Best of Nashville
BEST BILLIONAIRE NOBODY KNOWS: BRAD M. KELLEY Last month, the Forbes 400 was released, and the names of the locals who made the cut were printed in a small—very small—space in The Tennessean business section. Among them were the usual suspects—Martha Ingram, yadda yadda yadda—but then there was some dude named Brad Kelley. No one knew who that was, how he’d made his fortune or to what country club, if any, he belonged. That’s because, to his credit, he’s just a regular guy—not the type to show up at the Swan Ball or to want his name on buildings after donating loads of cash. While The Tennessean showed no curiosity about this person, The New York Times’ Nina Munk was on it the following Sunday, telling us that the Kentucky native now living in Franklin made his money in a tobacco business, going on to buy 1.25 million acres of ranching land in Texas and donating it to wildlife conservation. He didn’t go to college, he drives a pickup truck, he’s unpretentious. In short, he’s a billionaire who’s not a pig. He told the Times that he doesn’t find his success as stunning as others do. “I mean, I’ve had a lot of M.B.A.s that’ve worked for me over time, off and on, that, excuse my French, were useless as teats on a boar hog.” Well said. —LIZ GARRIGAN
BEST BARTENDER: STEPHANIE JOHNSON AT MIRROR RESTAURANT If you’ve ever watched Michael Jordan play basketball or Lance Armstrong ride a bike, you’ll recognize the look on Stephanie Johnson’s face as she bartends at Mirror. It’s that “in the zone” gaze, as she simultaneously processes dozens of bits of information—voices, checks, credit cards, empty drink glasses, finished plates, dirty ashtrays and used napkins—while silently calculating the most efficient sequence to accomplish the necessary tasks, wasting not a nanosecond in the process. Oh yeah, while at the same time being charming, funny, saucy, sweet, irrepressible and, most notably, completely unflappable. As with the aforementioned super-athletes, absolutely nothing is going to stop her from completing her task. When asked why there isn’t a second bartender on weekend nights when the place is packed, Stephanie bluntly responds, “They’d just get in my way.” —JACK SILVERMAN
Best Girl Power Back Row (left to right): Judy Jackson of Granny’s Flowers, Gennifer Goodman of Favorite, Melody Malloy of Bloke, Katy Kattelman of Katy K Ranch Dressing, Kelly Coty of Prix de Solde. Front Row: Miranda Whitcomb of Frothy Monkey, Beverly Bartsch of Sadie B., Monica Holmes of Clean Plate Club, Colleen DeGregory of Mirror
BEST GIRL POWER: THE WOMEN OF 12 SOUTH Is it a neighborhood or a Girl Scout troop? For the past several years, as the bustling linear strip of retail and restaurant development has transformed 12th Avenue South into 12 South, neighborhood residents have wondered whether the periodic blasts have come from construction and road crews, or if they were hormonal surges emitted from the estrogen-powered businesses that line the street. At the northern tip is Julie Lutz at Serendipity and Beverly Chowning at Savant, at the southern end, the Paz sisters at Las Paletas and Judy Jackson at Granny’s Flower Shop. In between, more than 20 women-owned/-partnered/-run businesses run the gamut from yoga studio (K-Lea Gifford) to caterer (Monica Holmes’ Clean Plate Club), from table-wear (Beverly Bartsch at Sadie B.) to menswear (Melody Malloy’s Bloke), from wine bar (Christy Shuff and Whitney Ferre’s Rumours) to tie-dye (Mary Deprez’s Tye Dye Mary). —KAY WEST
BEST HAIRSTYLIST: KRISTIN SMITH RUSSELL Smith Russell’s inspired approach to styling results from a background in painting and sculpture: before training at the Vidal Sassoon Institute in Santa Monica, she studied art at Belmont University. For the last two years, she has kept a chair at Fruition, a trendy yet customer-focused salon on Belmont Ave.; she also serves as a network educator for Bumble & Bumble Hair Products. “I like doing hair because, like painting and sculpting, it’s instant gratification and a creative fix,” she says. —PAUL GRIFFITH
