Where to Eat in September: Makeready, The Dive Motel, and More

While it’s not quite breakfast in bed, breakfast in your robe and jammies is a reasonable alternative, and even encouraged at Makeready’s boozy weekend brunches. Luckily, for those in need of a strong start any day of the week, brunch is served daily with dishes ranging from overnight oats and avocado toast to a crispy chicken sandwich with green goddess dressing. Evening fare skews Italian with panzanella salad, campanelle Bolognese with smoked pork and beef, and braised short rib with mascarpone polenta and charred broccolini. It’s worth a visit to the sleek industrial-inspired space in the historic Noelle hotel, even if it’s just for a drink and a bowl of warm marinated olives (but you’ll want more than that once you see the menu). 

Head in for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or just a well-made coffee at this new Melrose staple. It’s bringing modern diner vibes to the neighborhood, in what was originally the home of old-school bowling spot Melrose Lanes. The menu veers from avocado toast to burgers and salads, with beer, wine, and cocktails on hand, too. There’s also a separate coffee bar for those in need of a quick cup to go. And, because the whole restaurant is from the folks behind Bongo Java, you know it’s going to be a worthy stop. 

From the meat geniuses behind Peg Leg Porker comes Bringle’s Smoking Oasis, aptly named for pitmaster Carey Bringle. It’s located on a wedge of real estate in the Nations, answering the prayers of dog owners, parents, and meat lovers alike. A large outdoor bar supplies adult slushies, beers, and cocktails for drinking on the turf-covered patio that’s got enough space for several sports teams to crash post-game, plus enough TVs to satisfy the sidelines. Inside, head through a cafeteria-style line to choose desserts, pulled pork, brisket, hot links, and all the sides.

No reservations.

This recently opened four-tiered restaurant on 3rd Avenue offers a myriad of flavors of nightlife and dining styles. The first floor offers laid-back dining, with smash burgers and live music. The second floor is the full-service dining room, with more elevated options like double-cut pork chops and chateaubriand. The rooftop is a clubby, bottle service-style establishment with DJs. The final layer: the Cherry Lounge, an exclusive, invitation-only VIP lounge that’s presumably located on the third floor, though its location remains mysterious to the uninvited. It’s bound to draw bachelorette and Instagram-loving crowds to every level.

Call 615-988-7698 for reservations.

Within deep East Nashville lies a retro oasis complete with groovy motel rooms, a hip pool scene, and cocktails aplenty. For the best experience, clever partiers book a poolside cabana that includes pool access, two carafes of cocktails, towel and table service, and sauna access. There’s also food onsite from Xiao Bao Biscuit, a Charleston transplant that’s popping up at The Dive while its restaurant is under construction with pork belly bao, fried rice, and hand-pulled noodles.

The Iberian peninsula is fully represented at this aptly named East Nashville restaurant, where tapas and wood-fired plates are the focus. Classic dishes like Spanish tortilla appear on the menu, alongside combinations like maitake mushrooms with yeast and green peppercorn. It’s a lively place to dine with friends, or at the bar that’s absolutely churning out excellent gin and tonics. Do not sleep on the broth, a constantly rotating savory number that is the most surprising sleeper hit on the menu; it’s ever-changing, but past broths have included a savory strawberry broth, and lately a chilled watermelon broth with suterberry.

The Hermitage Hotel continues to be one of Nashville’s best and most historic hotels. Fittingly, its restaurant has always been an elegant destination, and the arrival of Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Drusie & Darr is no exception. The restaurant has only improved since opening last year, offering chic bistro fare with Southern produce, ranging from ahi tuna tartare and pea guacamole to Maine lobster with longevity noodles and green chile and ginger broth. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all on offer, a byproduct of serving hotel guests, but it simply gives us all more chances to drop in, whether it’s for a perfect frittata and coffee or a glass of Champagne and a strip steak.

It’s not exactly a hidden gem, but it IS a gem that flies slightly under the radar in the bottom of an office building on the Charlotte side of midtown. It’s a sibling restaurant to chef Gerard Craft’s St. Louis outpost, bringing the chef’s handmade pizza, pastas, and Italian fare to Music City. Start with arancini and boquerones before moving on to an epic chopped salad or pistachio ravioli with brown butter. Inside is bright, bustling, tiled, and warmed by the wood-fired pizza oven; outdoors an expansive patio is ideal for sipping Italian wine and watching the antics on the volleyball courts across the street. It’s super kid-friendly, but still maintains status as a destination for a lively date night, or business lunch, too.

Tennessee’s first cannabis-focused restaurant has opened in Germantown, bringing a hefty dose of buzz-inducing food and drink to the table. From local cannabis purveyors The Holistic Connection, Buds & Brews is serving a menu of food that’s unadulterated by cannabis, but with suggested sauce pairings. This is where the THC comes in: the two-ounce Craft Cannabis sauces that come in a variety of flavors like Caesar, barbecue, Buffalo, caramel, soy sauce, ranch, mayonnaise, and olive oil. Order your non-THC infused food and top it with the sauce of your choice, like chicken-fried chicken with a side of cannabis-infused white sauce or soy sauce. There is beer too, as the name implies, for those who are interested in a more traditional mind-altering experience.

A second location of a Nashville institution has opened its doors in Bellevue, bringing South Nashville’s burger and dive bar oasis to a new set of customers. Live music is a hallmark, with songwriter showcases and karaoke adding to the atmosphere punctuated with smoked wings and dartboards.