We ate at so many places in Nashville in such a short amount of time, because I was really trying to touch on all of their most notable restaurants. And Nashville has no shortage of them.


Marche Artisan Foods is one of those places. This European-style cafe and marketplace is located in the heart of historic East Nashville, and seemed like this perfect brunch option.

The restaurant itself is very sweet with split-level dining paired up with a small marketplace. I loved the windows lining the walls of the space and the brick and exposed duct work. Just very cool.

The menu for breakfast had a number of croissants, crepes, french toast, scrambled eggs and omelettes. I, however, went for a simple cheese plate which had goat cheese, peach jam and Pugliese toast. This was simple, but this was probably my favorite goat cheese I've ever had. It had just a bit of bite, but it wasn't overpowering. The jam was great, and the toast was nice and light. The perfect light option that I was just in the mood for, with the perfect ambiance and great service.


Grade: A

What's cooler than a cupcake ATM? Even I, who doesn't subscribe to the cupcake craze, think this is pretty damn cool. I ran into my first one in Nashville.

Sprinkles Cupcakes is the world's first cupcake bakery - founded in Beverly Hills. Tons of celebrities and others have endorsed these cupcakes. And, it can be credited with starting the cupcake craze that swept the nation.

Sprinkles has expanded beyond Beverly Hills to 19 other locations, including Chicago, New York, Washington DC and ... Nashville! So, not only is this place credited with crafting artisan cupcakes (thing neat flavors, beautiful designs), they have pioneered the cupcake ATM. This means you can stop outside the store after hours and get a cupcake they prepared earlier in the day for your late-night cravings.

Oh, and it was all created by a woman by the name of Candace Nelson. Yes, the cupcake lady. THAT cupcake lady. The one who shares my name and appears on TV all the time because, well, she started the cupcake trend. She's the more famous Candace Nelson that I always get asked if I know there's a famous cupcake lady named Candace Nelson. And, I ate cupcakes at one of her bakeries. My life is coming full circle.

OK, so, we did not use the ATM because they were open, and I figured we might as well get a fresh one, right? The bakery is not huge, but the displays are very cute with little spaces for each individual cupcake.

There are tons of flavors, like chai latte, chocolate marshmallow, pumpkin, red velvet and more. I ordered a salty caramel cupcake, which is a caramel cake with buttery caramel cream cheese frosting topped with fleur de sel.

"Sprinkles Salty Caramel cupcakes are an irresistible salty-sweet flavor combination using fleur de sel crystals hand harvested from the pristine seas off Brittany, France. These fleur de sel granules are a delightful complement to the sweet, buttery caramel which flavors both the cake and frosting. Taste the rich, delicious complexity of Sprinkles take on this classic French duo."

This was probably the best cupcake I've ever had. I didn't know a cupcake could be this good. It was salty sweet, rich and just the perfect balance between icing and cake, as well as between sweet and savory. So. Good.



Grade: A

Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery is of note, because Blackstone is Nashville's first craft brewery. It opened in 1994 at 1918 West End Avenue where it remains.

We got here as soon as it opened, so it wasn't busy at all. I ordered a Nut Brown Ale, because you can't really go wrong. It was a good, solid beer. Little sweet, easy drinking but with good flavor.

Grade: B

It's Nashville's version of a cronut.

Five Daughters Bakery was at the top of Brittany's to-visit list while I was in Nashville, and I have to admit that I was not particularly thrilled. Not because I don't trust Brittany's choices - I 100% do - but because donuts just aren't really my thing. Pastries in general just don't do it for me.

But this was different.

We walked into Five Daughters Bakery and back toward the donuts they had prepped and ready to go. These fine creations take up to three days to make. Chocolate Sea Salt, Maple Glaze - there were tons that all looked amazing.

The donut is this croissant/donut hybrid. The 100-layer donut is rolled in sugar, filled with cream and topped with an amazing glaze.

I went for the strawberry lemonade. And WOW. Think of taking a donut, making it thin and flaky inside, slathering it with butter, adding a lemon cream among those layers, topping it with a strawberry glaze and sugar. Just amazing.

Don't let the $5 price tag fool you. You won't need more than one. But, it may just be the best $5 you ever spend.

Grade: A

Pancake Pantry - in addition for being known to have Nashville's best pancakes - is notorious for long lines wrapping around the restaurant and out to the street corner. I fully expected no less than an hour wait.

But, when we arrived, I was pleased to see just a couple folks in front of us. We were seated within five minutes. Score! We were seated along the wall - close quarters with the folks nearby.

This restaurant has been around for more than 50 years, making fresh breakfast delights every day. It's not a huge space, and all the tables were just out in an open room. The servers were busy running back and forth and tending to the busy tables - every single one of them full.

The menu has everything from classic pancakes to ones with fruit to potato pancakes to Santa Fe cornmeal pancakes. Plus, if you're a heathen, you could get something that isn't a pancake - like omelettes, hash browns, etc.

So, I went for: Georgia Peach Pancakes Three tender, rolled pancakes each hold a dollop of sweet Georgia peach compote. Topped with more delicious compote, powdered sugar, and whipped cream.

Well, I kept seeing Georgia peaches all over, and this one just sounded good. And, it was. The peaches were juicy, the compote and whipped cream were sweet - but I, of course, still topped it with syrup. These pancakes are thin, but light and just super good. I love the variety at this restaurant, and I'd love to try one of the more unique options next.

Grade: A