marché | nashville

Our favorite brunch spot in Nashvegas is hands down Marché. Marché is the brainchild of Margot McCormack, who has spearheaded the revival of East Nashville's food scene. The atmosphere is ideal for brunch -- it's sunny and happy. You feel like it's the perfect weekend morning every time you enter Marché's doors. Plus, it's located in an old telephone switching building that's full of character and personality. 

{via}

But, onto the most important aspect... the food. Although you can't get attached to one "favorite" because the menu focuses on seasonal cuisine and is ever-changing, you won't be disappointed with any new item you choose. The blood orange mimosas are usually on the menu and are the perfect counterpart for any brunch order. 

{via}

Be forewarned, Marché's line for brunch is typically out the door. Either arrive early or prepare to wait. The good news is that you can enjoy Marché's delicious coffee while you wait. Hope you get to taste this brunch bliss soon! (Sidenote: Marché's sister restaurant, Margot Café, is one of Nashville's other standouts that you don't want to miss.) 
-mrs.h

The Local's Look @ Nashville | Allyson & Lyle Phillips

Want an insider's guide to Music City? Look no further. This Local's Look at Nashville comes from one of Nashville's coolest couples, Allyson & Lyle Phillips. As you know, one of our core values at mr.&mrs.h is living life with passion and adventure. We were so excited for these two to give to give us a tour of their city because that's the way they "do life" in Nashville -- full of passionate purpose and adventure. Who better to show us around? 

{all photos of Allyson&Lyle via Teale Photography}

MMH: To start, what do you love about Nashville? 

A&LP: We love so much about Nashville. We love the effortless meld of both big city and small community vibe. The people seem to be so unique due to the artistic and musical draw that Nashville seems to have. We love how comfortably southern yet cultured the city feels. 

MMH: Food+Beverage: Favorite _______?
A&LP:

➺ Breakfast - We love The Perch. It's a little crepe and omelette restaurant in Brentwood. It is small building that is always bustling with people.

{above images via}

➺ Lunch - Burger Up. Hands down, a Nashville favorite. We love the atmosphere and the local beef and produce served at this hip burger joint. They have two locations and both are always busy. They have homemade ketchup and a burger called the Black and Blue burger that is just to die for!

➺ Dinner  - This is a toss up between two Asian restaurants, Peter's Sushi and Fulin's Asian Cuisine. Peter's has amazing sushi and dishes and they always seem to be busy! Fulin's is a bit less popular, but has just as amazing food and service. We love going to both places for dinner. We are huge fans of Asian food!

{via}

➺ Coffee shop - Fido in Hillsboro Village in downtown Nashville has always been a favorite. Aside for having wonderful local coffee, including a honey latte that is to die for, they also have wonderful food and they serve breakfast all day long. So good!

{via}

➺ Health/Wellness - The Juice Bar in Brentwood. It has all organic fruits and veggies in it's hand crafted juices and smoothies! And, it's just a block away from The Perch.

➺ Bakery - The Flour Shop is an absolute darling bakery in Brentwood. Iris, the owner, makes beautiful cakes, cookies, and other baked goods!

➺ Sweet spot (ice cream, cupcakes, dessert spot, etc.) - Sweet Cece's is our favorite frozen yogurt place. When in Nashvlille it's a must visit! Especially the original store in Franklin! 

➺ Dive - Thai Phooket. It's an amazing dive in Nashville. It serves amazing authentic Thai food. It never disappoints! 

{via}

MMH: Favorite shops? What are their goods? 

A&LP: This one is a definite tie between Imogen + Willie and Pangaea. Imogene + Willie has amazing raw denim. They are a little expensive; however, for all the wear you will get out of a pair, it is worth every penny! Pangea is a boutique store. It has tons of women's clothing and jewelry for girls with daring taste. It has a Free People vibe with a local twist!

{via}

{via}

MMH: Your favorite area in Nashville (neighborhood, part of town, etc.) and why? 

A&LP: We love most of Nashville but one our favorite places to venture around and hang out is definitely East Nashville! It has a ton of thrift stores and adorable vintage stores. It also has beautiful houses and amazing restaurants!

MMH: Your "must see or do" while in Nashville. 

A&LP: We think everyone who visits town must see a local show! Any given night in the city you can find a good local show with local talent. Blue Bird Cafe is a must go to if you want to hear amazing talent!

