Corey at Webbspun Ideas, your “ambassador for Nashville,” has compiled a fairly comprehensive list of where to grab that drink special. I know we’ve tossed around the subject a time or two here, but Corey puts us to shame with his comprehensive lists of where to grad a cheap drink in the vicinity of downtown:

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday

I am not much of a restaurant reviewer. My typical reviews of restaurants or music tend to be “it was good. i liked it”. But, I had a good experience I thought I’d relay.. I always pretty much ignored Chez Jose when it was in the little corner spot on Elliston, and thus I never paid much attention to the restaurant that replaced it: Tangredi’s — a little italian place.

Last night, some friends and I were going to go to Chili’s (no, I don’t know either. it wasn’t my idea), and of course it was packed to the gills. Shocker! So, we wandered down to Tangredi’s. We approached with some trepidation, because it’s a fairly small place, and by the looks of it, the entire staff was on a smokebreak out back. But, we were seated promptly in a cozy table. The place was pretty much empty, which is also always cause for alarm. Their bar is pretty expansive, but no beer. Just liquor and wine. I started with scotch and soda and a diet coke. (We were going to a haunted house, so I wanted to make sure to mix some relaxation with a heightened sense of awareness.) I ordered the linquine and clams, the rest of my table had “penne a la vodka” — which looked like penne in some marinara sauce — and a crawfish dish that looked awesome. The clams were great, in a light white wine/garlic sauce. It was tasty.

The place started to fill up later as the Vandy game crowd decided to get food. The menu was reasonable.. $13-17 or so entrees. Nashville is not really known for its Italian food, so I was surprised to find this place. It wasn’t half bad. Good service, good food.. cute waitress, to boot. I’ll be going there again.

It’s that season once again. That magical time of year when college students flock back to their campuses in search of enlightenment, knowledge and, in Nashville’s case, the perfect Prada backback to complete their ensemble.

Ok, perhaps before I go any further I should introduce myself. My name is Jared and along with being the newest Nashville MetroBlogger, I am also a first year graduate business student over at Vanderbilt University.

I just moved here a couple of months ago from Washington, D.C., expecting to see a lot of what I grew up with in Atlanta; southern hospitality, sweet tea and pickup trucks blasting the latest country hits. Apparently, I didn’t get the Vandy memo.

Don’t get me wrong; I have been blown away by Nashville’s vibrance and personality. The last four weeks I been from The Stage to Cheeckwood and from downtown to Murfreesboro. Everywhere I go, I have seen some of the friendliest faces and fun-loving characters I have ever seen.

This morning however, I was jolted back into reality when a throng of well-meaning, yet clumsy co-eds decided to inundate Pannera for lunch. This reminded me all to well that though you can change cities, the undergrads will seemingly stay the same.

Stay tuned for more from the Vandy front as well as my search to find the best Jazz lounge and martini bar in town!

Most laws passed by the TN legislature traditionally go into effect at the beginning of the next fiscal year, July 1. That’s why Gramma needs to take her driver’s license with her to Kroger to buy cooking sherry even though we took away her car keys years ago.

But in an effort to appease the tobacco lobby, the Smoke Free Tennessee legislation will not officially be enacted until October 1, 2007. Smoke `em if you got `em.

But not at Bosco’s in Hillsboro Village.
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It’s about three weeks until Nashville’s Metro Council and Mayoral election. And that’s just the first one before the inevitable runoff.

The campaign coffers of each of the major candidates are full and ready to be dumped into the market in the form of media buys during your evening newscast/dinner time. Figure that’s about 5-10 minutes per day for the rest of the month. Prepare to be numbed.

Or you could exercise your most sacred right and just vote early and get it over with.
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I’m really digging this bit of cooler weather. I had a nice afternoon on Tuesday, milling around on the gateway bridge, snapping pictures (like the one above), but mostly just enjoying the awesome breeze. Followed that up by an evening on the town. Met the metbloggers at Red Door for drinks out on the deck, and then over to Blue Bar for a while. I hadn’t been to Blue Bar since it was that seafood place Atlantis. Talk about a blast from the past — the fancy foyer with the hostess stand is now the darts room. Go figure.

Now we just need someone to open up a place called White Bar, so we can have the most patriotic mid-town bar strip in the country. Although, the intent behind a bar called the “White Bar” might be tragically misunderstood. (I think I made this joke on Tuesday — mmm, recycled material — and someone said “what do you mean? Every bar in midtown is a white bar.”) Although, even at Blue Bar, some obviously crazy guy at the pool table kept yelling across the place “HEY I BET THAT CHINAMAN O’ER THERE CAN PLAY POOL”. Chinaman. I hadn’t heard that one in a while — way to go, dude. Bringin back some old-school racism.

The Tennessean has the story here. A news conference is scheduled for 3:00pm today on campus to formally announce his departure.

I just got this in my inbox:

Today, it is with mixed emotions that I have informed the Board of Trust and its Chairman, Mrs. Martha Ingram, of my intention to resign the Chancellorship of Vanderbilt on August 1 of this year. At that time, I will assume the Presidency of The Ohio State University. This was by far the most difficult professional decision that I have ever made. I want you to know that I am not leaving Vanderbilt. Rather, I am following my heart and returning to a place that I consider my home. My decision is that simple and that complex. Over the past several weeks, members of the University Board and the University family have done everything possible to make me feel valued and appreciated. I assure you that I do.

Vanderbilt is a magnificent university with a world-class faculty, remarkable students, devoted staff, and passionate alumni. It is blessed with an extraordinary group of senior leaders. Its future is boundless. It will continue its unprecedented trajectory to greatness. I assure you that I will give Vanderbilt my full measure of devotion until I assume my new duties. And, I will always take great pride in the achievements of the University and the friendships that I have made and will continue to cherish.

Gordon

After attempts to open in time for Cinco de Mayo and then Cuatro de Julio, I actually saw signs of life at the mythical Rosario’s Mexican Restaurant at the corner of Edgehill Avenue and Villa Place.

I’m not sure if it was a very soft opening or what, but there were folks on the front deck with drinks on Sunday afternoon and it looked like someone was actually taking an order from them. Some lights were on inside the building this morning when I rode by on my bike at 6:30 and the “Opening Soon” sign has been taken down.

Personally, I’m pretty damned pumped about the prospect of some upscale Mexican food within walking distance of my casa.

Felicidades! Review forthcoming.

*That title’s an ancient Cheech and Chong reference for all my fellow old heads out there.

Anyone know what’s going on here? I noticed it on the newschannel5 skycam:

UPDATE: Ah, as I just learned via nashvillecharrette, this is the Ghost Ballet art installation that they are putting up.