Nashville Food Tour

Sometimes it's fun to play tourist in your own local area.  That's exactly what I did for a work event with coworkers!  We took a private food tour with Dabble Studio in Germantown and explored a multiple neighborhoods and types of Nashville classic fare.

We started off with hot chicken at the Listening Room Cafe, which moved to SoBro (South of Broadway neighborhood) a couple of years ago.  It's a great music venue, and the food was food too!  I've heard it's the kind of place serious music listeners visit, i.e. don't talk while the music is playing.

Our next stop was East Nashville, to get a bushwacker at 3 Crow Bar.  The bushwacker is the unofficial cocktail of Nashville, but I'd never had one before this tour.  I know, I know... I've lived here for seven years, what gives?  I'd heard that is was like an adult Frosty, and I'm not a chocolate person. But it's a delicious boozy milkshake that everyone should try at least once, and the liquor sneaks up on your fast.

Also in East Nashville, we had a sampler of hot dogs (and soda!) at I Dream of Weenie, probably one of the most Instagrammed spots on that side of town.  I loved the Cheerwine, which is such a Southern thing.

And it wouldn't be Nashville if we didn't stop at a mural for a photo opp!  Seriously, the number of murals in Nashville is insane.  I once did a post about visiting a bunch with my friend B, but now there are so many more... I love Kristin Luna's post about them with so many I haven't visited.

It wouldn't be a Nashville tourist

I had to leave the tour before the final two stops, because I had to get home to pick up Kenny at daycare.  But after I left, they hit up one of the best BBQ joints in town (Martin's Bar-B-Que in Belmont) and got dessert at Colts Chocolates in the Gulch.  Talk about a great way to spend an afternoon!

I'd definitely recommend you check out a food tour if you're coming to Nashville; this one hits so many different neighborhoods (they give you history and trivia along the way) and is a great way to enjoy a taste of Music City.

Dressing Downton at Cheekwood

I'm soooo behind on blog posts, but I still want to share how I spent my summer!  So you're getting it anyways LOL #latergram #laterblog

A bunch of local girls in DAR get together for a monthly happy hour in an unofficial capacity, simply because we love each other's company and enjoy a lot of the same things.  So for one of them, we decided to grab drinks and enjoy the Dressing Downton touring exhibit visiting Cheekwood!  Cheekwood had these fun Thursday night activities (food trucks, a bar, and more!) during the summer, so we timed our visit to the exhibit with that.

For fans of the show, seeing these outfits up close is just fascinating and mesmerizing!  I highly recommend it!  While the exhibit is no longer in Nashville, you can still catch it on tour.

You have to stop and take time to read about the clothing.  Some of it is reproduction, some of it is authentic vintage, and some of it is made from vintage pieces.  It's so neat how a vintage curtain or tablecloth became the basis for a gorgeous gown.  Cheekwood also incorporated the history of its own family and mansion into the exhibits, which made it even more unique for us.

I loved seeing this exhibit with my friends.  Cheekwood is a really special place in Nashville, one that I come back to almost every year at least once for visiting exhibits.  If you've got a girl squad and you're looking to do something beyond the usual happy hour, make sure you look up local exhibits and events to see if you can mix it up!

P.S.  Did you hear they're working on a Downton Abbey MOVIE?!  Yay!

Nashville Murals

Which came first, Instagram or cities creating way more murals than they used to have?  I'm not sure.  Nashville has definitely been stepping up its mural game.  My friend B and I like to do something fun when we get together, so a while back (truth: I think it was May or June) we had a delicious brunch at Marché Artisan Foods, then went driving around town to take photos with some of our fav murals.  

My advice is to choose your neighborhoods and have a plan in mind, so you can park and walk between murals easily.  We found free parking (at least long enough to snap a pic) pretty much everywhere for these.

Here's where we ended up!

East Nashville Mural

Side of the Joyner and Hogan building at 600 Main St

DCXV Industries Nashville Mural

Center 615 building (East Nashville)

Nathan Brown mural

Corner of Overton and Mansion St. (across from Barista Parlor in the Gulch)

 Ian Ross Mural

11th Ave South/Laurel Street (the Gulch)

Jason Woodside Mural

11th Ave. S/Laurel St. (the Gulch)

What Lifts You

302 11th Ave. S (the Gulch)

Draper James

2608 12th Avenue South (12South, side of the store)

I Believe in Nashville

2706 12th Avenue South (12South)

(Note: there's a bigger one at 1306 McGavock Pike at Marathon Music Works)

Nashville Script

2705 12th Ave S. on the side of Corner Music (12 South)

Green Pea Salon Flower Mural

2900 12th Ave S (12South)

Make Music Not War Mural

2900 12th Ave S across from flowers (12South)

I'm not the first or last to post about Nashville murals, but I will say we had a lot of fun being tourists in our own area.  It was funny to see certain murals' popularity, as there were times we had to queue up to take our turn for a photo!

