Nashville...Don't Be a Poser

Nashville is so hot right now! Not only the weather, but it has become THE go-to spot for Bachelor and Bachelorette parties. But there is so much more to this town. Before you head to the bustle of Broadway, make sure to check out some off "Honky Tonk Row" bars like Santa's Pub, Winners/Losers, Red Door Saloon and more! Plus there's Hattie B's Hot Chicken, The Loveless Café and of course- The Grand Ole Opry!

Nashville

John: Ready to go. We've got a tumbler full of wine today. I swear every week your glass gets bigger and bigger.

Jen: Oh my gosh. You're so judgey.

John: My name is John and my wife; Jen is next to me. Chugging wine. And we do a travel podcast.

Jen: Yes.

John: And welcome to it. If this is your first episode, what are you drinking today?

Jen: I'm drinking a Milbrandt cab, it’s from Washington.

John: You told me the back of the bottle inspired you.

Jen: I know, I like that it says here's to bold journeys.

John: Oh, that's perfect for our travel podcasts.

Jen: Right, yes. I don't think I've had this one. So...

John: Here's the bold journeys.

Jen: Here's to bold journeys.

John: I noticed that I didn't get a glass, but that's fine

Jen: Well, you'll start slurring if you have a little bit.

John: That’s true.

Jen: So, after the podcast you can have some.

John: We can celebrate. This is also our first episode. It just dawned on me where you wrote notes and I wrote notes, but we didn't blend the notes together at all.

Jen: Nope.

John: So, we'll see how that goes. There's not much, planning that goes into this thing.

Jen: Nope.

John: I would say. All right, what are we talking about? Where are we going today?

Jen: Nashville.

John: Nashville has become... it's so hot right now.

Jen: It's so hot right now.

John: It's like ridiculous.

Jen: It's hot

Jen: Because people are flocking there. But also, because it's summer it's and its very hot right now.

John: It's ridiculous.

Jen: It's super sticky.

John: I would not recommend July in Nashville.

Jen: Or August.

Both: No!

Jen: Definitely not.

John: Or like January through March.

Jen: It gets cold.

John: Yeah, people don't realize that it's snows sometimes like in Tennessee, in Nashville. And they have like tornado warnings.

Jen: They got a lot of things happening there.

John: I don’t know why I'm crapping so hard on Nashville, two minutes into the podcast because we like it there

Jen: We've been there quite a few times. You've been there quite a few more times than I have. And we've been there for all sorts of reasons.

John: Oh yeah. I went for like a bachelor party once you and I went to a wedding out in Nashville.

Jen: Work.

John: Yeah, for work. I went a bunch of times for work so...

Jen: Here's my problem with Nashville.

John: Okay. Alrighty. I already crapped on the weather. Go ahead.

Jen: I know. So, there's so many like posers that are into Nashville, that’s why I don't like it.

John: So, you used to like it.

Jen: I used to like it, I think because I've always been a country music fan, you've worked in the country music industry for a long time and Nashville was like the place. And now everyone, even if you don't like country music it's like Nashville is like this whole vibe. And I'm like, it's been a vibe for awhile

John: Posers.

Jen: Yes.

John: It's become Vegas.

Jen: Nashvegas.

John: I think it's the Vegas of the... would you say Midwest? East coast?

Jen: I mean, I consider Nashville more Midwest than east coast,

John: But that's kind of the vibe that it has now. I mean the moment you land, I mean even the advertising. That's what, it's all. So, let's get into it though because there's so much to Nashville and so many cool things about Nashville. I guess one of the biggest ones is the food.

Jen: I love the food in Nashville. It's fantastic.

John: We found the best place, The Loveless cafe.

Jen: So, good,

John: Best biscuits in Nashville,

Jen: You know, I was looking it backup to see exactly where it was and it says it's in Nashville, but it's not like, it's like kind of off the beaten path a little bit. Like you have to drive through Tennessee.

John: Yeah. It gives you a whole different look of what they are looks like.

Jen: Yeah, and it's just like, boom, here's this like random hotel like restaurant.

John: They had this whole property and there's a gift store on there and there's a smokehouse and there's a cafe. And I had to look it up because I'm like, did Patty Loveless the country singer? Is she attached it's not?

Jen: Oh, okay.

John: It just happens to be the same last name.

Jen: Oh my gosh. But they have amazing biscuits.

