September 2019

Nashville, Tennessee

Nashville has been on my radar for awhile – so many friends and family have visited and sung the praises, always stating “you HAVE to go”. I threw a few alerts up with Google Flights and to my surprise, one weekend hit with an incredibly low round trip fare, so low that we “had to go”. Every time I think we booked our most last minute trip ever, it gets topped and this Nashville trip was the new winner. With little time to plan, I polled my network of Nashvillian travelers to crowdsource my three day itinerary.

Thursday

Our flight left after work, getting up into Nashville just after 8PM – an easy flight. My brother was also joining us for the weekend adventure and he landed just minutes after us only three gates away. We grabbed a rideshare to take us into Nashville proper which is insanely close to the airport – only 15 minutes away! Certainly an added benefit to not be 30 to 60 minutes away from the final destination, especially after a long flight.

Since the trip was last minute, the Airbnb market was thin, especially for a group of three people looking for something reasonably priced. We did not save all this money on flights just to spend more on an Airbnb (and don’t even ask about hotel prices – apparently there was a festival in town in addition to the tourist boom causing everything to be expensive). While it was farther away than I originally wanted to be, we ended up in an East Nashville Airbnb not far from the Five Points area.

After dropping our things, we took the opportunity to grab our first bit of food. Our plan for dining was to share items of interest among the three of us to help save stomach space for the ability to try more food. After a short walk, we made it to Edley’s BBQ which was fortunately open for another 30 minutes.

As soon as we walked in the smell of BBQ just overwhelmed our noses – we were so ready to have our first Nashville meal! In accordance to our meal plan, we started by ordering two platters for us to share. The decision was extremely tough but we ended up with the burnt ends with grits casserole and mac n cheese, and the hot chicken with green beans and corn. Cornbread also accompanied both platters. When it was brought to our table – oh man- look at all that beauty!

The burnt ends were just fantastic – they were charred beyond perfection and each bite was juicy and succulent. Oh these burnt ends we all just gushed over them.
The boys ate the hot chicken and as their first exposure to true southern hot chicken, they thoroughly enjoyed it, repeatedly commenting how good it was
All the sides were so tasty. They all also had a little kick to it so while I had to be caution, the boys loved every bite

And then, Nashville made its first attempt at killing me. I love cornbread so I was nomming on my cornbread in between bits of burnt ends I was a happy camper. But then I felt my mouth go completely on fire – WTF CORNBREAD? I found the jalapeno bites all throughout the corn bread. I may not survive Nashville – booby trapping my corn bread! We were just about out of food so I struggled with this burn and tingling for the next twenty plus minutes as all I could do was chug water. Guys – I am incredibly sensitive to spicy food and this was borderline debilitating for my mouth. “Is this what is like??? You guys enjoy this???” Kevin and my brother laughed but I can see how this entire situation seemed ridiculous – it was the smallest piece of jalapeno on earth and I was having an internal crisis. Though it is not the first time I have been outwitted by sneaky spicy food – I have to be careful here. The boys enjoyed the rest of the corn bread as I managed the situation in my mouth. Ugh. Nashville, I will survive you.

Minus the cornbread fiasco that was entirely my issue alone, Edley’s was an incredible start to our trip. Splitting the two platters was the perfect amount of food for the three of us – the power of sharing! Excited for the rest of the food ahead on this trip, we returned home and went right to sleep.

Friday

One of the benefits to our Airbnb is the close proximity to the city’s bike share system which has stations all over the downtown area. Expecting fall weather, we thought biking would be a great way to get around without a car and would give us the opportunity to see the city. We woke up energized for a healthy bike ride. We downloaded the B Cycle app and purchased the week pass for $10 of unlimited rides – the caveat being that the bikes had to be checked into another stand within an hour or else a $1.50 fee would be added (an important detail – keep reading!).

While fall weather did not grace Nashville this weekend (in fact, it was the hottest week on record – we know how to pick ‘em!), we got up and out early for an anticipated 30 minute bike ride from our Airbnb to Centennial Park and a full size replica of the Parthenon is located.

Accessing these sturdy bikes was very easy and after doing a few laps in the parking lot (can’t remember the last time I rode a bike), we were off on our first journey through Nashville.

