Best of the Best

To have known the best, and to have known it for the best, is success in life.
- John W. McKay



If you were to ask me about my favorite place to eat in Nashville, I'd likely stare at you stupidly for about a minute before beginning to babble incoherently. You'd probably begin backing away slowly as I rambled on about how this place is great on a Saturday morning if it's a little bit cool outside but that place is sooo much better when it's raining and oh my sweet heavens, have you HAD their macaroni and cheese? I’d get on a rant about mood, atmosphere, drinks, comfort, menu variety, menu stability, hunger level, etc. etc. etc. I’d try to convince you that all of those things prevent me from choosing just one.

The truth is, I just can't choose. I know where I would go if I wanted French fries vs. Chinese vs. my favorite wine vs. sweatshirt appropriate vs. I’m-with-my-mom-therefore-I-need-a-place-with-much-exciting-atmosphere-and-conversation-starting-elements. So…yeah. I find something in everything. Because yes, there IS a way to gauge restaurants on aspects above and beyond the typical classifications such as best sushi or best family environment. I look at restaurants in a different light - such as where I'd like to have lunch with my best friend when I know I have to tell her bad news, the place with the best soap in the restroom, or the joint with the most adorable silverware in town.

Much like Citysearch has the "Best Of", I have my top picks based on what’s important to ME. And no, it’s not always about cost, whether it’s kid-friendly, or whether reservations are recommended. These are REAL categories. (And yes, ”best silverware” IS in fact a category.)

In sharing my list of favorites, I've opted to pepper in my more unusual foundations for preferences with some of the more mainstream categories, just for good measure. Obviously, this list won't do much for you if you don't live here or have no plans to visit - so in that case, use this list to think about what your favorites are in your area.


Any Little Reason's "Best Of"


Wine List: Sunset Grill
Steak: Woody's
First Date: Park Cafe
Dessert: Margot
Where to go in your pajamas: Cafe Coco
Fries: Sportsman's
Brunch: Tin Angel
Takeout: Chef's Market
Margarita: Rosepepper
Restrooms: J. Alexander's
Burger: Beyond the Edge
Artwork: Family Wash
Hangover Food: Nashville Biscuit House
Italian: Cafe Nonna
People Watching: Jackson's
Happy Hour: Broadway Brewhouse
Where you won't feel as though you're in Nashville: Blue Moon
Patio: Yellow Porch
Small Plates: Boundry
Mimosa: Mad Donna's
Plateware: Margot
Sunday afternoon: South Street
Dine at the Bar: Eastland Cafe
Sushi: Battered & Fried