BEST SOON-TO-BE FORMER NASHVILLIAN: STEVE BASS, NPT Folks who have been around Nashville for the past decade can appreciate Steve Bass’ mighty achievements at the helm of Nashville Public Television. Even the name itself reflects his efforts to develop an attractive identity for the station: from clunky, boring WDCN-Channel 8 to nationally recognized NPT. Bass, who did time at Boston public television mecca WGBH before taking over here in 1998, implemented a formula that fostered quality local programming while keeping costs low so the station could wean itself off of taxpayer dollars. The result? Critically acclaimed documentaries about Hank Williams and the Carter Family that have aired nationally, as well as solid local features that keep public TV fans tuning in on a regular basis. Where else but NPT can you watch commercial-free documentaries about Parliament Funkadelic, Saudi oil fortunes or the Ramones and then sit down with your kid to watch Buster, the lesbian-loving bunny? As the ad campaign promises, NPT is television worth watching, and Bass is a big part of the reason why. He leaves to take over Oregon Public Broadcasting; good luck, man, and send us a postcard, just like Buster. —JOHN SPRAGENS
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Best Moustache Howard Caruthers
BEST MOUSTACHE: HOWARD CARUTHERS There we were, walking down Monroe Street on a beautiful Oktoberfest day, when we saw Nashville’s best moustache walking right toward us. And underneath it, Howard Caruthers, a lifelong Nashvillian who grew up on the mean streets of a Germantown few current dwellers would recognize. “I remember when there were no bricks in the sidewalk,” he told us, “because people had used them all as weapons.” Damn, he’s not kidding when he says G-town used to be a hard place. Howard says he couldn’t afford to live in the yuppified Germantown of today—granted, he didn’t use the word “yuppified”—but remembers growing up there fondly, albeit painfully, what with the brick-throwing and all. Those times far behind him, Howard’s now living the good life out in Madison, stopping by the old neighborhood only to take a stroll, have a smoke and hear some sweet polka music. We hear it’s good for the ’stache. —JOHN SPRAGENS
BEST PLACE TO SEE ALL OF NASHVILLE: SHELBY STREET BRIDGE One of the best dates I ever had didn’t involve a fancy dinner or fantastic night out on the town. In fact, I can’t even remember what we ate for supper that night. What I do remember is walking the expanse of the Shelby Street Bridge, hands clasped, as a cool breeze wafted over the summer air and we took in the glow of the city, the Cumberland underneath us reflecting the lights from above. We didn’t see anyone we knew, just a steady stream of teenagers, other couples and families making their way from downtown or East Nashville, all seemingly just as enchanted by the moment as we were. —JONATHAN MARX
BEST PLACE TO PEOPLE-WATCH: PROVENCE, NASHVILLE PUBLIC LIBRARY Inside: bibliophiles hunkered down over quiches and Kurt Vonnegut, nursing that third cup of Dancing Goats like an Oz inmate hoarding a biscuit. Outside: business-day foot traffic and lawyers bound for Legislative Plaza, all walking briskly past the oasis across the street commonly called “the homeless park.” It is a smack-on collision of high and low, and I couldn’t tell you which is which—but it is as Nashville as Goo-Goos and inadequate health care. Lots of people say they were there on the stormy day the Harry Dean Stanton-looking dude whipped off his clothes and took a shower in the public fountain. But the dumbstruck woman behind the counter and I know the truth. —JIM RIDLEY
BEST PLACE TO TAKE A WALK: SHELBY BOTTOMS Radnor Lake is lovely, but Shelby Bottoms offers the perfect blend of natural and civilized: you’re winding your way through the trees and bushes along the Cumberland, and you’re likely to see some fauna along with the flora. But there are also the barges slowly making their way up the river, the old industrial buildings lining the bluffs on the opposite shore, and the sight of family picnics, ball games and golfers as you make your way through the park to the greenway. True, there’s something anticlimactic once you make your way far enough up the path that the Opryland Hotel looms from across the Cumberland, but until then, it’s just you, the greenery, the river and your fellow walkers, joggers and bikers enjoying a moment in the sun. Come at the right time in the summer, and Shelby Bottoms also earns the award for Best Place to Pick Blackberries. What could be better? A leisurely stroll, followed by a piping-hot cobbler. —JONATHAN MARX
