Lucy's Country Cafe, Nashville

Looking back on a rough-and-tumble career, songwriter and artist Bobby Pinson laments the slow arrival of his success. But having written hit songs for acts including Toby Keith, Sugarland, and Rascal Flatts, it's hard to deny he's made a name for himself by feeding America's ears. Now he's striving to bring his same brand of warm honesty to stomachs.

With the help of his wife, Lucy, and recipes passed down over three generations, the self-proclaimed Panhandle Texan has opened Lucy’s Country Cafe, which liberates the aromas of homestyle cooking to drift across nearby Music Row. As Bobby twists the tuners on his guitar to bring the metallic twang into tune at live weekly performances, forks click a steady beat against plates laden with chicken and dumplings, tender pot roast, and warm sides of mashed potatoes or cornbread bought à la carte or from the all-you-can-eat buffet. Caterers race from the restaurant, bringing feasts for party hosts to pass off as home cooked when trying to prove their kitchen isn't just a mirage.