12 Best Food Trucks: NASHVILLE

April 02, 2016 by Amber Ford in Native in Nashville, Nashville, Where to eat, Nashville Food Scene, Favorites, Food trucks, Local, Lifestyle Blog, Foodie, Tips from a native, Nashville Blog

It all started with the ice cream man when I was a kid, and I've been hooked on food on wheels ever since! Luckily, I live in Nashville, where food trucks are taking over, and man oh man, are they delicious! I have teamed up with Virago's Executive Chef , Andrew Whitney, to bring you all a list of the 12 best food trucks in Nashville and his recommendations of what to get when you go!

Yayo's OMG !

Yayo's OMG! is mobile food truck run by Chef Yayo Jiménez, serving original Mexican gourmet food ! Their mission is to provide customers with the highest quality local ingredients & authentic Mexican flavor in every dish for a truly delicious experience!

What to order: Shrimp meximelt or Legend Tacos

Website: http://www.yayosomg.com/

Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Four & Twenty Blackbirds offers globally inspired comfort foods. From grilled cheese to Poutine, hand cut fries, delicious seasonal salads and classic sandwiches with a gourmet twist.

What to order: Poutine

Website not available. Follow them on Instagram @blackbirdfoodtruck

Hoss' Loaded Burgers

Hoss' Loaded Burgers is a gourmet burger food truck serving 100% grass-fed, local beef burgers stuffed with cheeses and topped with vegetables and homemade sauces. They also offer a vegan variation of every single burger on the menu.

What to order: The Jaw Dropper

Website: http://www.hossburgers.com/Welcome.html

Smoke Et Al

Smoke Et Al was voted one of the "15 Best Food Trucks in America". Chefs Shane Autrey and Steve Ford specialize in all things smoked, even the vegetables. They also have homemade dressings to serve with their salads.

What to order: Hot ribs. Wings.
Fried pickled okra with Alabama white sauce.

Website: http://www.smokeetal.com/

The Grilled Cheeserie

The Grilled Cheeserie Food Trucks, and soon to be Gourmet Melt Shop provides all different variations of gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches made with seasonally-inspired and local ingredients.

What to order: The B&B of Tennessee. Pimento mac and chee melt. The melt of the moment is always spot on and any of the desserts.

Website: http://www.thegrilledcheeserietruck.com/about/

Crepe A Diem

Crepe A Diem is a unique food truck serving French street food. Everything is made to order, from scratch, using quality local ingredients. Featuring both sweet and savory traditional crépes, sandwiches, and more! Be on the lookout for their bright red truck!

What to order: Hash browns. Lemon sugar crepe. The roast beef Baguette.

Website: http://www.crepeadiem.com/

Bao Down

Bao Down offers handcrafted local Chinese street food. They serve grass-fed, all natural meat and free range poultry, provided by Walnut Hills Farm in Bethpage, TN. Bao is a steamed bun that can have many fillings, savory or sweet.

What to order: Char siu Bao or Shu Mai

Website: http://www.baodownnashville.com/

Retro Sno

Nashville’s original shaved ice food truck. Retro Sno has brought back the snow cone with creativity. They mix all of their syrups by hand, using premium pure cane sugar. Their handcrafted syrups are poured over the fluffiest shaved ice and finished with fresh toppings or stuffed with all-natural ice cream!

What to order: Orange dreamsicle, raspberry wedding cake, and Rainbow.

Website: http://www.retrosnotruck.com/

Bare Naked Bagel

Bare Naked Bagel offers fresh New York Style bagels and bagel sandwiches made from local unprocessed ingredients.

What to order: The everything bagel turkey sandwich

Website: http://www.barenakedbagel.com/

Deg Thai

Deg Thai strives to provide the highest quality Thai-fusion meals in Nashville. It's Thai food with a twist!

What to order: Massaman curry, Thai tea, and
Spring rolls.

Website: http://m.degthai.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.degthai.com%2F&dm_redirected=true#2888

Bradley's Curbside Creamery

Look for Bradley's Curbside Creamery's pretty blue truck for some simple and delicious, slow-churned ice cream, a shake, or a float!

What to order: The White Trash Float

Website: http://bradleyscreamery.com/

Rolling Feast

Rolling Feast offers Southwestern-American food by Chef Tom Mead. They use all fresh, local ingredients and even bake their own sandwich buns from scratch, right on the truck. Be on the lookout for their bright red truck!

