Music City Musings

Hello, Nashville...
It didn't take me long to get my eat on upon arriving in the Music City. This has to be one of the most underrated little big cities in America (little big cities are the ones I favor, a la Charlotte, Scottsdale, even my own St. Pete). They love what I love: their food, their sports, their music...
Took an old production buddy's recommendation and lunched at the Copper Kettle, just a 9-iron away from the heart of downtown Nashville. Let me tell you, this place puts the SOUTH IN YOUR MOUTH! Award winner for best Meat & Three, as it's known in the Deep South, and with a fairly spectacular view of downtown Nashville and the Titan's football stadium. I hunkered down for some Coconut Chicken, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, and mac-n-cheese, plus a side of corn bread and mango tea to wash it down. Let me tell you: Diabetes be damned -- this was GOOD STUFF (don't worry, ma, I took my shot beforehand)!
Everything was just so...homemade. No frills; just fine, filling, comfort food, and really friendly service (another Southern perk). I purposely abstained from the BBQ pork, knowing full well my culinary compass would point me in that direction for dinner... the question is: where to go?
One driver recommended Jack's downtown; another Neely's, closer to my hotel (the same Neely's of Food Network fame).
I think I'm gonna go with Jack's, for 2 reasons: it's location, right in the heart of the action on Broadway,so I can then walk off my wares afterward, and also because of it's longevity. Jack's is one of the dining institutions in Nashville, and you can tell that just by looking at it's gruff, yet welcoming exterior...
No, this is decidedly NOT Memphis, the BBQ mecca, but it's close enough to pull from that source and carry it's own BBQ bravado.
Dinner's only a couple of hours away...

Editor's note: I am now officially a Top 20 finalist for my BBQ recipe on "Home Cooking Star." The voting resets now, so if by some way you find this post, please feel free to vote -- again, or for the first time -- http://homecookingstar.ning.com/group/richhollenberg

Cheers (y'all)