For our annual Food & Drink Issue, we at the Scene decided to take you back to the classics — the quintessential, standard-setting examples of all-time menu items. From Old Nashville institutions like the Power Caesar Salad at Green Hills Grille and Sperry’s Bananas Foster to newer additions that feel timeless, like the classic steakhouse fare at Star Rover Sound, here we offer you 48 dishes that will never get old. And to preempt some angry emails: Yes, we know we left hot chicken off the list. We counter that enough ink has been spilled on the city’s flock of hot-chicken spots in the past few years. (Though if you still need a recommendation, you can never go wrong with Prince’s.)
Chris Crary, Jess Lambert, Giovanna Orsino and Edgar Victoria will go head to head on April 26 at the Scene-presented event
Also in this issue we’ve got bios on all four of the chefs competing in next week’s Iron Fork competition — that Scene-presented event will take place Saturday, April 26, as part of the Music City Food & Wine Festival. Brought to you by the Scene’s parent company FW Publishing, MCFWF will feature an array of events from April 24 to April 27 at Centennial Park. Read more about those events in the MCFWF program that comes attached to this week’s print issue.
Without further ado, here are 48 Nashville classics.
Pepperoni Pizza: Dicey’s
Pepperoni Pizza: Dicey’s
Pizza slices are like OutKast albums or seasons of Survivor — even the bad ones are pretty good. So really, you can find a pretty damn solid slice of classic pepperoni pizza just about anywhere. As long as it has the right grease-to-cheese-to-sauce ratio, you’re probably in good hands — whether that means Nashville’s essential Five Points Pizza or the award-winning Smith & Lentz. That said, my go-to local slice is at Dicey’s. The pepperoni is cooked perfectly, it has just the right amount of sauce, and the size of the slice isn’t overwhelming like at some other restaurants. Add a little hot honey if you want to take it up a notch. LOGAN BUTTS
Margherita Pizza: Roberta’s
Margherita Pizza: Roberta’s
robertaspizza.com/urban-cowboy
When it comes to pizza, I top mine with meat and veggies 90 percent of the time. The other 10 percent of the time, I eat the Margherita at Roberta’s. This pie defines the genre because it keeps things simple and flawless. The crust is handmade sourdough, chewy and tangy and just charred enough. The tomato sauce is bright, the basil is fresh, and the mozzarella is house-made and showstopping. Bonus: They use the scraps from making the savory, melty cheese for stracciatella, so you can get two classics at one stop. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Fruit Tea: Calypso Cafe
Fruit Tea: Calypso Cafe
Few simple pleasures compare to ice-cold fruit tea in the Nashville summer. Sweet tea’s juicier cousin is a beverage bridge that can span the young and old, new neighbors and old friends, equally appropriate at a wedding or a funeral. If you don’t know a family recipe, don’t look one up — you’ll realize just why it’s so refreshing. Just start at Calypso Cafe, a local favorite that threatened to become something of an endangered species after shuttering several storefronts in the past few years. (Ownership changed hands at the top of the year, with the new owners planning to expand in the future.) Once a widely offered lunch complement, homemade fruit tea has slowly gone the way of Bread & Company. Calypso has you covered, even selling its concoction by the gallon jug for contingency preppers or adventurous at-home mixologists. ELI MOTYCKA
Power Caesar Salad: Green Hills Grille
Caesar Salad: Green Hills Grille
Green Hills Grille is a restaurant with staying power. For more than two decades in three different locations, it has been delighting diners with unpretentious and consistent food and exemplary service. As a favorite spot for business lunches or casual hangs between carpool dropoff and pickup, Green Hills Grille’s menu absolutely has to have a solid salad offering, and the Power Caesar is a standout. This take on the midday classic combines Tuscan kale and shaved Brussels sprouts for the greens and adds red quinoa, avocado and Marcona almonds for textural contrast; red onion, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese for some tang; and bacon, for well … bacon. Tossed with anchovy- and garlic-infused dressing, it’s a Caesar worth hailing. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Hummus: Kalamatas
Hummus: Kalamatas