What to order: Sonoran Dog

Website: http://therollingfeast.com/

Executive Chef, Andrew Whitney PC:@ViragoNashville Instagram

If anyone around here knows about flavor and taste, it's Andrew Whitney. He has been named one of Nashville's top chefs. Andrew has accomplished his career goals by receiving his Chef’s training at the Le Cordon Bleu in Atlanta, Georgia. He, previously, was the Executive Chef for another local Nashville food truck turned Brick and Mortar, Riff’s Fine Street Food. He is now the Executive Chef of the award winning Asian fusion restaurant, Virago. His newest menu contributions are heavily influenced by the season, created with respect for regional traditions, as well as the Asian culture.

You can't go wrong ordering any of these items Andrew suggested from any of the food trucks on the list. I can assure you, all of these are worth hunting down. Most of them cater, as well. To find out where each of these food trucks may be each day, I recommend that you follow them on Instagram or check out their websites. You can also checkout Roaming Hunger's website for an interactive map or Nashville Food Truck Association.

http://roaminghunger.com/bna/

http://foodtrucksnash.org/

I really appreciate Andrew teaming up with me on this one, and your taste buds will too! I hope you all enjoy, and thanks, as always, for reading about my most favorite topic- FOOD!

XOXO- Amber

Instagram: @NativeInNashville

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NativeInNashville/

Twitter: @NativeInNash

#BallSoHard: 13 Best Sports Bars in Nashville

March 22, 2016 by Amber Ford in Downtown, Food blog, Made in Nashville, Food, Bushwackers, Favorites, Where to eat, Midtown, Happy hour, Nashville lifestyle blog, Drink specials, Bars, Football, Where to go, Nashville, Nashville Blog, Sports, Nachos, Wings, West end, Native in Nashville, Sports bars, March madness, NCAA, Local

Welcome back FOOTBALL SEASON!! I put together a list of the best sports bars in Nashville for y'all !! I have included their happy hour information, as well as what menu items they are known for (helpful if you are indecisive like me). Nashville has an incredible selection of places to get your friends together and grab a cold one, a wide variety of mouth-watering food, and an abundance of tv's to watch your favorite team play!

Neighbors

Neighbors, located in Sylvan Park, was the 2015 winner of "Best Neighborhood Bar" in Nashville by the Nashville Scene.

Specialty: Smoked Wings

Happy Hour: Daily 11-7pm

$1 off all draft beers and well drinks

Tuesdays: all day 2-for-1 drafts

Sam's Sports Bar/Sam's Place

Sam's Sports Grill has four great locations in Temnessee to choose from, including Belle Meade, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, and Blue Turtle Bay Marina.

Specialty: Pizza and wings. They offer a very diverse menu and you will be happy to know it's all made from scratch!

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-7pm

$3 off wine by the glass & $1 off all beer

Happy Hours vary by location.

M.L. Rose

M.L. Rose has two locations, one on Franklin Pike & one on Charlotte Pike. Both offer spacious patios. Even the patios have tv's so you won't miss the game!

Specialty: Their wide selection of craft beers & the "Nashvegas" Burger. Their sweet potato waffle fries are a big hit too.

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-6pm

$1 off appetizers, liquor, wine and beer(high gravity excluded)

Thursdays: 3-close 2-4-1 beer and from 3-10 double tall well drinks

Saturday-Sunday: $3 Gerst by Yazoo

Corner Pub

Corner Pub offers 5 locations: Midtown, Brentwood, Bellvue, Mount Juliet, and Franklin. There is also a seperate location in Green Hills !! :)

Specialty: Burgers & Hot Chicken Chunks

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-7pm

$1 off drafts, half price well drinks and wine, and $5 Bushwackers

Saturday-Sunday: $5 Bloody Mary's

Sunday: Happy Hour all day until 10pm.

** happy hour specials are for the Midtown location

South

South is located on Demonbreun and their extra big screen TV makes for a fun game watching experience.

Specialty: "The Nashville" chicken wrap, wings & the South Burger.

Happy Hour: Monday-Thursday 4-9pm

$3 domestic bottles & $4 wine

Sundays: Bottomless mimosas and Bloody Mary's for $15

Harp & Fiddle

Harp & Fiddle is also located on Demonbreun. They have a large tv on display outside the building, which can make for a very fun patio experience during a big game.

Specialty: Fish & Chips and Shepard's Pie

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 4-7pm

$4 drafts & well drinks + $1 off all bottled beer and $5 select house wine

Crows Nest

Crows Nest is located in Green Hills. With 38 tv's, 2 floors, 2 bars, and 3 patios I would say they are up on their sports bar game.

