Nashville / Seattle / Portland - Advice + Recommendations!

Black Rabbit is a cool place. Tennessee Brew Works is my favorite brewery (2 for 1 drafts on Wednesday night, 6-8). The Lovelace Cafe is an excellent restaurant for traditional southern foods. The Flying Saucer has an enormous beer selection.

The Basement, Exit/In, Marathon, Acme Feed and Seed, The Ryman....all great venues, but there are dozens more all around the area that cater to all different types of music.

I’ve lived in Nashville and in the vicinity of it all my life, 34 years, and I can say that there is a ridiculous amount of things to do. If you’d like to know any specifics, feel free to ask.

 

Downtown Nashville (Broadway Avenue and areas nearby) is nothing but a tourist trap. Think Times Square + a bunch of crummy cover bands.

East Nashville and Green Hills neighborhoods are more enjoyable, but aside from a handful of great guitar stores, they don't offer much that's unique to Nashville.

 

Broad is cool for a quick visit, if you’re into experiencing the tourist experience. There have been some pretty cool bars built, and I’d say it’s improved from 10-15 years ago....in some areas. Of course, I rarely make it down there anymore. Dudes from all over go buy boots and a cowboy hat, dressing about as touristy as you can get, looking to get into trouble while completely liquored up. If you like people watching, though.....it’s a hell of a performance.

 

We've got all kinds of family in Nashville. I really like the Parthenon in Centennial Park:
Nashville > Parks and Recreation > Parthenon

 

We have over two dozen, last time I checked two years ago.

TN Brew Works has good beer, cool atmosphere with live music regularly. It’s my number one for the specials and their Sweet Potato Stout.

Yahoo is a classic around here, and their beer (Dos Perros and Gerst) is reliably good, but they moved recently so I can’t comment on the new location.

Blackstone is a classic as well, but they seem to have been forgotten a little.

Fat Bottom is a solid option as well. Of course, they moved as well, and I haven’t seen the new spot.

Black Abbey, Jackalope and East Nashville Beer Works are all solid options too.

The Flying Saucer has over 100 beers on tap from all over.

If I had to pick one, TN Brew Works is where I’d send you. It’s popular right now, good specials, food music, decent food...There are just so many breweries, and each makes quality beer. And, thank goodness, more are opting out of ridiculously hopped beer for more lagers, ales, and stouts. I don’t know about where you’re from, but IPA types beers are very, very prevalent here. They disgust me now. Used to love them, but you’ll see we have a large selection of beers loaded with all kinds of variations of hops. Some to the point that it will be overwhelming.

Really, no matter the brewery you choose, you’re bound to find some dud beers as well as some really, really good ones.

 

IPAs and their like are definitely over the top here, and they’ve gotten worse over the past few years. I do see more offerings of ales and lagers, even some more stouts recently that aren’t all hopped to hell. But, still, a lot of breweries will go over the top on a few selections to the point of it being completely overwhelming. You are near drinking hop juice at that point. Quite a few breweries here are also very experimental. Their approach isn’t to make a traditional beer, to improve on them or offer an excellent example, it’s more of an experimental art to them in that they’re looking to create wild concoctions separate from the norm. So, the downside, some of that art is approaching wild levels that I don’t understand or care for. Wildwood Flower (could be wrong on the name) is a TN Brew Works concoction that is a good example of a strange, yet good, beer. But, every brewery has at least one with some being slightly different and others being very odd and disgusting.

I also forgot to mention Nashville Brewing Co. Est. 1859. They make an excellent black lager.

 

So Anyway, in Nashville check out 3rd and Lindley if you're there on a Monday night. The Time Jumpers are the house band and Vince Gill usually sits in with them. Might not be your cup of musical tea, but the musicianship is superb. Get there early if you go.
I've also seen some great music along music row and the bands play from early in the afternoon till closing... for tips! There's also a lively street scene with a lot of excellent players. Made me wonder how good you'd have to be to make a living in 'Music City'.
Have fun!

 

+1 for Elysian. We carry their brews all the way over here. Good stuff.

 

If you are up for a short trip east of Portland to the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area I'd be happy to show you around. There are lots of interesting breweries (and not just pimping grapefruit beers), a few distillers with tasting rooms, and also a very popular winery circuit if you and/or your wife swing that way. But frankly, the outdoor stuff is even more compelling for many people. That starts about 20-45 minutes out of Portland, depending on where in town you start. When you have specific dates nailed down PM me and I'll try to point you toward some Portland shows as well. The Oregon coast is also a very worthwhile detour IMO.

 

That's the colloquial term for many of the the typical "fruity" highly hopped IPAs and the like, especially the ones using Centennial or Cascade hops. I love those particular hops, but much more so in Scottish Ales or ambers like Bert Grant and Bridgeport used to do.

 

Grapefruit in beer is an abomination. Just about one of the most disgusting beers I’ve ever had. Coconut is just about as bad.

Abita is near the only one that does fruit right.

 

Again, I wasn't talking about actual grapefruit, just a citrus hop profile.