OpenTable picks House of Cards for night out

Friday, May 31, 2019, Vol. 43, No. 22

Nashville’s House of Cards has been named to a list featuring 100 Best Restaurants in America for a Big Night Out.

The list was released by OpenTable, a provider of online restaurant reservations and part of Booking Holdings, Inc.

The list features restaurants with not only exceptional food and drinks, but also vibrant bar scenes and lively atmospheres, allowing diners to take advantage of the summer evenings to celebrate life’s big moments with great dining and a night on the town.

House of Cards is a 21 and older, reservations-required restaurant with a strict dress code for men and women (no denim).

The dining experience celebrates the art of magic, classic American cuisine and hand-crafted cocktails. Guests are encouraged to explore the dining room to enjoy the rare collections and entertainment by some of America’s top magicians who are stationed throughout the venue to provide illusions throughout the evening.

Contessa, CommonSpirit launch partnership

Nashville-based Contessa, operator of Home Recovery Care, is partnering with CommonSpirit Health to launch a new hospital-level home care option.

The partnership allows many patients to avoid hospital admission.

The initiative represents CommonSpirit Health’s latest effort to leverage emerging technology to deliver convenient, consumer-centered health care to its patients.

Although the hospital-at-home model has been around for a long time, it hasn’t been widespread, in part, due to barriers for reimbursement and an expectation for receiving care in a clinical setting. Advances in technology and evolving patient preferences are now making care at home more realistic for health systems, as evidenced by Contessa’s 92 percent acceptance rate among eligible patients.

“CommonSpirit Health envisions a future for health care with more access points so patients can receive care on their terms,” says Rich Roth, who leads strategic innovation for CommonSpirit Health. “Our work with Contessa will bring recommended intensive outpatient care into the comfort of one’s home so that we can improve health outcomes and help enhance the overall health of our communities. Finding ways to provide high-quality access to care in low cost settings is an essential component of how we must deliver care for the future.”

Nashville puts spotlight on food, music and wine

Music City Food + Wine Festival, featuring chefs, top restaurants, wine and spirits, and musicians, will be held Sept. 20-22 at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park.

The event includes:

• Friday Night Throwdown with top-tier chefs serving up classic dishes, cocktails and spirits, along with food and lifestyle exhibitors, live music and dancing. Plus, well-known athletes and chefs will team up in a culinary competition.

• Acclaimed chefs Saturday afternoon serving culinary masterpieces, wine, beer and spirits. Food and lifestyle exhibitors, live music and more.

• Harvest Night at Walk of Fame Park on Saturday with music and renown chefs

• Acclaimed chefs and restaurants serve Sunday brunch favorites set to a live gospel performance.

“Participating in MCFW gives us the opportunity to get out of the restaurant and spend time with our fellow restaurant professionals, see our customers in a different environment, and to make connections with the community,” chef Margot McCormack says. “We enjoy showcasing what we do here at Margot Café & Bar, as well as celebrating the diverse and thriving food scene we have in Nashville to locals and visitors alike.”

Friday 6-10 p.m., Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday, noon-2 p.m.

Throughout the weekend, attendees will have the opportunity to get up close and personal as chefs, including James Beard Foundation Award winner Rick Bayless (Frontera Grill, Topolobampo, Xoco, Leña Brava, Cruz Blanca, Frontera Cocina, Bar Sótano), Sarah Grueneberg (Monteverde), Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto Restaurants, Morimoto Asia Restaurants; Momosan Ramen & Sake) and Aarón Sánchez (Johnny Sánchez) lead interactive and fun cooking demonstrations.

The All-In Ticket ($525 per person) enables guests to experience the full weekend. Information

Firestone unveils Weather Grip tire

Bridgestone Americas, Inc., based in Nashville, has launched the Firestone WeatherGrip, the company’s first all-weather touring tire for the U.S. and Canada.

The tire is Three-Peak Mountain Snowflake certified and specially designed for control in wet and snowy conditions.

Featuring the Firestone brand’s new Hydro-Grip technology package, the WeatherGrip tire utilizes a tread pattern designed with full-depth grooves and open shoulder slots for enhanced water evacuation. The all-weather tire is also engineered with a rounded footprint where the rubber meets the road, allowing it to cut through water to help reduce the risk of hydroplaning.

“Drivers today are looking for durable, dependable tires that work hard and keep them in control in every driving season,” says Erik Seidel, president, consumer replacement tire sales, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations. “This is why we built the Firestone WeatherGrip tire to provide enhanced grip in wet and winter conditions, so drivers can confidently take on any forecast.”

