Like Cheers, But Even More So

At Cheers everyone knows your name, at Nashville's The Palm everyone knows your name, your favorite country music star, where you grew up and how you like your steak - even if you're not from Nashville!

I'm in Nashville at a conference and The Palm is very near my hotel. Having never been to The Palm in Atlanta I decided to check it out. Now, I warn you - I'm not a big steak eater so if you're looking for a review of their red meat you will be disappointed - turn back now!

I took a seat at the bar and was bombarded with my share of "darlin's" by the bartenders. I'm originally from the North and this might turn some people off - but I liked it. It was a friendly "darlin" - not a "hey what are you doing later" darlin.

I started with a glass of wine - I give them credit - they are not stingy with a pour. After a couple minutes a man sat two seats from me - everyone called him by name, came by,and shook his hand. I found out after not very long that he was not even from Nashville. WTF? They knew what he drank, knew his business companion, etc. Craziness. Same for the guys who sat to the right of me. Huh? I was there less than an hour and a half and was not crazy talkative and the bartenders were calling me by name when I left. Wow! They know how to make you feel at home.

The atmosphere is cozy, with caricatures on the wall. I had actually been expecting something a little more upscale, but it made sense after a while. I mean, this is a steak house - den for men. I ordered a caesar salad to start and on the recommendation of the bartender (who looked just like my college boyfriend - minus the acne) I got the lump crab meat. The salad was so-so. But remember, this is a meat joint so it's my fault for ordering salad in the first place. The crab meat, however, was very, very good - and I'm not a huge seafood eater.

I learned that Kenny Chesney, Rich (from Big and Rich), Jessica Simpson and all other manner of celebrities had been there recently, so if you're in Nashville celebrity spotting you might want to pop into The Palm.

Me? I'll be back if for no other reason than they didn't charge me for my second glass of wine - Thanks, T!