John: Biscuits are what they're known for. You can just go out there and have those. And like when we went and we posted it on Instagram years ago, we had friends who we didn't realize had gone to Nashville and they all were talking about this cafe.

Jen: It's a thing. It's a thing I would recommend it.

John: You can get like a bunch of little Chatzky stuff while you're there as well. The other big one that I think everyone probably knows of, or you've heard of is Hattie. B's hot chicken. They claim to be the original, hot chicken place. But I do know there's another place that also claims it's like everything, right? Like the Philly cheese and whatever.

Jen: In and out five guys.

John: Yeah, Hattie B's is good and you can pick how spicy you want your chicken, but over the years they've gone from like this little hole in the wall to now they have like.

Jen: A fancy place.

John: Yea, it’s a little trendier.

Jen: Okay, fun fact. Never had hot chicken.

John: Ever?

Jen: Ever.

John: Oh.

Jen: Which is surprising because I love all fried food.

John: And spice.

Jen: And I love spice. We did not make it over there when we went and there's been some places here in town and we just have, you never want fried food or anything spicy.

John: Which is funny because I've been, and I've had the [laughing05:07]

Jen: I hate you so much, hate you so much.

John: The only other place though, I would talk about, I guess in Nashville. I mean, there's a lot of places we're going to talk about, but there's a coffee shop called Frothy Monkey. You remember Frothy Monkey; it was where Taylor Swift and Jake Gyllenhaal were spotted having coffee back when they dated. I don't think that's her favorite spot though because I started going down this rabbit hole of Taylor Swift's coffee places in Nashville. And her favorite place is a place called Fido.

Jen: Oh, is it in the same like...

John: Like same area.

Jen: And that area is where they have the like historic believe in Nashville mural

John: It’s like right across the street. Wasn't it?

Jen: Yeah. That was like a cool part of town.

John: That's kind of where the industry people live.

Jen: Kind of hipster.

John: Yeah, it's like this whole area that it's regentrification, I guess. And they're redoing it, but like the coffee shops are there and yeah, like you said, that mural that there was a line...

Jen: To take a picture by the mural. I know. And you asked me like, do, did we get a picture by the mural? No. You and I didn't take a picture by the mural, but I took a picture of the mural.

John: I think it’s because we didn't want to wait in the line.

Jen: Probably

John: And we just snapped it really quick between like people going and doing one of their poses in front of it.

Jen: But there was like cool boutiques and all sorts of like really cool things down there.

John: Other area that's kind of next to where like the Frothy Monkey is where people are living is music row.

Jen: You gotta like drive by music row.

John: Yeah. But it's really, like you said, how Nashville has been changing music, Roseman changing. So, music row is home to the record labels and like the recording studios. It looks like just a street,

Jen: Just like a bunch of bungalows,

John: But they've slowly been remodeling and tearing down these bungalows and putting up like actual business looking buildings.

Jen: Oh, that's kind of a bummer.

John: Because back in the day you'd drive down. Yeah. Like you said, a street with bungalows or houses that are kind of just turds. Like they don't look great, but inside there is Tim, McGraw's recording his next number one hit or something. It's like insane to think about. And what is fun though. It’s like all the labels on that street they brag about when they have a number one song and they have these big signs made.

Jen: That's cool.

John: Billboards. Yeah. So, if you drive down, you see right away like, oh, that's where, you know, Florida Georgia line recorded something. Yeah. So, it is worth driving by. I would think.

Jen: I think so.

John: Bars, that's a big part of Nashville.

Jen: Oh my gosh. So, many bars,

John: So, many bars.

Jen: A lot.

John: And not even, I'm not even talking Broadway, we'll talk Broadway and honky tonk row and everything. But, to me, if you're going to Nashville and you're looking for a bar, you got to go to Santa’s pub.

Jen: Oh, that place is really cool. It's a double wide trailer with Christmas lights and it's also kind of off the beaten path it's

John: Its far. And let me tell you, if you've been having a few and you're in an Uber, it feels like it's four hours away.

Jen: And like every time I've been there, there's karaoke.

John: I think it's every night,

Jen: Every night they have karaoke and they have food, don't they have like, you could get like hot dog or something, corn dog, or I don't know, something kind of trashy.

John: And don’t go in there looking for like the wine that Jen's drinking right now

Jen: No, you're going there for like a Pabst Blue Ribbon

John: And they're shot glasses are in like plastic cups. Probably because there's too many bar fights.

Jen: Yeah. It's dirty in there, but it's cool.