Vanderbilt captures NASA student contest

Vanderbilt’s Aerospace Design Lab has won the 2019 NASA Student Launch competition, the team’s fifth win in the last six years.

This year’s challenge, hosted by NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, tasked student teams to propose, design, build and test a reusable rocket with a payload. The rocket had to reach a team selected altitude between 4,000 and 5,500 feet. Once reaching its highest point, the rocket deployed a recovery system and landed safely.

The payload had to be a drone or rover that autonomously deployed from the rocket after the rocket landed. NASA engineers face similar questions as they design the Space Launch System rocket to send astronauts and payloads to the moon.

The Vanderbilt team will receive a $5,000 award from Marshall industry partner Northrop Grumman for their win.

JumpCrew adds $7.2M in funding

Nashville Capital Network and Hinsdale Capital assisted JumpCrew, based in Nashville, in completing a Series B funding round of $7.2 million.

NCN is a partnership of more than 100 professional investors – most of whom have been founders and executives of highly successful companies.

JumpCrew is a leading demand generation platform that integrates sales and marketing to accelerate new customer acquisition. This latest funding round builds on JumpCrew’s prior funding of $8.7M.

“JumpCrew has demonstrated a great ability to use technology to maximize growth. Sound strategy and flawless execution have enabled JumpCrew to build high quality revenue for its clients and expand their offerings through acquisitions,” says Sid Chambless, managing partner at NCN Partners Fund. “This is a rapidly growing business that is both disrupting and transforming the digital media and publishing space. We are pleased to be partners with Hinsdale and the JumpCrew management team.”

JumpCrew integrates digital marketing and sales to accelerate client growth. The company partners with and acquires brands to disrupt, transform and grow. JumpCrew’s solutions combine technology with a human touch. The company works with a growing roster of clients in publishing, health care, media, and technology to help them build awareness, increase leads and convert sales.

HealthStream partners with popular NurseGrid

HealthStream, based in Nashville, has announced a partnership with NurseGrid, the creator of the No. 1 mobile app for nurses in both Apple and Android stores.

NurseGrid will be integrated with hStream, HealthStream’s new platform-as-a-service technology.

As an hStream-integrated app, NurseGrid Manager can be accessed by HealthStream customers, providing them with innovative shift-filling technology while connecting to the hundreds of thousands of nursing professionals, hospitals, and agencies that form the NurseGrid network.

NurseGrid Mobile, which has more than 1 million downloads, helps nurses organize their schedules, request changes and share with colleagues. Nurses who opt to use NurseGrid Mobile can easily integrate the app with HealthStream ePortfolio, which would allow them to store and manage their credentials and continuing education credits on a single, convenient mobile platform.

Sinatra family invests in Printer’s Alley

Nashville-based Icon Entertainment Group and Frank Sinatra Enterprises will open Sinatra Bar and Lounge in Printer’s Alley in early 2020.

The facility will be in the historic Southern Turf Building, a Queen Anne structure built in 1839. The building is located in the rapidly redeveloping area of downtown Nashville.

The basement level of the building is home to the legendary Skull’s Rainbow Room, which just took the No. 5 spot in TripAdvisor’s Top 40 list of the best restaurants in Nashville.

Sinatra’s drink of choice was Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, or Old No. 7 as he referred to it, and it will be front and center, along with the new Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select.

An upscale small plates menu will feature many of the Chairman of the Board’s favorite Italian recipes, complimented by a “set ‘em’ up Joe” old school, standard cocktail menu.

California company buys Bellevue apartments

San Francisco-based real estate investment firm Hamilton Zanze has purchased two Nashville apartment communities, Post Ridge Apartments and 865 Bellevue.

The deals mark the company’s first entry into the state market.

The 865 Bellevue apartment community features 326 rentable units and a large community clubhouse and pool area. Post Ridge offers 150 two and three bedroom units, all of which will be updated by the new ownership group.

“With its expansive unit floorplans, Post Ridge Apartments serve a highly desirable and underserved demographic, and 865 Bellevue’s strategic location between Highway 70 and Interstate 40 provides its residents easy access to Downtown Nashville, the medical district and other major employment centers,” says David Nelson, Hamilton Zanze’s managing director of acquisitions.

“Both properties presented an opportunity to buy well-located, value-add assets in a great market. We are excited about being a part of the Nashville market and will continue to look for more opportunities there.”