5 Iconic Eats Nashville

Why it made the list: The dish that made the city famous, fried chicken doused in a cayenne-and-lard paste, served on white bread with pickles to cut the heat. It ranges from mild to a genuinely punishing 'shut the cluck up.' It's a rite of passage and the single most Nashville thing you can eat.

Why it made the list: The heart of Nashville home cooking: pick a meat and three sides from a steam-table lineup of Southern classics, fried chicken, meatloaf, greens, mac and cheese, candied yams, cornbread. Swett's has been the family-run North Nashville institution since 1954, and it's Southern comfort at its best.

Why it made the list: Hot chicken gets the fame, but hot fish is the older, more local tradition, fried whiting or catfish, spiced and stacked on white bread with hot sauce and slaw. It's a north-Nashville soul-food staple that most tourists never try, which is exactly why you should.

Why it made the list: Tennessee runs on biscuits, and the Loveless Cafe, a former motel diner on the edge of town, has been turning out feather-light, scratch-made biscuits with homemade preserves and country ham since 1951. It's a genuine Nashville institution and worth the short drive.

Why it made the list: Invented in Nashville in 1912, the Goo Goo Cluster, caramel, marshmallow nougat, peanuts and milk chocolate, was the first-ever combination candy bar. The downtown Goo Goo Shop sells fresh, premium versions and runs a little dessert bar and classes. A only-in-Nashville sweet.