Chatting 'Favorite Things' in Nashville with Hattie B's Owner, Nick Bishop

In preparation for the upcoming Music City Food + Wine Festival here in Nashville, I wanted to sit down and chat with one of my personal favorites from this year's participants: Nick Bishop of Hattie B's Hot Chicken. As one who loves to chat about Nashville's hidden treasures, I thought it would be fun to learn more about this restaurant owner's go-to spots in town, along with a bit more about what makes Hattie B's so fab.

Hattie B's Hot Chicken - Photo by Joseph Woodley

When I mentioned to Nick we would be discussing his favorite spots in the city, his response was that, "It's rare to have only one "favorite" anything in our city - just too many great spots!" 

Nick - I couldn't agree more. But here we go with our most feeble of attempts.

Read on to see Nick's favorites and to purchase passes to this year's fest.

What is your favorite 'off the beaten path' restaurant (and yes, we agreed on this one):

Gabby's Burgers and Fries and your mention - Browns Diner.

Favorite Restaurant:

Lucky Bamboo, Jack's the owner - super Guy. All Sashwan dishes are unique and the Dry Pot is an excellent choice.

Favorite Place to Grab a Drink:

I'm a Scotch drinker. I can enjoy a Macallan 12 yr. at Sperry's, or Broadway Brewhouse Midtown across from Hattie B's. All Good!

Favorite Shop:

Not a Huge shopper. When I need something, try to get in and out pretty quick and avoid traffic!

Place to grab a shave:

I'm pretty simple in terms of haircut, but Lem Lem at Heads Up Elliston Place is awesome. 

When you're craving the sweets:

Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles and Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream are great choices.

Coffee:

JJ's Market - Sam's the Man!

Speaking of favorites, what's your favorite combo at Hattie B's?

Small White or Small Dark - HOT. Collard Greens and Crinkle Cuts with a Sweet Tea - BOOM!

Can you share any secrets with us on how you make your chicken so clucking fabulous?

Our chicken is fresh with processing right here in Nashville. We marinate our chicken 48 hours in our proprietary seasoning blend. The rest is magic - containing 3 selected pepper blends for various heat applications. At Hattie B's we offer Simply Southern, Mild, Medium, Hot, Damn Hot and Our Hottest "Shut the Cluck Up"! 

What inspired you to start Hattie B's?

After retiring from a Restaurant Company after 30 years, I opened my first restaurant, Bishop's Meat & Three in Cool Springs in 2007, a great spot offering traditional Southern favorites. My Son Nick Jr. came on board in 2010 and started into our family business. We knew little about Hot Chicken but had patronized Princes and Bolton's for years and liked the uniqueness of the product. We worked on our proprietary spice blend, menu, and process for about a year and made the decision to open Hattie B's Midtown in August 2012.

I love what I do and am having a lot of fun growing our concept and brand! Owning a family business and creating a culture that reflects family is rewarding for me. I was fortunate in working for a great restaurant company which provided me with solid operation skills early on, and I've been blessed in having good fortune with our restaurants. We just opened our second Hattie B's Location at 53rd and Charlotte and thrilled to be a part of West Nashville!

Can you share a recipe with us (please)?

Our Marinated Blackeye Pea Salad is in the June edition of Bon Appetit magazine <view it here>. An at home version of our Hot Chicken is available in Fried & True, America's Best Fried Chicken and Sides by Lee Brian Schrager and Adeena Sussman <buy it here>. 

What are your thoughts about being involved with Music City Food + Wine?

How excited we are to be a part of this year's Music City Food and Wine Festival! Being involved and part of Nashville's growing food community is a treasured experience and honor!

I couldn't have said it any better myself. Thanks, Nick, and we'll see you in September.

Want to join me and see Nick in action at Music City Food + Wine September 20-22, 2014? Sure you do. Here is all you need to know to make it happen:

Music City Food + Wine Festival ticket options include a Saturday Day Pass, Sunday Day Pass, Harvest Night Pass or All-In Pass; all attendees must be 21 years of age or older.

The Saturday Day Pass ($150 per person) includes single-day access to festival programming Saturday, September 20, at Public Square Park, including cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, book signings and Saturday’s Grand Taste tents.

The Sunday Day Pass ($150 per person) includes single-day access to festival programming Sunday, September 21, at Public Square Park, including cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, book signings and Sunday’s Grand Taste tents.

Harvest Night ($225 per person) passes are available for the first time as a stand-alone ticket option. Hosted at the Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, Saturday’s Harvest Night will offer guests the opportunity to sample signature dishes from over 15 of the nation’s most decorated chefs, paired with live music and curated by Kings of Leon.

The All-In Pass ($500 per person) enables guests to experience the full weekend of Music City Food + Wine Festival, including access to cooking demonstrations, wine, beer & spirits tastings, intimate panel discussions, Saturday & Sunday’s Grand Taste tents, Saturday’s Harvest Night (held at Walk of Fame Park), and a one-year FOOD & WINE Magazine Subscription (US Only).

For more info and to purchase tickets, visit Music City Food + Wine's website.