🍽️ Nashville’s oldest restaurants

😆 The Local Indie Making Us Laugh

On today’s podcast, we’re chatting with the folks behind local independent improv venue Third Coast Comedy Club to learn about their scene and why they’re kicking off their next act in East Nashville. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏛️ Metro Council Votes Against Water Credit

At Tuesday’s Metro Council meeting, councilmembers voted against Mayor O’Connell’s $25 water credit proposal to offset higher water bills after Winter Storm Fern. The measure would’ve cost Metro Water approximately $6 million. [Nashville Banner]

• Some Joelton residents spoke against a plan to redevelop a hotel property into affordable housing, though others said it would help Nashville’s housing crisis. The ordinance was approved, and will advance to a third and final reading. [Nashville Scene]
• Vanderbilt University’s request to rezone 40 acres to be transformed into an “Innovation District” has also been deferred, with councilmembers citing a need for more details. [Nashville Scene]

🌪️ State Disaster Fund Bill Passes

The Tennessee legislature has approved a $100 million state disaster fund intended to help local governments and individuals when FEMA aid falls short, especially amid Pres. Trump’s downsizing. Since 2023, Tennessee has experienced 11 disasters that failed to meet FEMA assistance criteria. The bill now moves to Gov. Lee’s desk to be signed. [Tennessee Lookout]

🏫 Immigration Reporting Dropped From Voucher Bill

The state House has reversed course and will no longer include immigration reporting in its bill to expand private school vouchers from 20K to 35K. A revised amendment to the expansion adjusts income-based priority categories for voucher recipients. The bill passed a House committee on Tuesday. [Nashville Banner]

• Listen to our episode about some of the challenges to last year’s school voucher rollout. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

Nashville’s foodie scene is hopping with heaps of new restaurants opening every month, but the oldies need our support, too. While Nashville’s oldest restaurant, Varallo’s, closed earlier this year, we still have plenty of great restaurants and bars that have been around for a very long time.

Springwater — 1896

This West Nashville dive bar is not only the city’s oldest bar, but the state’s, too. While it looks like the typical semi-dilapidated dive bar, it has a storied history. The bar converted to a speakeasy during the Prohibition era, and it’s rumored that Al Capone was a frequent visitor. They always have a great lineup of comedy shows and live music.

Brown’s Diner — 1927

This greasy hamburger joint made its home almost 100 years ago in an old trolley car in Hillsboro Village. It’s also got that dive feel, and has only had three owners in its history. Though its hamburgers are famous, Brown’s also serves a solid breakfast.

Jimmy Kelly’s Steakhouse — 1934

You can find this high-end steakhouse in a Southern mansion tucked between the Centennial and St. Thomas Midtown hospitals. Founded during the Great Depression, the original Jimmy Kelly promised diners he’d always serve good steak and whiskey, though the restaurant is perhaps best known for its corncakes, after Kelly lured away a cook from the Maxwell House Hotel known for making them.

Elliston Place Soda Shop — 1939

Just a block away from Jimmy Kelly’s is this meat-and-three with a classic, pharmacy-style soda fountain. They serve three meals a day, but their milkshakes are the highlight. While the shop briefly closed in 2019, developers Tony and Lisa Giarratana reopened it in 2021, with the goal of preserving its charm.