What's New

If you haven't been to Nashville or Memphis in a few years, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Tennessee's two largest cities continue to evolve into reenergized metropolitan communities that manage to pay loving homage to their storied musical pasts while offering an increasing array of new cultural attractions, professional sports, and dining and lodging options to please travelers with varied tastes and interests.

Downtown Memphis continues its revitalization, following a decade of solid growth and steady development. Although some might see the empty storefronts along some parts of Main Street as indications that progress has been slow here, those of us who have seen the neglect and blight that once plagued the area can appreciate the transformation that has occurred.

Where to Stay -- Following the 2004 opening of the new FedEx Forum arena, home of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies, the area around Beale Street has flourished with new commercial developments.

A prime example is Tennessee's first Westin Hotel property, the 203-room luxury Westin-Memphis Beale Street, 170 Lt. George W. Lee Ave. (tel. 901/334-5900). Located at the front doorstep of the FedEx Forum and the foot of Beale Street, the swank hotel is reasonably priced at rates averaging about $199 per night for doubles.

Where to Dine -- Like Nashville, Memphis has a slew of new restaurants and clubs that have opened within the past two years. The cream of the crop include chef-owner John Bragg's Circa, 119 S. Main St. (tel. 901/522-1488), which offers a sophisticated dining experience and a mind-boggling wine list. Nearby, after two decades piloting the stoves at The Peabody's elegant Chez Philippe, chef de cuisine Jose Gutierrez set out on his own to open Encore, 150 Peabody Place (tel. 901/528-1415). The minimalist décor and satisfying bistro fare have been very successful.

Finally, in downtown's historic South Main Street area, another well-known chef/restaurateur, Judd Grisanti, is drawing raves for Spindini, 383 S. Main St. (tel. 901/578-2767). The signature wood-fired pizzas, as well as meats, fish, and poultry entrees, are served in plentiful portions and still sizzling from the ovens.

After Dark -- Here again, the big news revolves around the Beale Street area downtown, as groundbreaking began in 2007 for the opening of a new nightspot. Ground Zero Blues Club will be the first outpost of the famed, Clarksdale, MS-based juke joint, which is known as much for its gritty atmosphere and live blues music as it is for one of its co-owners, Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman (who hails from this part of the country). The 5,800-square-foot club, next door to the Westin hotel and a stone's throw from the FedEx Forum, is expected to be open by May 1, 2008 -- just in time for the massive Beale Street Music Festival that kicks off the month-long Memphis in May International Festival.

Ground Zero is also expecting company in the neighborhood, along Lt. George W. Lee Avenue, just off of Beale Street. At press time, Red Rooster Bar and Music Hall announced plans to open a rock-and-blues bar and restaurant, just a few doors down from Ground Zero.

In addition, negotiations to open a jazz club in between the two blues bars were also in the works at the time of this book's deadline. Tentative opening date for the as-yet unnamed jazz venue is also late April or early May. If it flies, this would be a boon to local, long-suffering jazz fans, who have lacked a premier venue for this American musical art form.

Meanwhile, the Gibson Lounge, a performance venue next to the downtown guitar factory, has closed temporarily, but is still open for special events. The two Gibson music venues, in both Nashville and Memphis, have had sporadic on-again/off-again operating hours, so be sure to call in advance if you plan to head out to either club.