On another adventure with Secret Food Tours, we took to the 12th Street South area of Nashville, Tennessee. This area is about a 10 minute drive from downtown and was even more up and coming then when I had visited 6 years ago.
Our first stop on our food tour was Taqueria Del Sol where we had their Memphis Taco with pulled pork, bbq sauce and jalapeño coleslaw. Here our guide explained a few of the regional differences in BBQ. Memphis has more of a tomato based sauce. Rest of Tennessee has more of a vinegar tomato base. Texas more of a dry rub where meat is king and sauces are secondary. Kansas City doing their own thing where they have a thick, sweet molasses and tomato based sauces.
Memphis Taco at Taqueria Del Sol
Our next stop on the tour was to visit Christie’s Cookies. Home of the famous Doubletree Cookies. Obsessed with their flavors and napkins y’all!
Next was a local Tennessee specialty dish, Hot Chicken at Edley’s BBQ. Made of fried chicken breast, thigh, or wings that has been marinated in assortment of spices and heat. I don’t tend to like spicy things but this was delicious! Our tour guide also told us the secret to controling your taste buds and it isn’t milk… Milk has acidity to it and can actually make the heat worse. Soda is too sweet and carbonated. The best way to beat the heat is with… Southern Sweet Tea! I can vouch for this, because it really did help my mouth out instantly.
While we walked from one spot to the next we also stopped and the “I Believe in Nashville” mural and a mural of all the TN state wildlife native to the area including the construction cranes.
BurgerUp was the next stop for some mac and cheese balls, fried pickles, and potato skins. We did not have a burger, but this restaurant sources their menu from local farms practicing sustainability and humane treatment of animals. Much of their beef comes from local farmers in Franklin, TN.
We were then off to Las Paletas, a frozen treat similar to an ice pop, made with fresh fruits, vegetables and nuts. Our tour guide said the sisters and owners moved to Nashville and couldn’t find the same tasty treat from Mexico and wanted to share a bit of their culture with the community, causing them to build a business here in 12th Street South.
Finally we took a long walk over to Martin’s BBQ and on the way got to pass by Sun Records.
At Martin’s we have smoked turkey and broccoli salad. My husband and I had gone to another Martin’s location closer to Vanderbilt and was a little underwhelmed with the hype of their BBQ. What I do like about this place is they give you free mini chocolate Moon Pies and the turkey was very juicy.
Overall, our tour guide was incredible and very knowledgeable about the area and cuisine. We tried a lot of things I wouldn’t have known about or would have gone to on my own. I learned a ton about BBQ, sweet tea is the cure, my favorite hotel cookie came from Nashville, and construction cranes are Nashville’s state bird. (The more you know… 🌈)
As usual Secret Food Tours did not disappoint!
