a foodie's guide to Nashville

Last week I took a road trip with my two best friends, Maggie and Christina, to one of my favorite places: NASHVILLE. 

We made the journey for the CMA Festival that was happening downtown all weekend. Before we left, I made arrangements for transportation, housing, and, of course, food. After living in sweet, wonderful Nashville, TN this past year while attending Lipscomb University, i definitely tried my fair share of delicious local food.  I couldn't wait to show my friends all the unique and tasty restaurants and coffee shops I have frequented.  

So i started making a list of all the MUST TRY places in Nashville for our trip; unfortunately, there are not nearly enough meals in a 48 hour span to hit all my favorite spots. We hit a handful of my favorites, but to be honest, you can stay in Nashville a year and still not try all of the incredible foods they have to offer.

 However, if you are planing a road trip to Nashville any time soon here is my list of my all-time favorites in the city:

Breakfast:

Coffee (the key to my heart):

BBQ:

BURGERS:

Mexican:

Pizza:

Best (expensive but worth it):

Dessert:

other yummies:

This list does not even begin to scratch the surface of all the GREAT food the Music City has to offer, but i hope it gives your taste buds some direction for your next stop in one of my favorite places. 

FIDO 

(my favorite local spot)
they serve breakfast all day (hooray)
the gluten free chocolate chip pancakes are TO DIE FOR
they also serve Bongo Java's coffee

Pancake Pantry
(a pancake lover's dream)
beware of long lines here, but this place is a commonly recommended "must see"

The Red Bicycle 

(crepes)

adorable little shop with the most delicious crepés with tons of options including breakfast, sweet, and savory
they even have gluten free crepes

The Frothy Monkey 

(keep your eyes peeled for famous people here)

Edgehill Café
(right in the heart of Music Row)

great place for breakfast or lunch

The Well
a portion of their proceeds go towards building wells in third-world countries
(order the fire side iced or hot..it's amazing)

Crema
great place to order a pour over if you like strong coffee, but they also have stellar lattes for the sweeter coffee drinkers

Barista Parlor 

(ranked in the top 10 coffee shops in the U.S.)
super hipster. super wonderful. 
prepare to see some man-buns and impressive barista tricks

The Perch

Bongo Java

Martin's

Jim 'N Nicks
their brisket baked potato is heaven on a plate
(order sweet tea with your meal)

Burger Republic
awesome restaurant in the Gulch (a great place to check out while in the city)
order a milkshake with your meal. you won't regret it. 
they also have gluten free buns available

Burger Up 

(WHATEVER YOU DO, get the sweet potato fries)
one of my favorite places, but brace yourself for a long wait if you go on a weekend

The Pharmacy
another local favorite located in East Nashville
their burgers are a must-try for any visitor
The Pharmacy Burger is classic and amazing, but they also have more adventurous options like the black bean or guacamole burger.
(their sweet potato fries are also LEGENDARY)

Taco Mamacita
(my favorite)
The Taco Royale is absolutely TERRIFIC, but you honestly can't go wrong with anything on their menu
P.S. order the guacamole for your crew. or the quest. or both. 

Cantina Laredo
a more expensive mexican place in the Gulch, but it is delicious!!

Mas Tacos
a small, local taco shop right across from The Pharmacy in East Nashville
SO TASTY

Mafiaoza's

possibly the most delicious gluten free crust I've ever had
(don't worry, they have stellar gluten-filled doughs, too)

Urban Grub 
PLEASE GO
great date place. everything I've ever ordered here was AMAZING. 
they have a fabulous outdoor patio with a fireplace

Pinewood Social
this place perfectly captures Nashville's cool, hipster vibe between its coffee bar at the front that serves Crema's coffee and its retro bowling alley at the back.
Such a fun place to try and their food great, too. 

Jeni's 

(AMAZING ICE CREAM)
a must-go stop in Nashville
if you like coffee, order their espresso ice cream. it pairs perfectly with their salted caramel.

i cannot recommend Jeni's highly enough. 

Las Paletas

this local popsicle place is the perfect afternoon snack on a hot Nashville day
located right across the street from a wonderful park

Flip Side 

(chicken)
this 50's style diner is a great local place.
really yummy.

A Matter of Taste

(only 100% gluten free restaurant in Nashville)
one of my absolute favorites. this place offers a variety of gluten free options anywhere from pancakes, biscuits, sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and pastries. 
great environment and even better food.

SLOCO 

(sandwiches)
fun fact: the owner won Food Network's "Chopped" 
they make all of their bread in house (including an awesome gluten free bread)
order the pesto chicken sandwich. it rocks.

PM 

(sushi)
oh so tasty. lots of unique choices including sushi pizza. 
this place also has other options for non-sushi lovers like burgers. 

happy eating. 


"so whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God" 1 Corinthians 10:30

seven things I learned having seven roommates

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. God has a plan. I think coincidences are what a non-believer calls a “God thing.”

I am also a firm believer that Fanning 108 was a God thing in my life.

Last August when I moved to Lipscomb, the first place I found myself was the building I would call my home for the next 10 months: Fanning Hall.  My family and I (mostly them, since I was still under a nothing over 5 pounds lifting limit thanks to spine surgery only two months prior) began unpacking my over-stuffed jeep and making my empty dorm room a little more home-y. I never knew when I walked through the doors of Fanning Hall room 108 that day that my life would be impacted so much by one place. 

