Sure had a filling trip to Memphis and Oxford, Miss., for the Southern Foodways Alliance Symposium, three days of food, fellowship and big, big fun.
The combination of scholarly discourse and incredible food is what keeps coming me back to this annual event. I've met so many interesting people, all coming together to celebrate food traditions of the South.
This year's focus on music was so perfect, given the depth of musical talent to come out of that region. Serving red beans and rice cooked on a recipe inspired by a gone, but not forgotten restaurant in New Orleans before talking about the way musicians gathered at that venerable place was brilliant.
Sunday morning's Chitlin ballet -- formally called Pork Songs -- was followed by a banquet of baked fish, greens, grits and heaps of bacon and biscuits cooked by John Currence's crew at City Grocery.
That was my second breakfast. I had to go back to Big Bad Breakfast to taste whether the grit cake (pictured with a side of tomato gravy, a biscuit and andouille sausage) was as good the first time I tried it. Heck yes!
Already looking forward to next year.
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3 comments:
Leslie, I think it was on another of your writings about Southern food, but I thought I'd chime in about boudin.
Since leaving Memphis to return to the PNW, I've ordered boudin from a couple of places online. Right now my fave is from Bourque's in Port Barre.
Bourque's is rated A+ on the Boudin Trail website. I always enjoy when Chad or Shannon address me as "Mr. Timothy" when taking my order. ;^)
I haven't been able to source any boudin locally, so I continue to order online. FedEx is really a killer add-on to the cost, but I have to order some up every few months!
Cheers!
Timo
Kennewick WA
Yo, LK, it's nice to know that they still love you in Memphis, eh? Same with Spokane, sistah.
Living in the heartland of BBQ and biscuit country is a blessing. I wish your readers could experience the tastes BBQ and Biscuits within 100 miles of where I live.
An old restaurant in the area relocated to a new location and built a BBQ sales house. Now I admit that within 30 miles of my door are some of the best whole hog BBQ cookers in the country (Scott's, Jack Creek Bill's of Henderson, Lathams, Bozo's and McKenzie's). Yet I bought a BBQ at the Cajun Cookers of Jackson and Three-Way, TN. The sandwich was priced at $3.99. It had twice the BBQ found on ANY Jumbo made sandwich anywhere. The drive up window to the BBQ building (outside of the restaurant) serves many of the restaurant favorites in a packaged heat-serve format, like the marinade and grilled boneless Chicken wrapped with bacon that is the best tasting chicken I have ever tasted or the to die for ribs (http://www.cajuncookers.net/). his own sausage that is as good as any Cajun Sausage anywhere!
As far as Biscuits, Bryant's and Brother Junipers of Memphis are hard to beat, but another Restaurant actually does a good job and can be considered a top contender for the best biscuit. The Restaurant located 0utside of Nashville is Loveless. (http://www.hamsandjams.com/) they even sell their own biscuit mix!
Another trip was to northwest Tennessee to the town of Martin, TN (a little bit out of the BBQ belt to try Damrons' Ribs. I am apprehensive about ribs outside of the BBQ best and ribs that use other method than hickory wood fire cookers. Yet these RIBS were as good or better than 96% of the ribs I have had. They ship (http://www.damronsbbq.net/) and they are a grat value at nearly 70.00 for two slabs.
Dad stopped by the Pie Place in DeVall's Bluff, Ar last week, but she only had her Coconut pies ready to sell. If you want a pie, you need to call before going.
We miss you Leslie!!!!
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