"Where do you want to go eat?"

So I'm with a group of friends. Could be my current group of friends, could be any group of friends that I've been lucky enough to be a part of over the years. People are hungry. It is getting close to mealtime.
"So," someone says, "Where do you want to go eat?"
Dead silence. Confused looks. Anxious glances. Its like someone asked if anyone could explain Bohmian Mechanics (a simple example of a hidden variable interpretation of quantum mechanics in which a system of particles is described in part by its wave function, evolving according to Schrodinger's equation. Duh.) instead of where the next meal might come from.
Throughout the week, whether driving around, or sitting in the operating room, or at any random moment I could spout off a list of a dozen restaurants around town that I'm dying to try. However, my mind, and seemingly the minds of all my friends, go blank when the pivotal question is asked. Worse still, we always seem to go to the same old places. Not that these places aren't good, but there's so much else to try.
So as a public service here is a short list of restaurants that I've been to once or twice or have wanted to go to that are more or less off the beaten path.
1. Bobbie's Dairy Dip the corner of Charlotte and 53rd. Only open in the summer months. Been there for a thousand years. Totally yumster burgers, fries, and shakes. Great outdoor eating. Bonus: Within walking distance of my house.
2. Wendell's Fine Dining across Charlotte from Bobbie's in the shadow of the freeway. A bit more random, this looks like it might have actually been fine dining about thirty years ago. Now it looks like a place where I might get stabbed if I go inside. There's something about the old architecture and the neon though that's intriguing, like something out of an Edward Hopper painting.
3. Germantown Cafe on 5th Ave N. in Germantown (really? Get out!). Upscale place with a great menu and view of downtown. Supposedly they have the best crab cakes, and I'm all about the crab cakes.
4. Brown's Diner Blair Blvd off of 21st. Ave S. Extremely downscale place with great burgers. The very definition of a greasy spoon. Drive by it and you might think the place has been abandoned for several years. Recently reopened after a fire.
5. Judge Beans BBQ Wedgewood Blvd near the Fairgrounds. They kind of overdo the Texas motif here, but the bbq is some of the best in town.
6. Prince's Hot Chicken Shack Ewing Dr. in North Nashville. Chicken fried in a huge skillet with tongue scorching spices, served with a slice of white bread. The mild is spicy enough to make things go seriously wrong in Boweltown. Don't even think about the extra-hot if you still want a colon in the morning.
7. Mirror 12th Ave S. Another upscale place I'd love to try but haven't. I believe they serve tapas, little tasting-size portions of goodness. Order a bunch and share.
8. Hog Heaven 27th Ave N. Another bbq joint, this one is more of the Tennessee variety (pork, sweeter sauce). No inside seating, but grab a sandwich and head across the street to Centennial Park.
9. PM Belmont Blvd. Great little place with a patio right on the street. Had a great burger the one time I was there, but the menu had everything from nachos to Thai wraps. Call it fusion cuisine.
10. Most anyplace along Nolensville Rd. For real dining adventure, head over to our own International Row. From Latin American to Ethiopian to countries you've never heard of, most any ethnic variety could be found there.

There's my short list. I'm sure there are others that I can't think of at this time. Feel free to add your own suggestions. That way the next time someone suggests Chili's or Ruby Tuesday's we can smack them in the head and have a proper response.