Specialty: Cali Club Sandwich and Parmasan Spinach Risotto

Happy Hour: Monday open-close & Tuesday-Friday 2-6pm

1/2 off domestic draft & bottles, 1/2 off house liquor, $2 off all glasses of wine, $2 off all premium liquor, and $2 off all appetizers

Double Dogs

Double Dogs is located in Hillsboro Village and their 35 tv's will ensure you have a great view to see your favorite team play.

Specialty: Buffalo Mac n Cheese, Bo's Dog Bowl Nachos, Wings with homemade sauce, and the Bo Burger with their specialty sauce

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 3-7pm

Well liquor $3.25 and domestic bottles $2.50 with additional weekly specials below

Wednesday: $3 house wine from 3-7m

Saturday-Sunday: $3 Bloody Mary's and Mimosas from 11-3pm

Jonathan's

Jonathan's Grill has five locations: Green Hills, Cool Springs, Mt. Juliet, Spring Hill, and Bellvue. It was named by CNN as one of the "Top 101 Sports Bars in America".

Specialty: Pizza and wings

Happy Hour: Monday-Saturday 3-7 2-for-1 on all bottled and draft beer, double pour on house wine, and single liquor drinks. Some appetizers are 1/2 price. 2-for-1 beer again after 10pm as well as pizza specials

Saturday-Sunday: $4 Mimosas and Bloody Mary's

Sunday: 1/2 off select bottles of wine and 2-for-1 beer all day

Dawg House Saloon

Dawg House Saloon is located on Demonbreun and you can always expect a good crowd.

Specialty: Wings, hot dogs, and sliders

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 11-6pm

2-for-1 drafts and Jack Fire

Thursday- an additional happy hour from 7-midnight

Saturday-Sunday- bucket specials 6 domestic bottles for $15

Smokin' Thighs

Smokin' Thighs is a food truck turned restaurant, located on Wedgewood Avenue, and is known for having Nashville's largest moonshine selection.

Specialty: Thighs in a Pile and the Bacon Mac & Cheese

Happy Hour: Monday-Sunday 10-10pm

2-for-1 tall boy cans and 2-4-1 drafts from 2-8pm

Jed's

Jed's is Nashville's biggest sports bar, located on West End within walking distance to Centennial Park, and they show every major sporting event.

Specialty: The Sonoma Burger, Homerun Nachos, & the wings. Everything is made in house fresh from scratch, even the tortilla chips.

Happy Hour: Monday-Friday 2-6pm

$1 off bottles and drafts and $4 well drinks with additional weekly specials below.

Monday: $5 well drinks

Tuesday: 2-for-1 drafts and bottles all day

Wednesday: $5 Bushwackers

Thursday: $5 Car Bombs

Friday: $5 Fireball Shots

Broadway Brewhouse

Broadway Brewhouse offers five locations: Midtown, Charlotte Pike, Cool Springs, Highway 100, and Downtown.

Specialty: They created the Bushwacker so that is definitely a must and their wings are a local favorite.

Happy Hour: Happy hour times and specials vary by location. (Happy hour specials exclude high gravity)

Grab your friends, and an Uber or Lyft, and take advantage of some of these great happy hour specials. Enjoy some delicious food and enjoy the amazing sports bar atmospheres that any of these places have to offer! Thank y'all for reading as always and please share with your friends. XOXO- Amber

** If you have never used Uber before you can use my code for a free ride up to $15. amberf340

#PatioWeather: 18 of the Best Patios in Nashville

March 11, 2016 by Amber Ford in Native in Nashville, Broadway, Nashville lifestyle blog, Where to eat, Best patios Nashville, Best Patios and Rooftops, Downtown, Local, Nashville, Favorites, The Gulch, East Nashville, 12 South, Where to hang, Things to do, Lifestyle blog

With daylight savings time & warmer, sunnier days ahead, I figured putting together a list of some of the best patios & rooftops in Nashville might be a good idea !! Grab some friends & go enjoy some live music, great food & ice cold drinks in the best city there is to do it in!!

ACME Feed & Seed Rooftop Patio

ACME has some of the best views there are in Nashville!! Located downtown, you are overlooking the Cumberland River, Nissan Stadium and the Pedestrian & Korean Veteran's Blvd bridges and also can see all the way down Broadway. It's the perfect place to pre-game before Titans games or just plain awesome for any sunny day! They also have a live DJ which makes for a fun time!

