This past weekend was a very fun/food-filled weekend! We had some friends in town visiting so Mike and I took them to some of our favorite places here in Nashville. Three of them have been on the Food Network at one point or another but I thought I'd share them here.
12 South Taproom - great bar and grill that has some tasty sandwiches, quesadillas, etc. It's far better than most bar food you will get (you can get things like gouda mac & cheese or marinated button mushrooms as a side!), I got the blackened tilapia sandwich this time but have pretty much had every sandwich on the menu at some point. 12 South also gets a thumbs up for having a great beer selection that makes Mike very happy.
Loveless Cafe - definitely a tourist spot, but it holds a special place in my heart (or stomach, I suppose ;)) for a number of reasons. Back in 2007, we went to a taping of Throwdown with Bobby Flay where he challenged Carol Fay to a biscuit throwdown. If you ever see this episode, you can catch Mike talking about Bobby giving Carol a run for her money and see me stuffing my face with a biscuit. It was pretty awesome.
I also love Loveless for the blackberry jam, biscuits, fried chicken, bbq....this list could go on and on! I know some people have had hit or miss experiences there, but I've always had great meals there. Wait times can be long, but it's always fun to peruse the Hams & Jams giftshop or other stores nearby so it never really bothers me. This visit, I couldn't resist getting my "usual" fried chicken meal (1/4 chicken dark meat please!) with mashed potatoes, creamed corn and green beans and Mike got the daily special which was watermelon ribs. Yes folks, watermelon ribs! (Yes, they are delicious and no, they don't really taste like watermelon.) The only thing at Loveless that makes me sad is that I'm always too full to get dessert!
Rosepepper Cantina - this Mexican restaurant in East Nashville is a new addition to our restaurant repertoire but a great one! The portions are HUGE and chips and salsa are fantastic. They give you three kinds - mild, spicy, and tomatillo which is a big thumbs up in my book. We've only been here twice but there's lots more on the menu that I'm looking forward to trying.
Patterson House - this is kind of a cool swanky bar if you're in the mood for some unique cocktails. It is kind of hidden (one of those hard to find places if you didn't know what exactly to look for) and you have to be seated by a hostess. You don't even see the actual bar until the hostess pulls back the heavy theater curtain. It makes you feel like you're not in TN (which is a good thing sometimes) and I don't know anywhere else you can get a drink with bacon infused whiskey or cedar smoked cola! The cocktails are on the pricey side but it's all about the experience here. They do have some panini and other items on the menu but I've yet to try anything but the donuts (which were quite tasty btw). (When the Patterson House was featured on Best Thing I Ever Ate on Food Network, I think they showed some sort of Elvis panini. One day when I get this Elvis panini, I will report back.) Definitely a cool hang if you're in the mood for a fancy cocktail with a sphere of ice in it!
Martin's Bar-b-que Joint - this bbq restaurant in Nolensville was featured on Diners, Drive-In, and Dives with Guy Fieri. I'm a big fan of the ribs and brisket tacos here but it wouldn't take much arm twisting to get me to eat anything else on the menu. Portions could be a little bigger for my money but it's still a great non-chain bbq place in town and even better since it's only about 10 mintues from my house :)
If you ever find yourself in Nashville, definitely check some of these out! (Or if you come visit me, don't be surprised if this is exactly where I take you :) )