If the first or last hummus you had was Sabra … hello, fellow white girl! It’s time to level up. For 22 years, Kalamatas has created dependable, delicious Mediterranean food for Nashville. All of it is tasty, but two of its offerings inspire a Pavlovian drool response: hummus and salad dressing. The former is creamy, tangy and effortlessly smooth — the texture of which you’ll deeply appreciate if you ever try to make hummus at home. (Peeling chickpeas is culinary waterboarding.) The latter — their zingy, addictive salad dressing — takes a classic Greek salad (feta, tomato, cucumber) to the gotta-have-one-more-bite level. Bottle it, Kalamatas, I beg you! ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Bagel: Bagelshop
Bagel: Bagelshop
I feel grateful that there are now so many legit bagel places in town and several more opening. To find the best, I considered only bagels that were boiled and then baked, with a slick, crusty exterior and a discernible texture difference between the outside and the inside. I ate them fresh and without toppings (a good bagel is tasty even if it’s not toasted). If you have to load it up to make it taste good, it can still be a good sandwich, but it’s not perfect. For day in, day out, classic bagel consistency, my pick is Bagelshop in Donelson. Yes, they do experiment with crazy flavors and combos, but they never skip the hand-rolled, boiled classic. MARGARET LITTMAN
Biscuits: Butter Milk Ranch
Biscuits: Butter Milk Ranch
It’s been said that even a bad biscuit is better than the best piece of toast. (OK, maybe I was the one who said that, but I meant it!) Among all the great biscuits of Nashville, a relatively new version rises above the rest. Master pâtissière Alyssa Gangeri has revolutionized the art form by creating a multilayer laminated biscuit that does for breakfast what the Cronut did for dessert. Flaky and buttery and light and fluffy all at the same time, BMR’s biscuits can be improved only by the addition of what the restaurant calls “a gravy train” — a flight of gravies including traditional sausage and rotating seasonal specials. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Chicken Wings: Ghot Wingz
Chicken Wings: Ghot Wingz
The wings at Ghot Wingz are so good that we’ll even forgive the overuse of the letter “z” on their menu. (“Tenderz” and “Sidez,” sure. “Drinkz” and “Platterz” are perhaps a bit much.) However, abundance is part of the charm at this East Side staple, where you can order wings breaded or naked in your choice of more than two dozen flavors. With so many options, it’s nice that the kitchen allows patrons to split their order between multiple sauces or seasonings for quantities greater than 12 wings. Just make sure that at least one of them is the amazing spicy lemon pepper! CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Summer Rolls: Love, Peace & Pho
Summer Rolls: Love, Peace & Pho
There is some variance in what restaurants call them, but when I’m hitting up one of Nashville’s Vietnamese restaurants, I am ordering the summer rolls — crispy rolls be damned. Eighth Avenue restaurant Love, Peace & Pho calls them fresh rolls, and they are a triumph of their kind. The fresh rolls are stuffed generously with a mix of fresh herbs, veggies, vermicelli noodles and choice of shrimp or tofu. (I always choose shrimp.) Dunked in some peanut sauce, it’s a refreshing first course. It’s also the perfect appetizer to set the stage for the restaurant’s classic pho. HANNAH HERNER
Queso: Redheaded Stranger
Queso: Redheaded Stranger
If you complain about not having chips to eat Redheaded Stranger’s cheese dip with, you don’t deserve to eat it. Chips are, mostly, the best! What they’re not better than, though, is dipping freshly handmade and griddled-before-your-eyes flour tortillas into hot, melty queso. Redheaded Stranger executive chef Bryan Lee Weaver uses a mix of American and cheddar cheeses, and that twists the classic enough to make it somehow more authentic than the one you grew up on. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Tomato Soup: The Grilled Cheeserie
Tomato Soup: The Grilled Cheeserie
When you need a tomato soup to dip your grilled cheese in, Noshville, The Food Company and even Zoe’s (RIP) have been strong local candidates. But once you’ve had The Grilled Cheeserie’s version, there’s just no going back. Two huge reasons for that: cream and country-ham stock. The use of the former is an open secret among chefs — it balances the acidity of the tomato with some much-needed fat — but the idea of creating your base broth with salty, umami-rich country ham? That’s a cheat code so brilliant it always gets the win. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Gumbo: Spicy Boy’s
