Mason's Southern Provisions and Mason Bar

One of the newest restaurants on the Nashville dining scene is inside the recently renovated Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. The innovative Southern cuisine coming from this kitchen is a far cry from what many expect from hotel food. The Devil of an Egg appetiser (devilled eggs topped with bacon jam and mustard-seed caviar) and the Crab Corn Dogs with Mississippi comeback sauce (a particularly tasty blend of ketchup, mustard and mayo) are just a couple of the playful offerings on the menu. Remember to save room for dessert and end your evening with a liquid nitrogen ice-cream soda featuring two popular locally made products, Whisper Creek Tennessee Sipping Cream and Goo Goo Clusters. Delicious and cool in more ways than one, this top-secret menu item can only be ordered at a moment's tweet to @MasonsNashville.
• 2100 West End Avenue, +1 615 321 1990, masons-nashville.com. Restaurant open daily, 6.30-10pm. Bar open Mon-Thurs 11am-midnight, Fri-Sat 11am-1am, Sun 10am-midnight. Starters from $8, mains from $14

Arnold's Country Kitchen

The bright red-and-yellow cinder block building that houses Arnold's Country Kitchen usually has a line out the door shortly after 11am every weekday. Only open for lunch Monday to Friday, the tables are filled with a mix of politicians, musicians, construction workers and local fashionistas, all happily eating elbow to elbow. The cafeteria-style buffet is full of homemade classics made daily like catfish, chicken and dumplings, fried green tomatoes, mashed potatoes, and banana pudding. Even a few of the classics are served with a twist – greens seasoned with wasabi powder, creamy cheese grits spiced with flecks of jalapeno, and chocolate pie with a hint of cayenne pepper.
• 605 Eighth Avenue South, +1 615 256 4455, facebook.com/Arnoldsmeatand3. Open Mon-Fri 10.45am-2.45pm. Meat & 3 with a slice of pie costs about $11

Hattie B's Hot Chicken

As they say, some like it hot. The faint of heart might just like it medium; braver souls will go for Damn Hot. Nashville hot chicken is a local speciality that every visitor must try once. Hattie B's, a charming little eatery decked out with chicken wire, corrugated metal and white-washed picnic tables, is a great place to start. Step up to the counter, choose your chicken (white or dark), level of heat, and your two sides. If you do this correctly, your lips will be tingling, your nose running, and your tongue on fire. You may even break into a sweat. Hopefully there won't be any tears but, just in case, make sure you've chosen wisely with your sides. Some refreshing black-eyed pea salad and creamy pimento macaroni cheese should ease the burn.
• 112 19th Avenue South, +1 615 678 4794, hattieb.com. Open Mon-Thurs 11am-10pm, Fri-Sat 11am-midnight, Sun 11am-4pm. Mains from $8 including two sides

Lockeland Table Community Kitchen and Bar

The cosy confines of Lockeland Table, combined with the offering of high-end comfort food, can make one feel like they're dining at the home of a good friend. With a country-inspired menu, the food is rustic, yet refined. Served alongside grilled Tuscan bread, chicken liver pate made with Benton's bacon fat and a mound of peach preserves ($9) is a decadent start to the meal. Sweet potato gnocchi with smoked corn cream, blistered tomato, spinach, apples, pecans and KY bleu gouda is about as delicious and comforting as it can get. No matter what the size of your party, reservations are highly recommended.
• 1520 Woodland Street, +1 615 228 4864, lockelandtable.com. Open Mon-Sat 4pm-10pm. Mains from $19, pizzas from $11

Fido

Upon entry to Fido, you're immediately hit by the delicious aroma of locally roasted Bongo Java coffee, a boisterous ambience, and the feeling that you've just stumbled on something truly special. While coffee is the heart of the operation, the food is the soul. Fido's eclectic crowd can enjoy a menu of thoughtfully prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes, composed of local ingredients. The food, described by the chef as Mediterranean and Latin, is "underpinned by a strong Southern backbone". The specials chalkboard above the front counter is definitely the place to find some of that Southern backbone shining through, like Pulled Pork Tacos made up of local pork shoulder, zucchini & pickled onion pico, guajillo sauce, crispy okra, goat and sheep's milk feta, mango hot sauce, basil, and flour tortillas ($12).
• 1812 21st Avenue South, +1 615 777-FIDO (3436), bongojava.com/fido. Open daily 7am-11pm. Mains from $9, breakfast from $4.50

