Deb Paquette
Deb Paquette is a Nashville-based chef and restaurateur best known as the owner and executive chef of Etch and Etc. restaurants in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. She's made a name for herself over several decades with a bold, globally influenced take on Southern cuisine that's earned consistent praise from regional and national food media. Her cooking draws on a deeply rooted Southern upbringing—she's described being "raised on yellow squash"—while incorporating international techniques and unexpected flavor combinations that feel fresh without losing their grounding.[1]
Career
Within Nashville's restaurant community, Paquette developed a cooking style that doesn't fit neatly into categories. Her food is rooted in Southern tradition but draws freely from Mediterranean, Asian, and Middle Eastern influences. That combination of her Southern upbringing and her willingness to explore culinary traditions from around the world has shaped the signature dishes and menus she's known for.
Recognition within the broader Southern culinary world came through her participation in high-profile culinary events. She's appeared alongside celebrated Southern and nationally recognized chefs, including Maneet Chauhan, at events hosted by the Culinary Institute of America.[2] Wine Spectator magazine featured her work as well, highlighting her recipe for roasted cauliflower paired with white Burgundy. That dish shows what she does best: taking simple Southern ingredients and elevating them through technique and thoughtful wine pairing.[3]
She's also been cited as a representative voice among Southern chefs on topics ranging from ingredient sourcing to food culture, appearing in editorial features that tap the perspectives of established regional culinary figures.[4]
Restaurants
Etch
Etch is her flagship restaurant in downtown Nashville. The menu's eclectic and internationally influenced, changing to reflect seasonal ingredients while maintaining the bold, composed flavor profiles that define her culinary identity. It's become a significant fixture in Nashville's dining scene and shows up regularly in coverage of the city's culinary evolution.[5]
Etc.
Etc. is her second Nashville restaurant, operating as a companion concept to Etch. Like the first, it reflects her broader culinary philosophy and commitment to craft and ingredient-driven cooking. Two successful restaurant ventures in Nashville's competitive downtown dining market speaks volumes about the durability of her reputation and the loyal following she's built among local diners and visitors alike.
Culinary Philosophy
Paquette's approach to cooking is grounded in a deep familiarity with Southern ingredients and preparations, which she treats as a foundation rather than a limitation. Southern home cooking shaped her culinary sensibility profoundly, including the vegetables and preparations common to Southern kitchens. But her menus demonstrate a consistent interest in global flavors and modern technique, resulting in dishes that feel simultaneously rooted and adventurous.
Take her roasted cauliflower recipe, which appeared in Wine Spectator. A simple, widely available vegetable gets transformed through careful preparation and paired with white Burgundy, a wine selection that elevates the whole dish into something considered and sophisticated.[6] That combination of accessibility and sophistication is characteristic of how she approaches food and hospitality broadly.