Gumbo: Spicy Boy’s
As contributor Danny Bonvissuto once wrote in these pages, “Spicy Boy’s (yes, just one boy) is as close as I’ve ever felt to New Orleans without a Southwest flight.” Indeed, Baton Rouge native Justen Cheney might be practicing some form of sorcery at his Cajun-inspired East Side spot. … Do diners pass through a portal to Louisiana when they step over the Spicy Boy’s threshold? However he does it, Cheney serves up authentic po’boys, debris fries and, perhaps most importantly, the quintessential chicken-and-andouille gumbo. Spicy Boy’s also has an excellent classic-cocktail lineup. A couple of Sazeracs or mint juleps and you’ll be ready to host your own private Mardi Gras. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Matzah Ball Soup: Proper Bagel
Matzah Ball Soup: Proper Bagel
It’s hard to find something more classic than any food that tastes “just like Mom used to make,” which might be why Proper Bagel’s matzah ball soup is peerless. Co-owner Heather Speranza says this recipe has been in their family forever, and it’s clear why. The satisfying scratch-made broth; the tender, fluffy matzah balls; the juicy pieces of chicken; the toothsome curly noodles — all of it is perfectly balanced and essential for a sick day, a cold night or just a moment when you need a virtual hug from Mom. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Pho: Kien Giang
Pho: Kien Giang
If you love pho, you know where to go: Charlotte Pike. The fact that Miss Saigon, VN Pho & Deli and Kien Giang are all within a quarter-mile of one another is an embarrassment of riches. But my true north will always be Kien Giang. They do every piece right: chewy rice noodles, juicy chicken or rare beef, fragrant Thai basil, crunchy bean sprouts, zippy white onion, jalapeños, scallions, lime and the hoisin sauce/Sriracha combo that brings the umami boost. But really? It’s all about the broth: simple, aromatic, savory and just the tiniest bit sweet. I didn’t grow up eating pho, but theirs somehow tastes like home. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Pimento Cheese: The Picnic
Pimento Cheese: The Picnic
thepicniccafe.com
While the roots of pimento cheese originate in the North, most would agree that it’s a Southern staple. In Nashville, the go-to place for the iconic dish — and conversation among regulars — is The Picnic. Since 1983, diners at the stalwart Belle Meade cafe have been found enjoying the pimento cheese — and the delicacy is also often spotted in the picnic baskets of many a Steeplechaser. Insiders also know to order the salad sampler — a scoop of their renowned chicken salad and a scoop of pimento cheese — accompanied by a homemade muffin. JANET KURTZ
French Fries: Grillshack Fries & Burgers
French Fries: Grillshack Fries & Burgers
grillshack.wixsite.com/grillshack
I am from Idaho, folks. I have eaten a lot of potatoes. Curly, matchstick, steak … even during that weird period in 2003, “freedom fries.” When I want the perfect fry, with the right ratio of crispy outside and fluffy inside, a little salty, but not too much, I head to Grillshack Fries & Burgers in East Nashville. These Idaho russets are hand-cut and cooked to order, so you never get stuck with a soggy fry or a cold fry. In fact, they even do the impossible as far as fries go: They taste good as leftovers reheated the next day … not that I usually have leftovers. MARGARET LITTMAN
Breakfast Plate: Brown’s Diner
Breakfast Plate: Brown’s Diner
Why stray from what works? If you want a classic American breakfast — I’m talking eggs any style, hash browns, a side of meat and some carbs — it’s hard to beat longtime Hillsboro Village staple Brown’s Diner. They’ve recently released a whole new menu, but they’re still doing the classics right. The best part here are the carb options. Sure, you can get toast or a biscuit, but you can also choose a pancake — for those times when you want a little something sweet. Which is all the time, in my case. Spoiled by choice! Hallelujah! ELIZABETH JONES
Tuna Roll: Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
Tuna Roll: Sonobana Japanese Restaurant
