Our final day in Nashville was jammed packed with music, food and coffee...
Nashville Public Library - It's well known among locals the downtown Nashville library puts on incredible programs in their children's section. The boy and I walked a few blocks from our hotel to see a marionette show but in its place was a live concert featuring local jazz band Coal Train Railroad. This is Nashville so the band was amazing and we are the happy new owners of CTRR's latest album.
Provence Breads & Cafe - After our excitement at the library we needed a little sustenance so we headed to this bakery at the base of the library for a chocolate covered marshmallow for the boy and a savory nut and cheese cookie for me...both were delicious!
Bongo Java - This Belmont/Hillsboro neighborhood coffee house roasts their own beans and is a great lunch spot to boot. The outdoor deck was packed (in January!) with college students sporting Alexander Wang handbags, hipsters and yuppies working on their macs and then me with my 3 year old boy and my Nashville based musician cousin. The hummus plate was kick ass and the customer service was great. That strip of restos, shops and rental homes is super charming and is close to Belmont University as well as Vanderbilt.
Grimey's New & Preloved Music - My husb is always on the hunt for cool record shops so on the recommendation of my cousin we headed to Grimey's and left with an array of new vinyl, including Don Ho's Greatest Hits, found in the oddities section.
The Wild Cow - I'm not a veggie or a vegan but I love visiting vegetarian restaurants and I'm always impressed and amazed with their selection and execution of meatless dishes. We were all pleased with our meal choices but agreed our favorite dish was the shared appetizer of Buffalo Tempeh Strips with homemade ranch sauce...YUM!!!
Ugly Mugs - After dinner we needed to grab some coffee for the drive back to Indiana and this coffee house shares a parking lot with The Wild Cow. Ugly Mugs serves and sells locally roasted beans by Drews Brews and helps to anchor this East Nashville block of independent businesses.
I still have a huge to do list for Nashville so I'm already looking forward to a trip back for more exploration!
xx
JDF
Nashville Public Library - It's well known among locals the downtown Nashville library puts on incredible programs in their children's section. The boy and I walked a few blocks from our hotel to see a marionette show but in its place was a live concert featuring local jazz band Coal Train Railroad. This is Nashville so the band was amazing and we are the happy new owners of CTRR's latest album.
Provence Breads & Cafe - After our excitement at the library we needed a little sustenance so we headed to this bakery at the base of the library for a chocolate covered marshmallow for the boy and a savory nut and cheese cookie for me...both were delicious!
Bongo Java - This Belmont/Hillsboro neighborhood coffee house roasts their own beans and is a great lunch spot to boot. The outdoor deck was packed (in January!) with college students sporting Alexander Wang handbags, hipsters and yuppies working on their macs and then me with my 3 year old boy and my Nashville based musician cousin. The hummus plate was kick ass and the customer service was great. That strip of restos, shops and rental homes is super charming and is close to Belmont University as well as Vanderbilt.
Grimey's New & Preloved Music - My husb is always on the hunt for cool record shops so on the recommendation of my cousin we headed to Grimey's and left with an array of new vinyl, including Don Ho's Greatest Hits, found in the oddities section.
The Wild Cow - I'm not a veggie or a vegan but I love visiting vegetarian restaurants and I'm always impressed and amazed with their selection and execution of meatless dishes. We were all pleased with our meal choices but agreed our favorite dish was the shared appetizer of Buffalo Tempeh Strips with homemade ranch sauce...YUM!!!
Ugly Mugs - After dinner we needed to grab some coffee for the drive back to Indiana and this coffee house shares a parking lot with The Wild Cow. Ugly Mugs serves and sells locally roasted beans by Drews Brews and helps to anchor this East Nashville block of independent businesses.
I still have a huge to do list for Nashville so I'm already looking forward to a trip back for more exploration!
xx
JDF