Road-trips can be fun and one I recently had was to Nashville, Tennessee. It is an easy drive from almost anywhere along the East coast of the great old USA and such a fun place to be. The culture is wonderful and the dining is amazing. Our hotel was stunning and above all, the music is awesome. OK, now let’s find out why I say all of this…
Culture
The Southern Hospitality here is rampant. It seemed as though everywhere we went, we were met with smiling faces and great service. When we had a question, we would get an answer longer than expected with more details than we needed (although appreciated it).
Dining
This food was amazing. Everywhere we went, from music halls to actual restaurants had a true southern flavor profile that was unique to this part of the country. Pucketts Grocery & Restaurant was terrific and their mac & cheese is a must. We sat next to a lady who came in every week for the fried chicken so had to try that as well.
If you are looking for a great dive bar, check out Big Shotz Nashville. They have cheap prices to match their fun atmosphere. The one special they had going on was $5 for a cup of beer and then unlimited refills while that keg lasted so just sit back and imagine the fun surrounding that…
Ole Smokey Distillery Nashville and Yee-Haw Brewing Company are attached so we hit both of those spots in a morning. $5 moonshine tastings with a $5 certificate to the shop evened everything out and then flights of beer to wash it down… That was an interesting day.
Hotel
We stayed at the historic The Hermitage Hotel – Nashville. In its heyday, this hotel — set next to the State Capitol — hosted everyone from Hank Williams to Patsy Cline in its banquet rooms and fun fact, the Country Music Association was formed here. This beaux arts–style hotel added 122 refreshingly refined accommodations, nearly doubling the space of the original rooms. The elegant Capitol Grille is the epitome of sustainable Southern cuisine, sourcing ingredients from a farm just miles away.
Another hotel we were looking to stay at is the Noelle Nashville. It is a 224-room boutique hotel located in the heart of downtown Nashville. It’s more than a hotel, bar, restaurant, or event space. Noelle is an encounter – a carefully considered experience that immerses guests in local culture, and brings them face-to-face with the warmth, creativity, and delightful unpredictability that make Nashville, Nashville. The luxury property features extensive on-site amenities including a restaurant, Makeready Libations & Liberation; a rooftop bar, Rare Bird; a coffee shop, Drug Store Coffee; a retail store, Keep Shop; and a working print shop, Little Prints.
Music
George Jones Rooftop Bar was our first stop around Music Row. One thing that I absolutely love with many of these bars are the rooftops and beautiful city-scapes you can see from them. Stop at Wildhorse Saloon after for a great music hall experience along with some really good food. I tried the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich which was a sweet tea-brined fried chicken breast in a habanero spice blend, served with chow-chow coleslaw, b&b pickles.
Benchmark was across the street but ended up being our favorite of the night. It was small but had a great atmosphere. The entertainment was a single man with his acoustic guitar taking requests from the handful of people in the room. Tootsie’s World Famous Orchid Lounge has different music venues on each of their floors so just look for the big purple building on the corner and walk on in.
Alan Jackson’s Good Time Bar was my favorite. They have a nice rooftop area with live music and a great view of Music Row. There is even a cardboard cut-out of Mr. Jackson himself to take a selfie with. (I am super sad that he won’t be touring this year. We were really looking forward to seeing a couple of his shows.) The list of bars here goes on and on but just wanted to give you a sample of the ones we visited.
Keep in mind that all of this we just covered was what we explored within 2 days so prepare for some fun and excitement (and bring your walking shoes).