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What makes a meal a memorable experience? Is it the atmosphere, like a cozy coffeeshop whipping up a quick but tasty breakfast or fine dining restaurant offering the perfect backdrop for a special occasion? Perhaps it's the food, delicious plates promising incredible bites, or the service, ranging from helpful and friendly to being treated like you're being reunited with a long-lost family member. Maybe it's some combination of all three that makes a meal one you will always remember.
LoveFood compiled a list of each state's best "bucket-list food experience," rounding up "the very best gourmet experiences each state has to offer, highlighting the dishes, drinks, and delicacies everyone should try at least once."
According to the site, Tennessee has a few must-try food experiences. The first is to dine out on some famous Memphis-style barbecue while another is to dine at Elvis Presley's favorite diner. Finally, moving on to Music City, adventures foodies should definitely try Nashville hot chicken. This is what LoveFood had to say:
"America takes its barbecue styles very seriously indeed, and different traditions abound across the nation. Memphis does things its own way, and is known for its stellar pork barbecue. You'll find it either 'wet,' with meat doused in sweet, tomato-based sauces, or 'dry,' with a rub of dry spices. Favored pit-stops in the city include Central BBQ and The Bar-B-Q Shop, which is known for its barbecue spaghetti."
"Memphis is famous as the home of Elvis Presley, and fans can follow his footsteps beyond Graceland. Sink into a booth at the Arcade Restaurant — a classic diner that opened in 1919, making it the city's oldest. This was apparently Elvis' favorite breakfast spot, and his order was the fried peanut butter and banana sandwich. If it's good enough for the King, then it's good enough for us!"
"Tennessee's capital might be best known for its music — but Nashville tastes great, too. You shouldn't leave town without trying the city's signature dish: hot chicken, which is said to have been accidentally invented by a woman scorned. Apparently, the lover of a man named Thornton Prince served him extra-spicy chicken as revenge for his infidelity. However, he loved the recipe, and went on to open his own chicken shack. Prince's Hot Chicken is still going strong, with locations across the city and beyond."
Check out the full list at lovefood.com to see more of the best bucket-list food experiences around the country.