Spotlight on Nashville: East Nashville Favorites

(Tank: Banana Republic, similar here, headband: Anthropologie, similar here)

We wanted to welcome my brother back to America in style, so we spent Saturday exploring East Nashville, an up-and-coming area of town full of hipsters, eclectic shops and tasty eateries. Not to mention it's home to the one-and-only Tomato Art Fest, but more on that later- it needs a post of its own.

First stop: I Dream of Weenie. This converted VW Bus serves up specialty hot dogs with a touch of sass. My mom and I each had a slaw weenie, but my brother was slightly more adventurous. Jack sampled the chili cheese weenie and ordered it "double dog style" which comes with two hot dogs on one bun! The van itself doesn't have any seating, but we enjoyed our lunch on a near-by picnic table.

For dessert, we headed next door to The Jolly Rogue, Nashville's icey taste of The Big Easy. The Rogue's "sneauxballs" are New Orleans-style shaved ice- packed with flavor and totally refreshing. I ordered the Pink Flamingo, a mixture of shaved ice, nectar and coconut flavorings, evaporated milk and whipped cream while my brother opted for Tiger's Blood--I didn't quite catch what was in that one, but I stole a taste, and it was excellent. Prices for these shaved ice specialties range from $3-6, but they're large enough to share.

Much to my brother's dismay, we finished our adventure with a little window shopping. My mom and I walked away empty-handed, but saw some great pieces in both Wonders on Woodlawn and the Art and Invention Gallery- I'll have to go back when I have more time to look around. Overall it was a great day, and I can't wait to go back!

Click here for more pictures from our adventures!