ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries M arch 1 9 9 7 / 179 Dining out: N a sh v ille ’s g reat restau ran t scene By S h irley H allblade F o o d a n d m u sic c o m e togeth er f o r m e m o r a b le m eals V isitors to Nashville for the ACRL NationalConference in April have a variety o f op­ tions for eating out in the downtown area ( “The District’) or for exploring restaurants in other parts o f the city accessible by taxi or car. And it’s not all country ham and biscuits, grits and gravy, BBQ and cornbread, or fried catfish— although Nashville offers some o f the best for those who want to sample these regional spe­ cialties. Nashville is known especially for its many small cafes featuring “down-hom e” co o k ­ ing, also known as “meat-and-three” restaurants (choice o f entree and three vegetables). With the rapid growth o f Nashville in recent years, new restaurants o f all types have been opening around the city. This article mentions only a few o f the many choices for dining while in Nashville. More complete guides to restau­ rants and clubs and a compiled list o f recom ­ mended favorites o f local academic librarians will be available at the hospitality desk in the ACRL conference registration area. In the District All o f the conference hotels have restaurants and the Convention Center offers a small snack bar. Within walking distance o f the conference hotels are several restaurants located along Sec­ ond Avenue (also known as Market Street), along Broadway, and in Printer’s Alley. Second Avenue b etw een Broadw ay and Church Street offers choices ranging from the Old Sp agh etti F a c to ry to L au rel’s Raw B a r to M ulligan’s Pub for Irish fare. A popular res­ taurant for those who enjoy wine and fine din­ ing is M ere Bulles, which also has live music. Several other sandwich shops and restaurants are located in the converted warehouses along this street. Heading south on Second Avenue is the C rab H ouse, a new restaurant featuring fresh seafood. Along Broadway you can ’t miss the H ard R ock C afe (near the river) and P la n e t H olly­ w o o d (up a few blocks). Also along this street, which includes several clubs offering live mu­ sic, are B. B. King’s new club, the Big R iver Grill & Brew ing W orks (a brew pub), the M er­ ch a n ts, a fine restaurant located in an historic building, and H e n ry ’s C offeehou se, a new venue for acoustic music with good coffee and light snacks and sandwiches. Further up the street in the Union Station Hotel is A rth u r’s, a Mobil four-star restaurant with a fixed price multicourse dinner menu. P r in te r ’s Alley, once th e nightclub scene in N a sh v ille, o ffe r s c h o ic e s su ch as the C a p ta in ’s Table, a supper club located in the Alley since 1946, and the B o u rb o n Street Blues a n d B oogie B a r with Cajun fare. Nearby on Church Street is M o rto n ’s o f C h icago for the steak and seafood lover. A f e w m in u tes b y c a b Steaks are also featured at B u d d y K ille n ’s S tock -Y ard , a Nashville landmark. The G erst H ouse, located on the site o f a former brew­ ery, offers traditional German fare and a live German band on Saturday and Sunday evenings. In the historic Germantown district, not far from the Farmer’s Market and the Bicentennial Mall, diners can choose from M onell’s which features southern food served family style and the Mad P latter, a small restaurant with a daily Shirley Hallblade is cochair o f the Local Arrangements Committee. She is on leave fro m Vanderbilt Univ ersity where she was most recently associate director o f libraries; e-mail: hallblade@library.vanderbilt.edu mailto:hallblade@libraiy.vanderbilt.edu 18 0 / C&RL News Y o u r p a r t n e r in c r e a t i n g in n o v a t iv e s o lu t io n s f o r l i b r a r i e s . “Add our knowledge o f available, recommended titles to your collection to ensure the best selections fo r your community.” Lauren K . Lee, M .L n . Manager, Collection D evelopm ent Services, Brodart Co. Specifically d esigned for retrospective co llectio n developm ent, C ollection Builder provides custom selection lists for a w ide range o f needs. W h e th e r you n eed to build your collection in specific areas, coordinate replacem ent ordering, or plan an o p en in g day collection, C ollection Builder will save staff tim e and streamline the selection process. O u r com prehensive selection lists present th e titles in shelflist order. 