Alex Burch

Coming Up

Wine has been the governing craft in Alex Burch’s work from the start, with Bastion (2016–2019) setting the pace. As Wine Director, Alex brought a disciplined, attentive hand to the room’s rhythm and its identity on the list. That same pressure toward balance carried into Henrietta Red (from 2019), where overseeing the wine program meant continuing to build a reputation for precision and a palate that could read a list with uncommon clarity. The throughline was never spectacle. It was control of tempo, clean decisions, and confidence expressed in the details. Today, Alex is owner of Bad Idea, extending that same considered sensibility into a new setting.

Where They Are Now

In 2026, Alex owns Bad Idea in Nashville, Tennessee. As a wine program takes shape in a room like that, the work depends on intention as much as selection: what gets poured, how it is framed, and how the list invites a guest in. Over time, Alex has become known for drawing out nuance rather than leaning on familiarity, building discovery into the program without losing the grounded ease that keeps it approachable.

Signature

Chicken Nuggets and Strip Steak sit at opposite ends of the same register in Alex’s signature dishes. One is playful and immediately legible; the other is more classic, structured, and centered on the plain pleasure of a well-cooked cut. Taken together, they point to a kitchen mind that understands both comfort and exactness, and that treats approachability and precision as compatible tools.

In Their Words “Wine comes from all over the globe, yet most wine lists focus on what's comfortable.” That view runs through Alex’s work across Bastion (2016–2019), Henrietta Red (from 2019), and Bad Idea. It is a clear position on what a wine list can do when it is built with restraint: widen the field rather than narrow it. The aim is not to chase the obvious pour, but to make room for bottles that shift the conversation, open the table, and add another layer to a meal without forcing the point.