As part of Bridgestone Arena's ongoing efforts to put a Nashville spin on the big building's interior, the arena has inked a "multi-year" deal with Yazoo Brewing and Lipman Brothers to bring more craft beer to Fifth and Broadway.

Predators/Bridgestone Arena Senior Vice President Chris Junghans said it's a response to fan feedback.

"We survey our fans quite a bit and we study the trends in and around the marketplace," he said. "Our fans wanted more craft beer. Our mission was to fill that void."

Yazoo — which already is available at select stands on the first floor and club level, but in bottles only — will take the lead, with numerous sale points for its Dos Perros and Pale Ale labels, with the potential for a seasonal addition. Lipman is in to bring Gerst (which is brewed by Yazoo) and Hap & Harry's, a proprietary brand.

Additionally, the bar outside Section 118 will be re-branded as a Yazoo bar with "significant signage," Junghans said.

Yazoo et. al will be available on draft in time for the CMA Awards next week. The bar will be ready at a later date, which will be marked by the usual grand opening hoopla.

Despite the recent on-ice woes, the Nashville Predators can at least take solace in that, hey, at least the food is good.

Nina Mandel at Food Republic has declared Bridgestone Arena as the NHL's Top Food and Drink Arena, lauding — of course — the prime location of the arena, a smart play made in a time when many other new arenas were moving away from downtowns.

Dubbed by the Predators' own staff as Nashville's biggest tailgate, there's barbecue and music for some pre-game fun, even if you don't make it to the game. Team reps also recommend Jack's Bar-B-Cue, which is next to the arena, and the ribs at Rippy's Bar and Grill. Looking to get rowdy? A variety of honky-tonks surround the stadium, including Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, Robert's Western World and The Stage Legend's—but those stops are more for the booze then the food.

Once inside the stadium, the options are limited to hot dogs, nachos, burgers and a deli spot. For higher class dining, there's the Patron Lounge, where you need reservations made before the game to get in (and a credit card to secure it.) There's also a “Fan Zone” where ticket-holders can get unlimited beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks and a buffet complete with a carving station.

But it's the tailgating that earns Nashville the No. 1 spot on this list.

In other words, there's plenty of places to get shots before the game. Even if the team is having trouble getting them on the ice.