Suggestions for our Roadtrip through the Deep South?

Hey, y'all and happy new year!

In celebration of my change of career in a month, the GF and I are embarking on a 10 day roadtrip of the Southeast, and are looking for culinary suggestions along the way. We've searched through this forum and found some good places to hit, but we welcome any additional spots since we have a fairly wide berth.

We leave Chicago 1/20 and head to Memphis, then down into MS and LA (bayou country) and plan on hitting NoLa on Wed 1/23, staying in the Quarter (but off Bourbon St!). Then we hit the Gulf and FL panhandle, and hitting Savannah and Charleston on the weekend. We come back through Asheville (where I lived for 3yrs) and then wind through Bourbon Country in KY before returning to our fair city on 1/30.

So far we have tagged a few spots, we're getting a few books (road food, southern belly), and booked a few hotels (NoLa, Savannah).

Thanks in advance!

A good, slightly-off-the-beaten-track spot in Florida's panhandle is the city of Apalachicola. A charming old historic downtown, with a large commercial fishing industry (very friendly - you can go out to the docks and talk to the fishermen as they come in), and major oyster beds between the city and the outlying St. George Island. It's fun to watch them catch oysters (you get a good view from the bridge to the island). Then you can go back and gorge on amazingly fresh oysters at any number of places overlooking the water.

The Gibson Inn is a great old historic place to stay downtown.

wino66 wrote:We leave Chicago 1/20 and head to Memphis, then down into MS and LA (bayou country) and plan on hitting NoLa on Wed 1/23, staying in the Quarter (but off Bourbon St!). Then we hit the Gulf and FL panhandle, and hitting Savannah and Charleston on the weekend. We come back through Asheville (where I lived for 3yrs) and then wind through Bourbon Country in KY before returning to our fair city on 1/30.

In the past ten days, I flew into Birmingham, drove to Jackson, Natchez, Lafayette, LA, Starkville and back to Birmingham with a couple of side trips to see St. Francisville, Vicksburg and a few other sites in MS. At this point, I am at 2,000 miles. Your trip will be at least TWICE that.

Planning to do anything other than driving?

jlawrence01 wrote:

wino66 wrote:We leave Chicago 1/20 and head to Memphis, then down into MS and LA (bayou country) and plan on hitting NoLa on Wed 1/23, staying in the Quarter (but off Bourbon St!). Then we hit the Gulf and FL panhandle, and hitting Savannah and Charleston on the weekend. We come back through Asheville (where I lived for 3yrs) and then wind through Bourbon Country in KY before returning to our fair city on 1/30.

In the past ten days, I flew into Birmingham, drove to Jackson, Natchez, Lafayette, LA, Starkville and back to Birmingham with a couple of side trips to see St. Francisville, Vicksburg and a few other sites in MS. At this point, I am at 2,000 miles. Your trip will be at least TWICE that.

Planning to do anything other than driving?

I was thinking the same thing. This is a pretty ambitious trip, my friend.

In Charleston, I would make three recommendations:

1. Dinner at Slightly North of Broad, downtown, for some excellent higher end dining using local ingredients. I ate dinner there las spring after an absence of ten years and was just blown away by the roasted duck.

2.Venture out into the country a bit for some real local lowcountry cooking at the Seawee Restaurant in Awendaw. It is located about 20 miles north of Charleston off of highway 17. Simple regional cooking is featured here, again, with a focus on local seafood and vegetables. It is a bit more moderately priced than SNOB.

Finally, I haven't been since it burned to the ground and was rebuilt. But, Bowen's Island Restaurant is a simple place that offers local oyster roasts. It is located just off the road to Folly Beach.

jlawrence01 wrote:Planning to do anything other than driving?

Yes, just driving would be a tad boring no? We have our calendar out and are spacing the day-long drives in between short hops and day-long stays in the larger and/or more interesting towns. Must say, tho, that part of the enjoyment on our part is the drive itself (Hwy 61, etc). We have a few ipods, a new 52qt cooler, and will be making PLENTY of roadside food stops. The threads here on LTH and other sites we've seen talk a lot about gas station BBQ joints, roadside shrimp shacks and all that. We will hit a few of the nicer restaurants in cities like NoLa, Savannah or Charleston tho.

