IGX

Anything to see/do besides the Country Music Hall of Fame? Any dark areas to avoid?

You probably want to drink a few beers at Tootsies.

Maybe take a gander at the Ernest Tubb record Shop.

George Gruhn's antique musical instrument shop = mecca.

There's some awesome restaurants in Nashville. I was traveling to Vanderbilt University for a while, and here's one that gets my rec.

http://www.midtowncafe.com/

Arnold's is only open for lunch. A Diner, Drive-in, and Dive place, awesome chow. Meat + 3.

https://plus.google.com/109733051566287 ... l=us&hl=en

Report in case anyone else is headed this way:

Friday - Got into town and hit the honky tonk strip on Broadway. in and out of a few places, great music, cheap beers, comfortable atmosphere. It looks as though all these places are pretty much the same, there weren't any lines so it was easy to hop around. We got hungry and didn't feel like going far so ended up at The Merchant which is on Broadway but distinctly different from the street's vibe. Bistro atmosphere downstairs with good cocktails and decent food, no live music. I guess the upstairs has a more formal dining room as well. A nice escape from the bar scene. After dinner we headed back out to Tootsies for a few more hours... three floors of live music and a nice deck. Thanks for the rec on that (though it was pretty obvious that is THE spot for partying given the crowds).

Saturday- ate lunch at Puckett's Gro(cery) which is a little ways up the hill. Nice, casual place. Ok bbq and a good beer list. After that we headed over to the Gulch, the newly constructed (from the look of it) yuppie-hood. Family shopped around a little bit and then we grabbed a few beers at Hops and Crafts (nice outdoor patio, very good beer selection) and whiskey kitchen. I was taking it easy w/ Tecates by this point since we were heading to dinner shortly but they had a good whiskey and beer selection and a nice outdoor patio. Had an awesome blow-out steak dinner at Kayne Prime. The wife and co got their steaks done sous vide (finished on the flat top for charring) and really enjoyed them. It was a bit more interesting than a typical Morton's/Del Frisco/etc. I rarely frequent steakhouses not on a business account but I'd definitely return here. After dinner the wife and I went to the Patterson House, a speakeasy style cocktail bar in an older home. Hipster city but they had lots of creative, well made drinks and attentive bartenders. It was better than Varnish in LA, not as good as Death and Co in NYC, but similar vibe to each. I would return here with the wife or one or two buddies for a pre-game cocktail whereas I'd rather go out with the boys on Broadway for a night of partying.

Sunday- Early lunch at Jack's BBQ on Broadway. Great smoked BBQ. Very cheap ($60 for 4 people with sides and drinks) and very casual. Then we hit the Country Music Hall of Fame. I really enjoyed seeing the guitars and they have an extensive collection of memorabilia from the 20's through present day including some pretty sweet rides. Can't miss this if you go to Nashville, IMO.

Overall, great party-town. If you have a chance I'd definitely recommend a weekend trip.