John: And the owner is a guy they call Santa and he's a big fat dude with a beard. But the cool thing about Santa’s is it's one of those places it used to be I don't know if it still is, but you could run into like Kacey Musgraves used to hang out there. Miranda Lambert would hang out there. So, yeah, it's kind of that style.

Jen: I did not see them when we were there.

John: We didn't see it. I don't know if you could see very well by the time, I got to Santa’s We went for it. We went big. Pretty sure we were roofied.

Jen: Oh my gosh.

Jen: I know. That's what actually was in my notes.

John: Oh, was it?

Jen: Why are you stealing my notes?

John: Oh, I'm sorry.

Jen: Yes. Lots of drinking to be had in Nashville, but don't get roofied.

John: We think something happened either that, or we just had too much to drink, but we like to think...

Jen: Oh my gosh.

Jen: Yes. There's moments at the end of the night, we don't know

Jen: It was so bad and we were staying at a friend's house and we were taking turns ...

John: Just bah...

Jen: It was just, and I have never, ever felt so horrible the next day. And you know, I think what's surprising is that you equally felt as bad.

John: Yeah. It wasn't like one of us went big. Maybe we were both just having too much Nashville.

Jen: Maybe, maybe you were hanging out at Winner and losers

John: That was another one of the bars. I was going to talk about winners and losers. It's just another off Broadway bar that more like the locals go to you'll always have a band there. There's winners and losers. Now there's one in Vegas. It's kind of become like a Hattie B's. But I mean, that was like a cool bar. The other one that I was going to recommend was Red Door Saloon. Red Door Saloon is right down the street from Winners and Losers, it’s again, just in like the community of Nashville. But I do know like that's another one that like industry folk, it just depends on what are you going there to party or going there cause you want to meet people

Jen: I do you feel like it's more like locals hang out at these places?

John: I think so.

Jen: Yeah. If you don't want such a touristy bar.

John: Yeah, exactly.

Jen: On Broadway.

John: I think these are also people who just want to be seen or like former celebrities who might just be now hanging out at a bar somewhere. That's like what you're going to get there. We did have brunch; you and I it was right next to music row at a place called the Tavern. And they had huge mimosas and bloody Mary’s.

Jen: Love me a good bloody Mary.

John: So, I wanted to make sure that we mentioned Tavern. Realized that pretty much the entire first 10 minutes is just us listing off places to drink.

Jen: Well.

John: That's Nashville.

Jen: That's Nashville.

John: Look, if you're going to go to the Jack Daniels plant, this is not the right podcast because we didn't go. I heard it was boring.

Jen: Yeah. I know we had some friends that went well, we went for that wedding

John: And they said it wasn't worth it.

Jen: It wasn't worth it.

John: So, we've never gone out there. I did go shooting once we went ...like if you want to go and shoot a shotgun and stuff, like there's things like that to do in Nashville.

Jen: And we also did like a little tour of Vanderbilt, which was cool. So, yeah.

John: Yeah. There's a bunch of other stuff to do, but I mean, I think the reason most people go there and what makes me think that it's become Vegas is how Vegas has the strip. Nashville has honky-tonk row, which is Broadway. That's the street where everything is. I mean on the street now there's bar bikes, you know where you like sit on a bike and I've never wanted to do that because I don't want to work out. That's why I don't want to play spike ball while drinking. I don't want my heart rate to be elevated. I want to sit down.

Jen: They're fun

John: Have you been on one of them?

Jen: Yes.

John: Oh.

Jen: Yeah.

John: Nashville.

Jen: No Portland.

John: Okay.

Jen: Yep.

John: Did you sweat?

Jen: No.

John: Oh, I feel like that'd be very, sweaty.

Jen: There’s other people like doing it. You can kind of like, just get away with not pedaling.

John: There's also like tractor bars now.

Jen: What?

John: So, like these big tractors just driving down Broadway and they just had like this bar that they tow around. That's what you'll see like the bachelorette parties in. And they just always like,

Jen: Yeah. That's like the place to go for a bachelorette party or bachelor party.

John: Is it number one now?

Jen: Yes.

John: It sure seems like it when you go there. the big places you gotta check out Tutsis, Orchid lounge. That's like one of the original...

Jen: So, packed in there.

John: It's yeah...

Jen: You’ve got to go to say that you went.

John: We never stay long.

Jen: No, it's so crowded.

John: But I do recommend if you're going there, like look at the acts that are playing on the stage because those are the ones that end up usually a few years down the line being someone.

