“NASHVILLE’S GROWTH IS ROOTED IN BEING A MANAGEABLE CREATIVE CENTRE – LA ON A NEIGHBOURHOOD SCALE,” SAYS COUNCILMAN JOHN COOPER Baked eggs, creamed kale and goat feta with toasted sourdough at the new Henrietta Red, in Germantown Executive chef Ryan Poli, right, in the kitchen at the renowned Catbird Seat legendary tale that happens to be true. He played at Skull’s Rainbow Room on Printers Alley in downtown Nashville and took on several odd jobs before he got his first record deal. The city wants to keep the McGraws out there coming. “Nashville’s growth is rooted in being a manageable creative centre – LA on a neighbourhood scale,” says Councilman John Cooper, the son of a New Deal governor. “There are something like 55,000 working artists in a population of 655,000 – one in every dozen – and there’s a lower cost of living compared to the coasts. It’s an affordable R&D creative space.” What’s culturally striking is how the city’s different tribes manage to create a unified sensibility rather than a divided one. There are, among other elements, the old-line families in West Nashville; the music world presided over by McGraw and Faith Hill, Cassidy and Dierks Bentley and Jack White; and the literary universe centred on Ann Patchett’s Parnassus bookstore. The photographer Jack Spencer is based here, in a converted warehouse on the train tracks; the distinguished author and songwriter Alice Randall is Vanderbilt’s writer in residence. Taylor Swift has a place in town, and Witherspoon opened a store in 12South. A few years ago, as the Nashville engine began to run so hot, I asked Thomas Frist III, a board member of the Hospital Corporation of America (which was cofounded in Nashville by the Frist family in 1968), to explain the city’s prosperity. He ticked off “four buckets”: employment stability in health care, entertainment, higher education and government; the “wealth effect” of local corporations’ money generally staying in middle Tennessee; a single Metro government that reduces friction in governance; and a genial, livable culture. Growth, of course, brings growing pains. The prosperity in some quarters has cast a needed light on those neighbourhoods and families left behind. Public schools require more attention and resources; public transit has, to put it charitably, not kept up with the demands of a rising population. The problems are real, but they are the kinds of challenges a city wants to have if there must be challenges – and there always must be. Last autumn, during the party for John Lewis’s visit to Nashville, he and I talked a little bit about an interview we had done for the Charleston, South Carolina, magazine Garden & Gun. He had been kind to give me the time for it, I said. I knew how busy he was. Gracious as ever, he demurred and then turned to greet more wellwishers. As I watched him, I remembered something he had told me in that interview – something about the South and redemption. Later that evening, I looked it up. “I always felt growing up that in the South there was evil but also good – so much good,” Lewis had said. “We are still in the process of becoming. I am very, very hopeful about the American South – I believe that we will lead America to what Dr King called ‘the beloved community’. I travel all the time, but when I come back to the South, I see such progress. In a real sense a great deal of the South has been redeemed.” Nashville now feels like a vital part of that larger story – a place where old and new meet, and move forward, together. ♦ 72 DEPARTURES-INTERNATIONAL.COM CONTACT PLATINUM CARD SERVICE FOR BOOKINGS
PROMOTION The flagship store of Draper James, Reese Witherspoon’s ode to Southern sensibilities, in 12South UNDER THE NASHVILLE SKYLINE Nashville is home to far too many outstanding restaurants, bars and music venues to fit in one list. Here are a few of our favourites Eat ARNOLD’S COUNTRY KITCHEN A mainstay mom-and-pop lunch counter since 1982, with locations in Green Hills and The Gulch. The menu, which changes daily, offers Southern staples like fried chicken, brisket and candied yams. arnoldscountrykitchen. com BOLTON’S SPICY CHICKEN & FISH This unpretentious Main Street dive has been serving up some of the city’s best and hottest chicken since 1997. boltonsspicy.com THE CATBIRD SEAT One of the world’s most celebrated restaurants, serving a set multicourse meal around a U-shaped kitchen. Standout dishes include sunflower-seed risotto and cured hen yolk. thecatbirdseatrestaurant. tocktix.com HENRIETTA RED New this year to Germantown, the relaxing space serves modern American fare and boasts a terrific oyster and raw bar. Try the snapper crudo with blood orange, red beet and serrano. henriettared.com HUSK The Bear Creek Farm pork prime rib with green garlic and butter beans is just one reason to visit the second outpost of this Southern dining chapel from the award-winning Sean Brock. husknashville. com LE SEL A bright and airy brasserie near Vanderbilt University’s campus. Its great brunch menu, which includes strawberryrhubarb stuffed beignets and avocado toast with sunny-side-up eggs, is even available on Fridays. leselnashville.com THE PATTERSON HOUSE This mellow bar, downstairs from the Catbird Seat, has put Nashville on the craftcocktail map. Ask the bartender (ours was Sean) to create a custom drink. thepattersonnashville.com PINEWOOD SOCIAL A waterfront spot in Rolling Mill Hill that has an industrial-style dining room and lounge and hosts a vibrant social scene, replete with six bowling lanes, a karaoke room and two small plunge pools. pinewoodsocial.com STEADFAST COFFEE Don’t miss the flashchilled coffee at this Germantown cafe, which opened in 2015 and serves a thoughtful menu of small plates throughout the day. steadfast.coffee Sleep 21C MUSEUM HOTEL The recently opened boutique hotel, located just far enough away from the Broadway honky-tonks, maintains the brand’s hotel-asmuseum experience. 21cmuseumhotels.com THE 404 HOTEL This intimate hotel – just five rooms – in The Gulch is a retro mix of art and vintage and custom furniture, and is attached to The 404 Kitchen, which was nominated for a James Beard award. the404nashville.com HUTTON HOTEL Within walking distance of Vanderbilt University, the popular hotel (with 247 rooms) has completed a major renovation. huttonhotel.com URBAN COWBOY B&B This cool guesthouse in a historic Victorian mansion in East Nashville has eight suites, each eclectically decorated in antiques and architectural salvage. Don’t miss the bar and restaurant in the back. urbancowboybnb.com THE WESTIN NASHVILLE The 27-storey, 453-room hotel is across from the Music City Center and has a glitzy country-western decor. All the rooms have spectacular views. westinnashville.com Listen NASHVILLE PALACE Just down the street from the Grand Ole Opry, this authentic country music stage has hosted great musicians like George Jones, Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings. Pop in before the Opry for a Bud and a shot of Jack. nashville-palace.com ROBERT’S WESTERN WORLD Located on Lower Broadway’s Music City strip, Robert’s is honkytonk central – the heart and soul of real country music. robertswesternworld.com SKULL’S RAINBOW ROOM This legendary restaurant and music venue becomes a classy burlesque lounge late at night. skullsrainbowroom.com – Alexander Spacher SLEEP BEAUTIFULLY The world’s most comfortable bed, hand made in London. Savoir Beds introduces its new collaborative design with worldrenowned artist and designer, Arik Levy. Featuring a unique stacked configuration with horizontal movement the layout of the headboard can be completely unique to each client. Like every Savoir bed, Shift 01, is made by one craftsman for a specific client, tailored to their precise needs. Visit savoirbeds.com to make an appointment. DEPARTURES NOTEWORTHY WHAT TO HAVE. WHERE TO GO. PATEK PHILIPPE For the 20th anniversary of the Aquanaut collection in 2017, the manufacture is presenting the Aquanaut Ref. 5168G in 18K white gold. With a diameter of 42 mm, it introduces a new “Jumbo” size in Patek Philippe’s sports chic segment. patek.com