Thanks for the suggestions, keep 'em comin'!

EDIT: I just wanted to add that the coolerwe bought is outstanding. Xtreme is right: we've been back 10 days and the waters and sodas that are still in it are STILL COLD!

For years, I have been trying to get others to try Dolly's Deli, a convenience store turned fried seafood shop sitting between New Orleans proper and Lake Ponchatraine. on Canal Boulevard near the cemetaries.

It's been a few years since I ate there. But, you can find freshly made Seafood Po Boys mounded with ridiculously large portions of fresh fried shrimp, oysters or local fish. It's a real bargain, too with a soda and served on paper plates.

IMO, it was far better than the more fabled Gay's on Magazine.

Dollie's Deli
5151 Canal Blvd.
NOLA

YourPalWill wrote:In Charleston, I would make three recommendations:
2.Venture out into the country a bit for some real local lowcountry cooking at the Seawee Restaurant in Awendaw. It is located about 20 miles north of Charleston off of highway 17. Simple regional cooking is featured here, again, with a focus on local seafood and vegetables. It is a bit more moderately priced than SNOB.

This would be on my don't miss list for Charleston. In fact I could eat just about every meal there while visiting. Great fresh seafood.

On I-75 in Southern GA the town of Cordele about 3-5 miles west off of exit 101 is the Daphne Lodge. They have great catfish and other southern foods. I've ate there several times and have thoroughly enjoyed every meal. They have the best fresh biscuits I have ever tasted. Other don't misses include the fried pickles. Its been about 5 years since I last ate there. They don't have a website. The owners are extremely nice people.

Daphne Lodge
Hwy 280 W
Cordele, GA 31015
(229) 273-2596
Open at 5:00 pm for dinner only. I would recommend giving a call if making the decision to stop.

There is/was a Ramada Inn at the same exit. Very nice for a Ramada Inn. Comfortable rooms, great antique decor in the lobby, and one of the best country breakfasts around. Biscuits, country ham, red eye gravy, sausage gravy, hash browns. Hmmmm.
I agree your trip seems a little intensive.

If your route takes you through or near Vicksburg, MS, I highly recommend hitting the Walnut Hills Roundtable Restaurant. An awesome, group soul/Southern dining experience with strangers from all walks of life....

1214 Adams St
Vicksburg, MS 39183
(601) 638-4910
http://walnuthillsms.net/

Edit: Also, if you're driving the back roads leading to Baton Rouge (about 30 minutes NW of Baton Rouge), DO NOT pass up the opportunity to eat at Joe's Dreyfus Store Restaurant in Livonia. They're open Tues.-Sun.; lunchtime is always hopping. Call ahead for hours: (225) 637-2608. I don't have an address, but it's almost the only thing going on in Livonia.

And...if you're in that area, you'll probably drive by the False River and through New Roads--home of Bergeron Pecans.

If you have a better idea of your route, I can give you better recommendations for back-road food stands (like the best Natchitoches meat pie outside of Natchitoches and boudin balls).

crrush, thanks for those tips. We are refining our route and Vicksburg will definitely be a stop, hopefully at Walnut Hills.

As I create this google map with our "stops" marked, it may look intimidating, but this is a road trip after all, and we have no fear of the actual road...and Chi-Memphis is really the only long drive, but Mattoon, IL is in-between, with the original Burger King

Sun: Memphis
Mon: Oxford, Jackson, Vicksburg
Tue: Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Livonia
Wed: New Orleans
Thu: Mobile to Apalachicola, along the coast
Fri: Savannah
Sat: Charleston
Sun & Mon: Asheville
Tue: Bardstown & Bourbon Country
Wed: find our way back to Chicago...

