I’m usually weary of places I travel to where I don’t see any other Asians, and even though I literally didn’t see a single Asian there (except the Koreans who worked at the Bowl & Roll at the Farmers’ Market LOL), everyone was so nice to us. I love that everyone said, “y’all,” and called me, “baby.”
Our airbnb was in East Nashville (or “East Nasty” as the locals call it LOL), and it was Dolly Parton-themed.
The SEC College Basketball Tournament was going on this weekend, so Broadway was packed. I didn’t know they called Nashville “Nash Vegas.” It was that lively, but much cleaner. Also, they have an open container policy like Vegas does (I saw a bunch of signs at the airport that guns weren’t allowed past the TSA checkpoint, so they must be open carry here, too). Someone spreading the word of the lord on a megaphone handed me a pamphlet on the street, but I was in a hurry on my way to Justin Timberlake’s restaurant LOL. Plus, I’m beyond being saved 😅
I heard you taste like cotton candy, baby, I’m just tryna seeI heard you wanna leave with me, if so, I do agreeYou heard that I could get your body where it needs to beUh, look, you have no ideaBut if you’re really curiousI promise that the real thingIt’s better than your imagination
JT’s new album came out this weekend, so it was only fitting we hit up his restaurant (@ The Twelve Thirty Club)
The food was amazing. The rooftop bar had bubble machines. The girl singing in the live band sounded like she could be a recording artist.
The drink I ordered was called the Basic AF Mule LOL.
If I were to ever move to Nashville, I’d live in the 12South neighborhood. It reminded me so much of North Park, where every craft house had a porch, and everyone had a dog.
We spent Saturday morning here. We had coffee and biscuits with chorizo sausage gravy at Frothy Monkey, donuts at Five Daughters Bakery, cookies at Christie Cookie Co (they supply the DoubleTree Hotel with all their chocolate chip cookies), and did our own walking tour of all the murals.
We did the Chef’s Choice menu and loved everything (@ Butcher & Bee)
My favorite dish of the weekend was the Avocado Crispy Rice, but everything they brought out was sooo good. This restaurant was also across the street from our airbnb, so we were able to walk there and roll ourselves home.
IDK if it’s because Asian don’t raisin, but I got carded everywhere I ordered a drink. This drunk girl at the table next to us was talking to us at dinner because she said she and her sister were the only ones drinking in their group and she thinks her friends were tired of them LOL. She was in her 20s and refused to believe we were in our 40s, so Donna showed her a picture of her 26-year-old son, who Donna had when we were in high school. That girl thought Donna’s son was cute (his dad is half white and half filipino and looks mexican, so his buddies call him, “Chino” 😆) and coincidentally lives in the same town her son lives in. She was like, “Tell him to go to Hawkers and I’ll take care of him!” Ha. Thanks for making me feel so young, Nashville 👧🏻
Self-care Saturday.
After dinner, our 42 and 43-year old asses were tired after being out all day (we woke up at 6am!), so we went back to the airbnb and did some Korean face masks and under eye patches.
A great way to show me you know nothing about me is to invite me to watch the sunrise at the butt crack of dawn 😆 There were two other couples at this lookout point watching the sunrise, and I was like, “Never once have I gotten up this early to watch the sunrise with a boy, let alone two married women.” LOL. They’re both super type A, and I’m really disorganized and not a morning person. My old coworker and dear friend is also type A, and we got along swimmingly. She never minded that I was so messy. She once told me, “You make concessions for the people you love.” 🥹 So I will get up at the butt crack of dawn for the people I love LOL. But I will not use packing cubes or fold my panties. That’s where I draw the line 😆
Donna loves Husk in South Carolina, so she said we had to try the one in Nashville, and it didn’t disappoint (@ Husk)
She also made all of our reservations, and everywhere we went, she told them we were celebrating my birthday 🥳
I’m just here for the kettle corn. And the baby goats. And the grumpy dwarf rabbit named Tito (@ Lucky Ladd Farms Tulip Festival)
I don’t usually like Indian food, but I couldn’t go to Nashville without trying one of Maneet Chauhan’s restos (@ Chauhan Ale and Masala House)
Maneet is a staple on Food Network, and she even won season 2 of Tournament of Champions (her TOC belt was at the resto!). I ordered the Tandoori Chicken Poutine which was life changing. Pammie’s favorite dish of the whole trip was here—Lamb Korma. As a rule, I don’t eat baby animals (just adult animals who have lived a full life LOL), so I didn’t try it, but it’s their most popular dish.
We spent our last night in a Dolly Parton-themed bar on top of the Graduate hotel (@ White Limozeen)
It probably wasn’t a good idea to do champagne jell-o shots when I had a 6am flight the next morning, but when in Nashville, darlin’ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Till next time, Nashville ✌🏼
Even though I ate everything I wanted to, I didn’t get a single high glucose alert on my phone. It’s because we did so much walking. My calves burn with the fire of a thousand suns, and I’ve been rubbing massage oil into my legs since we got back. My sister and mom get notifications when my blood sugar is too high, so having sore stems was worth not getting hassled about what I’m eating.
My sister’s husband picked us up from the airport, and he was like, “You look fatter. Not your body, just your face.” I’m like, “Uhh, thanks?” #1 How dare you? #2 I’m the skinniest person in this car #3 I will punch you where I stand and #4 I would never tell someone they looked fatter, even if they did. If anything, I would lie and say they looked skinnier, even if they didn’t! Excuse me while I go starve myself and cry into my green juice and drink my tears.
Nashville’s only two hours ahead, but I’m still jetlagged as fuck for some reason 😅