Truthfully, any menu item at West Nashville institution Sonobana Japanese Restaurant could find itself on our list of classics. We picked the tuna roll because what sushi fan doesn’t appreciate a rock-solid version of sushi’s foundational roll? Open for decades and remodeled just this year, Sonobana offers what is, for my money, the best fresh, straightforward sushi in the city — from nigiri to sashimi to maki. Longtime sushi fan? You’ll love it. Easing in a sushi newcomer? Nowhere better to start. It stays pretty busy, but while you wait for a table, pop by the absolutely delightful Sonobana Japanese Market next door. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Silver Sands
Salmon Croquettes: Silver Sands
There’s a certain nostalgia to a properly made salmon patty. It can evoke the sense memory of the aroma of a school cafeteria on Friday, where fish was on the menu during Lent. Sure, pizza day was always a big deal, but those lunch ladies made better salmon croquettes than they did pizzas. Nowadays, nobody makes a finer fish patty than the kitchen at Silver Sands. The third generation of soul food cooks is now manning the fryer, and they’ll drop the perfect ratio of fish to breading into the oil right when you order it so it comes out hot, crispy and delicious. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Fish and Chips: Rosie’s Twin Kegs
Fish and Chips: Rosie’s Twin Kegs
As a New Englander who was raised Catholic, I have some high standards when it comes to fish and chips. And even though I’m no longer practicing, when I moved to town and Lent began, I was determined to find the kind of fish and chips my grandma would approve of. It’s not an easy task. But Rosie’s Twin Kegs brings me back to late Friday mornings accompanying my nagging grandmother to an unassuming seafood joint near our home. Rosie’s serves perfectly crispy but not dried-out cod (a perfectly acceptable fish, as is haddock) alongside a batch of delicious fries. I don’t avoid meat on Fridays in Lent — as Catholic tradition calls for — but it wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice anyway with this dish around. ALEJANDRO RAMIREZ
Hot Dog: Daddy’s Dogs
Hot Dog: Daddy’s Dogs
Sean “Big Daddy” Porter always lives up to his nickname. He’s got a big personality, a big heart and big dreams of world wiener domination. The all-beef franks at his brick-and-mortar Daddy’s Dogs restaurants — and satellite stadium and walk-up window locations and fleet of hot dog trailers — are also pretty massive. So when he named a dog after himself, you know it had to be epic. The Big Daddy is an oversized all-beef frank topped with a slather of cream cheese, plus bacon, pickles, grilled onions and jalapeños. A generous helping of “Daddy’s Secret Sauwce” completes the masterpiece. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Enchiladas: Las Palmas
Enchiladas: Las Palmas
In our house, comfort food often comes from the nearest of the many locations in Las Palmas’ citywide empire of Mexican cuisine. Their enchiladas supremas are delectable, hearty and reliable, even as a takeout or delivery item — so much so that I don’t think I’ve ordered anything else in the past two years. It’s an art to balance the cheesiness, meatiness and … uh, bean-iness of the four enchiladas that make up the dish, and Las Palmas is out here cranking them out like clockwork. STEPHEN TRAGESER
Steak: Star Rover Sound
Steak: Star Rover Sound
Walking into Star Rover Sound feels like you’re stepping into another universe — or at least another era. With its checkered tablecloths, baskets full of dinner rolls and house-made steak sauce at every table, restaurateur Ford Fry’s Germantown listening room, bar and restaurant is the very definition of a classic steakhouse. Choose your cut (filet, ribeye, skirt steak, chopped steak or T-bone) and preparation (but know that anything past medium-rare is a cardinal steakhouse sin) and enjoy. The steaks aren’t cheap, but they also come with fries, onion rings and a big ol’ salad. Also in classic steakhouse fashion, plan on bringing a doggy bag home. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Mission-Style Burritos: Baja Burrito
Mission-Style Burritos: Baja Burrito
For 25 years, Baja Burrito has brought an absolutely essential West Coast staple to Music City: top-of-the-line Mission-style burritos. Operating out of the former Calypso Cafe building in Berry Hill, Baja offers great tacos and the sneaky-popular Peasant Plate. But the Mission-style burritos — rice-loaded whoppers the size of a body builder’s forearm, popularized in San Francisco’s Mission District in the 1960s — are absolutely unbeatable. What makes them so good? Is it their size? The fact that you can customize them to your own precise specifications? Those perfectly warmed, perfectly chewy tortillas? Whatever it is, Baja Burrito’s signature menu item blows similar fare at chain spots like Qdoba and Chipotle out of the water. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Shepherd’s Pie: Fleet Street Pub
