A Night Out in Quintessential Nashville: Dinner, Drinks, and the Grand Ole Opry

Whether you're a local and haven't been out to what one might call the old-school destinations in awhile, or, you're visiting for the first time -- I wanted to create an evening itinerary of some of my favorite (pre-"New Nashville") spots for an ideal night out on the town.

Salt & Vine's Mattie Jackson Discusses the Hottest Wines in 2017

Mattie Jackson, Salt & Vine | photo: Hannah Schneider

Y'all. I love love love wine, but often can be intimidated by the sheer amount of selection when heading to pick up a bottle at my two favorite stores in Nashville, Salt + Vine bottle shop or Woodland Wine Merchant. 

Thanks to sommelier and Salt + Vine owner Mattie Jackson, I have a list of the hottest wines in 2017 -- not only can you show up to your dinner parties in style, but also impress your friends with your abundance of wine-expertise. Cheers!

Hot Wine + Trends to Look for in 2017 

Non-Champagne Sparklers – With sparkling wine at a near 40% increase in sales in 2016 and Millennial consumers surpassing Boomers as the primary demo for wine consumption, value bubbles will be the name of the game in 2017. Frothy French crémants and boutiquey Proseccos will continue surging as the younger crowd brings bubbles out of the celebration only category and onto their daily tables. 

Recommendations: Simonnet-Febvre Brut Rosé & Sommariva Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Superiore Brut.

“Alt Whites” – The ever disparaged “Altnernative Whites” category that I hate on lists but love in my glass. This ubiquitous catch-all for white grapes other than the big 4 – Chard, Pinot Grigio, Sauv Blanc, Riesling – proves vastly over-looked and undervalued. Not only does it tend of unveil value to big boys can’t, but the breadth of styles here is endless. Txakolina from Spain. A spunky, edgy white born and bred for sushi lovers. Gruner Veltliner. A vegetarian’s dream that makes the most bitter brussels taste sweet.  Roussanne. Chardonnay with flavor. 

Recommendations: Saline Txakolina, Gobelsberg Gruner Veltliner, St. Cosme Cotes du Rhone Blanc.

Unoaked Chardonnay – In the wake of the 90s gargantuan Chardonnay trend, modern consumers are now saying, “I’ll take the Chard, hold the butter.” Despite much common assumption, the creamy, buttery, rich experience is not inherent to Chardonnay itself, but simply to how and where it’s made. For bright, clean, mineral driven styles, seek out French Macon Cru or Macon Villages as well as select stainless steel versions from California. 

Recommendations: Henri Perrusset Macon Villages & Riverbench Bedrock Chardonnay (Santa Maria Valley).

Low-Alcohol Domestics – It’s hard to speak low-ABV domestics without sharing the story of Broc Cellars. This young Berkley-based producer preaches the ultimate antithesis of loud, boozy California style wines with a movement toward delicacy and balance that the younger market is thirsting for. Gentler alone and a more gracious partner to food, watch for a cleaner, “hands-off” winemaking movement to sweep in 2017. 

Recommendations: Broc Cellars Zinfandel.

Loire Valley – Red, white, sparkling. Lusciously sweet to bone dry. France’s Loire Valley offers a variety of styles equally as wide as the 170 miles of vineyards that snake along the banks of its own Loire River.  Whites of Muscadet show a light, spritely Summer wine. Sancerre and Pouilly Fume, the edgy, mineral face of Sauvignon Blanc. And Vouvray a dynamically plump but refreshing white, not to be missed during fall root veggie season. Cabernet Franc and occasionally Pinot Noir lead the bright, tart, food friendly reds of the region. Value and versatility is the name of the game in Loire. 

Recommendations: Michel Brégeon Muscadet Sevre-et-Maine, Reverdy Sancerre, Charles Joguet Chinon.

Beaujolais Cru – Beaujolais, the historical bastard of Burgundy, will continue to gain market speed in 2017 as one of the wine world’s best kept secrets. Pinot Noir lovers of both French and New World affinity seem to find common ground in this fruit driven, playful red with its subtle mineral backbone. The 10 Cru, or premiere village sites, for Beaujolais’ Gamay grape, range between $18-30 with equal if not greater depth than Pinots at comparable price points. 

Recommendations: Domaine Chanrion Cotes de Brouilly.

Vermouth – While some may project the nation-wide cocktail resurgence as a bridle for the wine industry, ancient fortified wines and wine based cordials should expect a consequential resurrection. And vermouth may be this category’s dark horse.  Whether classically bittered with Piedmontese wormwood, or sweet and barrel aged to counter smoky mezcal or scotch-based cocktails, vermouth will be this year’s chameleon cordial. 

Recommendations: Bèrto Ross da Travaj (red) & Baglio Baiata Alagna Bianco (white).

Thanks, Mattie, for all the info!

Interior of Salt & Vine | Photo: Josh Gilmore

Local Adventure 1 - A Night in Downtown Nashville

Well hey y'all!

