{"id":25996,"date":"2016-10-06T06:00:20","date_gmt":"2016-10-06T13:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=25996"},"modified":"2017-03-06T15:54:57","modified_gmt":"2017-03-06T23:54:57","slug":"hot-fun-in-the-city-weekend-in-nashville","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/hot-fun-in-the-city-weekend-in-nashville\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot Fun in the City: Weekend in Nashville"},"content":{"rendered":"

A weekend in Nashville is not nearly enough time to see and eat all that Music City has to offer, but here are some highlights that will certainly prove you gave it your best.<\/p>\n

\"Nashville<\/p>\n

What food is synonymous with Nashville? Why HOT CHICKEN, of course! Here’s a little background on the rise of this red-hot bird whose appeal is due partly because “it can be a punishment and joy at the same time”, according to Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack owner Andre Prince.\u00a0The Prince family has been selling hot chicken for more than 70 years and is thought to have conceived the dish.\u00a0“Prince’s is the ground zero for hot chicken,” says Timothy Davis, author of The Hot Chicken Cookbook \u2014 the Fiery History and Red Hot Recipes of Nashville’s Beloved Bird<\/em>. {Source: NPR<\/a>}<\/p>\n

A little more digging found that while Prince’s may have been selling hot chicken for 70 years, it was made and sold primarily in the city’s black neighborhoods. Only in the past decade has Nashville’s signature dish spread its wings to set the general population on fire and become a global sensation – you can find Nashville Hot Chicken joints in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and even Australia. New places have taken off locally as well with Bolton’s, Hattie B’s and others, all with their own special recipe.<\/p>\n

My Nashville Hot Chicken experience came at the Music City Food & Wine Festival with Hattie B’s<\/strong> serving up Hot Chicken Jambonettes topped with a dill pickle and cheesy grits. At Hattie B’s Hot Chicken,<\/a> a relatively new establishment in Nashville, the specialty comes paired with Southern sides like black-eyed-pea salad and pimento mac and cheese.<\/p>\n

\"Rainy<\/p>\n

Having purchased a ticket in advance, we braved Music City Food & Wine<\/strong> on a rainy Saturday afternoon – an uncommon occurrence for Nashville at this time of year, but what are you gonna do? The four of us: my blogger friend, Angela Roberts who tempts us with pies and such at Spinach Tiger<\/a>, and two friends of hers, also Nashville bloggers had a fabulous time chatting up the vendors, noshing, imbibing and singing in the rain! \u00a0Angela and I have conversed online since 2010 and finally got to meet in real life – the friends you make through your online presence is definitely one of the most rewarding aspects of blogging. The only unfortunate part was the festival seemed to have ignored the forecast and had no plan for minimizing the muddy mess that ensued. But whatever, that’s not going to happen to you!<\/p>\n

Granted, if you don’t spend an entire day at Music City Food & Wine, you’ll have more time to sightsee, but there’s nothing like a food festival to get a first hand look and taste of the cuisine and libations that define a city.<\/p>\n

\"Martin's<\/p>\n

And then, there’s BBQ, or Barbecue, or Bar-B-Que. Any way you like it, whole hog is king here and Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint<\/a>‘s pitmaster Pat Martin and friends had Bicentennial Park smoking as they talked with guests about their approach to low and slow, live-fire cooking. I actually stumbled across their newest location in downtown Nashville (410 4th Avenue South) after leaving the Country Music Hall of Fame on Sunday. I needed a cold beverage and, sitting at the bar perusing the menu with the Titans squeaking by the Lions in the background, the Redneck Taco was speaking to me, but settled for a\u00a0cold\u00a0beer sinc dinner was less than 3 hours away….<\/p>\n

\"nashville-martins-bar-b-que-7096\"<\/p>\n

\"Music<\/p>\n

As you would expect at any food and wine festival, a wide array of scrumptious food and libations. Clockwise from top left: Nomadic Tea Party Firepot Chai Bourbon, Jiovanni’s Hudson Valley duck confit with spiced balsamic and honey over polenta, Green Market Tacos with Crema, and a Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta by Etc. at the Williams Sonoma booth.<\/p>\n

\"Chocolate<\/p>\n

Chocolate Panna Cotta: Earl Grey caramel | whipped orange creme fraiche vanilla bean meringue | chocolate crumble | prepared by Megan Williams<\/p>\n

\"Music<\/p>\n

Thoughtfully crafted cocktails by Hendrick’s Gin, Wild Turkey, and Virgil Kaine were stellar.<\/p>\n

\"Music<\/p>\n

Now if you don’t spend your Saturday at a wine and food festival, this is Music City and there are several places you should go – you don’t have to be a country music fan to appreciate the history behind Ryman Auditorium<\/a><\/strong>, the “Mother Church of Country Music”, and the impact that this uniquely American music had on icons Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and later, Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson, Southern rock bands like Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Marshall Tucker, and which continues to influence musicians of all genres today. Many years ago, we were there for a corporate event and were given a private backstage tour and saw Lee Ann Womack perform. Ironically, Brian Wilson was performing Pet Sounds the weekend of my visit, which would have been incredible to hear in the excellent acoustics of Ryman Auditorium!<\/p>\n

Built in 1892 and a National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943-1974 when the Opry moved to its current location on Opryland Drive near the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center.<\/p>\n

Just yesterday, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill announced a surprise Ryman show (previously under the name Sam & Audrey) for today, and it sold out immediately once word got out that Sam & Audrey were indeed, Tim and Faith.<\/p>\n

UPCOMING EVENTS AT RYMAN AUDITORIUM<\/h4>\n