BEST OUTDOOR NASHVILLE HISTORY LESSON: CITY CEMETERY The Bicentennial Mall time-wall is new and the carving so fresh that you can easily read names and dates. But if you want an authentic sense of Nashville’s past, go to City Cemetery. There, under timeworn and therefore often barely legible slabs, you’ll find the remains of the Robertsons and Rutledges, Humes and Foggs. One of Lee’s favorite generals, Richard Ewell, is buried there. So are the city’s “First Lady Schoolteacher” and the “First White Male Child,” along with 20,000 other pioneers and politicians, educators and warriors. One Capt. William Driver came down from Massachusetts after sailing around the world to name the Stars and Stripes “Old Glory”—at least his headstone says he did. Also memorialized is a shaky sense of spelling: the inscription on the brick box of Smith Clark says he emigrated from “Ithica,” N.Y. —MICHAEL KREYLING
BEST PLACE TO WALK AND SEE A METRO COUNCIL MEMBER: EAST NASHVILLE If any part of town deserves props for political engagement, it’s East Nashville—and the East End-Lockeland Springs nexus in particular. Where else can you see three members of the Metro Council when you’re out for a stroll? Many is the morning that, walking to East Literature Magnet, my son and I have spotted 6th District rep Mike Jamison getting in his car, at-large council member Diane Neighbors driving down 14th, and her fellow at-large rep David Briley walking his baby in a stroller or Snugli. Oh, and state Rep. Rob Briley and Hizzoner the Mayor, too. Politically speaking, East side’s got game. —BILL FRISKICS-WARREN
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD TO BUY A DECENT HOUSE CHEAP: WOODBINE A whole lot of Woodbine still looks and feels like a neighborhood. The trees are taller than the houses, and the houses have been there for a while. It’s a settled kind of place. There are some good old bungalows, foursquares and cottages in the area, and quite a few of them are brick. Woodbine is fairly close to town and a short hop from 440. With the proximity to town, the number of good houses and the intact neighborhood ambience, Woodbine is likely to appreciate quickly, just like Sylvan Park has in the last few years. Right now, a crafty buyer can become a Woodbiner for something close to $100,000. At those prices, Woodbine might just be the last good place for young homebuyers to build up some sweat equity in a hurry. —WALTER JOWERS
BEST PLACE TO SIT BACK AND WATCH YOUR HOUSE APPRECIATE: OLD NEIGHBORHOODS NEAR TOWN When the housing bubble finally pops—and it will, when the Baby Boomers start seriously downsizing—you don’t want to be holding a tract house in Brentwood or Franklin. There will be price wars in every neighborhood that has its name written on a brick wall. When that happens, you want to be holding an irreplaceable house, in an irreplaceable neighborhood. That means much of East Nashville and West-side neighborhoods such as Richland-West End and Whitland. The ripples could spread to Sylvan Park, if the folks who live there don’t start tearing down their bungalows and building look-alike McMansions. The safe zone might even go as far as West Meade. As long as this town has a decent economy, there will be homebuyers who want to live close to town and have the money to buy what they want—and well-kept neighborhoods close to town are likely to attract those folks. —WALTER JOWERS
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEED OF A DIVE BAR: TIE: GERMANTOWN AND SYLVAN PARK Both these neighborhoods suffer from the same affliction: they’ve got classy places to go drinking, but no smoky low-life hangouts for an after-work beer or two or six. Now, some of you Sylvan Park regulars are probably saying, “But what about McCabe Pub?” But that’s a little too upscale and a touch creepy: it’s where Belle Meade goes slumming (try counting sockless men in deck shoes or loafers sometime, I dare you), and besides, you always run the risk of running into Adam Dread there. Germantown, meanwhile, boasts its namesake café—a great place, but too sophisticated for our purposes—and little else, bar-wise. So come on, potential proprietors, let’s get this ball rolling and develop a hip nightspot or two. Take the Germantown firehall, for example: located near Third Avenue and Monroe Street, it’d be a great place to open a bar, assuming you’ve got a friend at Codes who’ll sell you the permits. We’ll call it The Firehall, and bed-headed modsters will ride Piaggio scooters from all over town to drink cheap beer, listen to music and maybe dance. Next up: shuffleboard. —JOHN SPRAGENS