MMH: Are there any cool markets (farmers markets, flea markets, etc)? 

A&LP: There are a couple markets in Nashville. The Farmers' Market is a popular one in Downtown! They always have tons of amazing produce and products!

{via}

MMH: What's your favorite greenspace in your city (park, outdoor area, etc.)? 

A&LP: We love Centennial Park! There is a ton of green lawn to hang out on and there are always fun things going on at the park year round including Swing Dancing and plays! There is also a replica of the Parthenon that always attracts visitors.

MMH: Your perfect Saturday (or Sunday) in Nashville looks like...? 

A&LP: For us Sundays are unique! We rest during the day and then we get to go to our Sunday night service of the church we pastor. It is our favorite day of the week!

{via}

MMH: Is there a touristy spot that's actually worth the visit while in Nashville? 

A&LP: Opryland Hotel, especially if you come during Christmas! The lights that they put up are beautiful and romantic! It's also an amazing place to stay while visiting!

MMH: Is there anything/anywhere that you'd tell a friend not to miss while visiting Nashville? 

A&LP: Don't miss out on the charm of Nashville. Get out and go explore. The city is beautiful and so are the outskirts of the city!

Allyson and Lyle, thanks so much for sharing your love for you city and your insider tips! This makes us want to plan a trip to Nashville asap!!

-mr.&mrs.h

SFA Piggy Bank Dinner | RT Lodge

the wine woody made an appearance at cocktail hour - don't you love it?

the amazing invitation/menu suite
(i'm a sucker for pretty paper products - and the Happy Envelope is one of my absolute favorites)

This weekend Mr. H and I got a chance to go back to old stomping grounds, Maryville, TN, for a Southern Foodways Alliance (SFA) Piggy Bank Dinner. (If you're not familiar with SFA, check them out -- they are an amazing non-profit that celebrates the food cultures and traditions of the American South.) The event was at one of my favorite event/corporate retreat venues in the South, the RT Lodge. Mr. H and I have also been to a wedding weekend there and we've been so impressed every time!  

Alexandra Hansen is head of event planning at the RT Lodge and she's amazing -- she has the perfect blend of great taste, creativity, and organization! In our opinion, she's one of the South's up-and-coming event planners. She was recently featured in the latest issue of the Bridal Guide as well as Style Me Pretty. Needless to say, we thought all of her details made the night spectacular. But, the chefs for the dinner didn't hurt either -- Rick Mace (RT Lodge), Matt Gallaher (Knox Mason), Joseph Lenn (Blackberry Farm), and Peter Glander (Executive Chef at Ruby Tuesday) all teamed up to serve some delightful, regional flavors. You can't go wrong when celebrating Southern food with a group of chefs like that. 

Still, with noteworthy chefs, the great company, and the wonderful atmosphere, my favorite moment of the night had nothing to do with any of that. It was when I looked across the table at Mr. H and there were fire flies twinkling behind him --  I love those moments when things stand still and it feels like a magical, summer night. What can I say, I'm a romantic, who cherishes those cheesy moments in life. 
-mrs.h

I scream, you scream, we all scream, for Ice Cream

I consider myself to be an ice cream connoisseur; in my family we have ice cream every night after dinner. I'm certain my father invented the tune, "I scream, you scream, we all scream, for ice cream," so we have to put our money where our mouth is by eating as much ice cream as possible.

So after having approximately 9,125 servings of ice cream, I feel comfortable endorsing Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream. Mrs. H and I discovered Jeni's on a recent trip to Nashville, and I didn't want to leave. While preparing to write this blog, we discovered that this gastronomic delight is now sold at The Fresh Market, so last night we quickly conquered a pint of Brambleberry Crunch. Here's to the secret to a happy marriage and long life: Ice Cream!

-mr. h

{via}

a jeni's scoop shop

{via}

mixing the ice cream

 {via}

{via} 

jeni's ice cream sandwiches

 {via}

 {via}

{via}

Side note from Mrs. H: Jeni's currently has 11 "Scoop Shops" in Ohio and one in Nashville. Annnnd, there's good news for all you Hotlanta people... Jeni's is set to open an ATL Scoop Shop sometime late this summer. Stay tuned for those updates via www.facebook.com/JenisWestsideProvisions.

remedy coffee - our favorite coffee shop

I love coffee... actually I think my "love" for coffee borders on obsession. I'm not a coffee snob. I don't know all in the in's and out's of coffee. I just simply love it. The thought of coffee is my motivation to get out of bed in the morning. I love it so much that I have to force myself to not drink so much that I get sick. 

