The post where my RUF blog turns into a food blog...

[L to R] TOP: Fido--Nashville/Hillsboro Village; Gibson's Donuts--Memphis; Maple Bacon donut from Gibson's; Cheesecake Factory--Nashville; Bongo Java--Nashville/Belmont; the Pharmacy Burger Parlor (creamsicle soda)--East Nashville; Monell's--Nashville/Germantown; Mafiaoza's Pizzeria--Nashville/12th South; MIDDLE: Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse--Nashville/12th South; Holiday Deli and Ham (Pimento Cheese sandwich)--Memphis; Tops Bar-B-Q--Memphis; La Baguette Bakery--Memphis (owned by the father of one of our students); Central BBQ (bbq nachos)--Memphis; Cheeseburger from the Pharmacy Burger Parlor; BOTTOM: Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams (poached riesling pear sorbet)--East Nashville; Republic Coffee--Memphis; Jerry's Sno Cones--Memphis; Watermelon supreme from Jerry's; Brother Juniper's (open-faced omelet)--Memphis; San Antonio Taco Company--Nashville; Family-style homecooked goodness from Monell's; Las Paletas (avocado popsicle)--Nashville/12th South.

Catherine and I just got back from a week-long road trip across the beautiful state of Tennessee, hitting both Memphis and Nashville. We were able to see many of our current students that are home for the summer, meet some incoming freshmen, and soak up some local flavor. Yes, Tennessee is beautiful...and it is also delicious.

But we'll get to the food later.

We had the opportunity to speak to high school and college Sunday school classes at Independent Presbyterian and First Evangelical Church in Memphis. We enjoyed seeing some of our current students at each church, meeting some new ones, and encouraging the Sr. High at IPC to get involved with a campus ministry (like RUF) wherever they wind up going to school. We were thankful to both churches for the opportunity to speak and meet their students.

Dinner at Central BBQ in Memphis

We hosted two RUF events while we were in Memphis for both current and incoming Tennessee students. We had lunch at Holiday Deli and Ham after church on Sunday, and then dinner at Central BBQ on Monday night. We had a great turnout at both events, and after dinner on Monday, most of the group drove over to the famous Memphis spot, Jerry's Sno Cones, to keep the party going (it may or may not have been my 2nd time at Jerry's that day.)

In Nashville, we enjoyed having dinner with the college pastor and college group from Christ Presbyterian at Mafiaoza's pizzeria, followed by Nashville Summer RUF across the street at Midtown Fellowship. The RUF staff from both Vanderbilt and Belmont team up to put on weekly RUF large groups over the summer for any college students that are in town. It was great having the opportunity to worship and fellowship with them!

Also in Nashville, we had a dinner at San Antonio Taco Company (affectionately known at SATCO) for current and incoming students. We had another great turnout, and again, the party kept going...this time at Cheesecake Factory.

Dinner at San Antonio Taco Company in Nashville

Our purpose for these events was to catch up with our current students, meet incoming freshmen, and get incoming freshmen to meet our current students. This definitely took place, and we were encouraged by the response! The first couple weeks of college are a crazy time for a freshman, and we were hoping to give them some faces and connections to know when they move to Knoxville in August.

These events were certainly successes, but one of the best parts of the trip was getting to hang out with our current students and friends and experiencing these awesome cities. And by experiencing...yes...I really mean eating. Friends, there are some fantastic places to eat in Memphis and Nashville, and we barely even scratched the surface.

In the top picture, you'll see a sampling of the food and coffee I was able to experience on the trip...and in case any of you happen to find yourself nearby...I have some recommendations below. Granted, these are recommendations from the places I ate...so definitely not exhaustive. [If you were just reading this for the ministry update...or if you hate food and try to have as little joy in life as possible...you can stop reading now.]

Gibson's Donuts, Memphis: Now, I've had a lot of donuts. [collective gasp of disbelief from the audience] But never have I ever had a donut like the donut I ate (it really deserves a much more beautiful verb than simply "ate") at the Memphis staple, Gibson's Donuts. The simple glazed donut was amazing itself...but I had to kick it up a notch and try the Maple Bacon donut. Yes. It's just what it sounds like...maple icing...bits of real bacon on top (picture above). Well worth however many hundreds of calories it packs. They're open 24 hours a day and are super cheap. Do yourself a favor if you're anywhere near Memphis and get a Gibson's donut...or two...[or twelve].

Holiday Deli and Ham, Memphis: Pimento cheese sandwich for the win. 

La Baguette Bakery, Memphis: Owned and operated by Mr. Amagliani, the father of one of our students, and one of the families I stayed with while in Memphis. You might think I'd be obligated to give a good review, but it was seriously probably the best cinnamon roll I've ever had. The icing just kept oozing out no matter where I bit in. The sausage, egg, and cheese baguette was also wonderful. (That was a big breakfast...) 

Tops Bar-B-Q, Memphis: Your classic, old-school, fast-food style BBQ. Definitely one of the best pulled-pork sandwiches I've ever had...and again, I've had a lot. After a disappointing visit to the Commissary last summer, this sandwich restored my faith in Memphis BBQ.  

