Dazey Getawayz - Guide to Nashville
Dazey Getawayz Nashville Edition
As part of our New Years Resolutions, my boyfriend Phillip and I decided we want to travel more. Especially trips we can dub "work trips!" Before I started Dazey I worked full time for larger companies and inconveniently always either quit or was fired just about the time where you get that weeks paid vacation. So I literally spent a good 3-4 years not traveling AT ALL. Guess you can say I’m making up for lost time this year!
I've been calling these adventures #DazeyGetawayz. We want to explore, create content, and see all that different cities have to offer. We're big lovers of coffee, cocktails, and the culinary world! The getawayz have been an awesome excuse to try EVERYTHING in order to blog about our favorite spots :) Every time we go to a new city, even with a handful of recommendations, we feel a little lost and end up in a Yelping frenzy and likely get into an argument. We’ve all been there right!? We want these travel guides to show you the best spots and go into depth about what to get and why. Honestly these mini vacations end up feeling a lot more like work because of all the photoshoots and a mad rush to see it all, but it’s worth it being able to share with all of you!
Nashville has been a destination on our list for quite some time now! It’s one of those US cities dubbed a “hip” spot so of course we had to see for ourselves. Phillip’s family lives in North Carolina and we were already planning on going out there for a post Christmas get together and figured why not hit up good ol’ Nashville while we’re in the south! It was only six hours away so a road trip was a must. Lucky for us Toyota was down to sponsor us with an amazing, roomy Highlander! You can see some snaps below. This car seriously saved our asses in the SNOW! Yes snow, we were (un)lucky enough to visit when they got one of their rare snowstorms accompanied by single digit temperatures.
The weather made exploring the city a bit difficult, so we layered up and made it work the best we could. On our first real day it actually snowed so much that most of the stores and restaurants actually shut down! It was a shame we couldn’t really walk the city and see all it had to offer, so we certainly need to make a trip back in fairer conditions. BUT we do have some awesome recommendations still and had a great time in Nashville. Here’s our trip synopsis:
1. Urban Cowboy BNB - A Boutique Hotel Dreamscape
I would by lying if I didn’t admit this very hotel was one of the biggest reasons I was dying to visit Nashville. I’m sure you’ve seen it on the gram in almost every big blogger and well known creative’s feed. Well all those photos you’ve seen DON’T DO IT JUSTICE. When I walked in I audibly gasped. Every little detail was thought out and felt authentic and special. Wallpaper layered on top of wallpaper, light fixtures made from vintage speaker cones, rustic furniture, and a blazing fireplace. Right as we walked in we were greeted by a friendly face who offered us a glass of whiskey. It was a snow day so her adorable kids came with her to work, further showing what a small tight-knit operation the BNB is. She opened up a secret door in the wooden wall and lead us up to our cabin. I felt like a hidden treehouse complete with a fur covered nook bed and free standing deep bath tub. We were ecstatic. When you scroll through this post you may notice that 80% of our photos we’re taken here! We couldn’t help ourselves :)2. Pinewood Social - Nashville’s Ultimate Hang Spot
This was the top recorded spot by everyone we talked to by far and I understand why. Pinewood was everything you could want all in one epic location! Pinewood features a massive open lounge, coffee shop, a full service restaurant, a bar, and a gorgeous vintage bowling alley. Basically everything good in the world. It’s located right along the river and everything about this building is beautiful from the inside out. We had coffee, an incredible lunch, and pretended to bowl for photos LOL. They were so nice there and ended up giving us a mini-tour which included the back of the bowling alley and the amazing rotating art installation wall all made of cans. This is the place you can not miss!
3. Date Night: Rolf and Daughter
This spot was un-freaking-believable. Located in the Germantown area it’s nestled between some buildings in an unsuspecting alleyway. It was gorgeous inside with moody lighting and exposed brick walls. We started off with some kick-ass cocktails. I’m a huge lover of an aviation, so I ordered their orange-flavored spin off version, Cheap Sunglasses, and OH MY GOD it was tasty. Their menu was a little complicated, but our amazing waitress patiently explained each dish to us and basically made us want everything. We decided to split three dishes to get a taste for it all. I forgot exactly what everything was or was called but both Phillip and I agreed it was easily the best meal we’ve ever had. I do remember one delish dish compromised of some sort of roasted yam? Rolf and Daughter made us question the entire culinary scene of Los Angeles.