Best Addition to Jefferson Street 942 Mixed-Use Development
BEST ADDITION TO JEFFERSON STREET: 942 MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT Over the past year or so, the Country Music Hall of Fame’s Night Train to Nashville exhibit and CDs have reminded us of the past glories of Jefferson Street. The North Nashville Community Development Corporation, however, has its eyes on another prize: the future of this historic thoroughfare. At the moment, the most tangible evidence of that future is the mixed-use development that the North Nashville CDC is building with the 15th Avenue Baptist Church CDC. Designed by Moody Nolan Architects, the three-story building will contain 6,000 square feet of commercial and retail on its first floor, as well as six apartments each on its second and third floors. A car wash that for years harbored drug and other illicit activity used to occupy the site. —BILL FRISKICS-WARREN
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD NAME: HOPE GARDENS Right around the corner from 942, the value of single-family and multi-family property at Hope Gardens on Eighth Avenue North has increased 288 percent since 1997. (Property values in Davidson County as a whole rose 51 percent during this period.) Key to this boom was the creation, by Affordable Housing Resources, of new housing units at Row 8.9, which has helped anchor the Hope Gardens development. Everyone from the Downtown Rotary Club to 15th Avenue Baptist Church, though, has built new homes in the area, and all of this activity took place without displacing existing residents. As if this weren’t enough, insiders credit Row 8.9 with making the Werthan loft project feasible. And as anyone who spends time in Farmers Market or the surrounding area can testify, Row 8.9 has helped knit Germantown and Hope Gardens—indeed, the entire lower end of Jefferson Street—together. —BILL FRISKICS-WARREN
BEST UNSPOKEN LINE OF DEMARCATION: OLD HICKORY BOULEVARD IN “BRENTIOCH” Last January’s battle over moving the Nolensville Road Wal-Mart 300 yards or so from the north side of Old Hickory Boulevard to the south side, transforming it into a “Super Wal-Mart” in the process, was about more than the increased traffic and other infrastructural issues the move would bring. It was about the off-the-record belief around what is unofficially called the “Brentioch” area that OHB is the unofficial boundary line between crass urbanity on the north side and Williamson County-lite suburbanity on the south. Unfortunately, a little bit of this attitude has a vaguely ethnocentric tinge—the Hispanicization of the Nolensville Road corridor contributes to that—but much of it has to do with the notion that even within a major city like Nashville, there should still be places where you can live, work and play, while forgetting that you’re doing all of that in a metropolitan area. The Super Wal-Mart’s encroachment over OHB’s line of scrimmage makes that even harder than it already was, and will likely encourage even more people in this area to trade in Williamson County-lite for the real thing. —ROGER ABRAMSON
BEST DOG PARK: SHELBY DOG PARK When it comes to dogs, the local government has a habit of stepping in it, so to speak. Last winter, Metro Council member Ludye Wallace wanted to introduce a bill that would have permitted fining dog owners whose pets violated the anti-crap laws. So it is with great pleasure—and a bit of relief—that we can talk about something good Nashville has done for our canine companions. The Shelby dog park opened in June 2004, and the Warner dog park followed a year later. And while the two parks are more or less equal, both with two acres of fenced-in land, I prefer Shelby. East Nashville has a high dog-to-person ratio, and the dog-friendly nature of the area lends itself well to the park. Strangers stand around and chitchat about their pets; Great Danes play with Yorkshire terriers, and even my scruffy mutt looks at home next to a well-groomed giant schnauzer. The grass is green, but it is also well-loved; dogs dig holes, roll around and treat the place as they would a backyard. Still, the upcoming Centennial dog park, set to open sometime this winter, might give East Nashvillians a run for their money. The folks at Metro Parks say the plan is to make not one but two parks, one for big dogs and one for smaller pooches. —CLAIRE SUDDATH