BarTaco

Bar Taco, located in 12 South, is the newest stylish Mexican spot serving serving classic & creative tacos. Casual atmosphere and great place to go with a group !! Their food is amazing !!

Taco Mamacita

Taco Mamacita's is located in Edgehill Village. Another great Mexican restaurant with inventive tacos and enchiladas! This is also a great place to go with a group! I spent my last birthday there with 25 of my closest friends! Great atmosphere !!

Tootsie's Orchid Lounge Rooftop

Tootsie's is one of the oldest and most famous Honky Tonks downtown Nashville has to offer. Located on Broadway, the newest addition to Tootsie's is their rooftop bar with up close views of the "Batman building", Bridgestone Arena and birds eye view of Broadway. It's the perfect place to people watch and listen to some great live music!

Virago Rooftop Patio

Virago has one of my most favorite ambiance's Nashville has to offer. Located in the Gulch you can enjoy some sake,delicious sushi and Nashville's beautiful skyline. The music, atmosphere and view is amazing. What more can you ask for.

Rippy's Rooftop Patio

Another one of Nashville's most popular Honky Tonks on Broadway is Rippy's. You are sure to find a big crowd, live music and amazing BBQ! It's directly across the street from Bridgestone Arena and is a great place to go to pre-game before a Pred's game!

Saint Añejo

Located in the Gulch, Saint Anejo is an upscale Mexican restaurant with a "cantina chic" atmosphere. The outdoor patio is the perfect place to enjoy one of their signature margaritas or some of their delicious queso or freshly made guacamole.

Tavern

Tavern is located in Midtown. It's a sleek gastropub serving retro cocktails, small plates and tacos. I also HIGHLY recommend their s'mores !! Seriously to die for. I actually want some right now!

Rebar

Located in Midtown, Rebar has always been one of my favorite places to go out to in Nashville. It's a very chill atmosphere and always a good time. Make sure to grab a bushwacker, theirs are the best I've had in town.

Blue Moon Waterfront Grille

Blue Moon Waterfront Grille is one of my most favorite places to go in Nashville. It's located on the Cumberland River at Rock Harbor Marina. It's the perfect little escape and they have delicious seafood. Makes you want to listen to some Otis Redding. They will be re-opening in mid-March and I hear may be bringing out some live music right being played right on the water. If you have never been, do yourself a favor & check it out.

San Antonio Taco Co.

San Antonio Taco Co. is located near Vanderbilt. This Tex-Mex style restaurant is known for their homemade tortillas, award winning Chili Con Queso and awesome patio!!

Bar Louie

You can find Bar Louie in the Gulch! They also have a great patio at their Murfreesboro location but the Nashville location is my favorite! It's a great place to "eat, drink and be happy." I love their relaxed atmosphere and location! Parking is easy so that's always a plus!

5th & Taylor

5th and Taylor in historic Germantown has a rustic-industrial modern feel. Their patio is beautiful, especially at night & has more of a neighborhood feel. It's very spacious which is good for anyone who doesn't like to be crowded. I love the Germantown area and this restaurant is amazing !!

M.L. Rose Craft Beer & Burgers

M.L. Rose has two locations one on Franklin Road and the other is off of Charlotte Pike ! They are known for their wide selection of craft beers and have the best burgers! Both offer awesome patios but I think my favorite is going to be the one on Franklin rd. They just expanded it and upgraded it like crazy !! It is going to be such a pretty, fun and chill place to hang out !!

Jackson's

Located in Hillsboro Village, Jackson's patio is another one of my favorite patios to hang out on. It's also great for people watching and don't be surprised if you see Taylor Swift or the entire cast of "Nashville" walking by.

The Treehouse

The Treehouse is a very unique & creative restaurant located in East Nashville. It's a very charming place and somewhat romantic! If you are in the area be sure to check it out.

Pinewood Social

Pinewood Social is located downtown and down by the river. They offer bowling , food, cocktails and their outdoor patio even has a pool and bocce ball! It's a social gathering place that can accommodate just about anyone's needs!

Tennessee Brew Works Taproom

TN Brew Works is a brewery but they also have the Tennessee Taproom which has live music, food and pints, samplers and even growlers of their brews !! Awesome patio and great set up!

