving as the executive chef at the Nashville City Club. I think our customers will be excited about the plans she has for the restaurant. She's a wonderful addition to the Tribe family.”
Barkley started cooking in her mother’s restaurant when she was 13-years-old. She apprenticed under Chef Julio Orantes at the four-star Arthur’s in the Union Station Hotel. From there, she worked on his business skills of running a restaurant under Bill Harris, general manager of the Nashville City Club. She holds a culinary degree from Culinard in Birmingham, Ala., and a master’s degree in business from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Ala.
It’s Barkley’s desire to make Red a “destination restaurant” for anyone living in or visiting Nashville.
“The strength is the wonderful staff,” she said. “They are the most dedicated I have ever worked with and the only obstacle is the limited knowledge of who and where we are.”