Some things you should know about Fanning: 

1. The rooms are suite style.  

2. There are four double rooms, a living room, and a bathroom to share.  

3. If you did the math, that is 8 girls in one room.

Kayla. Caroline. Emily. Graysen. Kaylin. Olivia. Elise. Lauren. 

Fanning 108. Eight strangers. One room.

As you can imagine, living with seven other people is a learning experience all in its own. But those girls taught me so much more than how to co-exist with people. But here are just a few of the more tangible things I learned:

1.     Open up your heart and intentionally seek relationships with the people God places in your life. They are there for a reason.  Love them well, share your thoughts and heart, leave letters and go on spontaneous coffee dates to talk.  Let people in and He will do amazing things in your relationships.

2.     Always put the correct size trash bag in the trashcan.  If you try to put in a smaller one, it might get over-filled and burst open when you go to take it out.  Trust me.  I am speaking from personal experience. (also, beware that people will take your picture and post on snap chat if you are a victim of the trash bag debacle). 

3.     Weekend road trips with a car full of friends are not valued nearly as much as they should be.  Take them often.  Sing too loudly the whole way there.  Also, long car rides can often lead to some pretty deep, heart-felt conversations.

4.     Fish don’t die.  Fanning 108 was also home to Peta and Joy (our two Lipscomb-dorm-illegal beta fish).  I am fairly certain that their mason jars were filled with Holy Water because they have both been presumed dead multiple times yet are still swimming around to this day.  Seriously, thank you, Lord, for bringing them back to life when we forgot to feed them.

5.     Be open minded.  When your room is filled with people from all different places (Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Maine, and California) and all different backgrounds, you are bound to have some new views on the world, life, and love.  Listen to people’s journey and opinions.  You never know, they might just open up your heart.

6.     Pen comes off the wall with soap and water, but sometimes the writing doesn’t need to be washed off.  Sometimes poorly written words on a clean, white dorm wall can more meaningful than you ever imagined. (Olivia left this message on the wall on the day we moved out: “tip:love your roommates. They just might become your family.”)

7.     The community that God creates when he unites Believers is powerful and good.  Late night bible studies were a regular occurrence in dear Fanning 108 and some of my favorite conversations were born of our evening heart checks and prayer requests. Long, heart-felt prayers with your friends are one of life’s biggest blessings. Say them often.

I am so thankful for Fanning 108 and the people that filled it.  I’m thankful for the ways my mind and heart were changed because of the people I encountered. I’m thankful for heart-to-hearts at 2 AM and spontaneous dance parties and embarrassing snap chat stories and piling five girls in one twin bed to watch The Bachelor and a million trips to Taco Mamacita and snow days in the room and long prayers for great people. 

Thank you, Fanning 108. For everything.

"love each other as I have loved you" John 15:12

hey there

well, here goes nothing..

Last year, my amazing momma wrote a blog about my crazy, crooked back.  She wanted to keep everyone at home informed on my progress as I battled spinal fusion surgery in Austin, TX.  The blog (Graysen's Backstory.. the link is in my profile if you feel like reading about a girl with a not-so-straight back..) was therapeutic for both my momma and myself.  It allowed us to face what was happening with me, the hard and the good, in an honest way and share how God was working even in a painful situation.  I was also able to go back and read my story after all the heavy-duty pain killers had worn off and know what really happened.  I also wrote one post, scars, during my recovery.  I am now a proud survivor of spine surgery and the owner of a lovely scar that tells the story.  

After facing surgery last summer and recovering as best I could, my next battle was just around the corner.  I moved to Nashville, TN last August to begin my freshman year of college at Lipscomb University.  This past year has been flooded with so many blessings, challenges, and lessons.  I met so many great people who have forever impacted my life.  I became a Young Life leader at Franklin Road Academy.  I lived with seven other girls (and two fish).  I learned to navigate Nashville's 5 o'clock traffic.  I drank delicious coffee at local shops. I found a church that encourages and inspires me every Sunday.  I have studied for hours on end and survived two finals weeks. I have heard great music in small rooms.  have explored Lipscomb roof tops and gone to Cook Out way too many times.  I have honestly not even thought about blogging over the past year, but now that I have made it through the first year, I felt led to share some of the lessons I have learned and to start documenting my walk.  

You might be wondering why on earth I decided to title my blog "a beautifully wrecked life".. allow me to explain. 

I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but over the last year I started doing something I had never done before.  I ended every prayer with these words: "thank you most of all for your son, Jesus, who comes and beautifully wrecks our lives every day. In Jesus's name, Amen." 

It was one of those things that I came out of my mouth unexpected yet seamlessly, and I immediately knew it was powerful.  Christ has completely wrecked my life.  I am not the same Graysen that I was before I knew him. He has made me new. He has washed me clean.  He has wrecked the old me and turned my ashes into beauty (Isaiah 61).  And the most beautiful part is that He continues to do so everyday.  He wrecks my life over and over and over.  He knows that i am a work-in-progress and I need more of Him each and every day.  

This little phrase quickly became a theme in my life.  It has shaped how I view my life: wrecked by Christ and beautifully transformed.  I have become quite fond of my little anthem. Now my friends will make me re-do my prayer if I forget to say it. They hold me accountable and make me remember that I am new.  I am His. He has beautifully wrecked my life. 

..so here we go.  

I am not completely sure what this blog will look like or what it will hold. It could honestly be anything from gluten-free recipes, tales of being a Young Life leader, travel documentaries, random tips, testimonies, or just late night rambling. However, I do know that my life has been beautifully wrecked by Christ and I think that is worth sharing.  

"return home, and declare how much God has done for you" Luke 8:39