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Fax 800-999-6799 • custom ized lists o f re com m en d ed titlesBrodart Ltd., 109 R o y Blvd., Brantford, Ontario N 3 R 7K1 • easy review and ordering Fax 800-363-0483 • m a x im u m fill rate and few cancellations www.brodart.com Call Brodart to request y o u r custom C ollection Builder list. C o l l e c t i o n D e v e l o p m e n t S e r v i c e s http://www.brodart.com M arch 1 9 9 7 / 181 c h a n g in g m en u fe a tu rin g fresh and innovative dishes prepared by the owner/chef. Some restaurants and clubs popular with locals and fea­ turing innovative menus and, in some cases, live music, are 1 2 th & P o r t e r , C afe O n e Two T h re e , and J u le s D in ing H all a n d B a r Car. H e a d in g out For those who have cars or who are willing to take taxis, many more restaurants can be found within a short drive from dow ntow n. The main Nashville’s Hard Rock Cafe is on e o f m an y nightspots that will tem pt ACRL con feren ce-goers in April.streets to look for are Broad­ way, Division, W est End Av­ enue, and 21st Avenue (o r Hillsboro Road). T h e s e s tre e ts ta k e you n e a r M usic Row , Vanderbilt University, and Hillsboro Village, a three block area near Belm ont and Vanderbilt Universities with shops and several cafes and restaurants. Also near these areas is Elliston Place with funky shops and m ore options for food and drink. Favorite places in these areas with interest­ ing decor, varied menus, and moderate prices include F a is o n ’s, S u n set Grill, B o s c o ’s , Mid­ to w n Cafe, G ran ite Falls, and S outh S treet— all o f which serve both lunch and dinner. More modestly priced and good food can b e found at these other popular restaurants: E llisto n P lace Soda Shop, C alypso Cafe, R o tier’s , San A n ton io T a co C om p an y , Slice o f Life, P a n ­ ca k e P a n try , and S p o rtsm a n ’s G rille in the village. Several restaurants in this area offering finer dining include V a le n tin o ’s or M ario’s for Ital­ ian/Continental, T rilo g y (the new restaurant ow ned by Naomi and W ynona Ju d d ), and R u th ’s C h ris Steak H ouse. The C akew alk, off West End Avenue at 29th Street, serves fresh, creative dishes for both lunch and dinner, and is a favorite o f local librarians. For top-of-the- line gourmet dining, the W ild B o a r offers an extensive wine collection and contemporary Eu­ ro p ean cu isin e that have garn ered sev eral awards. A s e n se o f a d v e n tu re For those with time, wheels, and/or a sense of adventure, there are som e restaurants located further away from downtown that are worth exploring either for their cuisine or for their local color. In the B elle Meade area located in west Nashville are S p e rry ’s, a long-time neighbor­ hood restaurant featuring steaks and seafood, and the Belle M eade B ra sse rie , an upscale bistro with an innovative and varied menu. T h o se w h o travel east o f dow ntow n to Opryland will have many restaurant choices in this popular tourist area. The famed O p rylan d H otel, with its indoor conservatories, water­ falls, and scenic settings, has several cafes and restaurants under its expansive roof. The L oveless Cafe, located several miles southwest o f Nashville on Highway 100, is a local landmark known for its country cooking. The cafe features country ham with red-eye gravy, southern fried chicken, and homemade biscuits with peach and blackberry preserves. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Res­ ervations are recom m en d ed , esp ecia lly for breakfast or lunch on weekends, as this is a popular spot for both tourists and locals. Still m o re This is only a sampling o f Nashville’s many restaurants. Check out the hospitality desk in the conference registration area for m ore infor­ mation on dining options. The Local Arrange­ ments Committee is also arranging a “dinner with colleagues” for those interested in getting together with old or new friends and a local librarian host for dinner at one o f Nashville’s interesting restaurants. Sign-up lists for these dinners will be available at the hospitality desk as well. Enjoy! ■ 1 8 2 / C&RL News M arch 1 9 9 7 / 183