Fun Times in Nashville

As Samantha mentioned in her post last Friday, we were in Nashville over the weekend for our friend Carolyn's bachelorette party. This was only my second time visiting Nashville, and it was just as amazing the second time around. Here are a few highlights of my trip.

I'm not the biggest country music fan, so I was dubious about the live music scene in Nashville. But the Brazil Billy Band at Robert's Western World made me a believer. Definitely check them out!  

If you will be in Nashville during the week, rather than just over the weekend, be sure to visit Arnold's Country Kitchen, the James Beard Award-winning cafeteria. Arnold's is only open Monday-Friday from 10:30-2:45, but it's worth extending your trip to visit.

Arnold's specializes in the "Meat and 3," with proteins and sides rotating on a daily basis.

A full tray of food at Arnold's will set you back less than $10, making it one of the best deals in Nashville. Definitely try the roast beef, corn pudding (if they have it), fried green tomatoes, pecan pie, and lemonade. I found the chicken and dumplings a bit underwhelming.

The Nashville farmer's market is home to another option for budget dining: the Market House Restaurants.

The wood fired pizza from Bella Nashville in particular is worth the trip. My pizza (the special) was so good I forgot to take a picture of it.

I was able to restrain myself long enough to get a shot of this lovely lemon and lavender cupcake from The Sweet Stash, however.

The farmer's market also has lots of vegetables, including these lovely pumpkins...

...and all of the decorative gourds you could possibly need.

Including these. Anyone know what these are?

Another great place to visit in Nashville is Pinewood Social, a gathering place offering food and drink as well as activities.

Pinewood has a variety of amenities that make it attractive for groups, including a bowling alley, a swimming pool, and a private karaoke room. You can reserve a bowling lane or the karaoke room for $40/hour. We tried the karaoke room and it was pretty fantastic. The song selection was extensive and the room was big enough for our entire party (roughly 20 people).

Here I am posing in front of the wall of cans that runs along one side of the bowling alley at Pinewood Social. The space is adorable all around; you will not mind spending some time here.

And the drinks are not too shabby either.

If you are looking for a place to dine with a large group in downtown Nashville, I definitely recommend Kitchen Notes at the Omni Hotel. They have a great semi-private space for larger parties that was perfect for our group. The food was delicious all around, but I especially loved the devilled eggs, hot fried chicken, and coconut cake.

I hope this post has given you some inspiration for your next trip to Nashville. What are your favorite things to do there?