Weeks before I touched down in Nashville, Tennessee, I had already prepared an itinerary the was largely composed of restaurants and bars. When I walked off the plane I had four days, an empty stomach, and a lot of ground to cover.
*Fair warning this blog will cover 4 full days of eating and drinking through Nashville, so it’s a long one.*
An early morning flight brought us into Nashville with plenty of daylight to spare. But 5AM plus an hour time difference meant that I was in dire need of caffeine. After an ill fated Uber ride in which the address brought us to the wrong 11th Avenue, I arrived in the Gulch and discovered the best latte I’ve ever had in my life: the namesake latte from Milk & Honey. I’m usually on a mission to discover everything I can, so it’s very rare when I am traveling that I go to the same place twice. Milk & Honey was the exception to the rule, because I stopped there three times!
What To Get:
- Iced Milk & Honey Latte
- Iced Burnt Sugar Latte
- Farmhouse Biscuit
After coffee we ventured around the Gulch neighborhood where I was able to take a photo in front of the #WhatLiftsYou angel wings. Pro Tip: Go early or on a weekday. By Saturday there were lines wrapping around the block.
By the time it was an acceptable hour for lunch, we were starving. Luckily there’s no shortage of restaurants in the Gulch and we ventured in to Saint Anejo for tacos and a very spicy jalapeño margarita.
After lunch we began what I anticipated to be an easy 2 mile walk to the 12South neighborhood, as I was on a mission to find some more of Nashville’s infamous murals. About 1/3 of the way into the trek I came to the realization that Nashville isn’t much of a walking city. This finding was due in part to the 90 degree temperatures that made what should’ve been an easy stroll far more taxing.
Once in 12South I window shopped in Reese Witherspoon’s Boutique, Draper James and took another mural photo in front of one of the “I Believe In Nashville” murals. Despite still being quite full from lunch, the foodie in me couldn’t resist a purchase at Five Daughters Bakery. If you think we stopped there, you don’t know me very well, because after the doughnut, we had one last treat in 12South– Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream.
Jeni’s hasn’t found it’s way to New York in the form of a scoop shop just yet, but after diving into a scoop of the butter mint flavor in Nashville I knew I was in trouble. Luckily, Jeni’s has been recently spotted in the local Whole Foods, and you better believe I spent the money on a pint.
By now it was time for a break from the calories, and the heat, so we hopped a ride back to the AirBnB before an evening at TopGolf. For someone who isn’t much of a golfer, TopGolf was actually quite fun. Definitely pricy, and designed for a bigger crowd than just 2, it’s an electric environment and bound to be a good time for everyone involved.
It was getting later in the evening and that meant only one thing: Broadway. The famous Nashville street is home to historic country music haunts and about one hundred bachelorette party crews. I had seen a list on Pinterest that said to try the Bushwacker at the Broadway Brewhouse, so that’s what I did.
Best Broadway Bars:
- Crazytown
- FGL House
- Dierks Bentley Whiskey Row
After some drinking and walking around it was dinner time. It was about 9:30, so quite a bit later than the average dinner for me. I considered this off-hour the perfect time to try the famous Hattie B’s Hot Chicken in the hopes that perhaps the crowd would be less. I was wrong, as a long line extended out the door and around the corner. It was vacation, so we had nowhere to be. We waited and it was worth every second. I had the hot chicken sandwich with a side of macaroni and cheese. No doubt it was hot, but my mouth is watering all over again just thinking about it.
There are a hundred bars and restaurants on and around Broadway. But at the very end of the street, with a view of Nissan Stadium and countless bachelorette bike tours, sits Acme Feed & Seed. The space is huge. Complete with 3 floors (including a rooftop) open to the public and one reserved for private events. On the first floor we chowed down on some snacks before going upstairs for a frozen drink on the rooftop. We would later go back to Acme’s second floor for a low-key afternoon of frozen rosé and more importantly, air conditioning.
At home it has become a mission to try as many breweries as possible, so Yazoo Brewing was a no brainer on my list. After a pint (or two) of the Hopry Double IPA, the goal was to continue the brewery crawl around the corner at Jackalope Brewing. Unfortunately though, I should’ve checked the time because we arrived right as the doors were closing.
After some more drinking (again, because it’s Nashville) it was time for dinner. I had intended to eat dinner at a brewery, but the menu wasn’t doing it for me and we were running out of time. Emmy Squared was not too far of a walk, and I had been eyeing it’s sister restaurant, Pizza Loves Emily, during a recent trip to Brooklyn. It was the inevitable choice. I had never heard of Detroit style pizza before my visit to Emmy Squared in Nashville, but the crispy, square crust pizza is the perfect combination of buttery crust and gooey cheese. We got the Colony2 (mozzarella, pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, and local honey) which was good, despite the fact that I truly wanted the vodka sauce pie. Waiting, slowly but surely, for the time I get to dive in to this pie once again.
Towards the end of the trip it was time for some good ‘ol southern BBQ. So we ventured to the East Nashville location of Edley’s BBQ where I ordered the Tuck Special, which was voted the best sandwich in Nashville. It was a delicious sandwich stacked with smoked brisket, house made spicy pimento cheese, over easy egg, red and white sauce, and pickles. Messy? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely.
On the final evening in Nashville we splurged for dinner at The Chef and I. It was a unique concept in which diners can sit alongside the kitchen and observe the chefs preparing their meal in front of them. Unfortunately, despite the fact that we made an early reservation and there was nobody seated at the bar, we were only able to eat at hightop and observe from a far. The food was good, but I wish we could have enjoyed the complete experience.
Despite the full schedule of food and drink, there were a number of activities that didn’t involve either of those things. We pretty much covered it all: a tour of the Ryman Auditorium, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Parthenon replica, a walk around Vanderbilt University, exploring East Nashville, and even some afternoon recharges in the AirBnB for a quick The Crown Netflix binge. Perhaps the only thing I didn’t do in Nashville was run into any celebrities, but there is always next time.
Stay tuned for the next trip on Instagram 😉