Our cooking begins with what is fresh, seasonal, and close to home: ingredients from local farms, the hills of East Tennessee, and Chef Joseph Lenn’s own garden. Nearly everything is made in house, with many preparations beginning again each day: stocks, sauces, breads, pickles, preserves, desserts, vegetables, meats, and the small details that shape a meal.

Chef Joseph Lenn’s cooking is rooted in Tennessee. As a fifth-generation Tennessean, he brings a lifelong connection to Southern food and more than 20 years of refinement to many of the dishes served at J.C. Holdway, including years spent as Executive Chef at Blackberry Farm. These are familiar Southern preparations shaped over time by fire, seasonality, restraint, and care.

At J.C. Holdway, refinement often shows up quietly. What may appear straightforward on the plate is often the result of careful sourcing, seasoning, timing, texture, and the judgment to stop before a dish becomes too much.

 

Because the menu changes daily with the season, the harvest, and the judgment of the kitchen, what appears online is a current expression of what we are cooking. Dishes may change before service based on availability and what is at its best that day.

 

Choose the experience that best fits the evening:

• À La Carte Dining – Seasonal dishes prepared over live fire.

• Chef’s Classics – A five-course signature dinner highlighting many of the dishes that define J.C. Holdway.

• Center of the Table Experience – Shared seasonal courses for groups of seven to twenty guests.

• Chef’s Tasting Experience – A private chef’s counter buyout prepared personally by Chef Joseph Lenn.

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