March 2017 • Page 2 of 3 • Deep Fried Kudzu

March 23, 2017

Since 1907, 1922, Color Running, And Pimento Cheese Shoes

Bon Ton Hatters, Shoe Repair, Shoe Shine — the ‘been here since 1907’ people — have shuttered the business.

Av and I had a little lunch in downtown Birmingham and ran by, because for the second time in my life, I have a pair of shoes I care about enough to see about getting them repaired (a perfect little pair of Børns I’ve had forever, that I got at Sikes and Kohn’s (love for the indy shoe stores of the world) and look great with…everything). I was looking forward to actually having a reason to go inside Bon Ton, but it turns out they closed a few months ago.

Still, through the windows:

Bon Ton Hatters Shoe Repair Shoe Shine Since 1907, Birmingham AL

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I wound up taking my Børns to another spot in downtown, Goodyear Shoe Hospital — which has been around since 1922, but they said that my shoes aren’t repairable — they could glue them, but they just aren’t made as well as they used to, so…

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They have a really great sign up top, too.

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Speaking of shoes, I think my favorite pair of New Balance will never be their original colors due to a color run I did last weekend for charity (that’s Leslie on the left and me on the right, below), but that’s totally okay because (a.) great cause and (b.) that was super fun. I am so ready to do another Color Run!

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Adidas has released their pimento cheese shoes in time for The Masters.

March 23, 2017

Nashville Arnold’s – And To Meringue, Or Not To Meringue? Plus: Put Half A Maraschino Cherry On That.

Thinking Nashville meat-and-three, Arnold’s is right on, tippy-top, must-do.

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You know what to do. Read up on that menu because you don’t want to waste time when your tray makes that first stop!

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Beginnings and endings: pie and salad.

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I’m not even big on roast beef, but that’s what I got — and it was good.
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Deep, dark, crusty, yummy fried green tomatoes.
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Av did chicken and dumplings, though we both believe more in biscuit-y dumplings.
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In my world, this is a hoecake, but I asked someone who worked at Arnold’s, and they just call this cornbread.
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Ever had chess pie with meringue? Don’t think it really needs it.
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Arnold’s was really good and a fun experience, but Niki’s West in Birmingham is still the top of my meat-and-three list. BTW, al.com did a survey of best M+3 in Alabama, and here are the winners.

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Garden and Gun did a piece by Jed Portman on the classic pear salad:

Like many Southern mid-century cooks, she garnished run-of-the-mill canned pears with mayonnaise and mild cheddar. “Those were the pears on the table growing up,” Burdett says. “You got pears out of a deviled egg tray with cheese and mayo or you didn’t get pears at all.”

My grandparents liked to go to the Morrison’s Cafeteria in the Gadsden Mall (I remember when apartment hunting for University of South Alabama, I noticed they had a Morrison’s and thought to myself: well, at least I can still get my greens and not starve to death — which is crazy because I was super-college-poor and lived on a mix of ramen, the Wendy’s dollar menu, and whatever I could scrounge at Taco Bell). I think the last Morrison’s on planet Earth is in Mobile, where the chain originated, even today. It’s actually owned by Picadilly, which bought the Morrison’s chain, but they let the name live on in there.

Anyway, though the Garden and Gun article makes no mention of it, I remember the cafeteria pear salads always sported a half a maraschino cherry on top. Sure enough, I went onto Flickr and found a pic I took a couple of years ago at Matthew’s Cafeteria in Tucker, Georgia. Voila:
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March 21, 2017

Gaylord Texan, And Hotel Rivers

We’re thinking of summer plans — for the last couple or three years, we’ve stayed at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas for the Dallas part of our trip, really only because of the terrific water park they have on the grounds. You can walk, park, or take their shuttle. The boys and I spend hours in the lazy river, but we’d never choose to stay here when the water park is closed.
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It’s a Marriott property, so we’ve used points to pay for our stay here before
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We prefer this Gaylord to the Gaylord Opryland (especially after this). This is the view from our balcony this stay
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The restaurants aren’t amazing, but the Riverwalk Cantina is in a nice setting by the water
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View from our balcony at night
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We’ve not been to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels yet, and I could live my life in a lazy river, so that definitely needs to happen. Looook at thaaaaat.

There are several other Texas resorts worlds nicer than the Gaylord, some with their own private water parks, so I think this year we’ll also consider the Hyatt Regency Hill Country Resort, the Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort, and the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort.

March 21, 2017

Pointing Up

This is First Presbyterian Church in Port Gibson, Mississippi — we were there last year and always take pics of this church as it has this extraordinary golden hand pointing up to Heaven atop its steeple

First Prebyterian Church, Port Gibson MS

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Uncertain as to when in the mid/late 1800s it first made its appearance, but it was originally carved by a local named Daniel Foley. By 1901, it had been destroyed by time and weather, and the congregation commissioned a new hand, this one, to be installed. In 1989, it was taken down to be restored, and was reinstalled in 1990.

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Difficult to see in this picture, but there are little pins atop the hand to keep birds from roosting on it. We stayed at a b and b once that had a telescope with which you could focus on the steeple (the inn is now closed). I understand the hand is about 18′ tall.

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Inside the church hang chandeliers from the famous Robert E. Lee steamboat, and in the center of each is a representation of REL atop Traveller.

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The only other church I know of with this feature is in Mooresville, Alabama. This is the 1839 Mooresville Brick Church

1839 Mooresville Brick Church, Mooresville AL

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Hand atop steeple, pointing toward the heavens

Finger Pointing Toward Heaven, 1839 Mooresville Brick Church, Mooresville AL

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This little town also has the cutest post office ever (with very abbreviated hours), dating back to 1840

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March 17, 2017

St Joseph Day Altar at St Cletus, Gretna LA

Here, last year’s St Joseph Day at St Cletus in Gretna:

I remember the first time we ever came here, we didn’t realize that as soon as you walk in the door, someone blesses you with holy water. Welcome!

St Joseph Day Altar at St Cletus, Gretna LA

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Spaghetti lunch that the boys love

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The altar at St Cletus is so different than that at St Joseph’s
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Saint Lucy!!
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…and we leave with a little bag of cookies

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March 16, 2017

St Joseph Day Altar at St Joseph Church and Shrine, Gretna LA

I grew up in a very Catholic town with several very good Catholic friends, but even still, St. Joseph Day wasn’t something I was familiar with until a few years ago. And I may be Jewish, but I have to say, this is my favorite somebody-else’s-holiday of all time (and yes, I do carry lucky beans in my purse). There are 50+ to visit this year in the area. Some history of the practice is here.

I love it when we are in New Orleans for the holiday because they do it *right* — and last year, our timing was perfect. These are all pics from the St Joseph Church and Shrine in Gretna.

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Before the public is allowed to view everything, the ‘holy family’ — children dressed up as Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and angels, are fed first. And it’s very sweet…they are really catered to.
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