4. Barista Parlor: Nashville’s Official Coffee Shop
This place came highly recommend by quite a few of our Dazey Ladies and did not disappoint! We could’t let business come to a halt while we were gone and this was the perfect spot to grab a good drink and get some work done. It’s a Nashville-only based chain with four locations throughout the city. We we’re lucky enough to check out two of them, one in the Gulch area and one on the east side. They were both in large open spaces with beamed ceilings, almost like airplane hangers. Long work-hall style tables fill the room and the center piece of each was a gorgeous coffee bar. The latte was a creamy dream come true, you gotta stop by if you’re in town!
5. Five Daughters Bakery: Donuts With a Twist
The first day we went to Barista Parlor I had an amazing maple donut along with my drink. I needed to know the origin of this piece of heaven. We found out they all come from Five Daughters Bakery just down the road. Being one of the few places open that day it worked out perfectly. They make those croissant/donut style treats, cronuts, but they can’t legally be named that due to a trademark haha. They just call them “layered donuts.” Whatever they are, they are AMAZEBALLS. Plus they have a pristine white storefront complete with a pink neon sign, basically “Instagram
6. Lunch at Pharmacy - Big Ass Burgers (Veggie Included!)
We were stoked to see this spot was open as well since a few of you mentioned it. It had that smalltown diner feel and was great for an easy lunch. I decided to start with one of their house made cream sodas, it was incredible! Their burger menu was extensive and when we got our food we realized we were way in over our heads. The south sure does take their portion size seriously! The food was amazing and there was plenty to go around.
7. Butcher and Bee - A Sweet & Savory Masterpiece
This was a spot we actually found on Yelp after realizing our original dinner choice was closed because of the snow. Not knowing what to expect we didn’t have huge expectations, which made tasting their amazing food even sweeter. The ambiance was open yet intimate and cozy, perfection. From what we could tell of their menu and name it seems like their whole thing was to mix both sweet and savory flavors together in unique and interesting ways. Literally my favorite flavor combo! It’s a tapas style place but their prices are marked appropriately as opposed to many that try and charge entree prices. We decided to go for a bunch of things and split! One of the dishes was fresh pita bread accompanied by a whipped feta dip covered in honey and herbs. We couldn’t even believe what we were tasting. Another amazing one was a pureed butternut squash paired with pomegranate and parmesan, just wow. If you go here be adventurous and try a bunch of the strange and glorious menu items!
8. Atta Boy - Curated Cocktails
This was such a fun experience! We walked through an alleyway (a reoccurring theme here) and had to knock on an inconspicuous door to be let in. Attaboy is only recognizable by a cool mural they have on the side of the building. The interior was a mix of 90’s art deco with a simple mid century twist. With moody lighting and private booths it had total speakeasy vibes! The whole shtick here is they have no menu. A mixologist asks you what kind of spirit you like along with some flavor profiles and they make a unique drink exactly to your taste. I said I love drinks served up, gin, and Creme De Violette liqueur…Essentially I described an aviation haha. Of course she has to put a special twist on it and made me something called a Water Lilly. It was like an Aviation but with an orange liqueur and a few other things mixed in as well. Let’s just say I have a new favorite drink now :)
9. Crema - Sweet Coffee and Clean Space
We had to try more than one coffee shop of course! This was another one of Nashville’s own, Crema. Their drinks were just amazing and they had a no-fuss way of approaching the design of their space. It was clean yet inviting. Many people were both meeting with friends and working out of it. We spent some good time getting shit done here!
10. Gift Horse - Quirky Gifts with a Nashville Twist
The last day I realized I had hardly had a chance to shop the local boutique scene! We made a mad dash for some of the best spots. Gift Horse was awesome. As a designer and illustrator this was my jam. They have printer paper goods, many with Nashville motifs, fun accessories, and all those adorable things you didn’t know you needed - but you do!
11. Wheat & Co - For Ya Dazey Dudez
Gotta give a recommendation to my Dazey Dudez! This was a super rad men’s store with hand selected items from some awesome designers, many of which were CA based. Phillip and I happened to know a few of the makers featured in his store and we got to chatting with the owner. He was a super nice guy and turns out we have a ton of mutual friends! This is a great spot to dress the dudez in your life while still shopping small.
12. Two Sons - Shipping made Simple and Spectacular
This store was recommended to us by a lot of you! It’s a giant space filled with only a few racks of very curated clothing from awesome designers like Ace & Jig. The whole store was expansive and white, but their rack was rainbow color coordinated, I loved that.
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