BELLE MEADE. Located in the Belle Meade Plaza, this stylish cafeteria has been serving great Southern cuisine since 1961. Indeed, many locals consider the Belle Meade to be one of the best restaurants in the Nashville area. They offer items such as sliced chicken breast, beef tips and veggie plates, as well as several terrific dessert dishes. Keep in mind, in Belle Meade, "casual" does not mean blue jeans and a tee-shirt.

ELLISTON PLACE AREA. This classy restaurant, set in a beautiful Victorian home, has been serving Nashville for over 60 years. The white-gloved staff treats each table like royalty, which goes a long way toward explaining why so many of Nashville's old-timers still see this as THE place to dine. Specialities include excellent steak, fish and pork entrées, plus their signature corncakes. If you want to impress an important client with a great Southern meal, then Jimmy Kelly's is the place to do it.

Located just off the Natchez Trace Parkway, Loveless Cafe has been a local and tourist favorite for over 50 years. Be on alert when you stop in, because the restaurant attracts more than its fair share of celebrities. The homey decor may leave something to be desired, but the great Southern cooking is not lacking. Country ham, sausage gravy, fried chicken, and grits ­ all of the stuff doctors tell you to avoid! Make sure you sample their biscuits.

WEST END. This popular family-style restaurant offers one of the best meals for the money in Nashville. Close to the Vanderbilt campus, Rotier's menu is distinctly Southern, including an awesome meat and three lunch special. For those looking for greasy spoon fare, the mouth-watering cheeseburger plate with onion rings is a must and, of course, begs to be chased with a shake.

MUSIC VALLEY. South Street looks like an old 'Dukes of Hazard" set, so don't expect to find any fancy linen tablecloths! This is the type of place tourists usually eschew because its looks aren't too enticing. In the warmer months, locals jockey for one of the tables close to huge retractable glass doors. In the winter, the preferred tables are situated around the cozy fireplace. South Street serves up Gulf-style cuisine that includes down-home red crawfish boils and oyster po' boys, fried pickle spears, fried catfish and, of course, delicious Nashville-style ribs.