Nightout

When I think of Hillsboro Village, I usually think of places to grab a martini or a latté, or designer boutiques filled with trendy accessories and brightly colored dresses. While I absolutely love the neighborhood, sometimes the hustle and bustle can be a headache when I’m not in the mood to “see and be seen.” Fortunately, there’s an option for nights when I want to forgo the mascara. Hidden amidst the three-block strip of shops and sparkly establishments is a place where you don’t have to be dressed to impress.

“Well, show me the way to the next whiskey bar ... ,” sang Jim Morrison. The next whiskey bar can never be too far when Maker’s Mark, Jack Daniels, and Four Roses are just a few on the long list of whiskeys that are distilled in the Southeast.

I may have mentioned my dog Gurley Brown a time or 12 in this column, so you likely know I’m a dog lover. Gurley may be my favorite four-legged friend, but even before she came into my life, I was loyal to another top dog in Nashville.  

Mmmm ... it’s summer, and I’m happily welcoming the return of strappy sandals and open patios; in short, it’s hot and time for a cold one, so head to the Gulch. Perhaps you’ve enjoyed a Yazoo beer before, but if you’ve never visited the birthplace of this local brew, there’s no better time than now. Hop (pun intended) over to Yazoo’s new brewery and taproom and enjoy one of Nashville’s liquid originals.

A New Yazoo?

It’s eclectic, electric, bold, and bright. Upscale, yet urban and anything but ordinary. It’s Mad Donna’s, and it’s the perfect concoction of dinner, drinks, dancing, and drag. Located at the corner of 14th and Woodland in the heart of the ’hood (East Nashville), Mad Donna’s provides something for everyone in the mood for a night out. With an abundance of options all at one venue, Mad Donna’s is the little black dress of bars. Glam it up, or keep it casual at one location with eight (plus) night out options.

Mood isn’t the only reason the lights are dim at Tayst Restaurant and Wine Bar. Solar film covers the windows, faucets have aerators, and the water heater is energy efficient. It’s not easy being green, but as the only green-certified restaurant in Nashville, Tayst takes fine dining to the max while minimizing its carbon footprint.

Fine dining can be fun, and tapas are tasty, but sometimes a girl is hungry for something in a hurry. Food can be fast without lacking flavor or losing charm. Next time you are in the mood for something quick, grab your order to go at one of these walk-ups.

I Dream of Weenie

It starts with an engagement party, follows with showers, bridal teas, and bridesmaids’ brunches. Fine china, recipe exchanges, new linens, and crystal — it’s all so prim and proper until we get to the bachelorette party. Suddenly tradition becomes something old, something new, something borrowed, and something phallic? I don’t really understand the penis-themed bachelorette party.

Somewhere down the hill from Music Row, kind of caddy-corner to the Gulch, near Broadway and Division, but not quite downtown is the Nashville neighborhood known as Midtown. And in this hard-to-define area, there’s one restaurant that’s bringing an identity to this trendy and urban locale. It’s Miro District, and it’s probably the best restaurant you’ve never tried. Located in the Adelicia condominium building, across from the more colorful South Street, Miro District doesn’t really stand out like its  across-the-street neighbor.

When I moved to Nashville from Lincoln, Neb., I left a great group of friends behind. For the first time since kindergarten, I was around a completely new set of people, and it was terrifying. I wasn’t from the South, I didn’t say “y’all,” I had no loyalty to the SEC, I didn’t call Diet Pepsi “Coke,” and I definitely didn’t call Nashville “home.”  I felt like a fish out of water, and while I had spread my wings and left the nest, I convinced myself that Nashville was only a temporary place to land.