After a week spent recovering from a head cold, now I am recovering from a long weekend in Nashville. RG, Marley and I made the trip last weekend to catch up with some of our oldest and closest friends. We had a great time seeing people, throwing back some drinks and eating way too much. This has turned out to be a bad habit of the new year…too much food! But it’s hard to say no and when I’m in the moment I have a really hard time ordering a salad over pretty much anything else. Oh well, maybe next time.
We were having so much fun we decided to extend the trip through Monday. We ventured out to restaurants and bars all around the city and really experienced Nashville for what it is…including the legendary live music. We even saw one of the actors from the TV show Nashville! This was late night at a dimly lit bar so there is no photo evidence, but trust me when I say he was beautiful!
Here is a recap of where we went, what we ate and the copious amounts of alcohol we drank…
Our first night there we headed out to this new trendy restaurant downtown. I was wary of the place because when reservations were made we had to leave a credit card number and if we were a no-show or tried to cancel less than 48 hours in advance we would be charged $150. How ridiculous is that?!?! Maybe it was because we had a group of six, but I still think it’s a bit much.
Anyways, that aside we had great conversation over wine cocktails and mouth-watering food. Everyone ordered something different and we all tasted each others…from the rabbit to the duck to the short ribs and halibut every dish had just the right amount of flavors. It is a bit pricey but for a night out I would definitely recommend it.
From Etch we headed over to the one place I visit every time I am in Nashville, Patterson House. I couldn’t wait to introduce RG to their famous Bacon Old Fashion. The bar is a modern speakeasy inspired by the prohibition days. Located in an unmarked row-house in the heart of Nashville it is easy to miss. You have to wait to be seated, even arriving at 11:30pm it took about 30 minutes for a booth to open up. But once in you understand the hype. The low-lighted dining room feel is reminiscent of a restored Victorian house, bartenders are dressed as they would in the 20’s and the drinks have a spin on prohibition era cocktails. This is where we saw the Nashville actor…
This restaurant is a toss up for me. The company was excellent, we had a large group mixed of both RG’s and my college friends. The drinks kept coming and the service was amazing, but the food was a disappointment. In fairness it was restaurant week and we ordered off of a special menu. I tend to think with prix fixed menus and a kitchen over producing the same dish the food can turn out a bit lackluster. Lets hope this was the problem, otherwise I would probably skip this place.
This is Nashville’s version of Bourbon Street or Beale Street…live music, karaoke bars, and adult entertainment. It has a great history, dating back to the heyday of print publications (hence the name) and has evolved over the decades to what it is now. The energy is upbeat and exciting and lasts long into the late night/early morning. We headed to Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar to see former American Idol contestant Jackie Wilson perform. Ummmm….why did she not make it further on the contest? This woman has an amazing voice and stage presence…she makes you want to dance, and dance we did…until 2am!
After a late night out we headed to Margot cafe for Sunday brunch. This is the type of place RG and I would frequent if it was in Atlanta. It is a renovated 1930’s service station but makes you feel like you are at someone’s house. The brunch menu changes every Sunday. I ventured out of my comfort zone and ordered the Poached Eggs over Grits with Oyster Chowder. I had no idea oysters could be so delightful first thing in the morning. I am not doing a great job of describing this place, I just hope you trust me and check it out. By far my favorite spot of the weekend!
After an early brunch and a full day of disappointing football we decided to venture out one last time in Nashville. We headed to the Broadway Brewhouse for their famous Bushwacker drink. It is essentially an alcoholic version of a Frosty. Ice cream is my weakness and at first sip I couldn’t stop…I quickly finished my first drink and ordered a second. Little did I know that there is Bacardi 151 in this! Needless to say after two we were down I was ready to head home for a good night’s sleep before hitting the road Monday morning.
Overall it was a great trip, we are sorry we missed seeing a few people and cannot wait to head back. Hope you all had a great weekend too!
Nicole Guess | Drink. Dine. Discover 
In response to your, “Drink, Dine, Discover” article about places in Nashville, TN, I would like to let you know that Broadway Brewmasters are impostors. The Bushwacker was created at the Sandshaker Lounge on Pensacola Beach, Florida. We even have a week long festival dedicated to the drink every summer.