Out & About: More Nashville Eats

I have this standing folder of food photos that I've been saving for one of these "where I've been eating" posts, and now I've got so many I'll be doing one for Nashville AND one for Franklin!  I feel like I don't have enough for a full blog post, so rounding them up feels right.  (Click here for more posts about where to eat in Nashville, and where to eat in Franklin.)

The Loving Pie Company
I wrote about The Loving Pie Company back in 2014, and I still enjoy it!  It's a cute little pie shop that is very Pushing Daisies, if you love Kristin Chenoweth like me and feel like it was cancelled before its time.  I've been back a couple times since my first blog post, and I discovered that on Saturday mornings they play Broadway music and have brunch pies.  BRUNCH PIES.  You gotta visit.

They also have some special events, like The Pie Society hosted at Jackalope Brewing Company, where you dress up and enjoy beer and pie pairings.  BEER AND PIE!

Bartaco

I've eaten at Bartaco in 12 South more times than I can count.  I think their margaritas are great; they're fresh, so they don't give me heartburn like others.  I have had their chips, bowls, and tacos, and all are tasty.  I like their variety.  They serve the food all together in a kind of social, communal manner, and the staff are great.  It's usually a spot I eat with my blogger buddies in Nashville.  It's also very close to Sprinkles, and you can't go wrong with a cupcake after dinner.

Wing Basket
I have a group of coworkers that love hot chicken and chicken wings, so they always drag me out to these fun little spots in search of the best.  One of their favorites is Wing Basket in Nolensville.  It's a casual place tucked into a strip mall, very unassuming.  But they have a huge selection of wing sauces and options, as well as bone-in, boneless, and tenders.  In addition, their fries are well-seasoned and really tasty.  I think I enjoy the fries just as much as the chicken, which is really great!  You can definitely get options with some heat to them, as well as non-spicy flavors.

The Flipside
I went to The Flipside in 12 South with a friend, and it was definitely the kind of meal you need to sleep off afterwards!  The whole place looks very retro, like a diner or soda fountain out of the 50s.  The main event is their Jack's Best Chicken fried chicken patty, pounded thin,  with over twenty options for fixin's.  I chose the eponymous Flipside with jambalaya, eggs, and cheddar, and a side of crispy tater tots.  It was a heavy, gut bomb meal, but tasty the whole way through.  Tots were perfect, and I'd order them again.  I haven't been back since our visit, because I haven't been craving this kind of food.  The service was a little uneven while we were there, with some credit card confusion that resulted in my friend's card being charged twice, but the manager was great despite the server being a bit airheaded.

SmoQue Signals BBQ
The SmoQue Signals BBQ food truck stopped by my office during our summer Food Truck Fridays.  I'm a fan of BBQ, even though I don't always crave it.  Their credo is "Nashville Bred, Memphis Approved" in that they offer West Tennessee-style BBQ.  Memphis-style BBQ is one of the major types of BBQ, and it's really Memphis that is known for being a BBQ city over Nashville.  (People always come to town wanting to eat BBQ like Nashville is known for it, but it's really not.)  This BBQ pork sandwich from Smoque Signals and crispy, thing fries really hit the spot.  There was an extremely long wait for this food, kind of like they didn't realize they'd have a long line.  But I suppose good things come to those who wait!  My only complaint was the wait, the rest was all delicious.

Hattie B's West
My love for Hattie B's is known here.  Since like 2013, right?  But I don't really go to the crowded, touristy Midtown original location anymore.  We head straight to the west side to their larger location, complete with parking lot, (typically) shorter line, and wider drink selection.  You ever have those moments where you're like, "I'm too old for -insert something here-"?  For me, it's the opportunity cost of waiting in enormous lines for something.  I'm just too old.  It's one of the reasons I love restaurants that offer reservations!  But when out-of-towners want a taste of Nashville, we usually stop by.

Where have you been eating lately?

What's your favorite Nashville spot?

Budgeting Bloggers: November 2016

Budget busted!  Womp womp.  😈  (P.S. Blogger has emojis.  I can't decide if I like it or not?)  But to be honest, I needed to replace items that were falling apart, buy some things for special occasions, and it just took off.  But since we bought some new things for Dan too, I didn't really get upset about the budget!  I actually got a lot for my money.

