Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a country music fan…but a recent junket into the heartland of America showed me there’s a lot more to Nashville than country music.
My plane landed and I met up with Liz from Wickedly Chic, claimed baggage, and proceeded to explore the area near the airport looking for a cell phone charger – but that’s another tale for another day.
Back to airport to pick up Amy from Charming Sam, and off we went to our base for the next two days -- the Hampton Inn & Suites, right near Vanderbilt University – with very comfy beds, free breakfast and a big box of left behind cell phone chargers. (Thank goodness!)
Our first supper in the land of sweet Southern soulful cooking took us to Rotier’s – a total hole in the wall establishment that has been there for over 80 years – and with any luck will be there a lot longer. Had the best fried chicken I’ve had in my life, complete with real mashed potatoes & gravy (not the add water and mix with a fork kind!) and fried zucchini. Practically licked the plate, but saved that for later – go for dessert at Coco – where you will have a totally decadent dessert experience.
The next day it was off to the Escape Spa – perfectly named. And in my spa experience (which is humbly vast) – one of the best spas I’ve been to. Serene & beautiful all the way – truly an oasis. Jeremiah removed every ache & pain with a massage combining Swedish, deep tissue & stretching techniques – and my normally ticklish toes defied me while they had an ultra pampering pedicure.
By now we’re hungry – ok – ravenous would be a better word. So it was off to the Loveless Café to meet Carol Fay “The Biscuit Lady” and have another down home, downright fabulous meal. Barbecue that melted in my mouth, and fudge pie, oh my!
Bodies pampered and appetites satisfied, it was off to explore a wonderfully restored town called Franklin. Great little shops, and a lazy ambiance. Like a picture postcard calling “wish you were here”. But the best shop of all was down the road – Kandle Kitchen boasts an extraordinary assortment of scents and sizes – and you can get regular candles & a great selection of soy candles too. I tried a few of each – will keep you posted, but let me tell you, my mango candle smells like a grove.
After all this shopping, you guessed right if you thought it was time to eat again. So, shunning the downtown tourist establishments, we headed back to the Loveless Café for a ‘snack’. If I lived in Nashville, I would go there all the time.
Alas, the next morning was our last – so after a lazy breakfast – complete with leftover biscuits from the Loveless (which are just as good cold as they are warm – maybe it’s the homemade blackberry jam?) – off we went to shop a little more. We were obliged to visit at least one mall, and at Green Hills you could probably shop for days. But don’t miss Designer Finds – an upscale resale shop, or Davis Kidd Booksellers – a huge independent bookstore that gives back to the community. Move over Borders.
Time for one more meal – the ‘last supper’, so to speak - and off to Sylvan Park Restaurant we went. It’s like walking into someone’s kitchen (except huge). Meringue topped pies that must have been 6 inches high – next time I’ll order dessert first, I swear. I decided to go lighter (more room for pie) – but I had the best double-decker BLT ever. So fresh they must have butchered the pig out back. Not really, but you get the idea. But the turkey dinners my compadres ordered also looked totally yummy, and I’ll bet the turkeys were out back playing with the piggies.
Down the road, on the way back to the airport, final shopping stop was Boomerang – “Finer Thrift”. In an old house – fact is an old whorehouse till just a few years ago. You just have to chat with Gary, he’ll give you the guided tour while seated behind the counter – sweet drawl & all, delivered with a hefty dose of humor. I found a great rayon print caftan in the vintage section downstairs that just had to come home with me. Be careful on that wrought iron spiral as you go down – but go.
Think superlatives with a capital “S” – Spa, Shop, Sup – and you’ll get a big ol’ Smile on your face, just like I did.
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