Music City Eats Festival Survival Guide
For the weekend of Sept. 21 and 22, Nashville, Tenn., will host the ultimate festival for food and music fans. Music City Eats: Nashville Food, Wine & Spirits Festival premieres this fall with live music performances, cooking demonstrations and panel discussions with top chefs, and of course, delicious food and drink offerings.
The two-day event is jam-packed, and whether it is your first-ever festival or one of many, planning the weekend can be stressful. How will you juggle attending Jonathan Waxman's cooking demo, getting a place in the front row as Kings of Leon or Norah Jones step on stage, and hearing the panel discussion on bourbon vs. moonshine?
In order to maximize your experience and get an inside scoop on what not to miss at the festival, we asked participating chefs and co-founders of the festival, Caleb and Nathan Followhill from Kings of Leon, to give their best recommendations and advice for all festival attendees.
The Daily Meal: What must attendees eat at the festival?
Jonathan Waxman: I'm always interested in seeing what Tandy [Wilson] comes up with...
Edward Lee: I'm looking forward to checking out what the chefs are cooking at Flavors of Nashville, including Tandy Wilson, Arnold's Country Kitchen, and the barbecue from Pat Martin and Carey Bringle. At Harvest Night, I'm hoping to sneak away from my table and check out what Michael Symon, John Currence, and Tim Love are serving.
Margot McCormack: Considering the vast array of talent at the festival, I'd say eat everything, maybe with an emphasis on things you haven't tried yet, because it's going to be good.
Nathan and Caleb Followill: Any pastry from Nancy Silverton.
TDM: What event (cooking demo, panel discussion, musical performance at Petty Fest) is not to miss?
JW: Petty Fest by far. It's a collaborative event, with everyone getting together on stage and playing great music. The combination of awesome food, top musicians, and Petty Fest? Come on!
EL: Come to my Hog Talk panel! Jon [Shook] and Vinny [Dotolo] are the dynamic duo of nose-to-tail cooking, so it'll be a fun discussion.
MM: Personally, I would go old-school because that's more my style and say I'd look to see Nancy Silverton and Jonathan Waxman.
NF & CF: Emmylou Harris' performance at Petty Fest.
TDM: What is a "must-bring" item?
JW: You gotta come with a partner-in-crime that can hold the drinks while you hold the food.
EL: Pair of sunglasses and an aspirin.
MM: My must-bring item would be an appetite.
NF & CF: A healthy appetite.
TDM: For first-time festival-goers, what is the one thing they should be sure to do or experience at Music City Eats?
JW: Make sure to attend as many panels and demos as you can, and hit every table in Flavors of Nashville, or I'll be very disappointed!
EL: It's very unique for a food festival to have such a great line-up like Petty Fest. It's a two-for-one event: you get great chefs and great musicians — it's the culmination of what most people want to do on a weekend, listen to great music and eat great food.
MM: This festival provides an opportunity to get up close and personal to some of the biggest names in the national food industry, which is fun and exciting, but don't overlook the folks in town that are making big names for Nashville.
TDM: Are there any must-try breakfast spots in town for attendees to fuel up at before they hit Public Square Park?
JW: If you can wake up early enough, go to the Loveless Café for the biscuits, country ham, and red-eye gravy.
EL: Barista Parlor — really cool coffee shop in an old garage.
MM: Our other restaurant, Marche Artisan Foods, is just a few miles from downtown at 1000 Main St. in East Nashville and serves the best brunch in town from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.
NF & CF: Pancake Pantry!!! Line up early.
TDM: Any other parting words of wisdom for attendees — or fellow participants?
JW: Make sure on Sunday morning you take three ibuprofen... and then, four hours later, take two more. In between, pace yourself!
EL: Attendees should get there early and pace yourself. There's a lot of food and booze to try, so enjoy yourselves! My fellow chefs should hide their bourbon and fried chicken, 'cause I'm coming to town!
MM: Bring your A game!
NF & CF: It's a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself so you don't miss a thing.
For tickets and more information, go to the Nashville Music City Eats website.