Culamar’s Next Chapter: From Seafood Destination to Neighborhood Gathering Place
Culamar is not new to downtown Franklin, but Executive Chef and Owner Frank Pullara is leading the restaurant into a new phase. Now presented as Culamar + Rooftop Tapas + Oyster Bar, the concept has evolved from its original seafood focus into a broader Mediterranean-inspired experience shaped by shareable plates, oysters, cocktails, wine, and coastal flavors from Italy, Spain, and Greece.
On June 10th, Culamar hosted an evening tasting on its rooftop patio, giving guests a closer look at the new menu and Pullara’s vision for the restaurant. The tasting included small plates, cocktails, and a conversation about how Culamar can become part of the downtown Franklin dining routine, not just a special-occasion destination.
Culamar is the sister restaurant of Pullara’s Culaccino, an Italian restaurant and bar located across Main Street. While Culaccino focuses on Italian tradition, Culamar gives Pullara room to explore a different side of coastal dining in Franklin, TN.
Frank Pullara’s Path to Franklin
Pullara grew up outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and his father is from Sicily. That Sicilian family background helped shape his interest in coastal cooking and, later, the seafood-focused idea that became Culamar.
“I love seafood. I grew up eating a lot of seafood,” Pullara said.
Before opening in Franklin, Pullara had been living in Naples, Florida, and considered other cities, including Savannah and Charleston. After visiting Middle Tennessee with his wife, Franklin stood out for both personal and professional reasons.
Pullara said he “fell in love with the corner” in downtown Franklin and saw an opportunity to bring something different to Main Street. On a personal level, he was drawn to the schools, the friendliness of the community, and the idea of raising his family in Williamson County.
That local connection guided Pullara’s vision for Culamar. He wants the restaurant to feel less like a place reserved for one kind of dinner and more like a natural stop in downtown Franklin, whether guests are meeting friends, heading out after work, or adding one more stop to an evening on Main Street.
Photography by Austin Claire Photography
Culamar’s Shift From Seafood Focus to Mediterranean Coast
Pullara said Culamar’s original seafood-focused concept filled a need when the restaurant opened, but it also shaped how some guests viewed the restaurant. For some, seafood suggested a higher-end dinner saved for the weekend rather than a place to visit casually during the week.
“I think people had the perception of it just being a high-end, fine dining, Friday-through-Sunday type of thing,” Pullara said. “We really wanted to make it like an everyday restaurant.”
The new menu keeps Culamar connected to seafood and coastal cooking while opening the concept to more Mediterranean influences.
“Culamar used to stand for a seafood restaurant, and now it’s transforming into basically the food along the coast,” Pullara said. “So you get a little bit of Spain, a little bit of Italy, a little bit of Greece. It’s kind of like people get to go on that journey.”
That approach shows up across the new food and drink menus. Culamar’s updated offerings include chef-driven small plates, bold Mediterranean flavors, new specialty cocktails, and wine. New land-focused items include Chicken Valdostana with smoked pancetta cream, Caramelized Brussels Sprouts, a Mortadella Hot Dog, and Arancini with English pea and basil pesto. Seafood options include Octopus Carpaccio, Arca Salmon with miso and local honey, and Smoked Trout Dip served with tater tots.
The menu is also designed to give guests more flexibility. Pullara said some dishes can be ordered in different portion sizes, making it possible to stop in for a few small plates, pair dishes with cocktails, or build a fuller meal around sharing.
Culamar will also offer Golden Hour, with oyster and cocktail specials, along with rotating daily specials. Planned specials include Wine Down Thursday, a Saturday prime rib feature, and a Sunday family-style fried chicken bucket. Pullara said those additions are part of making the restaurant easier to work into the week, whether guests are stopping in after work, meeting friends, or adding Culamar to a night out on Main Street.
A Rooftop Tasting in Downtown Franklin
The June 10th tasting took place on Culamar’s rooftop patio, one of the features that sets the restaurant apart in downtown Franklin. From upstairs, guests can see Main Street and the surrounding downtown district from one of the most distinctive restaurant views in the area. As the sun went down and the lights began to come on below, guests sampled highlights from the new menu along with Culamar’s new specialty cocktails.
Photography by Austin Claire Photography
The drinks are built with layered flavors and thoughtful combinations, from bright, citrus-forward options to more spirit-forward cocktails with deeper notes of chocolate, orange, vanilla, and spice. Culamar’s beverage program also includes wine, beer, and zero-proof cocktails, giving guests options whether they are stopping in for a drink or pairing beverages with shared plates.
The tasting dishes reflected the tapas-style format Pullara is building around. The potato croquettes and house-made tater tots worked as easy snacks for the table, while the meatballs and pork belly brought a more substantial side to the tasting. The honey gem salad, which Pullara described as Culamar’s take on a Caesar, added a lighter option with soft-cured egg yolk and fried chickpeas.
One of the more unexpected dishes was the tomato tartare. Instead of beef, Culamar’s version is made with tomatoes and uses some of the same classic tartare-style elements, including shallots, capers, and pickled ingredients.
“We do get a lot of people who are vegetarians or are not eating that much beef,” Pullara said. “So it’s just tomato. Basically, we took the accoutrements that usually go on a beef tartare and made a vegetarian dish.”
The roasted carrots with hummus and pistachio and the vegan empanadas added to the vegetable-forward side of the menu, giving guests more options beyond seafood. Together, the dishes showed how Culamar can work for a few bites with drinks or a fuller meal, all with the rooftop view as part of the experience.
Photo credit: Mayter Scott Creative
Making Culamar a Regular Stop in Downtown Franklin
With the new menu, Pullara hopes guests will take a second look at Culamar. The restaurant’s next chapter keeps its coastal foundation while giving guests more ways to experience the restaurant, whether they are stopping in briefly or settling in for the evening.
“It’s more upbeat, a little more lively,” Pullara said. “Just a little bit more tapas, more small plates, more friendly. A great place to come after work, have drinks and some snacks.”
For downtown Franklin, Culamar’s evolution adds another layer to a dining scene already known for variety. For Pullara, it is about creating a restaurant that feels easy to return to, with the rooftop, food, drinks, and setting all working together.
Culamar is located at 99 East Main Street, Suite 190, in downtown Franklin. For more information, visit CulamarTN.com.