Well I barely survived this first adventure – Nashville’s second attempt at killing me. When we first started bike riding, it rivaled our hottest most humid trips to Orlando – and that was at 9AM, already in the 90 degrees. It was unclear how “bike friendly” Nashville would be but the prevalence of bike stations lent to an assumption consistent bike lanes. This was certainly not the case. The ride began to unravel after we made it over the bridge. The most direct bike route took us to an enormous hill so we followed Google’s directions to go around the perimeter of the city. And we were beyond sweaty – the humidity was so intense, we were just soaked. I hopped off the bike to walk it the rest of one of the inclines and the mail carrier turned to me stating “You can’t let them beat you!” (pointing to Kevin and my brother). I turned to her laughing “I have been on this bike forever!”. I finally caught up to them and I immediately went into a gas station convenience store. I heard two strong “HELLO!”s but it did not register as directed at me – then I recalled we were in the South and people take the time to acknowledge you – I mustered up an apologetic “hello” through my heat exhaustion. By this time back home, I have had two meals and over 40 oz of water and not having that routine in addition to the heat just killed me. I came back out after a few laps by the refrigerated section and found a shaded spot on the side of the highway to sit as my lightheadedness prevailed – we still had half a mile to go. I will survive you, Nashville.

Reaching the park was equivalent to reaching heaven. Needless to say when we arrived at the bike stand we were drenched, my face was beat red, and we were exhausted. And the top it off – it took over an hour so we each got charged that extra $1.50. As I saw all the rideshare signs in the cars and the electric scooters wiz by my struggling bike, I realized we committed a big tourist mistake. We told people throughout the trip of our bike ride from East Nashville to Centennial Park and every time we were met with a “that’s crazy!”. At least we had validation that it was insanity. If it was not as hot and humid this bike ride would have been more enjoyable but it was just so darn far to bike on roads that are not bike friendly. The electric scooters were the overwhelming popular alternative travel method for short distances in this heat.

We sat in the shade chugging the remaining water we had before processing the scenery around us – there was an enormous replica of the Parthenon just plopped in the middle of the park!

It was built for the Tennessee’s 1897 Centennial Exposition and was never removed, becoming an icon of Centennial Park and Nashville. We walked around the front of the building and noticed there is an art museum inside. When we entered to investigate, we were blasted with ice cold air – I could finally feel my internal temperature begin to regulate. Since it took far longer to get here than anticipated, we opted to skip the museum and get much needed nourishment.

Happy to be driven around in a car, we were getting an appreciation for just how big Nashville really is – far more sprawling than it appeared. Our driver informed us that over 100 people are moving here on a daily basis and condo complexes are popped up wherever room allows to make room for the transplants.

We made a pit stop at ZolliKoffee for the boys’ caffeine fix. The interior was decorated so fun and quirky, and the menu offered a wide range of unique beverage options. The boys really enjoyed their drinks. This was definitely the type of coffee shop we would love to just hang out at for several hours but we had places to eat.

Less than a block away is the famous Arnold’s Country Kitchen. Highlighted by Anthony Bourdain, Nashville has a few cafeteria style establishments serving up classic southern cooking.

Arnold’s is one of the most popular ones and validated by locals that this is the go to spot. I read the line frequently starts before the 10:30AM opening so when arriving just after 11AM, we were happy to see the line did not extend outside. The line inside moves pretty fast – they are extremely efficient in here – we barely had time to solidify our orders before approaching counter. Make sure you have your order ready when you make it to the counter – not a time for indecision.

The menu rotates each day of the week in addition to the daily specials. Don’t plan on visiting here on the weekends – open Monday through Friday only. I was disappointed that fried chicken day was Monday… shouldn’t every day be fried chicken day? Friday’s dishes were roast beef, checking and dumplings, meatloaf, and fried shrimp/catfish in addition to daily specials that included spare ribs, panko shrimp, BBQ chicken, and so much more. And that doesn’t even include the endless sides to choose from.

We opted to get the chicken and dumplings and the panko shrimp with sides of roasted cauliflower, mashed potatoes, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, and pinto beans. Oh, and did I mention the pie? They have so many different pies to choose from – Kevin and my brother split a slice of pecan pie and I got banana pudding.

The tables turn over regularly so we did not have a problem snagging a table. It was hard to choose which food to try first. Well actually it was easy for me, it was the banana pudding – dessert first always kiddos! While it was on the sweeter side, I love banana pudding of all sugar levels. Onto the rest of the meal!

Even though it was a hot day, the chicken and dumplings were soothing and light. The panko shrimp was surprisingly amazing as the breading was still light enough for the shrimp to cook perfectly.
Of the sides, the winner by far was the friend green tomatoes. We could not quite pick out the seasoning but the batter was thick, crispy and full of flavor. The roasted cauliflower was another stand out side dish. The cornbread here is non-threatening (just delicious)!
The boys thought the pecan pie was the best one they have ever had and it was one of their favorite items on the tray. Spoiler- they talked about this pecan pie the rest of the trip and we would have definitely came back just for the pie if it was open on the weekends.