There are SO MANY more we haven't visited, too!

One of my fav local bloggers, Kristin Luna, did an even  bigger mural post/adventure if you're interested.

Do you have a favorite Nashville mural?

Out & About: More Places to Eat in Nashville

I have this standing folder of food photos that I've been saving for one of these "where I've been eating" posts, so I'm back with another roundup!  (Click here for more posts about where to eat in Nashville, and where to eat in Franklin.)

My last "Out & About" post was Williamson County-focused, so this time I'm taking you up into the city... Nashvegas Nashville!

Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint - Downtown
I've been to what I believe was the first Martin's in Nolensville, but recently I found myself at the location downtown for a work function.  The downtown location often has a line out the door, but there is a TON of space... just head upstairs!  I was happy to see plenty of local craft beers on tap.

We ordered a ton of appetizers, so I didn't want to get TOO much food as my entree.  One of my favorite meals (I know, it's not traditional BBQ, whatever, it's on the menu everywhere) is a baked potato with BBQ on top of it!  Yum.  The one thing that makes Martin's a little different is that their sauce is on the runny side.  More vinegar than molasses, perhaps!  It's definitely one of the best BBQ spots in Nashville, along with Edley's and Peg Leg Porker.  Nashville isn't a BBQ destination (Memphis is more so) but you can find some good stuff here.

The Southern - Downtown

I've dined at The Southern a few times, I think always for work!  It used to be the only place downtown that I really recommended that people eat, because for a while that area was lacking.  Now, there's plenty of upscale and foodie spots there too!  Once again, I ate a bunch of appetizers...  I love their friend green tomatoes, steak biscuits, and crab cakes.  For supper, I enjoyed a small steak, though I was so stuffed that I could barely finish it!

For large groups, they'll work out a pre-set menu.  So that means dessert is included!  The bread pudding was so heavy, but tasty.  You should definitely split dessert with someone, as the portions throughout are huge.  It's a nice, busy place near downtown with guaranteed good eats.

Tavern - Midtown

I heard that Tavern is where the cool kids hang.  It was the only M Street restaurant concept that I hadn't visited, minus their Rosewall venue and their private Citizen club.  My friend B and I went to brunch at Tavern before we went to the ballet.  The wait was like two hours, naturally, because everywhere the young people want to eat is like that.  But we knew that you can sidle up to a bar seat first-come, first-served, so that's what we did.  The lower bar was crowded, but we found seats easily at the upper bar area, which serves a full menu.  I had the pain perdu, which was basically as if French toast and s'mores had a baby.  I'm not sure if I'd go back, given the hipster tax (long wait plus pricey food) but it was yummy!

Rosééééééééééééé all day!

Umami - Lenox Village

Lenox Village is a bit off the Nashville path, but it's a popular little area with a lot of nice shops and restaurants.  Umami is just around the corner from Burger Republic, and I went there with my friend P for lunch on a weekend.  My friend J had recommended it, especially because they have Korean food!

I had some tamago sushi, which I typically love.  This one wasn't the best I've tasted, but not bad.  It's hard to find good tamago in the middle of the U.S. in general.  I think I like a bit more mirin and soy sauce.

The Korean beef tacos were DELICIOUS.  I really need to get back to try some of their Korean fried chicken and other dishes.  It's possibly a little easier for me to get to Lenox than Antioch for Korean food, and it definitely had a nice Korean vibe to the whole place. (K-pop videos on TV, Korean families gathering, always good signs!)  I'll definitely be back to Umami.

Where have you been eating (or drinking) lately?

Out & About: More Local Eats

I have this standing folder of food photos that I've been saving for one of these "where I've been eating" posts, so I'm back with another roundup!  (Click here for more posts about where to eat in Nashville, and where to eat in Franklin.)

Today's roundup is all Williamson County!  Brentwood, Cool Springs, and Franklin are where I spend most of my time.  While chain restaurants are prolific, there's a ton of delicious bites throughout.   You're in for a treat, I've got a lot to share in this post!

Holler & Dash - Brentwood
Hello, biscuit sandwiches!  I really want to get back to this spot in Brentwood to try some of their tater tots.  The whole area around the restaurant is just booming, and it didn't even exist when I moved here.  Check out my full recap of my visit to Holler & Dash.

Del Frisco's Grille - Brentwood
Del Frisco's Grille is right across the way from Holler & Dash.  Their menu isn't cheap, but the food is good!  I went with a friend for lunch, and we found the best thing to do was to share a few things.  We had the wild mushroom flatbread, spicy guacamole, and ahi tacos.  I think the flatbread was my favorite.  Del Frisco's seems like a great place for a girls' night or happy hour.