BEST NEW HANGOUT: NIKO’S Sometimes you just want to go to a bar and chill, and not have to shout over a band or pay attention to a singer-songwriter. It’s hard to find a good hangout around here that doesn’t have live music—at least one that doesn’t have that cookie-cutter Cheers vibe. Well, for those of you who long for the early days of the Slow Bar, listen up: Niko’s, owned by brothers Niko and David Gehrke, is slated to open in the next few weeks on Porter Road in East Nashville, across from the Family Wash. We can’t think of two better qualified suspects for the task: David was a co-owner during Slow Bar’s blissful pre-expansion era, and Niko tended bar there. Niko’s is the kind of low-key watering hole you might find on New York’s Lower East Side—minimalist decor, dim lighting, semi-industrial vibe. No big-screen TVs, writers’ nights, tchotchkes, velvet ropes or trivia contests—just a cool place to chill. —JACK SILVERMAN
BEST PLACE TO PLAY A GAME OF SNOOKER: SPORTSMAN’S GRILLE 20TH CENTURY POOL ROOM I was all set to write something like, “The great thing about the 20th Century Pool Room is that it’s such a well-kept secret: you can always get a snooker table.” But then I stopped by on Tuesday to play a game with a friend, and sure enough, not only was the table in use but the bar itself was overrun by Vandy stereotypes. Ugh. So my advice to enjoy the regal space is get there early, climb the discreet stairs that smell of YMCA locker room, and head into the wood-paneled, deer-head-decorated pool hall. Grab a drink, a cue and some balls. There are probably better snooker tables in town and better players surrounding them, but this place wins my vote for ambience and accessibility. If you’re going to get beat, I say at least lose in style. —JOHN SPRAGENS
BEST IN-TOWN GETAWAY: HERMITAGE HOTEL You may as well be out of town, the splendor of the newly renovated Hermitage Hotel is so unexpected and unusual. Rehabbed by Historic Hotels of America, which also owns the magnificent Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, the Hermitage boasts Beaux Arts architecture in its grand lobby and ballroom, and crisp dry-cleaned linens, yummy robes and deep tubs in its sumptuous suites. Treat yourself to a dirty weekend, including a mind-blowing meal in the Capitol Grille, where chef Sean Brock delivers an avant-garde feast adapted from the hotel’s original 1937 menu. —CARRINGTON FOX
BEST COMMERCIAL ENIGMA: BELLEVUE CENTER With all the development in Bellevue and farther west, you have to wonder how someone can run a shopping mall in this location and send most of the standard mall stores fleeing. At this point, the building is an alternate universe, sort of like Canada, where stores just look like the kind you have in a real mall—Say Cheese, but don’t say Chuck E. Cheese; Shoe Haus in the space once occupied by Johnston & Murphy. It’s like an experiment in suburban architectural reuse, filled with mom-and-pop businesses that by all rights should be in a strip mall with a leaky roof: the exotic pets store (awesome albino pythons), the floor-and-roof-truss salesroom, several real estate companies, Finders Keepers Consignment store, a wholesaler peddling cheap sunglasses. —DAVID MADDOX
BEST SKYSCRAPER: L&C TOWER The first, and still the tops, despite later and higher structures. When it opened in 1957, the Life & Casualty tower was the tallest skyscraper in the Southeast and asserted that Nashville was once again the Wall Street of the South. Architect Edwin Keeble’s romantic evocation of American modernism remains the most expressive architectural gesture on our skyline. That gesture is about to be nullified: the Viridian residential tower rising right next door, with the same 31 stories as L&C, will block the sightline to the landmark from the west. Too bad for Keeble. Too bad for us. —CHRISTINE KREYLING