Jen: Even if they're not someone.

John: Going to be great.

Jen: They're going to be amazing. I will say we ate lunch at a place in off music row or on music road. And like there was like a country singer, like doing it that like was someone relatively famous.

John: I swear it was like Lee Brice or someone.

Jen: Yeah. I was going to go more like Kellie Pickler.

John: Oh, okay. So, you're thinking female. I'm thinking dude.

Jen: Yeah.

John: Cool.

Jen: Yeah. Very different.

John: That’s why we were roofied.

Jen: Yep. Yep. But it's kind of cool. Like if you like country music, you definitely should go to Nashville.

John: And go to Tootsies and also...

Jen: If you like country music.

John: Wait. I don't know. It's such a party now. I don't even think you need to like country music.

Jen: Well, if you don't like country music, then we can't be friends.

John: That's right. The Stage is the other bar where you'll see like a bunch of...well it's right across the street from Tutsis. Also, like Jen said, if you're into country, the Ryman auditorium is there.

Jen: So, cool.

John: The Ryman auditorium was the original grand Ole Opry and it's actually there on Broadway and it's like a church.

Jen: I love it.

John: Did you like it more than the grand Ole Opry?

Jen: I kind of did.

John: Me too. Yeah.

Jen: I just like the nostalgia of it. Like it, you sit in like...

Both: A pew.

Jen: Yeah.

John: Yeah, and I mean it's a church. But they have a stage and they will, you will see like actual, famous acts performing at the Ryman. Some people prefer it them playing at the grand Ole Opry, the grand Ole Opry moved. And it's now, I don't know. 40 minutes out of town. It's over an opera land and I mean, it's, it's big,

Jen: Huge.

John: But it's worth doing the tour. If you go like backstage, you get to see if you get inducted in the grand Ole Opry, they actually have like, it's like a locker room with your name.

Jen`: So, cool.

John: Yeah. And there's just so much installed. In fact, you and I just saw last night love always Patsy Cline. And it starts with her singing on the grand Ole Opry stage. And we gotta be like, we Saw that.

Jen: I know, that was cool.

John: And the grand Ole Opry, it has this circle in the middle of the stage and that's actually from the Ryman.

Jen: Okay, so they took that out.

John: Yeah. So, it's like this infamous circle that you get to stand in and if you do the tour, you can actually stand on the circle. You and I did not do the tour.

Jen: I was going to say, but we have...

Both: Been backstage,

John: But we didn't get it to stand in the circle, I guess was my point there actually, we went right after the flood and I think there were still like fixing some of the stuff on the stage. They're also, they're on Broadway, Sirius XM, the highway.

Jen: That one's cool.

John: Yeah. It's right in front of the Bridgestone arena where the Nashville predators play and it's like this cone and the let you up there. I think, I don't know. We went up there. I don't know. Maybe it's not, well, no. I mean at one point the Afternoon show for Sirius XM but they changed it. They now broadcast

Jen: From restaurants and bars and stuff.

John: Margaritaville

John: Okay. Yeah, your right about that. So, it's a little bit different. But yeah, I guess that's really final thoughts on Nashville.

Jen: I mean I would go back; I enjoy it.

John: You'd go back and yell at everyone for being posers.

Jen: Yes.

John: So, that's pretty much your plan is just telling everyone that they don't know country the way, you know country,

Jen: Yes.

John: Because you liked it before them.

Jen: Yes.

John: Okay. Just want to make sure I understand what you're saying. If you don't follow us on Instagram, now’s a great day to do so it's called Our Savings Starts Tomorrow. And if you haven't given us a review, if you're listening on apple...

Jen: What's wrong with you.

John: We hate you. We hate you more than posers in Nashville. That's how much we hate you. This one says, this is a great podcast, five stars I've been listening for me for years, I do a radio show. But love having Jen added as well. Not sure how she became such a natural at podcasting, but she totally is. For people who love to trave this podcast is great. I so far, I've not been to any of the places that they've been, but it's nice to hear about these places. Oh, how about that?

Jen: Oh, that's nice.

John: People like you

Jen: Shocker. I mean I'm sure

John: Not, not people when we meet them on the streets,

Jen: Why are you shocked? You shouldn't be shocked.

John: Oh, I should be like, yeah. Finally. Don't you see the diamond in the rough that I see all the time. Don't forget again, follow us on Instagram, oursavingstartstomorrow