Chattanooga, two hours southeast of Nashville by car, runs a strong riverfront dining scene with Easy Bistro for French-leaning plates and Main Street Meats for whole-animal butchery.
Tip: Make a weekend of it; Lookout Mountain views and the Tennessee Aquarium are nearby. Drive back via Sewanee for the scenic route.
The Tennessee Whiskey Trail strings Jack Daniel's, George Dickel and Uncle Nearest distilleries within a 90-minute drive of Nashville. Each runs a kitchen or pairs with a nearby restaurant.
Tip: Uncle Nearest in Shelbyville is the easier reservation; Jack Daniel's tours book a week ahead. Bring a designated driver for tastings.
Franklin's restored Main Street, 25 minutes south of Nashville by car, runs a tighter restaurant row than its size suggests. Puckett's Grocery and Gray's on Main are the institutions.
Tip: Park on 4th Avenue South for free; Main Street meters fill by 11:00. Gray's on Main is the easier reservation than Puckett's for groups.
Lynchburg, 75 minutes southeast of Nashville, hosts the Jack Daniel's distillery and Miss Mary Bobo's, a 1908 boarding-house Southern lunch in a single sitting per day.
Tip: Miss Mary Bobo's lunch books weeks ahead; sign up for the distillery tour at the same time. Lunch seatings are 11:00 and 13:00.
Leiper's Fork, 40 minutes southwest of Nashville, is a single-street country village with the Country Boy restaurant for biscuits and the Fox & Locke for Saturday-night live music and food.
Tip: Sunday brunch at the Country Boy is the marquee meal; cash and card both welcome. Fox & Locke books concert seatings ahead.