Shepherd’s Pie: Fleet Street Pub
We get it. You miss the shepherd’s pie at Family Wash. We also remember Pie & Pint Tuesday Nights fondly, and while you can still get Family Wash’s take on the pie at Eastside Bowl, there’s another worthy option to fill that pie-shaped hole in your heart (and stomach). The answer lies a few steps below Printers Alley in the subterranean oasis of Fleet Street Pub. The rich St. James Shepherd’s Pie at Fleet Street features savory lamb stew ladled into a bowl and capped with mashed potatoes and gooey cheese. The kitchen also thoughtfully offers a vegetarian version made using lentils in place of lamb. Fleet Street also runs pie-and-pint specials on Tuesdays, so consider that void filled. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Pad Thai: Thai Phooket 2
Pad Thai: Thai Phooket 2
thaiphooket.wixsite.com/thaiphooket
The best way to test the quality of a new or unfamiliar Thai restaurant is by ordering the pad Thai. There are great variations of pad Thai in restaurants throughout Nashville — from Smiling Elephant to the street-food version at Degthai — but none are as classic as the one served at Thai Phooket 2 in Rivergate. The national dish of Thailand, pad Thai finds perfect harmony with lightly cooked, seemingly disparate ingredients. Rice noodles, scrambled eggs and peanuts wouldn’t be side-by-side on most buffets, but woven together with delicious lime juice and tamarind sauce, then topped with fresh bean sprouts, this dish always hits the spot. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
Tikka Masala: Green Chili Indian Restaurant
Tikka Masala: Green Chili Indian Restaurant
Tikka masala is one of those dishes that everyone makes a little differently, but for my money Green Chili’s is the standard by which all others should be judged. It’s creamy and tangy, buttery and spicy. I sometimes order the lamb tikka masala, but for the purposes of our list of Classics™, I’d suggest the chicken tikka masala over fluffy jasmine rice, with just a smattering of golden raisins to balance out all that savory stuff. Here’s a tip from a regular: Drop by M&K Wholesale next door for dessert — the Indian market is owned by the same family behind Green Chili, and it’s my favorite spot in the neighborhood for both incense and ice cream bars. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
Lasagna: Caffé Nonna
Lasagna: Caffé Nonna
Longtime Sylvan Park staple Caffé Nonna got a few updates this year when new owner Will Spiva took the helm. One thing he didn’t change is the restaurant’s intensive approach to lasagna, a recipe tracing back to founding chef Daniel Maggipinto’s very own grandmother. The trick is a delicate marinara that cooks for hours, fortified with dashes of red wine and rosemary. The dish has become a specialty for its current preparer, Chef Gino, who’s made lasagna for Nonna for 16 years. Between the classic beef Bolognese version and the vegetarian butternut squash, the restaurant estimates that lasagna accounts for about a quarter of total sales. A warm slice hits best in fall and winter. ELI MOTYCKA
Spaghetti and Meatballs: Nicky’s Coal Fired
Spaghetti and Meatballs: Nicky’s Coal Fired
“Sometimes, you like to occasionally get exactly what you expect,” Tony Galzin told the Scene before Nicky’s Coal Fired opened in 2016. No dish speaks to that ethos more than Nicky’s spaghetti and meatballs. Mama G’s meatballs — made with a recipe passed down from Chicago-native Galzin’s grandmother, Nanna Gattone — are a sure thing. Tender and seasoned and set off perfectly by a simple sugo (tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, basil), these are as pure and comforting as a hug from Grandma. Add Nicky’s toothsome spaghetti, always perfectly al dente, and you’ve got home cooking that’s better than anything you cook at home. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Whole Chicken: Tacos y Mariscos El Amigo
Whole Chicken: Tacos y Mariscos El Amigo
There’s a reason the test of a chef’s ability is often a French omelet or a whole chicken. When you keep things simple, you have to nail it, and that’s just what they do at El Amigo on Nolensville Pike. When you see the smoke billowing from the small kitchen and smell the roasting meat, you know that succulent, salty bird is calling. They gild the lily with buttery refried beans, pickled onions, homemade hot sauce, corn tortillas and other fixings so you can build the perfect smoked-chicken taco. But my favorite way to enjoy this classic dish is straight-up: golden-skinned, savory, finger-licking goodness. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Fried Chicken: Arnold’s Country Kitchen
