Month: May 2005

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Lambert’s Cafe, Foley (AL)

Everytime Av and I go to Gulf Shores, we stop at Lambert’s Cafe in Foley for either lunch or supper. During the summertime, Lambert’s can get super-busy…because so many people go through Foley either on their way in or out from the beach, and just about everybody knows how great it is!

I had the chicken livers, which were *really* good, and Av had the chicken and dumplings, which he really liked too. Besides the vegetables you can get with your meal, they also serve ‘pass arounds’ – things like fried okra, stewed tomatoes with macaroni, and fried potatoes with onions – that everyone has the opportunity to choose, no matter what they ordered off the menu. Every so often, someone will come out with pans of hot rolls and throw them to anyone that wants one, which is fun to watch (and do!).

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Beach Club, Gulf Shores (AL)

This was our second stay at the Beach Club in Gulf Shores. We absolutely loved the first condo we stayed in, which was in building A. This condo was in building D (Doral).

This particular unit’s furnishings weren’t quite as nice, but it was still lovely and we had a wonderful time.

Dining Area, Beach Club 2nd Condo

 

Boardwalk, Beach Club, Orange Beach AL
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Hampton Inn, Jackson

Hampton Inn, Jackson MS

Room: We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Jackson – the 320 Greymont Avenue location. The room’s furnishings were, for a Hampton, well above average. This included the nicer desk chair, and the beds were very comfortable. Wireless internet is offered at no additional charge.

Lobby: Average; this one also had a guest reception from (I think) 5-7pm Mon-Thurs. The reception included cokes, chips, cookies, and a tap with Bud Light….we haven’t seen this at a Hampton before, but then again we usually check in much later in the day.

Service: Average.

Food: We didn’t try the breakfast that comes with the hotel stay, but the snacks from the reception area were okay.

Extra: This hotel is clearly going after more of a business clientele, which is great. When we checked in, there were several other business people milling around. Because of the location – so close to downtown, therefore the capitol, and right off I-55, it’s a good place to stay location-wise.

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Chris’ Hot Dogs, Montgomery

Chris' Hot Dogs in Montgomery AL

Chris’ Hot Dogs on Dexter Avenue in Montgomery

Av and I had lunch at a Montgomery institution: Chris’ Hot Dogs. Everything was good…honestly, not great – but for what they food lacked, the atmosphere more than made up for.

When you walk in, you may think that you’ve walked into a newsstand – but walk on to the back, where there’s a counter with stools, and to the right of that is a walled-off dining area with two- and four-person booths.

From a Huntsville Times article:

Hot dogs were a nickel for more than 10 years after Chris’ opened. Katechis said curbside service was available during the early years, “back when there were fewer cars on the street,” until city officials said traffic was getting delayed. Food prices have not changed much. Neither has the combination of brown paneled walls, art deco ceiling and opaque glass. Katechis is considering an update, though.
“I’ve thought about re-doing this,” he said, motioning to a rear storage area. “People ask why I don’t just gut the place and totally redo it. But I can’t. I just can’t. There’s just something about it. People like it. We added the dining area before World War II, so there hasn’t been much change in here in 60 years.”

The hotdogs are special because of the ‘secret’ sauce they put on them. You can also spice them up with the Alaga hot sauce on each table (Alaga hot sauce is in its own category, because it sweetens regular hot sauce with cane syrup). Hotdogs are $1.70, special dogs are $2.20 (what makes them ‘special’ is that they use two doggies in the bun rather than one). A special hamburger is $2.20, and onion rings are $1.70. For $8, you can walk out with a quart of Chris’ famous chili sauce.

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McCarty’s Pottery, Merigold

McCarty's Pottery in Merigold MS
McCarty’s Pottery in Merigold

I have heard about McCarty’s Pottery for so long, and finally got there last week (and brought home three windchimes and some other things).

The best thing to do is to get the directions from their website – the entrance is covered mostly with bamboo (which I love), so it’s not something you would just see right off.

Water Tower, across from McCarty's Pottery in Merigold MS

To shop at McCarty’s, park your car in front of the water tower

The shop is actually like a small cottage. The rooms are filled top to bottom with the pottery, mostly in browns, blues, and greens.

From their website: Another reason is the glazes used in the firing process. In the 1950’s and 1960’s the McCartys experimented with native clays and glazes resulting in a wide variety of colors. By the 1970’s, they had invented their signature glazes of nutmeg brown, cobalt blue, and jade. McCartys pottery can be identified by the trademarked “river,” a small black wavy line representing the Mississippi River on most functional pieces, and by the trademarked McCartys signature which is hand signed on the bottom or back of each piece.

Lee and Pup have come a long way since William Faulkner showed them a clay deposit in a ravine on his property and told them they could have it. In the early days, they insulated the Barn with cardboard, froze in the winter, sweated in the summer, and persevered. With their artistic vision and incredible work ethic, McCartys pottery has become known around the world.

Now, most Southerners have a special spot in their heart reserved for William Faulkner. McCarty’s pottery is just one more reason to love him.

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