Amy's Diner in Old Hickory, TN is closed

A friend and I went to have lunch over at Amy's Diner in Old Hickory, Tennessee, and it was closed. Must have happened pretty recently - I passed by there not too long ago and there were several cars in the parking lot.

There is a new meat-and-three that has opened in its place now, called Ma & Pa's Kettle [http://www.meatandthree.com/tn/maandpaskettle/]. I have not been there yet, so I don't know anything about it. I called to confirm that they do serve a meat and three (and a meat and two, and meat and one), and was politely invited to come for a visit, which I will do at some point.

If you get over there and check it out, shoot me a note and give me some details: info@meatandthree.com. I would appreciate that!

As always, if you know of a meat and three restaurant, diner, or cafe that is not on this site yet, please contact me with some details - at the very least, the contact information. I will check it out.

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)
MEATandTHREE.com

Waited way too long to go

I am embarrassed to say it, having lived in Nashville as long as I have. It was not done intentionally. I am not even sure why it was done. It just sort of happened that way.

I am sure I'm not the only one, but for a guy who is in my situation, it is almost inexcusable and I hate to have to admit this to you. I mean, can you imagine if the person who started Hallmark Greeting Cards never sent an anniversary card to his wife? Or, what if you heard that Sam Walton never visited the WalMart in Bentonville, Arkansas? Wouldn't that seem a little bit odd to you?

Make no mistake, I don’t put myself in the same league as Sam Walton (don’t earn quite that amount …yet, and I am still breathing), but I have done something – rather, “not” done something – that might seem just as odd as one of those examples. Keep in mind that I created a web site called MEATandTHREE.com [http://www.meatandthree.com].

Since coming to Nashville to attend college in the early 80’s (okay, 1980), I have never been to Arnold’s Country Kitchen [http://www.meatandthree.com/tn/arnoldscountrykitchen/]. Not one time. Not for lunch. Not for breakfast. Not once. I have been by there several times. Have taken pictures of the place. Even submitted an article about it.

I have also had quite a number of people who have told me I need to go: family members… people I have worked with…folks I have gone to church with…parents of a kid who played ball with my kid. You know the drill. And yet, all these years it has been one of those places I had just not been to – for whatever reason. Kind of strange, huh.

You know where this is going, don’t you! A few days ago, a friend and I made our way over to 8^th Avenue, just below where it splits with Lafayette Street, a couple or three blocks from the I-40/I-65 overpass. We pulled into the parking lot, found a spot in the overflow section, and hurried in. It was about 11:15 on Friday when we arrived, and not a moment too soon. The line moved pretty quickly as we made selections from several meat options and a variety of vegetable choices, but that line soon flowed out the door. And, let me tell ya, it was one of those hot, heat-wave days when a person did not want to be standing outside!

If you have read any of my blog articles, you know that I don’t do actual food reviews. I’ll tell you what I eat, and what the person(s) along with me choose to eat, but I leave it to you to make your own decision. Every person has their own opinions, like and dislikes – so I give you some information about the particular “meat and three”, relay a bit of its story sometimes, and challenge you to try it out for yourself. See what “you” think about it. See how daring you are.

Some meat and three restaurants are not necessarily in the best sections of town, you know. Of course, perception plays into that “best section of town” thing, doesn’t it?! But, don’t let fear of the unknown or the unfamiliar keep you from visiting one of these most American institutions!

I think people really miss out on some awesome food as well as some wonderful opportunities to rub shoulders with a myriad of personalities from all walks of life when they never visit a "meat-n-three". Arnold’s is no exception. There was absolutely just about every type of person you would think of seeing. Probably somebody famous, too, and I am not just talking about all the celebrities on the walls.

Arnold’s was a whole lot of what you think of, when you think of one of those great places that serves the kind of home-cooked food that you remember from “back in the day”. It’s definitely a place that you should not wait over 27 years to go visit (actually, I’m not sure when they started – maybe someone can enlighten me). As a matter of fact, you should go sooner rather than later. Maybe tomorrow if you are in town. Just look for the bright red building with a whole lot of cars in the parking lot.

Now, having said all that, making a big deal about it ... can you believe there is "another" venerable Nashville meat-and-three institution that I have not visited?

Stay tuned…

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

October 2006 HistoryBlog articles

Click any of the links below to go to the entry on HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com, my old blog.

• Historic Coffee Cup in Charlotte, NC asked by landowner to leave building
• Park Avenue Pub in Greenville, SC offers Meat and Three lunch
  
• Joe's Produce and Deli - old-school Meat and Three in Joelton, TN
• Bobby Hamilton, Jr.’s Court House Café on the square in Springfield, TN
• Joe’s Place Family Restaurant - new Meat and Three in Hendersonville, TN
• Well-known Nashville Meat and Three, The Loveless Cafe, survives burglary attempt
• Denise Hitchcock, on 'Minute Vacations" and Susie's Sunset Cafe in La Fayette, GA
• Hap Townes in Nashville - my 1st Meat and Three experience

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

November 2006 HistoryBlog articles

Click any of the links below to go to the entry on HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com, my old blog.

• Maisie's in the Village of Old Hickory, TN
• Need some Alabama Meat and Three History
  
• Quick lunch at downtown City Cafe in Murfreesboro, TN
• Quick lunch at Cal’s Country Kitchen in Madison, TN
• Twice is Nice at Star Cafe in Goodlettsville, TN
• Ole Dinner Bell in Nashville, TN rings bell for free lunch
• A Trip and Detour to Rudy's and Sarah's in Clarksville, TN
• Upscale B. McNeel's in Murfreesboro, TN serves weekday Meat & Three option
• Lunch Road Trip to School House Cafeteria in Adams, TN

Thanks!
Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

December 2006 HistoryBlog articles

Check out the December 2006 articles that were posted on HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com. Clicking on one of the links in the list below will take you over to that original article.

