Retire Southern

06/01/2026

Broadway may be where Nashville turns the volume up.

But The Gulch is where the city sharpens its edges.

At The Thompson Nashville, oysters slide across the raw bar downstairs at Marsh House while espresso martinis elevate the rooftop at L.A. Jackson.

The skyline glows.
The music hums underneath the conversation.
And somehow the entire place feels elevated without ever feeling exclusive.

“The best places don’t make you feel excluded… they make you feel invited.”

This week on Retire Southern, we sit down with Executive Chef Brack May, Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer, and Beverage Director Todd Johnston to explore the people, culture, food, cocktails, and hospitality philosophy behind one of Nashville’s most compelling properties.

Full podcast and travel feature now live.

https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/the-thompson-nashville-marsh-house-la-jackson-gulch-podcast

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Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

Inside The Thompson Nashville with Executive Chef Brack May, Beverage Director Todd Johnston, and Executive Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer. A conversation about Southern hospitality, rooftop cocktails, seafood towers, brunch culture, and why The Gulch has become one of Nashville’s most magnetic neighb...

06/01/2026

Broadway may be where Nashville turns the volume up.

But The Gulch is where the city sharpens its edges.

At The Thompson Nashville, oysters slide across the raw bar downstairs at Marsh House while espresso martinis elevate the rooftop at L.A. Jackson.

The skyline glows.
The music hums underneath the conversation.
And somehow the entire place feels elevated without ever feeling exclusive.

“The best places don’t make you feel excluded… they make you feel invited.”

This week on Retire Southern, we sit down with Executive Chef Brack May, Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer, and Beverage Director Todd Johnston to explore the people, culture, food, cocktails, and hospitality philosophy behind one of Nashville’s most compelling properties.

Full podcast and travel feature now live.

lnk.bio in profile

Read. Watch. Listen.

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

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05/30/2026

We saved the best for last.

Chef Brack May might be my spirit animal.

At the end of our conversation, we got into a topic every food lover wants to know:

What do chefs actually eat when nobody’s watching?

Not what’s on the menu.

What’s off the menu.

That’s how Chef Brack’s Off-Menu Brunch was born.

The James
Grits. Gumbo. Poached Egg.

The Monte Cristo Waffle
Stuffed with shaved ham and Gruyère.

The Big Brack
Topped with crawfish and a fried egg.

Wash it down with The Protestant or a carafe of milk punch and you’ve got yourself a proper Nashville morning.

I told Chef Brack these should be on the menu.

He didn’t say yes.

He didn’t say no.

But if you find yourself at Marsh House and ask nicely, you never know.

Full podcast episode and travel feature launch Monday, 6/1.

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05/28/2026

One of the things that stood out most during my visit to The Thompson Nashville was how intentional every detail felt.

Not over the top.
Not performative.

Just thoughtful hospitality executed at a very high level.

Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer quietly ties the entire ecosystem together through pastries, desserts, and the small accents guests remember long after checkout.

The full Retire Southern feature on The Thompson Nashville launches 6/1.

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05/26/2026

“It’s almost like an indulgence. It’s a little bit elevated from your neighborhood bar, but you can still treat it as your neighborhood bar.”

That line pretty much explains the entire Thompson Nashville experience.

Luxury without pretentiousness.
A rooftop that still feels approachable.
A hotel that locals actually spend time in.

This week on Retire Southern, we head to The Thompson Nashville, Marsh House, and L.A. Jackson to sit down with the team behind one of the most compelling hospitality experiences in the South.

Featuring:
Executive Chef Brack May
Pastry Chef Natalie Moorer
Beverage Todd Johnston

Full episode and travel feature launch 6/1.

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

05/24/2026

“It’s like a joint and an espresso, all in one.”
Chef Brack May on the espresso martini at L.A. Jackson.

Spent the weekend inside the Thompson Nashville and came back with one conclusion:

This team knows how to have fun.

From oysters and shrimp toast downstairs at Marsh House to rooftop espresso martinis overlooking the Nashville skyline, this episode turned into way more than a hotel review. It became a full blown weekend experience.

Full podcast episode and travel feature coming soon to RetireSouthern.com

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

05/19/2026

Doing the right thing isn’t always enough.

You can have good intentions.
You can mean well.
You can try to help.

And still create consequences you never saw coming
“Good work, done with good intent, can have unintended consequences.”

That’s the part most people don’t talk about.

Full episode + companion essay are live.

Watch. Read. Listen.

05/18/2026

The conversation is live.

John T. Edge on:
inherited stories
identity
purpose
accountability
Southern culture
House of Smoke

Podcast now live on Retire Southern Podcast.

Companion essay:
The Story We Inherit
now live in Retire Southern Lifestyle.

Watch. Read. Listen.

https://www.retiresouthern.com/retiresouthernpodcast/john-t-edge-house-of-smoke-southern-identity-stories-we-inherit

Rooted in the South. Driven by Purpose. Built for Living.

Author and TrueSouth host John T. Edge joins Retire Southern to discuss his memoir House of Smoke, Southern identity, family trauma, the Southern Foodways Alliance, Booker Wright, purpose, accountability, and the stories we inherit.

05/15/2026

We like to think we’re in control.

We’ll make the move.
Make the change.
When the timing is right.
But that’s not how it works.

“Sometimes the change comes for us.”

Not when you’re ready.
When you need it.

The question is what you do next.

Full conversation + companion essay launch May 18.

05/14/2026

“If you’re going to write a memoir, you’ve got to tell the toughest things.”

This conversation with John T. Edge stayed with me long after we stopped recording.

Not because it was polished.
Because it was honest.

About family.
About inheritances
About identity.
About what we carry forward.
And what we leave behind.

“That’s the whole gig, man.”

Full conversation + companion essay launch May 18 on Retire Southern.