Where should I go out to eat (if my parents are paying)?

If money is no object and the objective is to impress Mom and Dad with your newfound maturity, make a reservation at The Palm (140 Fifth Ave. S.), home of the big steak, the three-pound lobster, the perfect martini, flawless service and a dining room full of Nashville’s most influential movers and shakers. If this is Mom and Dad’s first trip below the Mason-Dixon, give them a taste of the new South at Martha’s at the Plantation, the restaurant at the Belle Meade Plantation where chef/owner Martha Stamps puts a contemporary twist on traditional Southern recipes. (Lunch daily, dinner Thurs.-Sat., 5025 Harding Road). If their tastes are more worldly, dip into the Mediterranean at Zola (3001 West End Ave.), where chef/owner Deb Paquette performs a tantalizing multilingual culinary seduction. Country cooking French and Italian style is chef Margot McCormack’s passion at her charming Five Points bistro, Margot Café & Bar, which has lured nearly as many West Siders over the river to East Nashville as the Tennessee Titans. The food—prepared in an open kitchen—is simple and exquisitely fresh thanks to a menu of appetizers and entrées changed daily. (1017 Woodland St.)

—Kay West

Who delivers?

Besides the usual pizza places—many of which could throw a pie from their front door to yours—there are a few other options that will put off the late night hunger pangs. Café Coco (321-2626) off Elliston has a huge menu full of every sandwich you can think of (and some you haven’t). They also deliver salads, offer build-your-own pastas, pizzas and entrées like lasagna until 1 a.m. every day. New York Café (327-3663) on Elliston is willing to come knocking on heaven’s door until 5 a.m. with pizzas and sandwiches galore. Then there’s Menu Express (356-8500), the geniuses who pick up from places like Chili’s, T.G.I. Friday’s, Rio Bravo and San Antonio Taco Company and deliver them for a mere $2.99 surcharge for students on top of the price of the food.

—Danny Solomon

What is hot chicken öand where can I get it?

Hot chicken is a dish peculiar to Nashville with deep roots in the black community, though its popularity and appeal reaches across all racial and socio-economic divides. The “hot” refers not to the temperature, but to the cayenne with which it is seasoned at levels ranging from mildly spicy to combustible. The cooking methods—deep-fryer or a cast-iron skillet filled with lard—vary from place to place, but what holds true for all is an unbreakable code of silence when it comes to their particular spice mix. It will hardly strain your allowance to check out each location for yourself—a fat breast served on two slices of white bread and topped with sour pickle chips (the traditional serving style) will set you back about five bucks. But don’t be a fool—start with the mild and work your way up to hot or super hot. Hot chicken can be found at: Bolton’s, 624 Main St., East Nashville; HOTchickens.com, 7541 Old Hickory Blvd.; Mr. Boo’s Spicy Hot Chicken, 511 Donelson Pike; Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, 123 Ewing Drive; Joe’s Hottttt Chicken, 1432 Gallatin Road.

—Kay West

Who’s open late?

Taco Bell at 2004 West End Ave. is open late, as is their next door neighbor Jack in the Box and the Wendy’s across from Centennial Park. In Hillsboro Village, Boscos, Jackson’s, Sportman’s Grill and Easy’s are all still serving while many are sleeping. At Sunset Grill, open every night but Sunday until 1:30 a.m., the cream cheese and salsa nachos are sure to soak up whatever you’ve sucked down. Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Barbecue on 1107 Jefferson St. makes hot fish and ribs at least until midnight, often much later. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack on Dickerson Road serves hot chicken out of a hole in the wall until midnight on Tuesday through Thursday, until 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. And if you’re downtown, a greasy gut bomb is sitting atop First Avenue North at the Hermitage Café. This place is so all about the late night crowd, they serve from 10 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. every day. Sweet dreams. (See also Who delivers? above.)

—Danny Solomon

Where do I eat if I’m a (strict) vegetarian?

In the land of the meat-and-three, the two Wild Oats locations (3201 Belmont Blvd. and 3909 Hillsboro Road) are your no-additive, no-preservative nirvanas, oases of organic foods, fresh fruit, herbs, vitamins, desserts, soups, cheeses and some of the best deli in town. It takes two hands to grab a slice of their great pizza, everything is made fresh daily at their Hillsboro Road sushi bar and the salad bars at both are full of mean greens. Another option is the Farmers Market (900 Eighth Ave. N.), a great place to find fresh fruits and vegetables; Parco Café there serves what may be the best veggie burger in town, and the vegetarian ham isn’t bad either. Most of the restaurants in town include a meatless item or two on their menus as well. Try the veggie burger at Houston’s, any of the city’s Indian restaurants (which typically have extensive vegetarian options) and the make-your-own vegetarian burrito at Baja Burrito.

