The pure inspiration for me going to Nashville was for the fried chicken. Yes, I read later about the honkytonks and party vibe (endless bachelorette parties apparently) but it was the chicken predominantly. My first Nashville chicken was from Belle's (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/belles-hot-chicken-melbourne-02-2016) and their subsequent spinoff/copycat in Geelong (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/the-hot-chicken-project-geelong-08-2016).
I looked up recipes online and found one from Belle's and one from their inspiration by Sean Brock. I cooked a hybrid version once and I have to say it was great. It would be the closest I would find in London. Reading online their were only really two names that came up for where to go in Nashville - Prince's and Hattie B's. Most of the reviews suggested Prince's was the more favourite although being located so far south I didn't want to make the journey there.
So Hattie B's in its convenient location on Broadway meant joining a hot midday queue in the sun enviously looking at the people inside. After a 15min wait I made it to the order counter, before finding a counter seat to watch the passing street traffic. I wasn't sure how hot to order and so ended up with a large dark meat (2 leg/thigh quarters) $12 at medium and one extra wing $2.5 at hot. The 2 sides chosen were pimento mac & cheese and creamy coleslaw.
And the chicken was as good as I hoped. Spicy, crisp skin which crackled overlying a very good and tender chicken. Hot was definitely better than medium and brought it to life. It was a lot less salty than I expected, and not smokey like the heaped paprika from Belle's. It was just delicious.
After the disappointing Prince's, once we were driving away from Nashville there was another Hattie B's in West Nashville on our way out to Memphis. This time we ordered hot and were thankful for the last bit of bliss. Until the next time Hattie B. But for now Belle's will do fine.