Nashville, TN

May 29

In 2021 we made a brief trip to Nashville as part of a tour of Tennessee. We had hit some winter weather and knew we had to come back to explore more. The Nashville vibe cannot be described easily, it is a mix of charm, up and coming, and a culture that just blends for a great time.

We stayed in the Gulch neighborhood, at The Thompson Hotel, and after checking in set out to explore on foot. Where on the way we were enamored by this building that looked like a castle. We decided to stop in and see what it was about. As it turns out it is the old Union [Train] Station in Nashville turned hotel. After walking in, you could feel that this place just had a story to tell. We visited again later and learned about the ghost on the seventh floor which people still see and occasionally “welcomes” guests. The ghost is from the civil war era, and means no harm but is waiting for their soulmate to return.

After we pulled ourselves away from Union Station, we made it to Broadway where we just walked down to the river and enjoyed the Honky Tonks and the music. Everything from classic rock to country could be heard. On a whim we decided to visit the Country Music Hall of Fame. This place is not just for country music fans. Guitars, outfits, cars, from Elvis to Taylor Swift, so much music history.

Now let’s talk about the food. The best way to really feel the culture is through food and the people. We stopped at The Mockingbird for brunch on the first day, and if you stop here you NEED to try the XYZ bagel bombs. For breakfast we had seen a HUGE line at this place by our hotel, and of course we had to check it out the next day for breakfast. Biscuit Love was an easy, to go option on a Monday morning, no line for pickup and few people in the restaurant. The Thompson has a rooftop bar (that is open to everyone) which we frequented as they had a great Kale salad, and a view for the city at sunset & at night. The bar tenders were fun and had great suggestions!

If you are celebrating (let’s be honest who doesn’t have a reason to), hands down the best food & experience we have had this year came from Bourbon Steakhouse. It sits on the 34th floor of the Marriott and has amazing views. Unfortunately for us, the clouds decided to roll in to rob us of the picturesque sunset. The server, food, service, everything was amazing. Next time we visit, we plan to grab a seat at the bar.

The last place that we had dinner at on this quick jaunt was The 404 Kitchen. We took this on another whim (there’s a pattern that may come out on this) but the food (besides the cornbread) worked out for us. A low key bourbon bar with great food, we sat downstairs in the bar and had a great time to cap off our trip.

During the day, as we were working we had stocked up at the grocery store (great local find right near the hotel). Being on the road means we have to learn to be creative as hotels don’t typically come with a stove top. More on that in the future.

The Thompson had a complete conference room floor which was empty during our stay and a gym with Pelaton bikes (we are slightly obsessed). We were able to split up for work calls when needed and still enjoy ourselves in the evening by diving into whatever Nashville had to offer.

Nashville is one of those places we see ourselves coming back to because there is so much to see and the music and the history run deep - two things that really drive their culture.

Food