Travel

Nashville’s cookin’

Nashville is in the groove. And music is just part of it. And country music is just part of that. Bob Dylan, Bon Jovi and the Black Keys are just some of the musicians to record in the city, first settled in 1779 as Nashborough. President Andrew Jackson’s wife was there then. You can tour the extraordinarily preserved estate (replica slave quarters included) where the couple lived (1804-1845) and are buried: The Hermitage (thehermitage.com). Also, go to Cheekwood (cheekwood.org); the stunning 55-acre botanical garden and American art museum is host to Bruce Munro’s “Light,” installed inside and out. A night viewing of “Field of Light” (Wednesdays to Fridays until Nov. 10) will blow your mind.

A visitor’s guide (visitmusiccity.com) and a rental car (easier and ultimately cheaper than cabs) can get you to other museums (Johnny Cash!), halls of fame (Songwriters!), historical sites and live music. And Nashville is also a great place to eat. We spoke to, and ate with, some of the city’s best chefs, local musicians and the mayor to create this guide:

BrieLT at Germantown Café (1200 Fifth Ave. N., 615-242-3226, germantowncafe.com)

Mayor Karl Dean says the Nashville food scene has really taken off in the last few years, evidenced by this September’s inaugural Music City Eats (musiccityeats.com), a festival organized by Kings of Leon. Valentino’s (valentinosnashville.com) and Jimmy Kelly’s Steakhouse (jimmykellys.com) are two of his favorites, but you’ll most often find him (and other politicos) lunching on a crunchy-gooey BrieLT, $7.95 (brie, bacon, lettuce, fried green tomatoes, remoulade) at Germantown Café. It’s situated between the capitol and the metro center, where most government types work. Check out the downtown view.

Beef Brisket at Martin’s (7238 Nolensville Road, 615-776-1856, martinsbbqjoint.com)

Chef Hal Holden-Bache’s Lockeland Table (lockelandtable.com) opened last August. A finalist for the James Beard Best New Restaurant award, this outstanding new American spot serves Tennessee and Kentucky cheeses and features a wood oven firing oysters, vegetables and pizza. Perfectly executed plates include crab and corn fritters with smoked vinegar slaw and remoulade, $9.50, and seared scallops with white bean/ fennel/leek salad, asparagus, Benton’s bacon and citrus syrup, $26. Everything there impresses.

When the chef has a day off he likes to drive down to Martin’s, especially if there’s a whole hog smoking in the pit. Just about every chef and restaurateur in these parts (and at the recent Big Apple BBQ Block Party) can speak to the smoky-sweet pulled pork sandwich, from $4, and addictive hickory-smoked wings, from $5. Highlights for Holden-Bache are the sultry baked beans, $2, the succulent brisket, from $5, and pitmaster Patrick Martin himself. “I need me some Patrick with my BBQ.” He definitely completes the experience.

Belly Ham Pizza at City House (1222 Fourth Ave. N., 615-736-5838, cityhousenashville.com)

BBQ master Patrick Martin rattles off his favorites like he’s listing his groomsmen: Hal Holden-Bache, Tyler Brown, Jason McConnell, Tandy Wilson. “I’ll eat anything any of these guys make.” He and his equally egalitarian wife hit every restaurant in town before circling back; they’re regulars everywhere. After much debate, Martin’s top dishes came down to oysters, $13.95/dozen, at 55 South in Franklin (eat55.com), about 20 miles south of Nashville, and City House’s pizza with housemade belly ham, mozzarella and grana padano, $15. “There’s an egg on top,” he says. Like.

Jeyukgui Bakban at Korea House (6410 Charlotte Pike, 615-352-2790)

Her latest restaurant Etch (etchrestaurant.com) opened last August, but chef Deb Paquette has been part of the Nashville culinary scene for 30 years. Her favorite dish in town is Jeyukgui Bakban, $12.99, “grilled, thinly sliced pork in spicy sauce” at Korea House (also on the list of most every chef we spoke to). “I love bold and somewhat crazy flavors that all make sense,” Paquette says. “The tight-wire act!”

Gobi Manchurian at Woodlands (3415 W. End Ave., 615-463-3005, woodlandstennessee.com)

“We’re not just good ol’ boys helping each other out,” says chef Tandy Wilson, laughing at our suggestion. “We go eat that food.” Wilson shouts out the burger, $13, at Etch: “Deb can cook!” But when he’s craving something without meat, his heart belongs to the Indian vegetarian cuisine of Woodlands, an affection he shares with many other locals, including singer-songwriter Gabe Dixon. Though he thinks all the food is special, Wilson says the Gobi Manchurian (cauliflower fritters), $10, are spectacular. Namaste, y’all.

Meatloaf at Arnold’s Country Kitchen (605 Eighth Ave. S., 615-256-4455)

In the eight months chef Sean Brock spent preparing to open a branch of Husk here (husknashville.com, opened in May) he got to know the dining scene well, again (he left Nashville seven years ago for Charleston). Brock estimates he’s been to Arnold’s 15 times, ordering the meatloaf, $7 with three sides, at least 10. Like other meat-and-three joints, you order your meat, then add sides, cafeteria-style, for a complete plate.

Coffee Soda at Crema {Slow Bar} (15 Hermitage Ave., 615-255-8311, crema-coffee.com)

The Seamus at Gabby’s Burgers and Fries (493 Humphreys St., 615-733-3119, gabbysburgersandfries.com)

The Catbird Seat (thecatbirdseatrestaurant.com) is the sort of restaurant you change your flight for if a reservation opens up. The stellar eight- to 10-course tasting, $100, is matched by the ultimate theater in the round — watching chefs Josh Habiger and Erik Anderson and their sous finish, plate, serve and explain each dish: like salmon tartare with curry puffs, rhubarb and basil-seed jams, radishes and micro greens (exclusively a chef’s table, the menu changes with availability and chef’s whim). There’s one other staffer, not including the sommelier, feeding only about 40 people a night. Intimate. Seduction ensues. You’ll let them lead you anywhere. That means seasonally-available-only Coffee Soda at Crema (now! run!), from $4, and the Seamus burger, $7.50, at Gabby’s.

The Nashvillian at Nashville Biscuit House (805 Gallatin Ave., 615-228-4504, nashvillebiscuithouse.com)

Jason Eskridge is one of many musicians who call still-partly-gritty East Nashville home. If he’s not onstage somewhere, you might find him dancing at the 5 Spot (the5spotlive.com), or waking up to the Nashvillian, $5.95: two eggs, bacon (or sausage), home fries (or grits) and a biscuit (or toast). Breakfast served until 2 p.m. We did say he’s a musician.

* New in town

Both the Johnny Cash Museum (johnnycashmuseum.com) and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame (nashvillesongwritersfoundation.com) just opened. Love for Cash runs deep here — a Cash stamp was unveiled at the Nashville post office on June 5.