Fried Chicken: Arnold’s Country Kitchen
When chef Sean Brock famously embarked on his quest for the perfect fried chicken to serve at Husk, he referenced a dive bar in Oregon as an important inspiration — but we know that Arnold’s Country Kitchen was also probably near the front of his mind. Kahlil Arnold takes great pride in his fried chicken, made from a family recipe for more than 50 years. In fact, he’s considering a new restaurant concept that would revolve around the perfect poultry: spicy but not “hot chicken” hot, with a shatteringly crisp crust and luscious, moist meat. You won’t find anything better in town. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Pulled-Pork Sandwich: Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Pulled-Pork Sandwich: Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
Nashville is blessed with many great barbecue restaurants, many of which serve exemplary pulled-pork sandwiches. However, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint stands above the rest for one simple reason: They put in the time and effort to offer a whole-hog option. Pork shoulders are absolutely fine, especially because large-volume restaurants can load them into rotisserie smokers, set it and forget it until it’s time to pull the meat for sammiches. Whole-hog cookery is a different animal entirely, more art than culinary science. Managing the meat without setting the smokehouse on fire yields a combination of luscious fatty belly meat and dense ham — and maybe even some cheek meat if you’re lucky. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Bologna Sandwich: Robert’s Western World
Bologna Sandwich: Robert’s Western World
While the concept of a “Recession Special” may not feel quite as funny as it once did, it’s nice to know that as long as you can scrape together $6 in change from the couch cushions or the glove compartment of your car, you won’t go hungry for at least a day in Nashville. Robert’s Western World is the city’s most beloved locals-approved honky-tonk, and its Honky Tonk Grill is the home of the aforementioned meal deal, a perfectly griddled pile of thinly sliced bologna piled on toast with lettuce and tomato and served with chips, a Moon Pie and a cold PBR. Let’s hope the aluminum tariff on the beer can doesn’t mess this up! CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Club Sandwich: The Original Corner Pub
Club Sandwich: The Original Corner Pub
You can judge three types of locale by their club sandwich: a bar, a hotel (via room service) and anywhere golf is played. The ingredients, on their own, aren’t anything special: turkey, ham, American cheese, Provolone, lettuce, tomato and mayo, the latter of which must be included for its critical addition of creamy sweetness. At The Original Corner Pub in Green Hills, they construct this all on three slices of grilled white bread, which is another non-negotiable — layers of crispness are key when you’re balancing (figuratively and literally) multiple meats and cheeses. Throw it in a basket with a red-and-white liner, a pickle and potato chips? No better classic lunch. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Hot Fish Sandwich: Ed’s Fish House
Hot Fish Sandwich: Ed’s Fish House
Nashville hot chicken continues its moment in the cultural zeitgeist, but the local tradition of hot fish sandwiches deserves a little time in the spotlight as well. Born as a staple of post-church potluck lunches, it is traditionally made using huge planks of fried whiting or cod balanced precariously on slices of spongy white bread, spiced up with tangy mustard, cayenne-based hot sauce and finished with sharp raw onions and melted cheese. For more than 50 years, Ed’s Fish & Pizza House has made the prototypical version of the classic, so much so that they stopped making pizzas years ago and dropped the word from the restaurant’s name. CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN
Cheeseburger: Fat Mo’s
Cheeseburger: Fat Mo’s
