On September 21st and 22nd, we had the pleasure to be invited to join www.thrillist.com for their 9th annual Hotel Thrillist as they descended upon Music City to take in the sights, music, and fine dining to be found in Nashville. Thrillist is all about fun, good food, and adventure. That’s exactly what they found in our city.
They took over the gorgeous Westin Hotel, which is perfectly situated in downtown Nashville within walking distance of Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena, Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, and lower Broadway, home to the multiple honky tonks lining the street that draws tourists from all over the world.
The Westin Hotel in Nashville features spectacular views of downtown with a modern, luxurious rooftop pool and L27 Rooftop Lounge on the highest floor of this relatively-new hotel opened within the last 5 years.
Hotel Thrillist rolled out the red carpet, literally, to its guests and staff with the help of presenting sponsor Chase Sapphire and all of its major sponsors: George Dickel, Coca-Cola, Hotels.com, Acura, and Hardees.
The first day began with a fun trip to Cascade Hollow Distillery where they make George Dickel Whisky just outside of Nashville tucked away far into a picturesque countryside in Tullahoma, Tennessee. It took just a little over an hour to get there on our chartered bus that included plenty of George Dickel Whisky and snacks to make the trip even more enjoyable as we took in the rural sights along the way.
We arrived at Cascade Hollow Distillery on a beautiful, balmy fall day where we were immediately greeted with live acoustic music by a local artist, George Dickel Whisky specialty drinks to satisfy our thirst, and cornhole set up to play at our leisure.
Next, we were treated to a tasty, southern-style meal served family style as we dined on long wooden picnic tables inside the Cascade Hollow General Store. Sweet tea, pork tenderloin, fried chicken, macaroni & cheese, 7 layer salad, deviled eggs, biscuits, banana pudding, peach cobbler, and more was served to us that day. Each prepared with care and absolutely delicious. Pretty sure I gained 5 pounds from lunch alone!
Next, we enjoyed a fun hayride on a flat bed trailer with hay, of course, pulled behind a pickup truck all around the beautiful property to take in the scenery and show us where George Dickel Whiskey is made.
Next, we were back off to Nashville for The Nashville Feast hosted by celebrity Chef Maneet Chahaun at BMI on Music Row who organized 25 of Nashville’s best restaurants for guests to try speciality dishes from each as we were entertained with a full band performance by Warner Music’s Cale Dodds. The food was plentiful and flavorful. Impossible for us to pick a favorite.
The event was originally set to take place on BMI’s rooftop, but due to threats of bad weather, the event was moved one level below in their large indoor garage that still allowed for open air to flow through and taking in beautiful night views of the city while enjoying some of the best culinary offerings found in Nashville.
The following day, we met Thrillist for an afternoon of great food, music and enjoying the rooftop view overlooking lower Broadway in downtown Nashville at one of the newest honky tonks owned by country superstar Jason Aldean that was just opened this past summer, Jason Aldean’s Kitchen & Rooftop Bar.
The multi-level restaurant, bar, and music venue was comfortable, modern, fun, and the food was delicious. We especially enjoyed the shrimp & grits and the warm pretzel bites with side of cheese to dip into.
We wrapped up the weekend with Thrillist on Saturday night with a special invitation only party at country superstar John Rich of Big & Rich’s mansion, Mount Richmore, on top of a hill overlooking Nashville. The multi-story home included a fun guitar-shaped pool and a two-story nightclub for his own personal entertaining that includes a full service bar with a stage complete with a rhinestone & mirror covered saddle hanging from the ceiling replacing the standard mirror ball you usually expect to see in the center of the room. Party goers were greeted at the gate with a red carpet and entered the mansion via elevator from the ground floor. John Rich even treated guests to a special performance from the stage within his mansion to the delight of attendees.
Thank you so much for including us in this fun weekend, Hotel Thrillist! We had an incredible time and hope to see you again.
Go to www.thrillist.com to keep up with the latest from them. They are always featuring the best of the best around the country and more.
