Tuesday, February 14, 2017

48 Hours in Nashville

$30 for parking seemed to be a bad omen for our trip to Nashville as we circled Broadway one last time before begrudgingly parting with the equivalent of a meal at Publico or a few rounds of beers. We had just arrived from the airport at 11pm and were headed to Broadway to meet my brother and his girlfriend. Would this be another NYC weekend of overpriced beers and undernourishing food?

Luckily this was not the case. Our parking fee was the only thing about the weekend that didn't go well. We quickly met Andrew and Vicky and after walking the strip a bit settled into a open air bar where we could surreptitiously people watch. Which was, in itself, worth it. The best way I could describe Nashville is a, somewhat, cleaner version of New Orleans with a little Vegas thrown in there. It was a fun first night's introduction. 











Some time before dawn but while after dusk, our heads finally found our hotel pillows for a few hours of sleep before a day of pain. 

The pain come in the form of consumption, first with the XXhot sauce of Nashville's famous hot chicken at Pepperfire which burned to such a degree from just the sample that both Andrew and I settled for the mildest option. That didn't change the 20+ minutes of burning that lingered.


The second burning sensation came during a Whiskey distillery tour. Not much of a whiskey drinker, this tour made me want to be one. All the history, the cool oak barrels, and the manliness of ordering a drink that can double as lighter fluid. However, this desire to pickle my liver was quickly extinguished with the first sip, nay sniff, of whisky. The tour guide described it as a warm hug, but I tell you it was closer to what I imagine drinking fire must feel like.

Despite these painful experiences, it was fun touring the city and seeing both the downtown as well as the Opry section of town. Which Kenny and I actually went to. The Grand Ole Opry that is. Not being much of a country fan didn't negatively impact the experience. It was really neat to see the variety of performers as well as the sporadic live advertisements tossed in for the radio audience. It was fun to be a part of.

The next day involved more eating, this time at Jack Brown's Beer and Burger Joint. The selection included an Elvis burger, a Danny Caruso(jalapeno and cream cheese topped), a Greg Brady(mac and cheese and BBQ chips topped) and the one I selected which had a glazed donut as the bun. Yes it may have been a little gluttonous but it sure was delicious.

We somehow managed to waddle ourselves over to the only full-size replica of Greece's Parthenon which houses a 42 foot replica of the goddess Athena. An interesting way to end our 48 hours in Nashville.

Now I better getting running to burn off all the calories accumulated this weekend.

Until next time,

Danny

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