Soy Teriyaki Bistro - Brentwood
While I maintain the best Korean food in Nashville is mostly in the Antioch area, Soy Teriyaki Bistro brings it much closer to home for me!  The first time I went there, years ago, there wasn't a ton of Korean food on the menu.  But now, I feel like Korean food is on trend and they're really letting their menu expand in a great way!  The fried rice is delicious, and you can even get bibimbap.

Drake's - Cool Springs

Drake's is a perennial favorite for happy hour for my coworkers.  It's always packed!  While I think the seating arrangements leave a lot to be desired (not super flexible for groups, especially the rigid booths in the back), they do have a big menu, including sushi!  Some might be wary ordering sushi at what seems to be a sports bar, but they do a really great job at it.  They also have killer tater tots.  I like that you can dine in the front bar area almost like a covered patio when the weather is nice.

Yats - Cool Springs
Yats, next to the UPS Store in Cool Springs, was on my list for ages before I actually got to try it.  My buddy and I had the jambalaya and the drunken chicken, served with their garlicky bread.  The portions were HUGE!  What we didn't know at the time is that we could have ordered two entrees half-and-half for variety.  It was packed with flavor and spices!  I'll be back when I'm looking for a meal that packs a punch.

Cool Cafe - Franklin
Cool Cafe is the best meat and three in Franklin, in my book!  Meat and three is something I'd never heard of until I moved to Tennessee.  A meat and three restaurant is one where the customer picks one meat from a daily selection of three to six choices (such as fried chicken, country ham, beef, country-fried steak, meatloaf, or pork chop) and three side dishes.  It's usually served with cornbread.  Cool Cafe is one of my husband's favorite spots in town!  I try not to eat there too often, because I feel so stuffed that I need a nap afterwards.

Cork & Cow - Franklin
Looking for a fancy steak dinner in Franklin?  Cork & Cow has delicious food and a fantastic cocktail hour.  It is a dinner-only restaurant.  When my in-laws came to town, I wanted to go someplace for a nice group supper, this is where I made a reservation.  It's from the same restaurant group as Red Pony Restaurant, where we had our wedding dinner.  I had one of their steak specials, and the spicy butter on my steak was absolutely killer.

Leiper's Fork Distillery - Franklin

Technically, Leiper's Fork is in Franklin, so I included it here.  When my sister-in-law was in town, we went to do a tour and tasting at the new Leiper's Fork Distillery.  I'm not a whiskey or bourbon drinker, but I was definitely surprised by how similar it is to making beer in some ways.  I also learned how to properly taste and smell it.  I think it's a great place to visit and tour if you're interested in learning!

Where have you been eating (or drinking) lately?

Holler & Dash: Biscuits and Brews

I'd been meaning to get up to Brentwood to try Holler & Dash, a biscuit house concept from the folks who blessed us with Cracker Barrel.  (Note: I have a childhood nostalgia for Cracker Barrel, and it's one of the few places Dan will eat while we're on road trips.)  So when I got invited to a special happy hour (beer and biscuits, y'all!), I grabbed my friend M and headed up there after work.

First off, Holler & Dash has their interior design on point.  It's not a country general store, it's a modern, subway-tiled, wooden, metal, hipster-friendly but also beautiful space.  I love that they have a merchandise area with locally specific things like sauces, coffee, chocolates, and jams.  It makes every restaurant feel less like a chain (there are currently four Holler & Dash restaurants, with more on the way) and more like a local fast casual spot.

While the restaurant is currently focused on breakfast and lunch hours, I think the happy hour concept worked really well during our visit!  We were able to taste local craft brews (and some regional like from Alabama) and some great craft sodas.  Again, they did a great job of incorporating local elements while creating something accessible and delicious.

We had three mini versions of their signature biscuit sandwiches:

1. Chicken Set Go, with fried chicken, pimento cheese, jalapeno, sorghum
2. Pork Rambler, with fried pork tenderloin, blackberry butter, fried onion straws
3. Kickback Chicken, with fried chicken, goat cheese, green onion, sweet pepper jelly with a kick

Full sized biscuits normally run $6-9 depending on the item, and you can even get them on kale or half a biscuit as a healthier option.  The biscuits themselves were sooooo good, and I loved the different flavor combos.  I don't love goat cheese, but the Kickback Chicken ended up being our favorite.  The cheese was mild, and in combination with everything else it was totally delish.  M and I both agreed that we'd love to come back and try their tater tot bowl, because it sounds right up our alley too.  I also enjoyed the craft soda, especially if you're craving something on the sweet side.

All in all, I'll definitely back for some fast casual biscuits in Brentwood... it's just an easy pick (with free parking) and they're putting in my favorite ice cream across the street.  Gosh, I love Tennessee!

Thank you to Holler & Dash for sponsoring this event and inviting me!