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.

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.

BELLE MEADE. Cheekwood's suave Pineapple Room, situated next to Percy Warner Park, serves traditional tearoom lunches from scrumptious fruit salads to gourmet sandwiches. This enclosed dining area offers excellent views of Nashville's Botanical Garden, and it's not uncommon for restaurant patrons to glance up from their chicken salads only to see some of the park's wildlife curiously staring back at them. There is a charge for entering the park.

ANTIOCH. Many consider the fare from Whitt's to be among the best barbecue in Nashville and with the size of the lunch crowd that pulls in here daily, it's easy to see why. The joint specializes in pork, but also serves up tasty (and smothered) helpings of beef, chicken and turkey. Warning: "hot" means "very hot."