A Snazzy New Speakeasy With Pocket Cocktails Opens on Music Row

Named after the critically acclaimed 1972 album “The Late Great Townes Van Zandt,” Virgin Nashville’s new speakeasy-style space, The Late Great, is officially open on Music Row.

Designed by Hannah Crowell, the granddaughter of country music legend Johnny Cash, The Late Great features folk art paintings by Howard Finster, Carter and Cash family photos (including the last photograph ever taken of Johnny Cash), and other eclectic country music memorabilia thoughtfully scattered throughout the room.

The cocktail menu focuses on savory drinks — like the White Lightenin’ made with vodka, cucumber, lemon, Greek yogurt, and dill — developed by Hope Rice, who formerly collaborated with the bar at Audrey. In lieu of shots, the menu also features “pocket cocktails,” miniature-size versions of classic drinks that are ideal for sampling without committing to the full-size version.

While food and snacks are noticeably absent from the menu, you can opt for “The Late Great Cocktail Experience,” which offers guests three curated cocktails paired with a charcuterie board.

The Late Great is open Wednesday through Saturday starting at 5 p.m. Reservations are highly recommended and can be made here.

Take a Negroni class at Four Walls

Four Walls

To celebrate Negroni Week, The Jospeph’s newest cocktail lounge, Four Walls, will be hosting a Negroni-making class on Saturday, September 23 beginning at 3 p.m. Four Walls’ Beverage Consultant Kenneth Vanhooser and Lead Bartender Mickey Stevenson will take guests through the history and technique of the Italian classic and guide them through the process of making three variations from the Negroni family tree.

The class is $90 per person and includes a Negroni upon arrival, snacks, three Negroni-style cocktail tastings, and recipes with instruction by Vanhooser and Stevenson. Tickets are available here.

Sundays are for roast chicken at lou’s

East Nashville’s lou is turning four this month and kicking off another year in the Nashville restaurant orbit with a new Sunday roast dining series. The menu features a half or whole buttermilk spring chicken brined in preserved lemon, roasted root vegetables, local soft greens, green salsa fresca, and tomato sugo. Seasonal desserts such as a dark chocolate hazelnut cake — as well as an almond basil ice cream and cantaloupe sorbet — round off the meal on a sweet note. Reservations can be made here, with seatings from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

A Knoxville x Nashville collab at St. Vito’s

The crew from Knoxville favorites A Dopo and Potchke Deli will be joining Michael Hanna at St. Vito’s Focacceria in the Gulch for a one-night-only pop-up on September 21. The menu will be a la carte, with A Dopo making pizza tonda, St. Vito covering small plates, and Potchke serving up the main dishes. Dinner service starts at 5 p.m. — reservations can be made via Tock.

Loveless Cafe wants to stock you up with free biscuits for a year

Loveless Cafe

Taking a cue from Willy Wonka, Loveless Cafe will be hiding a golden ticket at select retailers around town that’s good for one year of free biscuits, a $100 Loveless Cafe gift card, a skip-the-line pass to Loveless, and more. Seekers must purchase a Loveless biscuit mix to find a ticket — at checkout, the employee at the register will hand them a chocolate bar with a gold, silver, or pink ticket inside the packaging that’s good for various prizes. The promotion will run through the month of September. A list of participating retailers can be found here.