1. Stitch Fix Pieces ($296):  As you may have read, I spent a bunch on my latest Stitch Fix box, because I kept all the things!  But no regrets, really.  It happens.
2. Velvet Patterned Fit-and-Flare Dress via Dress Barn (originally $68, paid $54):  This was the dress I bought for my brother-in-law's wedding.  I LOVE the silhouette, and I got so many compliments.  I think that when you're looking for a good deal on a nice/flattering dress, you can't rule out places like Dress Barn, JCPenney, even Cato.  I have a feeling this will be the new LBD that I reach for over and over again!
3. Mesh Grid Dress via Dress Barn (paid $38 on clearance, similar):  This dress screamed holiday to me, so I'm holding onto it to wear to The Nutcracker with Dan.  It was on clearance, so definitely a steal, and something I know I can wear a few times at least.
4. Urban Expressions Stella Clutch via DSW ($35):  I bought this for travel and to carry at my brother-in-law's wedding.  I love the size (perfect for a wedding card/invite) and now I toss it into my big work tote and carry it if I go out to lunch.  I've used it nonstop since its purchase.
5. CHEERS! Brushed Cozy Pullover Sweatshirt ($18):  Impulse buy, but no regrets.  It's seriously the softest sweatshirt I own, and you absolutely need it.  It's part of the Grayson Threads collection at Target.  And now I want this one too.
6. Striped Long Sleeve Tees ($12 ea x 3 colorways) at Target:  I needed some layering pieces, as my old long sleeve tees were full of holes after the years. So I dropped some money right away in order to stay warm!

I think November and December are the months I buy the most clothing.  Probably it's because that's the time of year I start to feel the weather changing!  I've actually got a pile going to list more things on Poshmark, to counteract the shopping damage I've done.

$477 spent -  $14 earned/sold = $463 total spent in November

Quarter Budget: $500 - $176 in October - $463 in November = $139 OVER BUDGET



I'm linking up with the rest of the Budgeting Bloggers at Franish!

What did you add to your closet this month?

Previous 2016 Budget Posts...
October Budget
September Budget
August Budget
July Budget
June Budget
May Budget
April Budget
March Budget
February Budget
January Budget

Shop more of my closet on Poshmark

Sunday Lately: Completing, Visiting, Repeating, Writing, Scheduling

It's been a while since I've linked up for Sunday Lately with the Blogger Tribe, but today is their 100th week of doing this linkup! So I definitely wanted to go ahead and post here for and share a little bit of what I've been up to. But first, here's a picture of me snuggling with my "niece" dog Taco over Thanksgiving weekend. Sweet pup! I'm a little obsessed with taking pictures of her with my new Instax camera.

COMPLETING...  I've completed my Gilmore Girls watching.  And I won't reveal spoilers... but man, I really really really wish they would give us some more!  It was like a trip down memory lane, revisiting old friends.  I watched the first two episodes with my sister-in-law and her sister, and then binged the last two in insomnia moments!

Sign at my brother-in-law's wedding, which felt very Gilmore Girls to me for some reason!

VISITING...  We've spent the past three weekends flying to spend time with family... NYC for my cousin's baby shower, Pittsburgh for my brother-in-law's wedding, and then back to Pittsburgh for Thanksgiving.  It's been crazy!  But since I have a Southwest companion pass for Dan good through the end of 2017, taking advantage of it means not missing out on what everyone is up to!  I actually haven't been home for a weekend since October 22nd...  so I'm really going to relish the next few before Christmas weekend.

Cookies I commissioned for my cousin's baby shower

REPEATING...  I'm not sure what I'm repeating so much, minus packing my suitcase over and over for all of these trips!  I have to work trips that require flights in December, but other than that and Christmas I should be home.  Just having clean laundry will be key.  I have been repeating my warmer outfits because I need to cull my closet.  I've put out three bags in my closet: one for Poshmark listings, one for mending, and one for donations.  I finally need to just part with what doesn't fit and resign myself to buying new if I manage to lose some weight.

WRITING...  the same blog post for ages.  I've tried a ton of those meal kit services, and I've been trying to figure out how to write this massive post/review ranking my favorites.  I've tried Blue Apron, Plated, Martha & Marley Spoon, Hello Fresh, Peach Dish, and Sun Basket.  Let me know what you want to hear about them!  I'm thinking

In the meantime, I've been enjoying some home-cooked food...  we had Thanksgiving with my in-laws this year, which means a traditional/Italian combination of food.  I sure don't mind meatballs and gnocchi as a holiday food option!

SCHEDULING...  I've been scheduling everything!   I downsized to a mini Happy Planner, and it was the right choice.  The only thing I need to do now is sync some of the things I write in it to my digital calendar, so I get the Apple watch alerts that I want.  I love having a place to jot down all the details, and make lists to remind me what to do.  It's a fun way to stay organized and feel like I've got some semblance of control.

THIS PAST WEEK...

• On the Blog:  I love getting invited to blogger/influencer events in my local community.  Did you see my preview of the Morton Salt event I attended?  So cool!
• On Twitter:  I watched Me Before You and couldn't get over how I loved all the actors in other movies.
• On Pinterest:  I'm back on Pinterest like crazy lately, and this brisket with apricots and prunes recipe sounds amazing!  Prunes get a bad rap for being old people food that gets you moving, so I have to laugh now that they're showing up in stores marketed as "dried plums" to shake the stigma.
• On Instagram:  Of course I ate Chinese takeout while watching Gilmore Girls this week!
• Shopping:  I loved everything in my Stitch Fix this month, my 12th one!  I've been shopping a ton this month, as you'll see in my upcoming Budgeting Bloggers roundup, but I have zero regrets.

What are you up to this Sunday?