So I have a new financial challenge to report. My youngest kid has transferred to Vanderbilt. No scholarships, no aid, all cash plan. $42K/year. Just ripped a hole in my already MTPockets.....

So I'm looking for a few good places in Nashville to drown our sorrows. I know the Palms, any others are greatly appreciated. If the wine lists are so-so, please advise on good BYOs.

Thanks

Eeek! That's pricey! Wow.

One more reason to remind myself I'm not the parental type.

Just let me know when you need help on the Screagle mailer.

I had a nice, reasonably priced meal at Bound'ry. A hip, modern "small plates to share" place with a diverse list. It's the kind of place that takes your mind off of all the Country Music pre-conceived notions that most people harbor about Nashville. This would be a nice place to take your son and roommates on parents weekend.

p.s. Your screen name has now become all the more relevant.

MTP,

Visit Hoyt atVillage Wines. It's practically on the edge of the Vandy property, and has several good restaurants located nearby on 21st Ave (Rt. 431) and/or Broadway.

The best restaurant in town, The Wild Boar, is only 0.8 miles up 431, on Broadway. Their corkage ($35) and wine list (supported by a 15,000 bottle callar) are expensive, but my friends in Nashville (and trustworthy folks here in Memphis, such as ShaferGuy) swear that the joint is worth it. I haven't been, so I can't speak from personal experience.

Congratulations on your child's academic success! You must be very proud, in an impoverished sort of way.

By the way, MTP -- I hope you can find a way to make it to Memphis on one of your trips. It's 210 miles from Vandy, but trips to Beale St., the National Civil Rights Museum, any given BBQ joint, and the SmithsonianRock & Roll Museum are all worth the trip.

That, and we (ShaferGuy and I, along with Latour) have good relationships with some of our better restaurants here in the eastern parts of Memphis ... and corkage will cost you $0.

I hope to meet you soon!

Steve

MTP,

As Stemor says, the Wild Boar is the best restaurant in Nashville. Excellent wine list too but not cheap. I think the dinner will take your mind off of Vandy debts for acouple of hours.

Also hope you can make it down here to Germantown sometime.

Man, it is numbers like that which scare the living $%@! out of me. My oldest is due to enter college next year. The youngest the following year so I'll have two in college at the same time for at least 3-4 years.

Yet another insanity these days, college tuition.

Heck, MTPockets: I did not know that Seek had a brother.

MTPockets: considering the tuition, I think Wendy's is more appropriate. Heck, the guy that wants to be the next president claims that Wendys is his fav restaurant.

I think it is a sister. Transferring out of U. of Northern Colorado or Colorado State, not sure which.

MTP, let me know if any of your shipments need to be redirected to WineBid!

Mike

Thanks, everyone for the recommendations and sympathy.

Mike, you are right, it is Seek's kid sister transfering from Colorado State.

I will have to liquidate some assets to pay for Vanderbilt but hopefully not my liquid assets!

TJ,

One more unsolicited parenting comment: I'm hoping to marry into a family with three children, aged 9, 6, and 4.75.

I've NEVER had kids. In fact, I'm the youngest person in what I consider to be my family. I'm pretty selfish, probably due to never having had to live for anybody but myself. However, I'm excited to have the opportunity to enter a new phase in my life, a phase that includes three children that I will consider not "stepchildren" but, rather, "my kids". (Unfortunately, they somehow seem to be more like me than their mother. People already think that 2 of the three look more like me -- but I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it. )

It's easy for me to talk, as Carol and her kids have their financial future already assured without any input from me. But I'd still say the same thing regardless of finances: Kids are the toughest work and the greatest reward in this world. My life wouldn't be -- and wasn't -- the same without them. I thank Carol daily for letting me part of the madness that she calls "normal life".

Take it from someone that's seen both sides of the childless issue: Having them is better than not. At least, in this person's opinion.

stemor... you are indeed a lucky man!!!

Nashville thougts, for anyone who cares -

Pancake Pantry - (Disclaimer: I went on a Thursday morning at 10:15) Only waited 10 minutes. Service was o.k., but the pancakes were out of this world. Got sweet potato pancakes with a cinnamon cream syrup. After seeing Vince Gill was a regular, I know understand why he ballooned out so badly. There's a wine store in the parking lot behind the pantry. No Ca wines to speak of and I'm not that well versed on French, so I wasn't excited.

B.B. King's Restaurant/Bar - Was really surprised with this place. The food wildly surpassed expectations. Beer selection was piss poor, but I ate so much I think I'm going to explode. I tried: oysters, shrimp, smoked tuna spread, crab cakes, gumbo and blue crab claws. Only one that wasn't exciting were the claws - I've been spoiled with Dungeness. Live music was VERY good, on a Thursday night, no less.

Ribb Doctor's Bodacious BBQ (Clarksville) - I've never met a bbq shop I didn't like. These guys have a potato casserole that roughly translates into chopped baked potatoes in a cheese slop. I couldn't stop eating it.

Jack Daniels tour was fun and worth the drive. Sounds like it all depends on who your tour guide is, which could be a bad thing after a 75 mins drive from Nashville.

Drew,

That wine shop behind the Pancake Pantry was Village Wines -- in my opinion, one of the best shops in not just Nashville but all of Tennessee. I've gotten many great (and well-priced) German, Australian, Spanish, and French wines there, but you're right ... Hoyt & the gang don't have much California wine on the shelf.

Glad you've enjoyed the BBQ, home cookin', whiskey, and music here. We like to think they all go well together!

Had a great time! I really need to expand my horizons on the European side of the house, especially now that I'm on the east coast. On the bright side, I'm going to be an unemployed student for 2 years, so I guess it isn't really going to matter all that much anyways :-D

Finally get to make a more relaxed trip to Nashville to visit my dauhgter this weekend. Bound'ry Friday night and Wild Boar Saturday. Debating 2001 Shafer HSS or 2003 Pax Castelli Knight Ranch for BYOB at Wild Boar.

I'm in Nashville about once a month. The Boundry is good. I stay at the downtown Hilton, so I end up eating at The Palm quite often.