Sure, it’s one of the most basic and all-American of meals, but a good cheeseburger is surprisingly hard to get just right. Some have fresh ingredients but too much mustard. Some go all out with a fancy bun that distracts from the rest of the flavors. Fat Mo’s on Gallatin in East Nashville is the only place I’ve ever gotten consistently perfect (yes, perfect) cheeseburgers, every single time. The downsides — it’s drive-thru only, and they serve it in a styrofoam container — are small prices to pay for an affordable hits-the-spot burger from one of Nashville’s most beloved classic spots. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
Muffuletta: FatBelly Pretzel
Muffuletta: FatBelly Pretzel
It’s almost unfair to put other muffulettas up against FatBelly Pretzel's. The brand was launched on the strength of its soft pretzels, so stacking any meats and cheeses atop their chewy, fluffy, sesame-seeded pretzel bun is going to yield something tasty. But then you layer smoked bologna, spicy capicola, Genoa salami and Swiss and provolone cheeses. You smear the bun with piquant giardiniera and crunchy veggie-and-olive salad. And then you toast it. Not only does that step set FatBelly’s Hot Muff apart, but it also crisps the bread and turns the cheese into melty, pull-apart goodness, giving it a pizza punch you never knew you needed. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Chicken Parmesan: Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen
Chicken Parmesan: Nicoletto’s Italian Kitchen
A good chicken Parm is one of life’s great indulgences. You’d be hard-pressed to find a dish on this list that so seamlessly combines two existing Classics™ — fried chicken and spaghetti. Add to that the culinary pièce de résistance — melted mozzarella cheese — and you’ve got yourself a champion classic dish. Nicoletto’s East Nashville location on Gallatin Pike, next door to Mickey’s Tavern, has been a favorite since its doors opened in 2016, and thanks to an additional spot on Lebanon Pike in Donelson, you can snag a Parm no matter where you happen to be. And since it’s Nicoletto’s, it’s ever-so-slightly elevated — the pasta (swap whatever noodle you like in place of spaghetti) and marinara are always freshly made, and the buttermilk-fried chicken breast is perfectly tender. LAURA HUTSON HUNTER
Loaded Nachos: Nectar Urban Cantina
Loaded Nachos: Nectar Urban Cantina
While everyone knows Donelson’s Nectar Urban Cantina boasts one of the best patios in the city, they’re also scoring high in their nacho game. The Nectar Nachos have thin, light chips (can nachos be light? I say yes), piled high with black beans, pico, scallions, chipotle sauce, guacamole and drizzles of queso. I highly recommend adding some chipotle chicken for a huge meal or a great starter for the table. Grab a beer, play a yard game, and keep coming back for nacho breaks. The perfect spring night. ELIZABETH JONES
Baklava: Jihan International Market
Baklava: Jihan International Market
When you pull up to Jihan off Nolensville Pike, you’re faced with a large roadside sign reading “BAKLAVA” — that’s how you know you’re in the right place. The food counter is usually swarmed with people buying shawarma, cakes and, yes, baklava. They’ve got classic pistachio, they’ve got walnut, and they’ve got “extra pistachio” flavors in a variety of shapes and sizes. The baklava itself has more layers than one could count, with a sweet and sticky, nutty honey filling and flaky golden top layers. It’s sweet, crispy on top, and the perfect amount of gooey. ELIZABETH JONES
Chess Pie: Osborne’s Bi-Rite
Chess Pie: Osborne’s Bi-Rite
Dessert doesn’t get simpler than chess pie, the gooey mix of eggs, butter and sugar claimed by the American South that is, after all, “just pie.” Osborne’s Bi-Rite still keeps a classic Nashville hot bar in its back corner complete with daily baked treats, including lemon and chocolate variations on this regional favorite. It’s sold for a crowd, Bi-Rite’s gift to the harried guest on the way to that last-minute function, and by the slice, a personal triangle able to be disposed of like pizza in the driver’s seat of one’s car. A quick Bi-Rite stop will soon work its way into your weekly routine, easy as pie. ELI MOTYCKA
Glazed Doughnut: Fox’s Donut Den
It’s true — I sang the praises of the apple fritters at Fox’s Donut Den in last year’s Food & Drink Issue. But I just can’t miss an opportunity to shout out the longtime Green Hills staple, where everything is nearly as cheap and just as delicious as it has been for the past half-century. You can grab one of those aforementioned fritters, or a cruller, or one of Fox’s Bavarian-cream-filled Long Johns — or go nuts and get an assorted dozen. But you’ll never go wrong with a classic glazed, as delicious and soft here as anywhere you’ll find. D. PATRICK RODGERS
Frito Pie: Dino’s