—Danny Solomon

What is meat-and-three and where can I get it?

If Tennessee had an official state food, it would be meat-and-three, and Nashville has countless purveyors. Meat-and-three is traditionally a midday meal, served and eaten anytime between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.—though pickins will likely be mighty slim by then. Slim, of course, is not a word typically associated with this cuisine, a daily-changing hodge-podge of meats and vegetables, laden with fat, salt, sugar and cheese, and served with either rolls or cornbread and big glasses of sweet tea. You can’t quibble with the price (about $7) or the quantity (gluttonous). Some of our faves: Arnold’s Country Kitchen, 605 Eighth Ave. S.; Swett’s, 2725 Clifton Ave.; Sylvan Park Restaurant, 4502 Murphy Road; Monell’s, 1235 Sixth Ave. N. and 530 Church St.; Elliston Place Soda Shop, 2111 Elliston Place; Rotier’s, 2413 Elliston Place; White Trash Café, 1914 Bransford Ave.; and Silver Sands, 937 Locklayer St.

—Kay West

Where can I get kosher food in Nashville?

Nearly every mainstream grocery store has at least a couple of feet of shelf space devoted to kosher foods, the orthodox synagogues in town maintain kosher kitchens and Loews Vanderbilt Plaza Hotel recently set one up in an effort to attract more Jewish clients for large ceremonies and celebrations. But if you are simply craving Jewish comfort food—corned beef, brisket, latkes, blintzes, knishes, lox, whitefish, chopped liver and of course, matzo ball soup—the classic dishes are the heart of the menus at Goldie’s Deli (4520 Harding Road) and Noshville (1918 Broadway). Clean your plate and finish up with a hefty slice of cheesecake, imported all the way from New York City.

—Kay West

What about pizza, man?

Fact: Nashville’s locally owned pizzerias are far superior to their chain brethren. DaVinci’s (1812 Hayes St., 329-8098) boasts unique, gourmet pizzas, washed down with wine or beer in a cozy, old Victorian house. Pizza Perfect isn’t far from the truth—brothers Ali and Amir Arab opened the original store across from the Lipscomb campus (it is no longer owned by them) and their bustling Hillsboro Village location (1602 21st Ave. S., 329-2757) is a favorite of those who favor hand-thrown, thin-crusted pies and a pitcher of ice cold beer. Obie’s (2217 Elliston, 327-4743, 2914 West End Ave., 327-4772) offers thick-crusted, deep-dish pizza generously strewn with toppings. Manny’s House of Pizza in the Arcade downtown (15 Arcade, 242-7144) is the next best thing to Brooklyn, complete with the thickly-accented behind-the-counter banter. The newest contender for a slice of the pizza pie is Mellow Mushroom, a ’60s-themed, full-service restaurant with springwater dough pizza as well as hoagies, salads and flavored soft hot pretzels (212 21st Ave. S., 342-0044).

—Kay West

What else is good to eat around here?

How about a list: Chow down on chili-chocolate popsicles at Las Paletas Gourmet Popsicles; Memphis dry ribs at Neely’s; a pulled pork sandwich at Mary’s Old Fashioned Pit Barbecue; a hot fish sandwich at Bolton’s Hot Chicken; fish tacos at Baja Burrito; Fat Mo Super Delux Burger at Fat Mo’s; the homemade veggie burger at Parco Café; the Vietnamese pancake and sweet, thick coffee at Kien Giang; the patty melt at Rotier’s; shrimp cocktail at La Hacienda Taqueria; sushi at Ken’s; Birria, or goat stew at Las Chivas; lamb shish kabob at House of Kabob; pig knuckles and oyster rolls, a.k.a. Surf & Turf, at Gerst Haus; and chicken tenders at Houston’s.

(And check out the Nashville Scene’s online Dining Guide for addresses and more suggestions at www.nashvillescene.com.)

—Kay West

(And check out the Nashville Scene’s online Dining Guide for addresses and more suggestions at www.nashvillescene.com.)

—Kay West