Growing up on Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings and Dolly Parton, I dreamed of a Nashville that was about rootsy American music, “rags to riches” success stories, and down home comfort with a cowboy attitude.  Watching films like “Coal Miner’s Daughter” as a girl, I daydreamed about driving to radio stations around the country until they’d play my “record”… or of singing in smoky Nashville honkytonks until I was “discovered”.

Those days are long gone. Nashville seems to be a business town, first and foremost – about the business of music more than a free spirited place where musical genius just happens to get “discovered” on a regular basis.  In look and feel, it’s more like glorified suburb than stimulating, cosmopolitan city.  Still, the touristy honkytonks are uniquely thrilling (Tootsie’s!) and live music is plentiful and often stellar (Ernest Tubb’s Midnite Jamboree was all I hoped it would be for classic country kitsch; the Grand Ole Opry, however, was a huge disappointment and waste of money). 

Thankfully, Nashville food did not let me down – though not without a lot of pre-work on my part. I spent an excess amount of hours researching where to go beforehand as there are surprisingly few reliable listings of the area’s best dining.  After comparing and contrasting reviews from anywhere I could find them, I came up with a satisfying list, scattered about the city, so you’ll need a car as this is not a walkable urban environment.  

Misses:

Tayst (www.tayst.info) is ambitious modern cuisine in a chic space with a primo wine list offering tastings and half glasses (I was impressed they carried Justin wines from Paso Robles, CA).  Despite how incredible the menu sounded, many of the playfully creative dishes fell just shy of their vision.

The famed Loveless Cafe (www.lovelesscafe.com) was a bit of a let down, despite the scenic drive through the woods and a historic roadside setting.  Admittedly, the renowned biscuits were divine. But everything else, including the tasty but grossly over-breaded fried chicken, was TOO fried, too salty, too much.  This when I started to feel maybe I didn’t want as much Southern food as I thought I did!  Go if you must but be prepared for heart attack food.