Republic Coffee, Memphis 

Central BBQ, Memphis: I've heard for years from Memphis locals that Central is the best BBQ, period. I will need to give it another try in order to try their straight-up BBQ (pulled-pork is my standard), but the BBQ Nachos were unbelievable...and I normally don't go for the whole let's-put-a-bunch-of-extra-stuff-in-our-BBQ thing. I will be back. 

Jerry's Sno Cones, Memphis: This is another place I'd heard so much about from Memphians...of course, from the way they talked about it, I half-expected to be dodging bullets to get there, but that wasn't the case at all. Tucked back in an older neighborhood in the northeastern-ish part of town (clearly, these are directions from a non-local), I wound up making the trip twice in one day...it was that good. More flavors than you can imagine, ranging from your standard Cherry, Peach, and Blue Raspberry to your more intriguing Legit, Spiderman, and Wedding Cake. I was told you have to order it "supreme," which means it's served all up amongst some of the best vanilla soft-serve you've ever tasted. I was told correctly. I had the Watermelon Supreme on my first trip, followed by a combination of Peach and John Deere (I don't know what John Deere was supposed to taste like...but it blew me away.) Again...if you're ever in Memphis...Jerry's. It may even be worth a special trip.

Brother Juniper's, Memphis: They said it was the best breakfast in Memphis...and it was pretty darn good. They're famous for their delicious open-faced omelets, and mine did not disappoint. The cheese grits were also fantastic. It was a lot of food...good, good food.  

Frothy Monkey Coffeehouse, Nashville: Awesome name...awesome neighborhood...awesome coffee shop. 

Las Paletas, Nashville: Gourmet popsicles in some pretty wild and wacky flavors. I was convinced to try the creamy avocado popsicle. Surprisingly enough, it was delightful.  

Mafiaoza's Pizzeria, Nashville: I had been to the one in Birmingham before, and it was just as good. They have 2-for-1 Tuesdays, which applies to everything...drinks and pizza slices. Great deal...it would be a little pricey otherwise.

The Perch, Brentwood: Great breakfast spot...and call me a crepe, but those paper-thin pancakes were fantastic.  

Bongo Java, Nashville: Right across the street from Belmont's campus, this place is hipster-central. But that usually means it's going to be good...and it was. Great coffee, and the fancy grilled cheese was wonderful. Really cool spot...even if I felt more mainstream than Mitt Romney walking in the front door. [ha] 

Monell's, Nashville: You need to go to Monell's. It's in an old house in the historic Germantown neighborhood just outside of Nashville's downtown. You pay one flat price ($16), you sit with people you don't know, and you don't order a thing...they just keep bringing out more and more food than you can ever eat or even imagine. The fried chicken was unbelievable, but the vegetables may have been even better. Squash, cream corn, mashed potatos, beet salad, cole slaw...and homemade biscuits with peach preserves. The meats change everyday, but we had chicken...fried and baked, and pork chops. Of course, it was all topped off with a bottomless bowl of banana pudding. Go to Monell's. 

Fido, Nashville: Giant coffee shop in Hillsboro Village, right by Vandy's campus. In addition to great coffee (same as Bongo Java), they have delicious homemade baked goods and a full breakfast and lunch menu. (I had a sesame bagel with smoked salmon and capers...whoa yeah.) 

San Antonio Taco Company (SATCO), Nashville: Also right by Vandy's campus, this place is a staple. The food is great, but it's really the experience that makes it. You fill out a sheet of paper with your order when you walk in the front door (create your own tacos),  and hand it to the cashier who totals it all up. They got a sweet patio too. Every time I'm in Nashville, this is a must-eat place. 

The Pharmacy Burger Parlor, East Nashville: Out in the up-and-coming East Nashville area, this is one awesome place. There's an old-fashioned soda counter, and some of the best, freshest, most delicious burger options you've ever seen. If I hadn't already eaten so much that week, I would've gone with the Farm Burger which featured local TN beef, fried egg, local country ham, and local bacon...with maple mustard. HELLO. The regular cheeseburger I had was impressive enough, especially on a homemade bun. The soda fountain serves up all kinds of phosphates and milkshakes, and the Creamsicle I ordered was ridiculously good. They also had an awesome outdoor beer garden area out back with picnic tables and lights all strung up. Sweet location.

Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams, East Nashville: I didn't think I could make myself eat anything else, but too many people had told me about Jeni's and we were in the neighborhood. I'm glad we made the final stop. I think the chain is from Ohio, but it doesn't feel "chainy" at all. They are not shy with the free samples, and I was impressed with their standard flavors (chocolate, coffee, etc.) and their less standard...like Queen City Cayenne and Goat Cheese with berries. I settled with a lighter option, the poached riesling pear sorbet...I've already used all my adjectives too much...it was very very good.

Are you hungry yet? Good grief, I didn't think I'd ever want to eat anything ever again...ha. But seriously, there is some good food in these cities, and it's not just the food...so many of these places have a lot of local character and flavor. Once I recover from the experience (give me a couple months), I'm looking forward to getting back and hitting some more spots.

Maybe I'll see some students too...if they agree to go with me to Gus's Fried Chicken in Memphis....or Burger Up in Nashville. We'll see.