The Best Restaurants in NASHVILLE

Hot chicken is a local Nashville delicacy created by marinating the meat in buttermilk, breading it, and then rubbing it with a paste heavily spiced with cayenne pepper. Prince’s is Nashville’s oldest hot chicken shack, and despite solid newcomers like Hattie B’, The Prince remains the King. Served Mild, Medium, Hot or extra Hot. Start with the mild to enjoy the succulent chicken and finish with hot to enjoy the mega cayenne pepper burn. The peppered chicken pieces are meaty and succulent, while the skin is perfectly fried and crispy. This is one of the best fried chickens you will ever experience. Legend has it that the recipe was created by a frustrated housewife who wanted to punk her drunken husband and his friends. It backfired as they loved it! Watch the excellent video featured here.

Opened by Jack and Rose Arnold in 1982, this award-winning family-operated diner is famous for its Southern and soul food classics served from a cafeteria-style steam table and tray line. Its excellence in “meat-and-three” fare, long-simmered greens, perfectly crisp fried green tomatoes and cooked-to-order cornbread have won a legion of fans. Featured in such publications as “Maxim,” “Southern Living,” “SAVEUR” and “Bon Appetit” and on the Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives,” the restaurant achieved national acclaim when it was awarded a prestigious James Beard American Classics Award in 2009. Note: The kitchen is only open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Set on a corner of Nashville’s famous Music Row, the exterior resembles your basic neighborhood bar and grill. Looks deceive. Once inside, the hostess directs diners to an elevator waiting to whisk them up to the third floor. The elevator door opens to a hallway filled with twinkling lights. You’ve arrived at the Catbird Seat, an American English idiomatic phrase used to describe an enviable position. The food is as dramatic as the setting. Executive chef Ryan Poli, who has worked in some of the world’s most celebrated kitchens and extensively traveled throughout Spain, France and Asia, turns out some of the best Modernist cuisine in the country, featuring dishes like Parmesan and porcini Oreos; kimchi-wrapped cod prepared with avocado, kiwi and melon rind; and local pigeon served with soy-infused, caramelized yogurt. The restaurant serves only 28 people each evening, making it one of the hardest reservations to get in the country. Pro tip: Pre-paid reservations can be made 30 days in advance of the date on the restaurant’s website. Sales are final.