48 Hours in Nashville: The Dandy City Guide

Nashville has evolved well beyond the rhinestone-and-country stereotype into a legitimate food and culture city that happens to have a world-class music scene attached. The Tennessee capital draws bachelor parties and songwriters in equal measure, but the best version of Nashville exists outside the neon chaos of lower Broadway — though you should absolutely do one lap through the honky-tonks before writing them off.

Start on Broadway for the obligatory honky-tonk crawl, but do it during the day when it's less chaotic. Robert's Western World, often called the best honky-tonk in town, has live music starting before noon and a fried bologna sandwich that costs about four dollars. Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, with its purple exterior and walls covered in signed photos, is three floors of country music history. Get a PBR tallboy and absorb the energy.

The Gulch and 12South are where Nashville's modern personality shines. Biscuit Love in the Gulch does a bonuts (biscuit donut) that has become a city icon, while Husk — Sean Brock's restaurant on Rutledge Hill — reimagines Southern cooking with heirloom ingredients sourced from within a day's drive. For hot chicken, the debate between Prince's (the originator) and Hattie B's (the crowd-pleaser) will never be settled, but Prince's deserves the pilgrimage to its North Nashville location. Guide at https://www.visitmusiccity.com/restaurants.

The Country Music Hall of Fame downtown is worth two hours even if you don't know a Hank from a Merle — the storytelling and artifacts trace American music history far beyond country. RCA Studio B, where Elvis, Dolly Parton, and the Everly Brothers recorded, is accessible through the Hall of Fame and is one of the most hallowed rooms in music.

East Nashville is the neighborhood for your second day. Five Points is the central intersection, surrounded by coffee shops like Barista Parlor, vinyl stores, and restaurants like Butcher & Bee, which does a mezze brunch that could convert any skeptic. The Shelby Bottoms Greenway offers a morning run or bike ride along the Cumberland River if you need to burn off the biscuits.

For evening music beyond Broadway, the Bluebird Cafe in Green Hills is the songwriter's sanctuary — a tiny venue where artists perform original songs in the round and where Taylor Swift was discovered at age 14. Reservations are essential and sell out quickly. The Ryman Auditorium, the 'Mother Church of Country Music,' hosts shows across every genre and has acoustics that make amplification almost redundant.