Quintessential Nashville

Hattie B’s Hot Chicken & Jackalope Brew

“Hattie B’s is a Nashville must-eat. I love everything about their hot chicken: the consistency, the flavor, the amount of spice they use. It is all spot on. You can order the not hot Southern all the way to crazy hot, Shut The Cluck Up. I generally get either medium or the hot and I’ll order a local Jackalope beer. They’re the only hot chicken joint in town that sells beer and Jackalope is local. They have a pilsner that rivals any European pilsner I’ve ever tasted. It is fantastic and it blows me away every time I drink it.”

112 19th Avenue South, Nashville, TN 37203

T: 615.678.4794 | www.hattieb.com

“The great thing about Middle Tennessee is that we’ve got an amazing farm culture that is just getting better. Farmers and chefs are now starting to work together. Farmers aren’t just growing stuff and bringing it to a stand and saying ‘hey, it’s what we got.’ It’s more of they’re coming to us and saying what are you looking for? What can we grow for you?”

- Chef Matt Bolus of The 404 Kitchen

Chef Matt Bolus  

Photograph courtesy of The 404 Kitchen

 

It’s a commitment to sourcing Tennessee ingredients that has made The 404 Kitchen’s Matt Bolus one of the most recognized chefs in Nashville. The 2014 James Beard Award nominee grew up in Knoxville, worked in Charleston and moved to Music City a few years ago.

“We’ve got so much to offer from one end of the town to the next and it’s not just about country music. I love the fact that ten minutes from where I sit is a neighborhood called Inglewood and you can go find wild parsley and watercress to pick. We’re not far from East Tennessee where I get to see Allan Benton [of Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams] and jump in a truck with him and go hunt ramps. Memphis is just two hours away. But here in Nashville you can eat a lot of great food and then go down to the honky-tonks.”

Aside from showcasing varieties of local produce like different eggplant, dandelion greens and okra, Bolus makes his own burrata daily and works with local farms within driving distance of his restaurant. He also uses ingredients from around the south like bottarga from Anna Maria Seafood Company in Cortez, Florida and clams from Sapelo Island, GA.

From butchers to pasta, from a Latin American market to pizza, from hot chicken to coffee, check out Matt’s Nashville eating and drinking guide. To get the full list of chef Matt Bolus’ favorite eating, drinking and shopping recommendations for Nashville, download the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.

Find | Butchers

Porter Road Butcher

“They are passionate owners and passionate butchers. I did an apprenticeship at Allens butcher shop in London, which was fantastic just to learn all that and experience it all. You don’t see that much in America anymore. It’s a lost art and Chris and James are really trying to bring it back. They’re bringing in whole sides and whole cows. They’re also getting into sausage production and charcuterie. They’ve got the Bloomy Rind Kathleen Cotter working with them as well, which is a nice little cheese shop inside their shop.”

[Get Nashville recommendations from Porter Road butchers Chris and James in the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.]

501 Gallatin Avenue, Nashville, TN 37206

T: 615.650.4440 | www.prbutcher.com

Find | Pasta

Lazzaroli Pasta

“Tom Lazzaro runs this great authentic salumeria type shop. He’s super passionate about what he does and makes very good pasta. You tell him the dish you're using the pasta for and he'll direct you for what to use. I like to call him the ‘Pasta Nazi’ because the first time I ever bought pasta for a restaurant from him he grilled me on who was going to cook the pasta and how they were going to do it. If he came in and it was wrong, we’d never be able to buy pasta again. On Saturdays, he sells fresh mozzarella and he sells out by noon.”

1314 5th Avenue N # 100, Nashville, TN 37208

T: 615.291.9922 | www.lazzaroli.com

Eat | Off The Beaten Track

InterAsian Market & Deli

“Not only do they have great Asian goodies, but they also carry a beautiful selection of fresh produce, duck eggs, mushrooms, and it’s all fantastic. The best part of the market is their Bahn Mi sandwiches. Made to order and always warm when you get it. They are by far the best I’ve ever had. Cash only, but they only cost $3.25.”

2160 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

T: 615.742.3268 | www.interasianmarketdeli.com

Las Americas Market

“Some of the best horchata I’ve had and the pupusas are just amazing. You can get a chicharones in it. How do you beat that? Pork skin inside of a nice little hot pancake.  It’s just lovely. Their menudo is fantastic; for eight bucks you get 32 ounces. It’s quite a bit of menudo. A little more than I want, but still heaven.”

4715 Nolensville Pike, Nashville, TN 37211

T: 615.315.8888

Eat | Pizza & More

Lockeland Table

“Hal Hodlen-Bache is a fantastic chef, a genuine guy and does solid food. I love his pizzas and he makes fantastic beef heart tartare.”

1520 Woodland Street, Nashville, TN 37206

T: 615.228.4864 | www.lockelandtable.com

City House

“They have the best Sunday Suppers. It’s all heavy pork inspired and you can get a headcheese burger and pork belly pizza. All pizzas come with the option of having a fried egg on top.”

[Get chef Tandy Wilson’s recommendations in the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.]

1222 4th Avenue North, Nashville, TN 37208

T: 615.736.5838 | www.cityhousenashville.com

Drink | Coffee

Crema

“Super informative, super passionate, and they roast their own beans. I get a black coffee or a latte every now and again. I like a hot black and bitter coffee like a Costa Rican one, San Lorenzo de Tarrazu, with notes of key lime, black cherry and maple.”

[Get barista Rachel Lehman’s recommendations in the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.]

15 Hermitage Avenue, Nashville, TN 3704

T: 615.255.8311 | www.crema-coffee.com

Get the full Nashville city guide with chefs, bartenders and sommeliers’ eating, drinking and shopping recommendations by downloading the Find. Eat. Drink. iPhone app.