Music City is undergoing a massive, dizzying transformation, evolving from a traditional country music hub into a booming, culinary powerhouse. Filming Parts Unknown in 2016, the goal was to capture the friction and beauty of a city caught between its deep Southern roots and its flashy, rapid gentrification. Nashville is globally renowned for its violently spicy hot chicken and its historic ‘meat-and-three’ cafeterias, staples that have fed the working class and hungover musicians for decades. The angle here was to explore the duality of the city—paying deep respect to the old-school dive bars and fiery chicken shacks that built Nashville’s reputation, while also acknowledging the brilliant, ambitious chefs pushing the envelope with avant-garde tasting menus. It was a look at a town trying to innovate without losing its soul. To understand the true rhythm of Nashville today, you have to sample both the high and the low. Here is exactly where you need to eat.
The great Anthony Bourdain left his mark everywhere he went. When his death was announced to the world in June 2018, media throughout the globe chimed in and listed all the great things he had done for their respective city. Whereas before, tourists would shy away from exotic foods, thanks to him, travellers now go the extra mile to find and try local bites. With this in mind, here are all the restaurants Bourdain visited and the dishes he tasted when he shot Anthony Bourdain Nashville for his show, Parts Unknown Season 8 Episode 3 (originally aired October 2, 2016):
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DISH – Hot Fries
WHAT IS IT?
Hot chicken-flavored fries with Velveeta cheese.
WHERE IS IT?
Dino’s
411 Gallatin Ave
Nashville, TN, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
In Parts Unknown Nashville, Bourdain describes Dino’s as “a genuine dive bar”. The iconic burger joint has been in business for a long time.
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DISH – Meat-and-Three
WHAT IS IT?
A choice of meat and three sides.
WHERE IS IT?
Dandgure’s
538 Lafayette St
Nashville, TN, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
Dandgure’s is an example of a meat-and-three establishment – a cafeteria-type institution that offers a choice of meat and three sides at a fixed price.
Unfortunately, this restaurant has closed its doors.
DISH – Nashville Hot Chicken
WHAT IS IT?
Chicken pieces double-dredged and deep-fried for a thick, crispy crust, with each piece given a wet or dry spicy seasoning to form a fiery outer layer.
WHERE IS IT?
Bolton’s
624 Main St
Nashville, TN, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
Anthony Bourdain finds the Nashville hot chicken as very hot and spicy that he thought he was “hallucinating” while eating it.
DISH – Pizza
WHAT IS IT?
Flattened dough topped with tomato sauce, cheese and other ingredients.
WHERE IS IT?
City House
1222 4th Ave N
Nashville, TN 37208, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
City House is an Italian restaurant owned by Chef Tandy Wilson.
DISH – Tasting Menu
WHAT IS IT?
Small portions of dishes; the menu can change constantly, depending on what the chef wishes to prepare. An example is what Anthony Bourdain had in Nashville: risotto that uses sunflower seeds instead of rice, Kani-Seaweed Bucatini topped with grated smoked scallops, and Chocolate and Raspberry Macaroons.
WHERE IS IT?
The Catbird Seat
1711 Division St
Nashville, TN 37203, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
The Catbird Seat is a 20-seat counter-only restaurant with a menu that changes every night.
DISH – Cocktails and New American Cuisine
WHAT IS IT?
Bloody Mary – cocktail of vodka, tomato juice, spices, herbs, lime juice and celery salt; Mimosa – cocktail of champagne and citrus juice; New American Cuisine – traditional American cooking mixed with international and molecular gastronomy influences, like cheeseburgers and short rib hash.
WHERE IS IT? – Anthony Bourdain Nashville
Pinewood Social
33 Peabody St
Nashville, TN, United States
ANTHONY BOURDAIN NASHVILLE NOTES
Anthony Bourdain observed that Pinewood Social is a place “where natural allies – alcohol, hangovers and bowling – co-exist peacefully in an atmosphere of mutual respect”.
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Bourdain respected cities that were honest about their growing pains, and Nashville provided a perfect canvas to explore the tension between old Southern charm and new culinary ambition. He loved the uncompromising, hallucinatory heat of authentic hot chicken just as much as he appreciated the technical wizardry of the city’s modern chefs. This episode stands as a significant cultural snapshot, capturing the vital importance of Nashville’s historic dive bars and meat-and-threes right as rapid development began threatening their existence. It’s a testament to the fact that progress shouldn’t mean erasing history. The legacy here is a reminder to balance the new with a healthy respect for the old. Book a flight, brace yourself for the spice, and dive into the music.
