Eating My Way Through Nashville

Last week, I showed you my first two days in Nashville with Martha White and White Lily, this week, I’ll be showing you my weekend in Nashville where I pretty much ate my way through it! I’m so grateful for my bloggy friends Leah and Tabitha for showing me around and putting up with my tourist stops :) I also had the pleasure of eating with & finally meeting Alexandra, Beth, and Erin! I also got the chance to see the sweet Amy again and her new baby girl and I got to see Lindsay again and finally meet her sweet kitties that I’ve been dying to meet! I love all the Nashville food bloggers – they’re so warm and welcoming and they know the best spots to eat!!

Now, without further ado, here is my weekend in Nashville..in pictures of course :)

Saturday morning, Tabitha picked me up from my hotel in downtown Nashville and we drove out to Barista Parlor in East Nashville to meet Leah and Amy! I LOVE good cup of coffee and I’m so glad they took me here. They have really unique lattes and they brew with I ntelligentsia coffee, which is spectacular tasting coffee. I adored the look and feel of this place. It’s so hipster and industrial. I believe everything from the tables to the counters are all made with reclaimed wood. So cool! Wish I could fit a table top into my suitcase to use as a backdrop for food photography ;)

I loved their menu!

Although it was hot, I just had to get their salted caramel Tennessee whiskey latte. It was to die for.

A lot of places in Tennessee serve drinks in Mason jars. So cute!

Of course, I had to indulge in their peach waffles – they were exceptional!

And here’s Amy with her sweet newborn :)

All of us! Amy & baby, Tabitha, me, and Leah :)

Doesn’t Barista Parlor look so cool? I think it used to be a body shop. Don’t quote me on that but it totally looks like it.

After Barista Parlor, we walked around East Nashville and went into some boutique/antique shops and then Tabitha drove us to the farmer’s market near Bicentennial Mall. On the other side of Bicentennial Mall, there was this AWESOME 3D map of Tennessee. It was really cool to walk all over it, haha! And then, behind it was the state capitol building! Ha, and then the eyesore of the picture, the Sheraton hotel, which actually, I stayed there on Saturday =P

We then drove back into East Nashville to go eat lunch and Alexandra met up with us since she lives right around the corner! The wait at Silly Goose was an hour so we decided to take advantage and wait the hour at Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams right next door :)

I wish they made a candle or perfume that smells the way Jeni’s smells when you walk in. As soon as you enter the door, the smell of freshly baked waffle cones hits your nose and it’s the most amazing smell.

I got the salty caramel and brown butter almond brittle – I inhaled it. Basically.

Tabitha got (I think) some boysenberry streusel and the salty caramel.

I think this was the dark chocolate and the salty caramel

I think this was the same but with gravel on top – the gravel is REALLY good!!

Fun design idea – milk jugs as lighting!

We finally got in to Silly Goose! This was our appetizer. King Kong Couscous. We all agreed that we could’ve ordered a second plate of this. We ate it so fast. I recreated this dish this past weekend so it’ll be on the blog soon :)

After Silly Goose, Tabitha dropped me off at my hotel to check-in and freshen up (and take a nap, hehe). I made dinner reservations at Mason’s.

Fun theme – Mason jars at Mason’s ;)

This was my blackberry mojito. So good. I adore mojitos especially flavored ones!Fried green tomatoes with Crab, Field Peas, Feta, Smoked Pepper Aioli

Jars: Pimento Cheese, Lima Bean Hummus, Pepper Jelly, Olive Oil Crackers

A Devil of an Egg with Bacon Jam, Mustard Seed Caviar

Crab Corn Dogs with Mississippi Comeback Sauce

Beth got this drink  called the Front Porch. It had Ketel One Vodka with Housemade Watermelon Soda. Watermelon soda!! That’s so awesome and super delicious :)

I got the “Fried Chicken Galantine” with Turnip Puree, Bourbon Mustard Jus, Spicy Collards for dinner. The way it was explained to me was pretty gross/weird so I almost didn’t get it but I’m so glad I did because I could not stop eating it!

Leah got the Seared Halibut with English Pea, Fennel, Cauliflower, Shiitake, Lemongrass Reduction

Beth got Smoked Pork and Huitlacoche Tacos with Olive and Sinclair Mole, Farmer’s Cheese, Blistered Corn Relish

Alex got a Grilled Peach Salad with Arugula, Asher Blue Cheese, TN Prosciutto, Basil Vinaigrette

They brought us out these popovers with sorghum molasses butter. Honestly, we could’ve done without these. They were so doughy and dense. Not much like a popover at all. The butter was pretty good, though.

Right before dessert, the staff of Mason’s came out with the chefs, sous chefs, and pastry chef, and presented each of us this new dessert they’re trying out. It’s called a “pop of summer” – it’s a lemon curd lollipop with POP ROCKS, lemon poppyseed cake, and blackberry rosemary foam. It was awesome. They should be putting it on the menu as soon as they perfect it!

We ordered one of every dessert they had on their dessert menu. We couldn’t choose! Haha – what the pastry chef is torching above is the T.N. Bombe with Peach Ice Cream, Buttermilk Cake, Italian Meringue, Flames

Blueberry Crumb Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream

Dark Chocolate Cremeux with Macerated Berries

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberry-Mint Relish – so this was ok. It came out gelatinous but as soon as they set it on the table, it basically melted and was like a yogurt and all liquid.

The inside of the T.N. Bombe

All of us at dinner! Alex, Leah, me, Erin, and Beth! So much fun :) Amy came for the first half but she had to go home to her baby to put her to bed!

The eating doesn’t stop! Sunday morning, Beth, Tabitha, Leah, and I went to Fido’s for brunch. I got this blueberry lavender cake for all of us to share. It was so awesome that I recreated this cake, too. It’ll be on the blog on Monday!

So, they have a specials menu and I wanted to get their sweet potato French toast, but as soon as I went up to order, the kitchen called 86 on all specials. Boo!! I ended up getting this veggie scramble with local sausage. It was still delicious!

Beth and Tabitha got this burger – SO good looking!

Tabitha & I <3

Beth, Leah, and I <3

After brunch, Leah and I went went to Lindsay’s house where I got to meet her three kitties and also see the Love and Olive Oil abode. I ADORE her place. It’s got the best open floor space and the large amount of light from her BIG windows and super high ceilings…swoon! After that, Leah and I had plans to go see “This is the End” before she dropped me off at the airport. We were told that it was a really funny and good movie and the previews looked really good. We convinced Lindsay to go and we felt so bad afterwards. The movie was HORRIBLE!!! Oh my goodness, I felt so dirty afterwards. Don’t see it. If you aren’t a guy, you won’t appreciate it.

All in all, I had the best time in Nashville. From the Southern Baking Retreat to eating my way through Nashville with food bloggers..I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect weekend. Really, even the weather was cooperating and it wasn’t too hot and humid!

Thanks everyone for making my visit to Nashville an unforgettable one :) Next time, I’m bringing Jason!