I hope you all enjoy and as always thank you for reading !! XOXO- Amber

Top 10 Can't Live Without Beauty Products

February 24, 2016 by Amber Ford in Favorites, Eyes, Makeup, Cosmetics, Face, Beauty products, Hair, Skincare, Lips, Beauty blog, Must have items, Lifestyle blog

Y'all know those products you find and you try out once, then can never live without them again? No matter how much they cost you, you have to have them? Well I wanted to share with you guys some of mine!! Some of them are a little on the pricier side and I almost wish I never tried them, but it's too late now and they work perfect for me so here we go.

1. I will start with my most favorite makeup wipes in the history of ever. You can buy them at Target and a pack of 45 will run you about $10. I love the way they make my face feel and the smell is awesome!! The brand is YES TO. I like to make them last so I actually tear them in half so I don't have to go back to Target so often. You know how that goes, walk in for one thing (a $10 dollar pack of makeup wipes, leave with a new chair for your living room, 12 picture frames, 17 bags of candy, 5 new shirts for a grand total of $1542. Yeah, I try to stay FAR away.

2. EVO "Water Killer" Dry Shampoo. This product will run you about $25 and its the absolute BEST dry shampoo I've ever found in my life. I use to be the girl who had to wash my hair every single day, but lets be honest, who really has time for that? I know if I have to make the decision between wash my hair or sleep an extra 30 minutes in the morning, I'm going with sleep, EVERY time. I can go about 4 days until I have to wash my hair again. This gives you body and fullness as well as makes your hair look and smell clean. It's basically like magic. I buy mine at Parlour 3 in Brentwood.

3. Strobe Cream from MAC. I love this face lotion. It makes my face shimmery like Edward Cullen, and I mean c'mon who doesn't love a good shimmer? This moisturizes and makes your skin more radiant. I guess you can say it takes away any dull or tired appearance. It brightens your skin with vitamins, green tea, andioxidants and iridescent particles. So in a nutshell I would say it gives you a healthy looking glow, without even being pregnant. Ha . This is $33 for 1.7 ounces , so it will last you awhile !!

4. Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit (powder version) . I bought mine at Ulta for $40. This kit is amazing for contouring and highlighting, and quite frankly making my cheek bones look way cooler than they actually are. I have the light to medium shade kit and it includes 3 highlighting shades and 3 for contouring. Using this can help emphasize your cheeks, jawline, nose and even your eyes. A complete game changer !

5 and 6: Honey Love lipstick & Nightmoth lip liner both from MAC. I actually tried this combination out by mistake and ever since I've been hooked. When you see these next 2 pictures y'all are going to think I'm crazy but I promise people ask me what lip color I'm wearing almost every day. It is a nude lipstick with a very dark lip liner . And put together it makes (for me) the perfect shade of mauvey nude.

7. "They're Real" mascara by Benefit. This mascara is $24 and can be purchased at Ulta or Sephora. I've tried a million different mascaras it seems and this is the one that works best for me ! It actually makes you look like you're wearing fake eyelashes. It seperates your lashes perfectly and makes them look super long. Not like tarantulas like other pricey mascara I have tried.

8. "Burgundy times 9" eyeshadow palette by MAC. $40 I'm a BIG fan of eyeshadow palettes in general because I love a good bargain. When you think of how much this would cost if you bought all these colors seperately, your head would spin. As I said in my last blog post I have green eyes and I really like to wear colors (when I wear eyeshadow) that make them pop. Mauvey, pinkish or purple shades really do the trick ! I love this palette in particular because it has some shimmery colors and some matte colors and I like to change it up sometimes. My absolute favorites I wear are the top 2 on the left and the bottom middle.

9. Frankie Rose "matte perfection foundation" in the shade neutral. I was only introduced to this foundation Saturday and I'm already addicted. Same with my item number 10. I've been getting compliments ever since I got it. I have heard things like "it's not as cake like" (yes apparently my face looked like dessert before) and "your face looks a lot more smooth". It doesn't feel like I'm wearing a lot of makeup and it matches perfectly. So happy I found it!! $33 and I think it can only be purchased online or at Parlour 3 in Brentwood.

10. Amazing Cosmetics "Amazing concealer" in light beige. $42 and I purchased at Parlour 3 as well. I have naturally very dark circles around my eyes and I can't ever seem to figure out how to cover them up! This has actually done the trick! I apply my foundation first and the concealer afterwards. It's definitely the best concealer I've ever used. It says "The World's Best Concealer" right on the box & I like a company confident enough to put that right on the product! Seriously where has this stuff been all my life !?

I hope if you get the chance to try any of these amazing products you love them as much as I do and as always thanks for reading and sharing !! XOXO- Amber