What a wonderful way to make up for the rough start. The food was both entirely necessary and such a great experience. We highly recommend working this stop into your Nashville trip!

With a bit for car sharing guilt, we decided to walk for about twenty minutes to the downtown area – get a ground view of the city! The heat remained pretty unbearable but the architecture of the buildings served as a brief distraction – the symphony building is just beautiful!

After passing a few store fronts, I recognized one of the stars on my Google Map, Hatch Show Print Shop – “Someone told me to stop here – let’s go!”

Hatch Show Print Shop has such a dense history opening in the late 1800s and evolving the boundaries of print. This shop also created advertisement posters for performers at the Ryman Auditorium We walked into the store and were immediately drawn in by the massive wall of prints.

Not far away was the Ryman Auditorium and while I did not know much about the history, it was very well rated and recommended. Since the popular Grand Ole Opry was far out of town, we decided to skip it and do the Ryman Auditorium instead. Here we learned that the Ryman was actually the official location of the Grand Ole Opry before it moved out of downtown so were happy with our decision.

The tour of the auditorium started with a video introducing guests to the history of the auditorium. The production value of this show was awesome! It was completely unexpected but they do a great job with the presentation of the material, delivering it in a fun, interactive way. No photos / videos were allowed so you will have to see it for yourself – it was definitely an unexpected surprise. The self guided tour continues to the auditorium itself where there are display cases of memorabilia and more detailed accounts. The massive stage was surrounded by church pew seating which we all found notably. The auditorium was actually first built for church congregation so they have preserved the pew seating. Finally, you have the opportunity to take a photo on the famous stage of which we took full advantage.

The price of the ticket was a little steep for what you got but it was still a fun time, especially since we opted not to do any of the other museum attractions.

It was at this point in the trip the term party bus got a new meaning. We have seen the bar / tavern pedal bikes and stretch limos, but Nashville ups the game. There were all sorts of part vehicles but the craziest one for us was the tractor. Circling the streets of Nashville, this tractor pulled a flat bed of “woo girls” staffed with guys in overalls blasting megaphones and music.

Apart for the drinking vehicles, Nashville was bachelorette hell! It has apparently taken the number one spot as the bachelorette destination in the country and it was evident. Beware of the WoooOOOOoooOOOoo girls – you have been warned. It’s double points if you spot the drinking vehicle that has the hot tub in the back.

A more authentic sighting is seeing so many people carrying their guitar or other instrument on the streets of Nashville going from one gig to the next. The music scene here is very attractive for those looking to break out given the countless number of venue opportunities. We also heard from several people how welcoming and supportive the music community is in Nashville.

We bounced into Beer Sellar where the boys ordered Tennessee brewed beers and we watched their TV stream full of cute dogs and funny home videos – a fun addition to the basement vibe.

After visiting a few other shops, we decided to head back to the Airbnb. Since we had a nice meal ahead (thought even if we didn’t…), showers were mandatory after a day full of beating sun and that morning bike ride. Hard to believe this has all been the same day. Because we were so close to the river and a bike rack, we decided to just suck up the bike ride to cap off the day. As a reward, I threw any will power out the door when we passed Soda Parlor.

Known for their soda floats and shakes, Kevin and I split the Son of a Reese which was a chocolate peanut butter cup milkshake with hot fudge, whip cream, and a Reese Cup. This was so delightful and the best surprise was the (what felt like) infinite mini peanut butter cups in the shake – each spoon full dug out 5 or 6 at a time. This made the bike ride worth it.

We felt like new people after showering and putting new clothes on – the simple things! We had 7PM reservations at Etch and no, we did not hop back on those bikes. Thank you rideshare. Etch came highly recommended by our crowdsourcing team. Known for their roasted cauliflower (odd thing to be known for), Etch attracted us due to an insanely creative menu. The offerings have many flavors merged together that does not make sense on paper – ingredients that are certainly not traditional to be put together. But not only do they make it work, they hit it out of the park.

Read the full dining review here!

Now it was time to head to Broadway and see what all the fuss was about. Everyone – and I mean everyone – we talked to insisted experiencing Broadway was quintessential Nashville. When I pressed for which bars hit, the response was always the same – “any of them”.

