Hap Townes in Nashville - my 1st Meat and Three experience
This entry was posted on 10/7/2006 12:04 PM and is filed under Closed Meat and Three's.
Even though quite a few years have passed, I remember well my first
Meat and Three meal in Nashville. The fall of 1980 brought me to town
to start college. Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) has always
had a couple of music groups to represent the school in a Public
Relations capacity, and I was fortunate enough to be in one of them
during my freshman year. Truth be told, I think I was the only one who
tried out for the bass guitar position, but we won't really talk about
that. I was mighty blessed to play a part, nonetheless. We
traveled throughout the Southeast on weekends and school breaks,
playing at churches and camps, and for various other events and
occasions.
We were brought in about a week before most students would be arriving
to get a head start - to practice, get to know each other, learn the
music, etc. Our director, Fred Mund, took us over to Hap Townes for
lunch, and I thought maybe Mom had sneaked in and was doing the cooking
for them. The food was absolutely terrific.
It was really like nothing I had ever experienced before. Set close to
the Nashville Sounds stadium, I think it was on or close to Humphreys
Street. It was a small place, very crowded and kind of noisy and almost
overwhelming, at first. But, after going through the line, smelling the
food and seeing it on my plate, the first bite sent me over the edge. I
was hooked. Probably did not know it yet, but I was hooked. The blend
of a new and interesting environment, new friends on the verge of a new
chapter of life, food that reminded me of a home and family that was
eight or nine hours away ... that was a launching point for hundreds of
other similar times to be enjoyed and remembered with family and
friends.
Isn't it funny? You can almost literally smell a memory like that,
can't you. The mental aroma is so pleasant, and your mind goes back and
you want to relive that memory again.
While Hap Townes is no longer a part of Nashville's dining scene these
days, it is a part of the history and it does provide a great memory
for so many people that have lived here and have traveled to Middle
Tennessee. I hope that many folks will record their memories of Hap
Townes, as I am sure there were many business and record deals done and
signed in its midst, friendships sealed and new ones made around its
tables, and other occasions that served to create fond memories such as
the one I have.
Maybe not all memories of a first experience at a Meat and Three are as
pleasant as mine, but they have most likely not been forgotten. There's
just something about a Meat and Three. It's a special part of our
history. So, join in and tell us your story. We would love to hear from
you.