Frito Pie: Dino’s
Nothing is more classic than a dish that can be explained in three words: Fritos. Chili. Velveeta. Obviously, dive bars are the right place for things to be covered in chili, cheese or both. But the thing that makes Dino’s Frito pie the paragon is that it’s in a pie tin, not a Frito bag. I know, I know: The bag is cute! It also kinda sucks. By the third bite, you’ve got chili on your knuckles, cheese is dripping out the ripped side, and you can’t get the perfect bite you want. By making the “pie” part of the Frito pie equation, Dino’s has actually improved upon the classic. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Chocolate Chip Cookies: Brightside Bakeshop
Chocolate Chip Cookies: Brightside Bakeshop
Small-batch artisan bakeries aren’t hard to find, but what does that actually mean? At Brightside Bakeshop, it means using local produce and natural ingredients like unbromated flour, which can be more difficult to work with but is completely chemical-free. It also means using real European butter. This is crucial, because EU butter must be 82 to 90 percent butterfat, while the silly old U.S. requires only 80 percent. The higher fat content creates a richer flavor, especially in baking. Put that in cookie form, add three different kinds of chocolate and top it with flaky sea salt? You’ll remember why cookies and milk never go out of style. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Bananas Foster: Sperry’s
Bananas Foster: Sperry’s
The dessert menu at Sperry’s simply states “flamed table side” for its bananas Foster description, as if presuming just two possible questions: Where will my bananas be torched, and by what method of caramelization? Flambé, of course. And right in front of you. Such brevity underscores what a true classic Sperry’s has in the bananas Foster, a decadent sugar-rum molten magma spooned onto and around heaping vanilla ice cream scoops. Textures combine into something greater than the sum of their parts. Temperatures collide like a science experiment seeking equilibrium. Like any true classic, the dish has a survival streak — this one built on sugar, alcohol and ostentatious flair — that can captivate a dining room as tables look over and say, “We’re getting that.” ELI MOTYCKA
Bobbie's Dairy Dip
Milkshake: Bobbie’s Dairy Dip
facebook.com/bobbiesdairydipcharlotteave
I’m more-is-better about a lot of things — but not when it comes to those over-the-top milkshakes, with toppings and whipped cream that make them barely contained by the glass in which they are served. There’s only one right answer to the classic milkshake that heralds the beginning of summer. That’s Bobbie’s Dairy Dip’s hot fudge milkshake, served in an old-school patterned paper cup with a plastic lid. Ideally, you’ve stood in a moderate but fast-moving line to get to the window to order it. Sip it while strolling Sylvan Park or while sitting on the picnic tables planning your day. If you’re not a milkshake person, a soft-serve cone with a crunchy candy shell works too. MARGARET LITTMAN
Banana Split: Elliston Place Soda
Banana Split: Elliston Place Soda
This picture-perfect banana split starts with — you guessed it — a split banana. Then sandwich large scoops of vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream between the halves. It’s then topped with fresh strawberry and pineapple, piled with ample whipped cream, and covered in chocolate syrup. Topping it off are three cherries. When you bite into it, yes, of course it’s sweet. But it also has a little crunch from the fruit and a little fluffiness from the whipped cream. This one is big enough to share … not that you’re going to want to. ELIZABETH JONES
Bushwacker: Brewhouse
Bushwacker: Brewhouse
Nashvillians explain bushwackers many ways. Spiked shake. Adult Frosty. Or my new favorite shorthand: “The milkshake version of a Long Island Iced Tea,” which the Scene’s Abby White wrote back in 2013. But the fact that we’ve been talking about these booze-heavy frozen drinks for so long shows what a bona fide Nashville classic they are — and no one does a more classic take than Brewhouse. Obviously, the recipe is top-secret, but likely includes rum, milk, ice, crème de cacao, vodka, Kahlua, cream of coconut, Baileys Irish Cream, etc. (That “etc.” is doing a lot of heavy lifting, because this list could go on.) You kind of need that much booze to cut through all the dairy and sweetness — you just don’t need more than one Bushwacker if you want to walk out of Brewhouse straight. ASHLEY BRANTLEY
Banana Split: Elliston Place Soda
