Springtime In The Southland: We Do Love A Wedding

It's that time of year down here when folks like to get hitched in the out-of-doors and especially in historic locales. Saturday we were happy to make the trip just outside of Franklin to Carnton Plantaton to attend the wedding of our thoughtful and creative friends Tim and Sarah.

Classic Antebellum architecture

The backdrop for the ceremony was an ancient Osage-Orange tree.

A door on one of several outbuildings on the property.

 The battle of Franklin (fought within view of the mansion) was a devastating loss for the Confederacy and set the stage for the Battle of Nashville which would put the Army of Tennessee out of commission for the rest of the war. Wounded Confederate soldiers were carried to Carnton, which had been converted into a field hospital. Nearly 1500 Southern soldiers who died in the battle are buried here.

 Slave quarters.

This was what I would call a "navy blazer affair" (though I did see a few fellows in seersucker, pushing the season in my opinion, even on the eve before Easter.) I went with a basic white OCBD, some lightweight glen plaid trousers, a madras bowtie, and suede Aldens.  All proved perfect for enjoying a sweet ceremony followed by Memphis-style brisket under a tent. Moments like these, holy unions confirmed and celebrated in the shadows of our rich (albeit painful) history are some of the reasons I love living in the South. All in all, a lovely evening was had.

Glengarry Look: Brunch With The In-Laws

• Brooks Brothers OCBD
• J. Crew wool cardigan
• J. Crew cords
• J. Press belt
• Timex
• Mast General Store wool socks
• L.L. Bean Ranger Mocs

My wife's father is a Chicago native and now resides just north of there in Lincolnshire, IL. Now that my wife and her sister have provided him his only five grandchildren between them, he visits our fair city as often as possible. This weekend we enjoyed one such visit and today, as is our tradition, we all met for brunch before he caught his flight home. We took them to a local delicatessen that has been a Sunday favorite for us for what feels like forever. Never-ending pancakes for the kids, endless omelet possibilities for the grownups, and the consistently good (and hot) basic coffee make it the kind of place that's hard to grow tired of, even after all these years.

Refresco

One more reason to frequent Baja Burrito in Nashville: Mexican Coke.

Sunday Sightings: Ford Edition

Spotted a few vehicles of note while out and about in Nashville today.  As it happens, they were all Fords.

While I was gassing up in the Woodbine area I noticed this 1979 Ford Custom with its original topper (filled with fishing rods.)  This thing was hauling a pretty nice boat and its owner was decked out in matching stars & bars t-shirt and shorts.  He and the family were packing the cooler for a day at the lake when I stopped to comment.  I don't care for those wheels but otherwise, this truck is boss.

In Berry Hill, I pulled over for this 1959 Thunderbird.  It had a couple of rear lights missing but other than that it was mint inside and out.

And finally, on the way back home I passed this duo from 1961:  a Falcon sedan and a mildly hot-rodded Ranchero.  Both in decent shape but not so slick that they would fetch top dollar (as go Falcons and Rancheros.)

Nashville Flea

Today at lunch I headed to the fairgrounds to run recon on the June flea market.  As usual, it's mostly overpriced imported plastic, recent military surplus, newly crafted stuff made to look antique and tables and tables of tube socks.  There were a few highlights though:

Lanterns.....

Four-point Witney blanket.

I have some similar chairs.  These kinds of folding chairs always remind me of photos of Rudy Van Gelder's Blue Note sessions.

Double doubles.

Kid stuff.

Hole In The Wall: Gabby's Burgers and Fries

Nashville isn't short on great burger joints.  There are local establishments like Brown's Diner, Rotiere's, The Hermitage Cafe, and the Washington D.C. based chain, Five Guys Burger and Fries, just to name a few.  I had heard about Gabby's "over by the baseball stadium" a few times from my coworkers before deciding to check it out today but I honestly assumed it was overrated.  Here is the scoop:

1.  It's not overrated.  (It's GOOD.)
2.  It's not outrageously priced (although New Jersey Chris complained anyway.)
3.  It's not easy to get to because of construction (but it's worth the trip.)

The first thing I noticed upon entering the plain gray building was the 16-star American flag on the wall.

I liked that a lot and things only got better.  Although I had been warned about "lines out the door" there were only a few people in front of us and we were at the counter in no time.  I told the cashier lady (who perfectly matched the description I had been given) that it was my first time and asked if she could recommend something.  She recommended a Bacon Swiss Burger with Sweet Potato Fries so that's what I got.  It came in at $7.05 without a drink, not too bad, considering what else $7.05 will buy for lunch.  The burgers are made to order on the grill (visible from the counter) but the wait wasn't too long.

I took mine back to the office to eat it to make up for the time it took me to find the place.  The burger was seriously good.  The fries were really tasty but I couldn't finish them.

Bottom line:  Gabby's is the real deal.  It's a great place for you and a coworker to grab something other than fast food without a restaurant feel.  Try it and let me know what you think.

Gabby's Burgers & Fries

493 Humpreys Street Nashville, TN

615.733.3118