City House

Under a canopy of trees, tucked away in the historic Germantown district, City House beckons. With its brick facade, rustic screened-in porch, open kitchen and wood-burning oven, you instantly feel at home in the inviting space. City House's menu is brimming with Italian-meets-Southern dishes like fettuccine with pork, greens and beans, cornmeal-crusted catfish with cauliflower and hot sauce or belly ham pizza ($15). Insider tip: ask your server to put an egg on top of that pizza for an extra $2. If you're fortunate enough to be in town on a Sunday night, then you won't want to miss the special Sunday Supper – just make a reservation in advance.
• 1222 Fourth Avenue, +1 615 736 5838, cityhousenashville.com. Open Mon, Weds-Sat 5pm-10pm, Sunday 5pm-9pm. Pizza from $11, pasta from $15 and mains from $22

The Patterson House

In a discreetly marked building near Music Row, locals and in-the-know visitors sip handcrafted cocktails under vintage chandeliers. Only a stone's throw yet worlds away from the honkytonks of Lower Broadway, The Patterson House feels like a private, very secret, club. Yet it's not. There's no handshake, no password, no list you must be on. There are, however, some posted rules one must follow like: "No fighting, no play fighting, no talking about fighting, no star f*cking, no name-dropping…"; and a dress code: "Preserve the sexy." Once you make it past the velvet curtain, order a Bacon Old Fashioned – Benton's bacon-infused Four Roses Bourbon, maple syrup and pecan coffee bitters, some pork rinds and the Elvis panini. A playful tribute to the King of rock'n'roll, the sandwich is a decadent combination of peanut butter, bananas and bacon.
• 1711 Division Street, +1 615 636 7724, thepattersonnashville.com. Open daily, 5pm-3am. Mixed drinks from $11, Elvis panini $7

Flyte World Dining and Wine

Sustainably sourced, local ingredients shine in the whimsical, inventive dishes coming out of the kitchen at Flyte World Dining and Wine. The lounge has been known to serve one of the most surprisingly elegant comfort food dishes in the city: a humble, yet decadent, rabbit pot pie. In the main dining room, patrons exalt over the chef's creative reinterpretation of traditional Southern chicken and waffles, a two-day yeast waffle topped with thinly sliced spicy pig ears, a silky buttermilk custard, bourbon barrel-aged maple syrup and spritz of house-made hot sauce.
• 718 Division Street, +1 615 255 6200, flytenashville.com. Dining Room open Tues-Thurs 5pm-9pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm. Mains from $24, small plates from $8

Edley's Bar-B-Que

For passersby, the smoky aroma wafting from this casual BBQ eatery in the 12 South neighbourhood makes it nearly impossible to resist. Step inside the door and you'll be greeted by the sweet sound of blues or bluegrass music, which should help entertain you as you begin the difficult decision-making process of what to order from the menu board. Locals know that the fried pickles are the best in town, and the Tuck Special is a thing of wonder. Brisket piled high on a fluffy bun, layered with house-made pimento cheese, an over-easy egg, pickles, and both red and white sauce, is certainly one of the most interesting BBQ sandwiches around. As your food is being prepared, belly up to the barnwood bar or soak up the sun on the expansive deck, while sipping some bourbon fruit tea from a Mason jar.
• 2706 12th Avenue South, +1 615 953 2951, edleysbbq.com. Open 11am-10pm, bar open later. Mains from $9

Etch

To many, cowboy hats and country music come to mind when envisioning Nashville but, in recent years, the city has transformed into a decidedly more cosmopolitan, sophisticated place. On the ground floor of one of downtown's condominium towers, Etch, with its open kitchen and sleek dining room, is a reflection of the changing times. Bold, intense flavour combinations turn standard ingredients into mind-boggling creations that delight and tickle the palate. For lunch, the Pork Pork Pork Sammie is a decadent combination of house-cured ham, Tennessee prosciutto, roasted pork loin, brie, pickled apple, ginger mustard, and sweet potato jam on sourdough bread. If you're visiting in the evening, try the incredible Moroccan-spiced venison with ginger grits, pear butter and cranberry sumac relish from the dinner menu.
• 303 Demonbreun Street, +1 615 522 0685, etchrestaurant.com. Open Mon-Thurs 11am-2pm and 5pm-10pm; Fri 11am-2pm and 5pm-10.30pm; Sat 5pm-10.30pm. Mains from $19

Beth Sachan is a Nashville resident and she blogs about food and drink at eat-drink-smile.com. Follow her on Twitter at @betheats

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