Jason McConnell, the chef who’s made a huge mark on downtown Franklin with Red Pony (sophisticated, Southern-influenced fine dining) and SOL (modern, creative Mexican cuisine) is bringing his new concept to historic Main Street. McConnell (who has a degree from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and spent five years at F. Scott’s in Nashville) said that despite SOL’s popularity, it’s been a challenge to run a single restaurant in such a large, sprawling space.We are bringing the building back to the true essence and character of downtown Franklin, offering two intimate, quaint and charming options,” he said in a release Wednesday.
55 South, referring to the interstate highway that connects Memphis and New Orleans, and McConnell is giving the room a rustic Southern makeover, with weathered wood and reclaimed materials.