My favorite thing about traveling is food.
During the four-hour trip from Nashville to my college town in East Tennessee, I get excited about food. There are some restaurants Nashville has that I love but aren’t available in East Tennessee and vice versa.
The more I venture into my 20s, the more I want to travel and try new foods.
From the few travels I’ve had so far, I wanted to share some of my favorite eateries.
Nashville, TN
The Grilled Cheeserie
My Order: Pimento Macaroni and Cheese Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup and a Milkshake to drink (in this particular picture, it’s the Birthday Milkshake since they give you a free milkshake during your birthday month)
My Love: Every time I return home, I immediately want to go to the Grilled Cheeserie. Yes, I’m from Nashville and could honestly go at any time, but people travel to Nashville; that’s my justification for including one of my favorite restaurants. The entire vibe of the Belcourt area is amazing, and The Grilled Cheeserie fits right in. The pimento macaroni and cheese grilled cheese is what heaven would taste like if it were a grilled cheese sandwich.
Cincinnati, OH
Boomtown Biscuits & Whiskey
My Order: Shrimp & Grits (which I don’t know if they have anymore; I couldn’t find it on their menu online)
My Love: The restaurant had a really nice, relaxed vibe about it. This was my first time having shrimp and grits and removing the tail from the shrimp. It was such an interesting, delicious experience. Also, I remember our waiter being a fellow gemini and having a birthday close to mine. I was wearing my “GEMINI” Macklemore shirt, and he commented on it.
I don’t know why I remember that conversation, but it was nice.
Weaverville, NC
Blue Mountain Pizza
My Order: It was a custom order; I only remember me saying “a lot of meat.”
My Love: We didn’t formally reserve a table, yet they were still kind enough to serve us and ask if we wanted anything. We were working on a school project and decided to sit outside the restaurant for the project; then we ended up eating, and now I love Blue Mountain Pizza. This is the most amazingly delicious slice of heaven I’ve ever eaten; I haven’t found a pizza to top it. Weaverville is right outside of Asheville, and if you were to find yourself in Asheville, I recommend making a point to stop in Weaverville to check out Blue Mountain Pizza.
Atlanta, GA
Full Commission
My Order: The Southern (“English muffin sandwich with ham, sunny side up egg, tomato relish & pimento cheese”) with a side of cheese grits
My Love: Again, another place with a really great overall vibe. This was my first time having sunny side up egg, and the combination of The Southern made the sandwich taste incredible. It was a messy eat, but it was also a party in my mouth. Their cheese grits were some of the best cheese grits I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve had A LOT of cheese grits.
Nashville, TN
Baked on 8th
My Order: Oatmeal Creme Pies
My Love: This is more of a bakery than a formal sit down restaurant. Anyway, I’ve always loved the Little Debbie oatmeal creme pies, but Baked on 8th took them to an entirely different, glorious level; Little Debbie’s don’t taste the same anymore. These pies are absolutely fantastic; this was the only thing I got from Baked on 8th, but I am definitely going back to taste more. Also, if you’re into aesthetic Instagram restaurants, Baked on 8th is perfect for Instagram aesthetics.
We started and ended the first list of my top travel eats with the city I complain about but equally love — Nashville, Tennessee.
Two days ago, an EF-3 tornado ripped through parts of Nashville and destroyed several Nashville communities and eateries. More than twenty lives were lost, and hundreds of people were injured. Fortunately, my family went untouched, but the same can’t be said for other families.
There are people without jobs and a place to call home. A couple of schools were destroyed. Keep my beloved city in your thoughts.
If you want to help Nashville get back on its feet, check out @honashville on Instagram.
Nashville eateries that were affected (a couple of which I had planned on visiting soon):
@highgardentea
@burgerup
@thebasementeast
@thesodaparlor
@mutts_andmeows
Featured image credit: Tim Mossholder
