Downtown Sporting Club and Axe Throwing

As you know, we at the Edit are a curious bunch–especially when it comes to discovering new things in and around our city. Instead of the typical “office breaks” that others adhere to, we choose to refresh and take a breather while learning about something new and interesting in the community. We are big on experiences verses cubicles, in fact, we are ALL about being out and about! In our Field Trip series, you’ll get little recaps on the places around Nashville that our team has galavanted to, quite literally hopping into the back of Lauren’s car one-by-one, ready for our next field trip.

Normally, our team wouldn’t get within a 5-mile radius of downtown when the chaos of CMA Fest is just around the (or, every…) corner. But, when we scheduled our “field trip” to Downtown Sporting Club a few weeks back, that chaos was the last thing on our minds.

For this field trip, in particular, we ditched Lauren’s car at the office and all opted for an Uber to Downtown Sporting Club for a midday lunch. Since the six of us had to get dropped off a few blocks from DSC (have I mentioned that downtown is a mess right now?), it was comical to see the Edit gals walking in heels and work attire while surrounded by daisy dukes and red bandanas. I laughed to myself as Lacey and Lauren were bluntly asked, “Do ya’ll even live here?” as we dodged a man in a chicken costume.

Once we entered DSC, we all breathed a breath of fresh air as we took a look around of what used to be Paradise Park. The retro-inspired Sporting Club offers a variety of options to keep you entertained, fed, and quenched. We spent the first hour of our field trip eating in their primary restaurant, The Ribbon Room. The menu puts unique twists on classic dining options, like Tots + Queso and Cold Fried Chicken. We all enjoyed the tots, but opted to indulge in their delicious salads (I recommend the Chopped, as well as their Sesame Citrus) for our entres, we definitely got a kick out of the unique menu items, and noted the flavor and detail that they put into their food.

While the food was fantastic and the design stylish, the real star of the show would have to be their cocktails. We tried a variety of their spirited drinks, but I was set on their Slim Collins, made with prairie vodka, grapefruit, aperol, elderflower, and soda water. The rest of the ladies were set on the Moscow Mules, served in a tall glass and made with freshly-pressed ginger.

Once we were satisfied with drinks and food, we made our way up to the third floor which offers the infamous Axe Throwing. We each signed a waiver and switched out our summer heels for closed-toed boots that they had on hand.

We listened to our Axe Throwing Coach, took a couple of practice throws, and then began the scariest bar game of all time. First up were myself and Lacey. Naturally, Lacey hit the target on her first try. I, on the other hand, needed a bit more time and coaching, but I eventually figured it out. Lauren and Kimberly were next, and within their first few tries were able to hit the targets and impress our coach. We forced Alaina to put down her camera and try it, as well. She was the timidest about the idea of throwing axes with a couple of cocktails, but even she hit the target on her second try. Moral of the story? Don’t mess with the Edit. Kidding. But really, this is a sport we can all get on board with for a little stress-relief.

While CMA Fest was the last thing on our minds, DSC planned ahead, renting out their Guest Rooms as Green Rooms for those that have performances downtown this week. While downtown can be a mess, especially during this time of year, DSC is such an unprecedented concept to hit Broadway. It’s definitely one of my new favorite places downtown, and I think everyone should experience the axe throwing (along with the Slim Collins). In all honesty, they make sure safety is a priority, which really did allow us to feel at peace while having a blast on this little “office break.”