The Optimist

The Optimist's Germantown pop-up looks like someone airlifted a beach shack from the Northeast and set it down in the middle of Nashville. The boards are whitewashed, the setup is outdoor and unfussy, and the whole thing reads like summer even when it shouldn't work in landlocked Tennessee. It works anyway.

The oysters are the reason to sit down, and they hold up on their own without needing the ceviche or the fruity cocktails to distract you — though both are worth ordering. Nothing here is trying to be a serious seafood restaurant. It's trying to be a good time with good shellfish, and it hits that target directly.

The bocce court is doing more work than a side amenity should. It turns the whole space into something closer to a backyard party than a restaurant, and that energy carries the meal as much as the food does. People get competitive. That's the point.

This is a place that knows exactly what it is and doesn't overreach past it. A shack with good oysters, good drinks, and a court where the trash talk is half the appeal — that's a complete idea, executed well.