• Silver Grill in Atlanta, GA closes
• Belle Meade Cafeteria in Nashville, TN to close
  
• Added Miller's Grocery in Christiana, TN
• Country Junction Restaurant in Joelton, TN
• Closed Meat & Three - Old Hickory Restaurant in Old Hickory, TN
• New Amy's Diner in Old Hickory, TN
• Old School Cafe in Spring Hill, TN

Thanks!

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

January and February 2007 HistoryBlog articles

Please see the list of blog posts from January and February 2007 on our former blog, HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com. Click on any of the links below to go to the particular blog article.

• Photo Tour of Nashville and Middle TN Meat and Threes
  
• Additions to MEATandTHREE.com
• Lunch at Ole' Farmhouse Diner in Millersville, TN
• Lunch at the Ole Dinner Bell in Nashville, TN
• Judy's City Cafe in Gallatin, TN
• Recent additions to the MEATandTHREE.com site
• Copper Kettle Cafe in Nashville, TN still strong after 2004 fire
• New Meat and Three in Selma, AL
• Lunch at Amy's Cafe in Greenbrier, TN
• Lunch at Miller's Grocery in Christiana TN
• Ruby's Kitchen in Hendersonville TN
• City Cafe in Brentwood, TN
• Meat and Threes Alive and Well in 2007

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

March 2007 HistoryBlog articles

Take a look at some of the March 2007 articles that were posted on HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com. Most were randomly selected during the month, but one was a blurb about a Nashville meat-n-three restaurant that was featured on the Fine Living Channel.

• The Log Cabin Restaurant in Hurricane Mills, Tennessee
• Madea's Down-Home Cookin' in Fort Worth, Texas
• Latest visits to Meat and Threes
• Mama Dip's Kitchen in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
• Kierre's Kountry Kitchen in Little Rock, Arkansas
• Mary Mac's Tea Room in Atlanta Georgia
• Bell Buckle Cafe in Bell Buckle Tennessee
• Romie's Grocery in Tupelo Mississippi
• Main Street Diner in Greenville South Carolina
• 15th Street Diner in Tuscaloosa Alabama
• Nashville, TN Meat & 3 on Fine Living channel

Take care, and come back to see us!

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

April 2007 HistoryBlog articles

Here are the HistoryBlog articles that were posted during the month of April 2007. Click on the link below to go directly to the article you are interested in.

During the month, I randomly selected restaurants from my MEATandTHREE.com web site and posted them in an article, to help provide some additional traffic to each restaurant's page. I also had several visits to Middle Tennessee meat-and-three restaurants and wrote about those visits in separate blog posts.

• Carson's Country Cooking in Greenville, SC


• The New York Restaurant in Copperhill, TN


• Lunch at Grassland Soda Shop in Franklin, TN


• Louie's Restaurant in Paris, KY


• Lloyd's Restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama


• Bell and Sons Cafeteria in Winston Salem, NC


• Jeff's Family Restaurant is new in Murfreesboro, TN


• Weaver D's in Athens, Georgia


• Lunch visit to White House Cafe


• DayBreak Diner in Anderson, SC


• Southern Kitchen in Charleston, WV


• Lunch at 2 Country Hot Spot in Hendersonville, TN


• New Meat and Three in Madison, TN


• Threadgill's Home Cookin' in Austin, TX


• Niki's West in Birmingham, AL


• White House Cafe in White House, TN


• Lunch visit to Jay's Family Restaurant in Nashville, TN


• Hub Restaurant in Rocky Mount, Virginia


• Jim's Family Restaurant in Summerville, Georgia


• Bon Ton Mini Mart in Henderson, Kentucky


• Nanny's Country Kitchen in Hattiesburg, Mississippi


• 4 Dice Restaurant in Fordyce, Arkansas


• Box Car Cafe in Woodruff, SC


• Daisy's Diner in Montgomery, Alabama

Thanks for visiting.

Phil Roberson (mn3guy)

MEATandTHREE.com (Home)
MEATandTHREE.com (USA page)
MEATandTHREE.com (Photo Gallery)

May and June 2007 HistoryBlog articles

Since MEATandTHREE.com's blog is now being hosted on Google's "Blogger" as of 7/29/07, I thought it would be a good idea to create a "path" to the old "HistoryBlog.MEATandTHREE.com" articles. Take a look at the posts below for ones which might be of interest. You can click each one individually to get to the post itself.

July 2007 Articles:

• 07/19/07 - Adams, TN Schoolhouse Cafeteria and Tea Room

May 2007 Articles:

• 05/29/07 - Lunch at the Copper Kettle Cafe in Nashville, TN
• 05/18/07 - Take a Kid to a Meat and Three Restaurant
• 05/18/07 - Lunch at Sylvan Park in Nashville, TN - times three
• 05/16/07 - Carol's Place in Nashville, TN for lunch
• 05/16/07 - Lunch visit to K and F Cafe in Madison, TN
• 05/16/07 - Grassland Soda Shop in Franklin, TN is closed
• 05/14/07 - Walkers Cafeteria in Birmingham, AL
• 05/04/07 - Providing feedback to Meat and Three owners
• 05/04/07 - Mary's Kitchen at Elm Lake Golf Course in Columbus, MS