I wanted to start posting thoughts I have here and there so fellow locals (and non-locals) can have a few ideas of what to do for night out on the town with friends. I, for one, oftentimes struggle coming up with eventful ideas so as they happen in my world -- I'll jot them down for you.

Let's start with what we did last Saturday eve.

Escape Experience Nashville

I've heard rumblings over the past year or two of Escape Games happening in Nashville -- yet never had the lovely opportunity to try it out for myself. Thankfully, that changed last week and my goodness y'all -- this is awesome. Choose between breaking out of prison in C-Block or solving clues to earn your part of your crazy Uncle's Will in The Inheritance.

Strategy, word problems, secret passageways (!), and investigation work combined for one of the most fun hours I've spent in quite some time. There is so much thought and effort that goes into these games and the spaces they occupy, you must check it out ASAP. Future rooms to include surviving a disease which wipes out 90% of the world's population in Vaccine, preventing a World War in The Bunker, and more.

501 Union Street, Nashville, TN 37219

DeSanos Pizza

All of the brainpower you use to escape can conjure up quite the appetite. Just down the street is one of my fave pizza joints in town: DeSanos. They offer authentic, drool-worthy Italian-style pizza (so Italian, their ovens and ingredients come from the motherland themselves). A recent addition gives you plenty more room to sit and enjoy your pizza, and BONUS -- you can BYOW (bring your own wine).

115 16th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

Bar Sovereign

After-dinner cocktail time (obvs.) There's a new bar in town and you MUST give them a try. Again an overdue experience for me to take in, Bar Sovereign is pure bad-assery -- so don't make the same mistake. Fabulous cocktails, service, and killer atmosphere. I love the subtle entrance (very speak-easy) and the overall vibe is killer. Very much looking forward to making this a regular watering hole.

514 5th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

Oh Hey Josephine.

Josephine is definitely not a newby to our ever-so-bustling restaurant scene in town, and has long held a top spot on my favorite brunches list (because, sticky buns). However, dinner service has always left me wanting a bit... more.

Until now.

Thanks to a lovely friend for gifting a Community Hospitality gift card over the holidays, we decided to venture back to Josephine on a random weekday night, and y'all. I couldn't have been more delighted. First, we did not have a reservation—which we didn't think would be an issue as we typically love to sit at the bar, but it wasn't an option this evening as the place was packed. We checked in with the hostesses, and were promised a table in 20 minutes. One fabulous cocktail later we were seated. Perfection.

So now to the fun part: What we ordered. There were two of us, and we opted to share a few small plates and an entree, plus dessert.

To Drink:

The No Quarter, a stirred cocktail which offered ideal flavors for the season:
Apple brandy, rye, Italian vermouth, Angostura, Peychaud's, scotch rinse.

Small Plates:

The Pretzel Bread. A solid staple since opening served with their house made mustard. (And also, pictured above.) Phenom.

Rabbit  Dumplings. Quite possibly my favorite, the standout dish for the night. Incredibly rich and so flavorful.
Dumpling, rabbit, apple cider, apples, ham, sage.

Brussel Sprouts. Because, well, you have to. Josephine's are some of the best in town.
Brussels sprouts, dried cherries, orange, peanut vinaigrette, rye crumb.

Entree:

Pappardelle with Lamb. Amaze. The rich, hearty pasta that was exactly what I needed on a cold winter evening. Pappardelle, Border Springs lamb, parmesan.

Dessert:

A rule of thumb when dining out with me: Always save room for dessert. At this point, we'd established quite a rapport with our server—as she had nailed all of her recommendations in the meal thus far. So, we decided to venture a bit outside of our comfort zone with the Angel Food Cake, but OH. It was absolute heaven. Rich, sweet, sour, so many flavors. Love, love, LOVED it.

Angel Food cake, concord grape, vanilla, white chocolate.

A perfect night accompanied by wonderful service, atmosphere, bevvys, and food. What more can one ask for?

Josephine

2316 12th Ave. S

Nashville, TN 37204

615-292-7766

Reservations recommended

http://josephineon12th.com

Cheap Date Night in Nashville

Everyone loves a special night with their significant other, bestie, or soul mate (or all of the above) - but, this special night out doesn't necessarily need to break the bank.  Below, I present to you my best effort for a budget-friendly and fabulous night out in Nashville. Why, you ask, do most of these establishments make the cut? A combination of specials, BYOB options, creative factor, and overall cheapness round out my overall criteria.

Onward.

Mas Tacos Por Favor
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, this gem of a restaurant is open until 8pm - allowing you plenty of time to grab dinner with your loved one(s). BYOB (free) makes drinks happen on-the-cheap. Must try: Chicken Tortilla Soup, fresh Guac, and Fried Sweet Cream Plantains. Note, Mas Tacos is cash only.

732 Mcferrin Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206