Splendid Ice Cream

On a whim my brother took me to Jenis Splendid Ice Creams upon my arrival to Nashville. Who really needs an excuse for ice cream? Not this gal.

The creamery is nestled on a hip little corner in East Nashville. You can't miss it as their is often a line of people patiently and eagerly awaiting a few moments of bliss. It is just that good. So good that we made two trips in one weekend. The first time I oh so conveniently forgot my camera or so I said. Guess we will have to circle round for part deux.

The ice cream itself is out of this world delicious. But the experience is just as wonderful with kitchy little names and an impressively knowledgable, cheerful staff.

Toppings are called gravel. If you ask me, I'd like a little bit ice cream with my gravel. I was licking the bowl begging for more. Pour on some sauce aka hot fudge. All the other goodies including sprinkles, whipped cream, nuts, etc are your accouterments. I took the sundae approach, both times, more bang for my buck!

Living within close range would be very dangerous. Thankfully there is a 3 hour cushion. I'll stop yammering on. Enjoy!

Next time I'll get one of these to go.

According to this little lady, the ice cream isn't terrible for you. I didn't dig too deep, but I'll take her word for it.

The gravel. Chocolate Blackout has changed my life.

Kat, Jared's girlfriend, is clearly healthier than us without all the accouterments.

Jared and I might be related as we ordered the exact same thing only mine is better because it has sprinkles. We went for the Askinosie Dark Milk Chocolate (phenomenal) and The Buckeye State (chocolate peanut buttery goodness packed in a scoop). Our sauce was hot fudge. Gravel of choice, both nights, Chocolate Blackout. Topped with homemade whipped cream (I watched them make it) and sprinkles for myself.

Gone in a flash!

Yes, I am a child too. I shared my chalk with the little one. I wrote "Jared loves the Buckeyes" because he made such a big deal about ordering an ice cream called The Buckeye State. He is not in fact an Ohio State football fan no matter how much he loves chocolate and peanut butter. He requested a name change.

His mother and sisters apparently taught him to show his affections in strange ways. Sorry Kat.

Lucky for all of you, you don't actually have to go to Nashville to get Jeni's. You can order it online too! You can buy the ice cream, sauces, gravel, and sandwiches here. Could be a great Christmas gift if I do so say so myself!

I will be seeing you again Jeni's.

XO,
Bee

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Burger Republic

Those of you who haven't quite figured me out yet might think that I live in Nashville simply because I am there so often. I in fact live in Memphis. Let me say this, I love Memphis. Culturally Memphis exudes all things Southern. I often find my self shocked upon all the little nuances that this Southern melting pot has revealed. 

Nonetheless, my first Southern love is Nashville, and my brother so conveniently lives in the heart of Tennessee. I find myself venturing over for the weekend every now and then to get my fix. This weekend we tried out a Nashville gem, Burger Republic, hidden far outside of the city in Lenox Village. It is growing in popularity with a wall signed by Southern celebs like Luke Bryan, Lady Antebellum, Little Big Town, etc. They would't let me sign the wall. Apparently they don't appreciate my blogging celebrity status. 

Sometimes these raved about spots don't live up to the hype, but this one surely did as we nearly made ourselves sick stuffing our faces.

We started with the fan favorite Tater Tot Fondue. The tots were perfectly crisp (way better than the dump and bake found in the frozen food aisle). For added pleasure they came with a loaded bake potato fondue. We're talkin' cheese, sour cream, chives, and bacon. 

Some of us were a little over zealous (Jared).

We washed it down with our sweet teas, which happened to be my only complaint. The sweet tea itself wasn't all that sweet and a little watery. I ordered an unsweetened so I could dump in sugar to my hearts content. Unfortunately I had to choose between raw sugar (which doesn't dissolve) and Splenda (I don't do artificial). Rarely is it difficult to get a tall glass of tasty sweet tea in the South, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 

Our fascinating conversation hmmm. 

Then came the burgers! I got the Burger Republic cooked medium, rare and topped with Vermont aged white cheddar, Guinness braised bacon and onions, lettuce, tomato, and Republic sauce on a Brioche bun. 

My you don't know how to press a button face?

First bite was not disappointing. This is not somewhere I would go if I was trying to impress a dude with my etiquette.

Jared got the Buy the Farm burger. It was cooked medium, rare with lettuce, tomato, onion, smoked gouda, fried organic egg (cooked perfectly), red pepper relish, and bacon. 

Heinz 57 french fry potato (my one Jimmy Buffett reference).

I will now take the opportunity to relish in some sibling love/rivalry by picking on my brother when he cannot defend himself. Being the manly man that he claims to be, he was struggling to get through the first half of his burger. 

He claims he ate significantly more tots. 

I claim he is a little girl. And so he responds no no no...

I am an honorary member of the clean plate crew (less the fries)

Seeing that we are extremely competitive with each other. I am going to chalk this one up as a win. I even had time to photograph the whole meal before he was done. 

Overall it was wildly successful and delicious as we were miserable the rest of the afternoon coping with very full stomachs. I highly recommend. Who knows you might run into someone famous too.

XOXO,

Bee

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Franklin, TN

At age 23 I'm probably a little too old to be tagging along with my parents to business trips, but when presented with the options of staying home alone or eating and shopping my way through the Nashville area with my mom, it was a no-brainer. Today we roamed Franklin, TN which has the quaintest little downtown lined with hip boutiques and restaurants. It's been several years since my last visit to Franklin and I had forgotten how great it really is. 

As a self-proclaimed coffee connoisseur, I make it my job to hunt down the best little coffee joints in a new town. Luckily, Merridee's didn't disappoint. We had breakfast here and everything we tried was incredibly delicious. We even went back after lunch for dessert because, well, why not?

  

Gotta get my fix

Who knew coffee in Franklin could be so good? I sure didn't.

 

Now THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is a cinnamon roll

Philanthropy is one of my favorite boutiques in Franklin. They donate a portion of their sales to charity and have some really interesting store displays, not to mention great clothes and accessories.

The historic Franklin Theatre, originally opened in 1937.

Roaming...

Lunchtime!

Queso with BBQ brisket and pico de gallo at 55 South - SO YUM

This place originally caught my eye because of the darling storefront, but once inside I fell in love even more after perusing the jewelry and gift items.

Caffeine stop #2. I know, I have a problem.

I had to practice some serious self-control to keep myself from grabbing each and every piece of clothing and jewelry that called my name, but it was an altogether great, sunny day in downtown Franklin. I can't wait for my next visit.

XO,

Lo

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