Favorite Places
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The Patterson House $$-$$$
- 1711 Division St. (map)
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Broadway/ The Gulch/ Music Row/ West End
636-7724
- (based on 1 user review)
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The Basement
- 1604 8th Ave. S. (map)
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Broadway/ The Gulch/ Music Row/ West End
254-8006
- (based on 16 user reviews)
Nightlife impresario Ben Goldberg’s speakeasy is an unexpected legacy for Governor Malcolm R. Patterson, who pledged to support the temperance movement but ultimately vetoed restrictions to sell alcohol in the state in 1909. By elevating cocktails to the level of cuisine—putting Demon Rum on a pedestal—Patterson House encourages the slow sipping and appreciation of well-mixed drinks. With at least three vest-clad bartenders serving 30 guests at the bar, the staff appears to have limitless attention for every patron. That's important, because you'll want to ask a lot of questions. For example: What is in all those tiny apothecary-style brown bottles with the eyedroppers? (House-made bitters.) Why are you cracking an egg into my drink? (To make it frothy.) And what, in the name of all that is salt-cured, is a bacon Old Fashioned? All that sipping needs some sop, and Patterson House delivers a sturdy, playful roster of snacks, along the lines of deep-fried sweetbreads, fig-and-prosciutto flatbread and The Elvis—a sandwich of peanut butter, bananas and bacon.
The Basement books an interesting mix of touring acts, local rock/pop bands, singer-songwriters and more, thanks to the participation of Grimey’s partners Mike Grimes and Doyle Davis. Below Grimey’s New & Preloved Music lies a small, dark cave, where the music flows like Yazoo brew and the audience sits within spitting distance of performers on the low-rising stage. Run by Geoff Donovan—one of Nashville’s best bartenders—and Grimey’s owner (and Guilty Pleasures guitarist) Mike Grimes, The Basement books everything from indie blog darlings like Clap Your Hands Say Yeah to the Altar Call Old Time Gospel Hour. The Basement’s 100-person capacity and no-smoking rule make it a great venue to relax and listen rather than jockey for space and a view of the performers
