I was lucky enough to spend a week in this gloriously creative, delicious, and beautiful city. I haven't ever been to Nashville; and I am definitely coming back. One, I am surrounded by so many artists! There is live music EVERYWHERE you go, and walking along the broadway strip I was blown away by the neon lights and eclectic bands that graced Nashville's countless stages. I, of course, had to grab a bite. My first stop was the Frothy Monkey cafe. This place had an awesome dark house blend, that reminded me of chocolate and oranges. I had a salad with candied walnuts, port-wine berries, and feta, which was great. I, however, could not stop taking pictures of the actual coffee shop. Such a cool building! All the exposed brick made me long for my own place, with all the exposed brick I can dream of.
They had an assortment of hand-bagged teas and are known for their "sweet as can be" lattes, but I passed on that so I could stealthily grab a picture of a patron enjoying his iced americano. Oh wait, Andrew Goldwasser is that you?! |
The Frothy Monkey is located right around the corner from the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, a beautiful space that houses many touring broadway national companies on their way across the states. Very excited we got to perform there all week! I absolutely loved all their mercy as well, but had to hold off if I wanted to try more good eats.
I loved this coffee shop; a definite go-to if you are ever in the downtown Nashville area. The Frothy Monkey was a great spot for coffee, considering the rated #1 coffee shop in Nashville was a mile-walk away. I will tackle that one tomorrow! For now, I'm still gushing about my lunch at Rae's Gourmet Sandwich Shop. It's just a sandwich shop right? WRONG (said like gene wilder would). I had beef tenderloin with melted bleu cheese crumbles, cajun mayo, lettuce, tomato, on a freshly baked baguette. GET AT ME BEEF TENDERLOIN. This sandwich was as messy as it was delicious, therefore it was the best KIND of sandwich. Lots of capital letters and each one of them fully deserved.
Here is the thing about the Banana Pudding I had for dessert at Rae's Gourmet Sandwich Shop. It was perfect. There wasn't too much whipped cream. The banana pudding was light and fresh. The actual bananas were evenly distributed throughout the pudding, and at the bottom of the pudding were nilla wafers that WERE NOT HARD and were just soft enough to soak in the banana pudding goodness, plus some nilla wafer crumble on top. This, to me, tasted like the South should taste. I adored it. My sandwich was great too and the beef tenderloin was hot and the bread was crispy and warm. Perfect. I cannot talk up this place enough. I will be back and I will be taking everyone I know.
My time in Nashville was not just about food mind you. I had an unforgettable time the other night at the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar in Printer's Alley. This little alleyway came out of no where and there it was in big neon lights, a Boogie Bar. Rarely does one have a night on the road that makes everything better. It's easy to feel down and alone when you're constantly working or staying in hotels, but this Blues Bash made me feel happy that I was on the road and lucky to have such great company. We walked in to this New Orleans-esque bar complete with a huge stage filled with talented Blues musicians born to make you want to dance. What a group! The man's name was Whitey Johnson and he had a band with him that did not stop playing for hours. There was a dance floor and... I couldn't help myself. Turns out that an actual Blues Dance group meets there every other Tuesday to groove to what Whitey's putting down, I would move to Nashville to dance with these guys. I had the best time with my tour mates that came along and we didn't stop grooving and moving until last call.
My time in Nashville was not just about food mind you. I had an unforgettable time the other night at the Bourbon Street Blues and Boogie Bar in Printer's Alley. This little alleyway came out of no where and there it was in big neon lights, a Boogie Bar. Rarely does one have a night on the road that makes everything better. It's easy to feel down and alone when you're constantly working or staying in hotels, but this Blues Bash made me feel happy that I was on the road and lucky to have such great company. We walked in to this New Orleans-esque bar complete with a huge stage filled with talented Blues musicians born to make you want to dance. What a group! The man's name was Whitey Johnson and he had a band with him that did not stop playing for hours. There was a dance floor and... I couldn't help myself. Turns out that an actual Blues Dance group meets there every other Tuesday to groove to what Whitey's putting down, I would move to Nashville to dance with these guys. I had the best time with my tour mates that came along and we didn't stop grooving and moving until last call.
One of my tour mates, Stephen Brunson, walked away with a pretty fantastic memory of last night's festivities. A signed and personalized CD from Whitey Johnson himself. Now that is what I call a great night in an unforgettable city. See? Love, Whitey :) Please don't forget to check out the Frothy Monkey! Also, Rae's Gourmet Sandwich Shop! And of course… The greatest night you will ever have. |