As we got closer, the crowds increased so that by the time we made it to Broadway it looked like pure chaos. It was a combination of Vegas and Times Square – the endless neon lights as each bar tried to stand out over the others and the crowds rivaled the worst pedestrian congestion I have ever encountered.

The crosswalks allowed for people to cross any which way so it added to the craziness. And it was so loud – each bar had live music that was trying to out compete the neighboring bars. Bars were not just next to each other but also multi-levels with different venues for each of the three floors. Not to mention the stream of party vehicles that continued to circulate through the area. It really was a unique scene that describing cannot fully capture – you will have to experience it for yourself.

With each passing bar, it became stressful to find “the one” we would visit first. Weeding out the “Sweet Home Alabama” cover bands, the overcrowded balconies, and the long entrance waits, we picked Bailey’s – the band playing at the start was a rock country cover band and it worked just fine as we grabbed drinks and seats. After belting out to my new favorite Oasis song, we were getting ready to wrap up and move onto the next gig until we caught a glimpse of the next act. Allow me to paint the picture – platinum long blonde hair, dark eyeliner, deep v shirt, Steve Tyler scarf, leather fixings – Steel Panther – equse. We were intrigued so we grabbed another round while the bands switch out.

With such a rocker look to the singer and a full band behind it, we expected to be jamming to rock and roll music. The first song – the Jonas Brothers. We were so caught off guard and we decided to finish up our drinks and hop to the next spot. Until the next song came out – rock and roll Bad Romance by Lady Gaga and they killed it! We were up dancing for the next hour of their set list including Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Britney Spears, and more. The singer’s voice was set like Adam Lambert in an insanely high octave that worked so all our 90s and 00s dreams. Needless to say, we were so happy to have stayed at Baileys for a completely unexpected night.

While I had no idea what the other bars were up to while I was belting Britney, we thought Nashville was going to be hearing traditional country covers and hoping to snag some original artist. Rules on Broadway are a little different – in order to book a gig on Broadway the bands have to play the most popular, streamline cover songs – almost like a karaoke playlist. This is how the bars ensure a crowd which both attracts more people and is more profitable.

Looking for original music? So we were – make sure to check out places marked as listening rooms (including the actual Listening Room). We also found that off Broadway bars were more likely to feature original performers as well. The famous Bluebird Cafe is quite a distance from the downtown and we just did not have enough time to make it out there but it is known to frequently have the next big thing artist as well as famous alumni of the Nashville music scene.

Tangent over! After a long and exhausting day, I pulled my grandma card (it was already after 11PM so I did pretty well thank you very much!) and we made our way several blocks off Broadway to catch a ride share. Several hours later, the streets were still packed with people. What an incredible first day in Nashville!

Saturday

After a great night of sleep, we readied ourselves and prepared for another boiling day. Our first stop of the morning was breakfast – I was not making the same mistake as yesterday, even though we were not biking. I had CREMA marked on the map for their coffee fix and a light, healthy breakfast.

A short ride just over the bridge, we were greeted with the most delightful menu of food and beverage options. Kevin and my brother ordered their artful coffee drinks, Kevin got the avocado toast, my brother got the toast with honey, and I ordered the yogurt with granola and fruit. Perfect morning!

About 20 minutes outside of town is the Belle Mead Plantation which made for a great morning activity. Belle Mead is not a plantation in the typical agricultural sense but actually a thoroughbred horse racing farm. We arrived to the well kept grounds and studied our ticket options of the Mansion Tour (self explanatory), the Journey to Jubilee (following the slave story), or multiple beverage focused tours (wine and bourbon). While we wanted to do it all, we ultimately decided on the Journey to Jubilee, the newest tour offering discovering the one-hundred year history of slaves on the plantation.

The tour was very informative for going off of little and limited bits of information to create a story. It was clear they went through a lot of effort to give proper and rich historical context to these people’s lives, describing the possible motivations, dangers, relationships, hardships, and the meaning of freedom.

Complimentary wine tasting followed and there are several gift shops worthy of a peek.

Starving, we hopped in a car to our lunch destination – Hattie B’s Hot Chicken – a renowned establishment in Nashville for its six levels of hot – southern, mild, medium, hot, damn hot, and famously, “shut the cluck up”.

It opened at 11AM and since we were well past that time I expected a lengthy line and was not disappointed. With no shade, we got our place in line and waited in the 95 degree sun. The boys took turns in the small shaded part by the building as we waited in the line, as many groups began to do. Note that there is a take out option – by the time we got in line, the first available time for take out was almost an hour away and we had no where to eat it. Had we known the line would be this long, we would have ordered while at the plantation. Pro Tip- the line is always long so if you don’t want to wait, order ahead. But we persevered in the line.

