‘We’re going to bring K Street back’: Nash & Proper opens first restaurant next week
The chickens are coming downtown to roost.
Nash & Proper’s downtown Sacramento restaurant will open next Wednesday on “916 Day” (Sept. 16) at 1023 K St., co-owner Cecil Rhodes II confirmed. The fried chicken emporium will replace all-vegetarian Mother, which closed in January.
It’ll be the first brick-and-mortar location for Nash & Proper, which Rhodes and co-owner Jake Bombard have built into arguably the region’s most sought-after food truck since opening in 2018. The popularity of Nash & Proper’s hot chicken sandwiches, with heat levels ranging from “naked” to “cluckin’ hot,” allowed them to add a second truck and a commercial kitchen in south Natomas.
Downtown foot traffic has largely vanished as state employees and Kings fans have stayed home during the coronavirus pandemic, and several restaurants along The Kay have closed permanently or indefinitely, including Empress Tavern and Pizza Rock on Nash & Proper’s block.
Rhodes and Bombard hope their restaurant, which won the Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s 2019 “Calling All Dreamers” competition, can infuse some life back into the city center’s main street.
“We’re going to bring K Street back,” Rhodes said. “We’re going do our part get that heart beating down there again, and hopefully other restaurants see what’s going on and come together and get it pumping down here again.”
Food truck items like the sandwiches, wings and tenders — plus cauliflower-based alternatives — will be available at the downtown restaurant. It’ll will also serve bone-in half and quarter chickens, plus sides such as macaroni and cheese and “Pops’ greens,” a collard greens recipe Rhodes pilfered from his dad as best he could.
“Older Black people, they don’t really give out recipes. You kinda just gotta look over their shoulder while they’re doing stuff,” Rhodes said. “But I think I got it down. It’s probably not quite as good as his — we’ve got different sorts of love — but it’s up there with his, I think.”
Nash & Proper will have three tables outside and four more on the M.A.Y. Building’s patio, with additional benches around the corner outside the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. Beer and wine will be available for sale with food purchases.
The restaurant will be open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday to start, and both food trucks will stay active. Nash & Proper is still hiring cooks, servers, bussers and dishwashers; email a resume and cover to jobs@nashandproper.com to apply.