Trip to the Deep South

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:10 am

i'm heading over to the US for a couple of weeks of touring at the beginning of may.

i'm thinking of flying in to new orleans, staying there for 5 days or so, then swinging up to memphis for a few days and possibly then across to nashville for a couple, before travelling back to new orleans before flying back.

i'm heading to this region because i've been all over the states, but never been to the deep south. that and i love blues and figured i'd check out some good live music while i'm there and i hear the food is good also.

i'll be travelling on my own and using public transport as i find it more interesting and a better way to see the country and meet the people.

any particular recommendations as to what to check out (or what to avoid!) in these 3 cities when i'm there, or perhaps insider suggestions on something a bit off the beaten track? favourites restaurants, bars etc. thanks.

AACJ · Post by **AACJ** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:37 am

While in Memphis, if you have a good heart, go to Dyers Hamburgers on Beale Street. They deep fry their hamburgers. So what, they deep fry them, you say? Anyone can do that. However, they have been using the same oil to fry their burgers in for the last 100 or so years. They clean the oil, but never add to it or throw it away. It's one of the things that make their burgers taste as good as they do. My boss went there a few years ago and said they were pretty damn good!

Here is their website, be sure to click on the video tab to get an idea of what I'm talking about.

http://www.dyersonbeale.com/index.php

stanmog · Post by **stanmog** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 10:52 am

In New Orleans, raw oysters at Acme Oyster House:

http://www.acmeoyster.com/

Post by **Sam** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:16 am

Beale Street for music. Rendezvous for the ribs and ambience. Gus's Fried Chicken was rated as a must-go-to-place years ago for chicken. THis is all downtown.

Nashville - I am headed there tomorrow. Tin Angel is great and so is Valentino's (Italian). A lot of good places over near Vandy area.

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:09 pm

this is all good stuff guys. i'll be eating out every night so am sure will be able to check them all out. what i will do is report back and let you know how i got on in those places. is nashville worth the visit? i'm only going for the music connection, but is it pretty quiet or is there plenty of stuff to see and do?

Rufus · Post by **Rufus** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:09 pm

stanmog wrote:In New Orleans, raw oysters at Acme Oyster House:

http://www.acmeoyster.com/

I'd also recommend Felix's Restaurant & Oyster Bar at 739 Iberville St., New Orleans and is acrss the street from Acme. Great oysters on the half-shell, but I particularly like their mudbugs.

Gene · Post by **Gene** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 12:59 pm

Favorite place to eat in New Orleans is the Bon Ton Cafe.

If you like bread pudding...theirs is to die for...afloat in a butter/bourbon sauce that is so nice!

*edit for spelling

Post by **Sam** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 1:32 pm

Nashville is very vibrant and that town can positively rock after dark. On the weekends, weather is good, you can go to many places that have live music. Heck, you can see who is playing at the Gaylord Arena, the Grand Ole Opry or just check Ticketmaster.com to see if there are concerts. Maybe the Predators hockey team is playing. A month earlier, you might have caught the Titans pro football team

New Orleans

Cafe Dumond for beignets for breakfast.
Emeril's or Nola's if you want a celebrity chef
The captain's table at Commanders Palace
Mothers for po' boy
Antoine's, Galatoire's, Owen Brennan's for bruch

function · Post by **function** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 3:06 pm

Paddy -

I'm not sure how willing you are to explore taste in music, but if you can handle some more modern interpretations of the blues in New Orleans, find your way to Tipitinas (sp?). Lots of horn based funky stuff can be heard there, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Galactic et al.

Supposedly New Orleans has gone a bit corporate, but that doesn't mean you cant get all sloppy on Hurricanes at Pat O'Briens.

Chaps · Post by **Chaps** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:29 pm

Memphis----Like Sam said check out Beale Street for music. Go to A. Schwab's. It's a store which has been on Beale since the 1870's. Lot of tacky stuff, but go anyway and get an Elvis postcard

For good down home food, check out the Trolley Stop Market on Madison. For a little more cosmopolitan fare go to The Majestic Grille on Main Street. It used to be a silent movie theatre in the 20's.

For BBQ, of course as Sam suggested, The Rendezvous (especially for dry ribs). Also try any of the Tops's BBQ spots.

And of course you have to go to the Peabody Hotel and watch the ducks march to the fountain and then stop in at Lansky Brothers in the Peabody and say hi to Bernard Lansky who sold Elvis all his clothes (the cool ones in the early days, not the crappy jumpsuits). Have fun. Let us know when you get here and maybe Sam and I (and anyone else close by) can grab a bite with you.