Almost an hour later, we finally made it to the counter to order. The turn over of people as food is brought out to the tables is pretty consistent so we had no trouble finding a table for the three of us. And then we waited for our tray to arrive.

Just look at this spread of food!!! I’m drooling just reminiscing on this meal looking at the photo. Worth the wait 100%.

I ordered the “small dark” leg/thigh quarter southern style, which is no heat. I was worried there was not going to be anything edible for me so I am thankful they have this no spice option. And it was heavenly – definitely one o the best pieces of fried chicken I have had to date. The outside was super crispy with a thick batter layer and the chicken itself was flavorful and moist.
My brother got “tenders” three jumbo strips in medium heat and he said it was a perfect amount of heat and thoroughly enjoyed his chicken. He also got the lemonade with was perfectly refreshing (for Kevin ended up being a life line!)
Kevin got “tenders” three jumbo strips in hot heat and I do not think I have seen him struggle with a spicy piece of food like he did here. To think he was originally going to get the “shut the cluck up” heat I think that would have killed him! In retrospect, he would have gotten the medium heat in order to enjoy the meal more cause his taste buds were tapped out.
Sides were all great and I think the stand out here was the potato salad. Collard greens ended up being too spicy, we ended up with an overabundance of beans, and the coleslaw went to extinguishing those spicy mouths.

Oh, and the enormous tub of banana pudding – all for me. Did I need to finish the entire thing? Perhaps. It was worth it… so… good. For someone that is a chocoholic, banana pudding sure does it the spot.

Feeling victorious and still overheated, we traveled to the Nashville Farmers Market (our Airbnb host highly recommended). There is an indoor and outdoor section of the property so we started indoors. The large building is lined with specialty stores, food vendors, and more. I spotted Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream, another star on my Google Maps but with the entire tub of banana pudding I inhaled, I resisted the ice cream urge.

The outdoor portion was a gorgeous display of produce, plants, and fall colors through gorges. If it wasn’t so darn hot, I would have taken my time admiring all the details.

We journeyed home to freshen up after yet another sweaty day and turned right back out to head to The Patterson House – a ubiquitous recommendation from the crowdsourcing. Note that since the football stadium is right next to the river on the east side, traffic can get horrible for college or professional football on both sides of the stadium. We were redirected twice on this trip to an alternative route due to road closures.

Patterson House is a speakeasy cocktail bar which (of course) caught our attention. We arrived just after 5PM and had a few minutes wait to be brought inside. Dim lighting, library styled decor, simple menu – yep this was a good call. Going through the drink menu was equivalent to me reading it in another language – actually it depends on the language because if the menu was in Italian I would have understood more than this menu. I fully disclose that I am not a cocktail drinker – I do not have my drink of choice when going out and it is a stressful process when I need to order anything other than wine. Luckily, the staff here are so amazing and helped me pick a cocktail that I would like. With cocktails in hand, we were in a happy place.

We loved hanging out here and wished we had more time but alas we had a dinner reservation expecting us at Skull Rainbow Room.

Another recommendation, this jazz club dating back to 1948 has nightly live music and a killer food menu. When we were taken to our table, it became clear that we had the best seats in the house!

Read the full dining review here!

Exhausted, we decided that being party animals last night was enough to satisfy the Broadway bug. We noticed the pedestrian bridge close by so we walked it before grabbing a car to our Airbnb once over the river. The views of the city were just phenomenal. You could still hear the music for much of the walk until it faded to silence, left with the strobing lights to imagine the noise.

Sunday

A late start got us up an out of the Airbnb (who nicely let us leave our bags until our flight later in the day – thank you!). I had Pinewood Social tagged for breakfast but I was worried that we had missed our opportunity with the late start without a long wait. Fortunately, we were able to be seated right away (penance for that Hattie B’s line) and were amazed by the space.

There is so much going on in this building. The front has a full coffee shop in the front, a bar in the middle of the restaurant, the back has the bowling alley and outside has a pool, bocce court, food truck. You could really spend all day here!

Brunch was on the menu and while we originally were going to split a few items, it quickly diverged into every man for themselves. Had we known how enormous the portion sizes were, we may have backed off. Everything looked amazing though – quite a spread when it all came out.