I know I share my love for coffee with most Americans. We've become a coffee addicted nation. In honor of this shared love of coffee, Mr. H and I are starting to highlight our favorite coffee shops around the nation. Every time we find a new one that makes the list, we'll post it on the blog. 

The coffee shop that has the honor of being our first on the list is: Remedy Coffee in Knoxville, TN. 

We love Remedy for so many reasons.

1. Clearly the coffee is awesome or they wouldn't be on the list. They serve Intelligentsia -- mmmmhhh!

2. The pimento cheese/bacon biscuits are freaking amazing. 

3. The atmosphere is perfect - we've never met a restored building we didn't like.  

4. The staff know coffee and are super friendly. (And, they drink their ice coffee in mason jars... cheers to that.)

5. This maybe my favorite aspect of all (via Remedy's website): "Beyond the coffee, Remedy gives a portion of it's sales each month to ideas, people, and organizations in Downtown Knoxville that are working to restore and transform our city. We live in this city and we love this city and it's our pleasure to give back." One of our core values at mr.&mrs.h is seeing cities transformed through the creativity of food&beverage/hospitality ventures. We love that this is the heart behind Remedy Coffee and it's the defining factor that makes Remedy the coffee shop we chose to introduce as the first of "Our Favorite Coffee Shops."

-mrs.h

the Plaid Apron: a knoxville café

A recent trip to our old stomping of East Tennessee allowed us to visit one of our all time favorites - The Plaid Apron.

To say we love the Plaid Apron is a vast understatement. The vision and passion that Drew (owner and head chef) and his wife, Bonnie, carry is felt, and tasted, throughout. From the menu to the design, the Plaid Apron truly is a "Knoxville café." As soon as you walk in the door, you are greeted by a laid-back, friendly atmosphere. The design is low-key, but so perfectly Southern with a twist (i.e. mason jar pendants and modern paintings of farm animals). And, then there's the food...

Bonnie & Drew McDonald

yuuummmm....

Drew's pursuit of excellence, as evidenced by his training at Blackberry Farm, Huka Lodge, and The Hermitage Hotel, elevates the breakfast and lunch experience to another level. The menu is constantly changing to bring in as many local, seasonal ingredients as possible. The effort to keep the menu fresh shows no matter what you're eating. From eggs benedict to salmon, the Plaid Apron does not disappoint. Next time you're in K-Town be sure to stop by the Plaid Apron... and tell them "mrs.&mrs.h said hello."
-mr.&mrs.h

Tennessee, here we come!

We are heading to Tennessee today! So excited for some new adventures in this state that we love so much. Hope you're having a great week! 

Head out on the highway... lookin' for adventure

"Get your motor running  Head out on the highway  Looking for adventure  And whatever comes our way  Yeah darling, gonna make it happen  Take the world in a love embrace" - The Cult, Born to be Wild

French Gulch, CA

Platina, CA

TN Driving Adventures...

Driving is one of Mr. H's and my favorite things to do together... not interstate driving (although we've done a lot of that through our cross-country moves). We like to get off the beaten path and explore. Sometimes we have a destination in mind, other times it's just a great time to spend together and explore a new place nearby. 

When we lived in California, our drives took us to practically deserted mining towns like French Gulch and Platina. In Tennessee, we discovered beautiful drives in the Smoky Mountains with phenomenal views. The best part about driving adventures is they are low on money but high on quality time. They also helped us really discover the area around us, which is so easy to miss on the interstate. 

I want to get this book by National Geographic and start adding some of these drives to our "dream list"... and then check them off one by one! Do you have any favorite drives?

day escapes

Wow! I can't believe we've let three weeks pass. The time has flown by... I guess it always does when you're transitioning to a new place. Now that things are finally starting to feel normal here, mr. h and I will start our typical move-in routine (we've become pro's at making a new place home quickly). One of our keys to staying sane in the chaos of a move is our search for our favorite 'day escape' near our new home.

Lithia Park - Ashland, OR

via pinterest

Nobel Coffee - Ashland, OR

via wanderfly.com