Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/406441
SIGN LIFE 48 g o i n g p l a c e s | W I N T E R 2 0 1 4 city. You can leave the game on foot to go honky-tonkin' on Broadway at perfectly bois- terous dives with their own long musical lega- cies, such as Tootsie's Orchid Lounge or Robert's Western World. Or you can stroll over to make a more refined evening of it at the splendid Schermerhorn Symphony Cen- ter, which opened in 2006 as a cherrywood- panelled example of neoclassical architecture. I took in the Nashville Symphony's season opening gala where I was completely mesmer- ized by a sampling of this city's high culture and the performance of guest soprano Renée Fleming – and trust me on this, I'm definitely more of a honky-tonkin', holler and swaller kind of guy than a symphony-goer. e urban renewal of Nashville that began as early as the 1990s has seen not only the arrival of pro sports teams but also the launch of major projects such as a new downtown convention facility – the $623-million Music City Center – which opened last May. Situ- ated on a 6.6-hectare site adjacent to the Bridgestone Arena, the 2.1-million-square- foot building is fundamental to the way Nashville perceives itself as a bona fide desti- nation city of diverse interests. And during an economic era in which much of the rest of America is still reeling or barely recovering. Also dovetailing with the CMHF expan- sion is last September's grand opening of the four-star, four-diamond Omni Nashville Hotel. The 800-room, 21-storey Omni con- nects directly to the CMHF at the luxur y hotel's third-floor level, and features a lobby shaped like a guitar, live music in the honky- tonk style bar, Bob's Steak & Chop House and a 2,000-bottle wine room. • Only in its second year, the Music City Food + Wine Festival is the brainchild of two members of the American rock band Kings of Leon; (here) turkey breast Milanese by chef Jonathan Waxman. Find vacation harmony on Trafalgar's 10-day Tastes and Sounds of the South tour. Call CAA Travel to book today. courtesy cambria harkey/music city food + wine festival