I ordered the Homemade Granola with yogurt and fruit – just look at how colorful it is! Even has those edible flowers making it all fancy. Fresh, light, and delicious.
My brother ordered the Smoked Salmon Cakes with a brown butter hollandaise which was a fun, creative display for salmon. It was a mash up for crab cakes and pancakes and it paid off – wonderful dish.
Kevin ordered the Croque Madame with sunny side eye, gruyere cheese, french ham, and a side of tots. This thing was a cheese monster – literally there is a sandwich swimming in all that cheese. I have to say I was secretly happy he did not finish it.
We split the Fried Broccoli which we all completely devoured. The broccoli was so crispy and tasty – I am going to have to figure out a way to replicate at home cause my broccoli never comes out this good.

I am glad we did not miss the opportunity to visit Pinewood Social and if we were not visiting Nashville for such a short time, we could have easily hung out playing all the games on the property.

Though it was hot, we were so close to the start of Broadway so decided to get a closer look of the offerings in that area. Across the river, we could see the football stadium full of people baking in the hot sun (ended up being the hottest game on record in that stadium!).

We passed by Acme Feed & Seed and I recalled marking that with a Google star so we dropped in. It was a country store in the front, and there was a place to order food and plenty of bar space for drinks – it was clear this place is happening at night. There is a generous stage where we caught the bluegrass band, The Howlin’ Brothers. They were so incredibly talented that we ended up watching them for over an hour.

This was exactly what I expected to be experiencing in Nashville – there was an acoustic guitar, stand up bass, and the third guy played four different strings throughout the performance. We loved everything about it and happy to have popped inside.

Before we knew it, the time was approaching for our tour at Nashville Green Briar Distillery so we made our way over. I think Kevin and myself were a little concerned about disliking this experience since neither of us drink hard liquor but the distilleries are one of the staples of Nashville – crowdsource says we must go.

The tour was extremely informative and the story behind the creation of the brand in 1885, forced to close due to prohibition in 1909, and the revival in 2006 by unknowing ancestors was simply amazing that it all worked out. We enjoyed learning about the process the bourbon undergoes and compare it to the ones we are familiar with, such as beer and wine. Also, the barrel room was so beautiful and had that crisp wood smell.

We ended with the tasting where we learned the proper technique for tasting bourbon (mouth open slightly while inhaling through the nose and letting the liquid sit on the tongue for the first sip) and I have to say it both smelled and tasted exactly as I expected – horrible! It’s just not for me. Kevin and my brother very much enjoyed the tasting and appreciated the differences between the three bourbons.

The final tasting was a pecan liquor that was to die for – even I loved it. It was something that you could put on your pancakes or stick over ice cream. I would definitely purchase this once it becomes more widely available – it is currently a new product in testing stages but I have no idea what needs to be tested – this stuff is delicious.

We were pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable this was, even for bourbon novices. Definitely recommend and while you are over in that neck of the woods, swing by one of the famous murals – “I believe in Nashville”.

With the day winding down, we wanted to be strategic in our final hours. A second visit to Patterson House was definitely high on the list but we also wanted to grab our last meal. If we could find a quick enough option, we would be able to thread the needle at Patterson House before making our way to the airport.

My original plan was to hit Peg Leg Porker but unfortunately it is closed on Sunday so another option was required. We struck out at a few places before settling on Martin’s BBQ which offered a different BBQ style than our first meal at Edley’s. To our delight, the line moved very quickly and continuing on with the theme, we split a platter of sliced brisket with sides of beans and potato salad.

Dry rub and cooked in the put for up to 24 hours, this was a beautiful piece of brisket. It was tender and flavorful all on its own, and gave the boys an opportunity to mix and match sauces as well. The perfect way to end our gastronomic adventure in Nashville.

Back to Patterson House, we enjoyed seats at the bar watching the bartender artfully and scientifically make our drinks. Crowd favorite definitely went to the cocktail made with port wine for a mulled concoction (“not a democracy”). We also ordered donuts cause why on earth not.

The environment here is so fun and I am glad we were able to make this our final stop of the trip, and yes it was definitely worth a repeat visit! If you stop by here, don’t forget to sign the book they present the recipe to you in – just part of the gig.

I still can’t believe how little planning or research I had to do to for this last minute trip! I would like to thank everyone that gave us such amazing recommendations – this truly was a crowdsourced trip. While we missed staples like the Country Music Hall of Fame and (quite frankly) many of the museums in the city, we also missed the beer scene and a ton of food spots. Make sure you bring your appetite and a few friends to split that caloric burden. We enjoyed everything Nashville has to offer and can see the broad appeal that draws people in – there really is something for everyone!