Where the Honeysuckle is Ripe & the Pink is Plenty

Where the roads are winding, the hills are green, and the honeysuckle is already fragrantly on the vine, is where I found myself one late April adventure to visit a dear friend.

I still have some amazing southern cities and states yet to visit, and with all the cities within Tennessee's borders, you'd have thought I'd have found my way there long before now.

I've imagined walking down the streets of Nashville, music cascading onto the sidewalk, eating my weight in BBQ in Memphis, renting a cabin in Pigeon Forge - I've had Tennessee wishes, y'all - and one of them came true just as we made our way out of April.

As we began our decent into Nashville, I could already see how verdant the area is - trees plump with spring green surrounding inland coastal waters and fringing a few snaking streams. 

Photo: Sumner County Real Estate

What I didn't expect on our drive was to fall in love with the approach to our friends' new home. The limestone exposed pinnacles, serpentine drives, wooden fences, small, seemingly ancient little structures (old school houses and taverns, we learned, dating more than a hundred, some two hundred, years old), some livestock, and vines, ripe with buds and blooms, welcomed us en route. It was utterly lovely! 

After hugging my friend, and catching up, the second most exciting thing was our reservation at White Limozeen, a restaurant atop the Graduate Hotel in downtown Nashville. This Holy Grail of pink is an homage to none other than one of Tennessee's most famous musical artists, Dolly Parton. The dreamy cotton candy images of this restaurant have been filling my social media feed for years and now that I've been - I will absolutely return!

To say that this is a girly bachelorette destination is an understatement, but there we were, in fact, husbands in tow, and each of us were sinking into the ambience. The semi-circular bar sparkling with coupe glasses, the velvet settees, pink plaid appointments, watermelon pink poolside umbrellas - every detail captivating and FUN! 

But there's more: the food and cocktails were outstanding! The men ordered burgers with brie and caramelized onions on brioche and my friend and I devoured our Croque Madames. 

While I'm not sure this particular concoction is still available at White Limozeen, my friend and I sipped on this pink lusciousness cupped inside a coupe, looking both dainty and dangerous at the same time. Called the Anti Hero, thanks to Garden & Gun, I've got the recipe right here for you to make at home.