Leg One, Day Two…a Stop in Nashville at the Loveless Cafe

We traveled from Memphis to Virginia, stopping in Nashville for biscuits and more at the Loveless Café.

Don’t worry…if you are looking for a post about things to do in Elvisland, hang tight. It’s not in this post, but it’s coming. I have a few fun things that would fill up the perfect Memphis Weekend if you ever so inclined! However, Memphis wasn’t on our sightseeing list this go-round, it was merely a place to rest our heads, which we did for free, thanks to the clever use of some old hotel points. You see, two years ago, I stumbled upon a loophole that garnered both Rusty and I over 110,000 points each at IHG Properties (think Conrad, Intercontinental, Holiday Inn) – all for the cost of postage stamps. We spent $48 in stamps, and a couple of hours filling out index cards with our information, and in return, we scooped up enough free points to stay a few nights in an amazing suite in a historic Amsterdam Hotel, 5 days in an incredible beachfront resort in Bali, and still, we have points to spare between the both of us. So – free room in Memphis, saving us the daily rate of $199.

We won.

On Wednesday morning, we set out again in the overloaded Fiat, opting to skip breakfast and instead seek an amazing, blog-worthy lunch. I knew before we even left the parking lot where I wanted to eat…the Loveless Café in Nashville. I’d never been, but a few years ago, the Loveless was a sponsor of a conference I went to, and their apron is one of the only aprons I ended up keeping when emptying out my collection a couple of weeks ago. I guess no one really NEEDS 19 aprons, so whittling down the number to 9 wasn’t all that bad. Nine aprons will do, no matter where we end up living, I guess. (I kid, I kid. I know I’ll need to buy more.)

So, the Loveless. It’s on the west side of Nashville, and was easy enough to get to, even though we felt perhaps we were headed the wrong way for about 3 or 4 miles. But fear not, we arrived just in time for a late lunch, along with about 227 other late eaters.

This place is hopping, y’all.

2 o’clock in the afternoon isn’t the most popular time of day for lunch, on a Wednesday, but Loveless was nearly full, and no one seemed to mind. It’s an adorable old motel complex, that’s no longer a motel, but instead, a few gift shops and the huge café. Every meal comes with all the biscuits you can eat (don’t try to eat all that they bring you, you’ll die. They served us eight. I wanted all eight. But even I know better.) A sign inside proclaims that they often make 10,000 biscuits a day, if you can fathom it, and, you can watch through the kitchen window as the girl rolls and cuts them out right in front of you. Slather them with the real butter, and try every type of housemade jam they offer. It’s okay…it’s research.

Expect giant portions. Expect lots of fried foods – this is the south, after all. Loveless is known for their fried chicken, with good reason. It’s not too breaded, not oily. Just crispy and simple and perfection. And if you can, save room for dessert. The cobbler with ice cream looked like heaven, and I have heard the banana pudding is to die for. But I made the mistake of eating two of the biscuits, and two pieces of fried chicken. I could not find room for dessert. Yes, I am still upset at myself about it, and there’s no getting around it.

I will have to go back.

After checking out the gift shop and stretching our tired, cooped up legs a few extra minutes, we set back out for a detour into downtown Nashville. Rust had never been, and surely, every person should see Broadway at least once in their life. He likened it to Vegas, but, I kind of disagree. Sure, it’s busy with tourists and shoppers, cafes and restaurants. But no one here is betting their last dollar or wondering how on earth they spend 3700 dollars last night and never left the bar. There are families here, listening to music and buying more boots than they’ll ever actually wear (victim from 2011, present and accounted for). It’s a pleasant feeling, Broadway. I wish we could have stayed a bit longer. Again, maybe next time.

Our detour ended up adding quite a bit of time to our expected arrival in Virginia, but it was worth it. We did make the last of the journey without ever stopping for dinner. Loveless kept us full, and of course, we still had that Rocky Road fudge! We got lucky for the most part with traffic, and despite her heavy load, little Fiona managed the mountains of Tennessee like a (4th string) champ. Around 1130pm, we pulled into my parent’s driveway, unscathed and tired, but happy to be here. Mom and Dad were waiting up with hot vegetable soup, and plenty of hugs.

It’s good to be here again, even if it is just for a week.

Next stop, Northern Virginia and DC.

Stay tuned!