Danny

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:39 pm

Agreed on the Peabody. neat to see how the drake even steps aside and allows the hens to swim first.

Chaps wrote:And of course you have to go to the Peabody Hotel and watch the ducks march to the fountain

2clfrwrds · Post by **2clfrwrds** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 8:52 pm

In Nashville you can go to big venues and see established stars, or you can bar hop on Lower Broadway and see young hungry bands, trying to make it. I think Lower Broad is more fun.

--Glenn

GA Russell · Post by **GA Russell** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:32 am

Be sure to have lunch or two or three in New Orleans at neighborhood sandwich shops. In New Orleans, even the corner dives are five star! You'll want to at least once have a roast beef po' boy.

While in the Quarter, have coffee and doughnuts once at Cafe du Monde. And pick up some pralines at the same time.

And be sure to buy a loaf of hot french bread straight out of the oven at Binder's Bakery "when the lights are flashing". It melts in your mouth like cotton candy.

And if you take the bus on Elysian Fields, you will ride past Fats Domino's house. It's the white house with the purple roof. But I don't know how badly it was damaged by Katrina.

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:18 am

wow guys, this is all great. thanks so much. i've a funny feeling i'll be putting on a few pounds over there, but that's what holidays are for! danny, i might just take you up on the offer of grabbing bite to eat as would be cool to meet other smf members over there.

the flight is booked (no direct flights between london and new orleans surprisingly) and guide books bought. just got to have a little think about how much time to spend where and sort accommodation.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 8:46 am

Paddy, you have yourself an excellent time in my home state of Tennessee. Best state in the union, in my heavily biased opinion! I only wish I were in TN now. If you happen to get out in the countryside and hear whooping and hollering accompanied by gunfire, don't worry. It's TN. At least that's what it's like in my part of East TN. I had to calm the nerves of my Korean wife and her parents when they came to visit my family in East TN a few years ago. Some neighbors decided that weekend was a great time to bore holes in a nearby hill with full auto AK-47s, an M1 Garand, and assorted hand cannons. Lord help me, I do love Tennessee.

Be sure to snag some Southern whiskies on the cheap before heading back to England, if you're into those types of adult beverages. While in Nashville, try to get some Yazoo beers. Yazoo is a microbrewery in Nashville and they make some fine beers, not horse-piss American "domestic" style beers. (As in Budweiser, Miller, Michelob, Icehouse, etc. Yuck!) If you like your beer hoppy as I do, definitely seek out the Yazoo Pale Ale and the Hop Project.

http://www.yazoobrew.com/

http://www.yelp.com/biz/yazoo-brewing-company-nashville

The tap room's hours are a bit limited, but if you can get in you should be ok. They even serve some food there. I was never able to go there, unfortunately. But I have heard it's a good experience.

paddy · Post by **paddy** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:22 am

cheers rob.

am a big fan of beer, so that microbrewery sounds right up my alley.

you've given me an idea now. can you just turn up, rent automatic weapons, like AKs and stuff and pop them off at range for the hell of it?!

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:23 pm

Sure, I don't see why not. As long as the gun range/armory has automatics for rent, of course. I know of one armory in Knoxville, TN where you could rent a submachine gun like an H&K MP5: Coal Creek Armory. Sadly, their website indicates they no longer rent submachine guns due to ammo costs.

http://www.coalcreekarmory.com/range.html

But that's not to say you will be unable to find a full auto armory somewhere in Nashville. These might work for you:

http://nashvillegunrange.net/

http://www.guncity.net/

Bonzo · Post by **Bonzo** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:46 pm

Paddy,

In New Orleans, there are two (that I know of) microbreweries. One is Abita, which is very prevalent in New Orleans, and the other is Crescent City, which is only served at its brewhouse, to the best of my knowledge. Both have decent selection and are far better than typical American horse piss, to quote Rob.

I'll echo the comments for beignets at Cafe du Monde, even though it's a typical tourist attraction. I would also suggest finding a small place to get a po' boy. I got one at Mother's and it was ice cold, not what I was expecting.

Also, if you have time, definitely explore some live music in New Orleans. You're bound to find some band playing jazz, blues, zydeco, etc. somewhere in the city.

Gene · Post by **Gene** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 4:03 pm

Abita beer is very good. I have it every time I travel down there.

function · Post by **function** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 5:36 pm

Back up the truck here . . .I just re-read your thread and you said early May. Tell me you mean very early May and 5 days in NOLA. You my good man will be there for Jazz Fest. Jazz Fest in NOLA is to music what Oktoberfest in Munich is to drunken revelry.

Enjoy yourself

http://lineup.nojazzfest.com/