Do you have places picked out in Lafayette, specifically? If not, I might recommend skipping Lafayette and trolling around places like Abbeville and Breaux Bridge. Lafayette has a few good restaurants, but it's not much to look at, city-wise. Abbeville and Breaux Bridge are small towns with really rich, interesting food histories (oysters and crawfish) and a handful of good restaurants.

In Abbeville, there are two legendary oyster houses--Black's and Dupuy's. I think both restaurants have been sold to new owners (so they're no longer the original family-run business). I can't find an exact address for Black's, but they're on the same street, IFRC. (There's also a newer place in town called Shuck's.) In all cases, be sure to call first to get hours and make sure they're open.

Dupuy's Oyster House
108 S Main St
Abbeville, LA 70510
(337) 893-2336

In Breaux Bridge (the "Crawfish Capital"--home of the Crawfish Festival), you can't go wrong stopping in at Cafe Des Amis.

Cafe' Des Amis
www.cafedesamis.com
140 E Bridge St
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
(337) 507-3398

Somewhere along a back road outside of Baton Rouge (possibly on the way to/from Livonia), there's a gas station with a boudin and meat pie shack to the right of the gas station. I have pictures of the place somewhere, and I'll post if I can find 'em. If you see this place (I also remember a sign out front advertising frog gigging poles), STOP THE CAR. They have awesome meat pies. You might have to wait 12 minutes while they fry, but it's certainly worth the wait.

For more on traveling the back roads of Acadiana/Cajun Country, check out this article: http://www.bayoudog.com/articles/travel/south_of_the_south.php

crrush wrote:Do you have places picked out in Lafayette, specifically? If not, I might recommend skipping Lafayette and trolling around places like Abbeville and Breaux Bridge. Lafayette has a few good restaurants, but it's not much to look at, city-wise. Abbeville and Breaux Bridge are small towns with really rich, interesting food histories (oysters and crawfish) and a handful of good restaurants.

Yes, I believe the GF has Cafe Des Amis on the list, with "bayou country" as a general destination around the Lafayette area.

We'll also be hitting Dolly's Deli in NoLa, Seawee in Awendaw, SC, Walnut Hills in Vicksburg, Jim Neely's in Memphis among others.

Thanks again.

Your Thursday trip from Mobile to Apalach will be taking you right through Panama City. PC is mostly a dreary wasteland of fast food joints or overpriced tourist seafood places but this past November we found a nice little gem of a place called Liza's Kitchen. Locally owned and operated by a very nice couple (Liza is their daughter, look for the picture on the wall with her in a large stockpot) with really good breakfast and lunch options. We stopped in there totally by random and couldn't stop returning during our brief time there. If you are swinging thru and just want to grab a sandwich (the Black & Blue is great) to consume during your drive it's a great option; most of the sandwiches are on house-made foccacia. I think the last time I custom built a sandwich with salami, ham, provolone, olive salad and hot peppers with a little olive oil - I couldn't put it down.

7008 Thomas Dr
Panama City Bch, FL 32408
(850) 233-9000

A local newspaper blurb.

Apalachicola is a neat little (emphasis on little) town; we drive over when we vacation on nearby St. George Island. IIRC in Apalach we quite liked Tamara's Cafe Floridita and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed "The World's Largest Fried Fish Sandwich" at the Apalachicola Seafood Grill (aka The Grill) - I wish I had one right now. Never been to the Boss Oyster as we just buy fresh oysters and eat them at the beach house but it is definitely a cool location right on the water. I've heard good things about Avenue Sea and hope to check it out next time I'm down there - and look forward to reading anything you might post about where you end up dining.

Tamara's Cafe Floridita
17 Avenue E
Apalachicola, Florida 32320
(850) 653-4111
Breakfast/Lunch only, call for hours

Apalachicola Seafood Grill
100 Market Street (at the stoplight, there's only one)
Apalachicola, Florida 32320
850-653-9510

Just completed Chgo New Orleans Chgo round trip, and I have a few suggestions. On the way down, we decided to take our time and do it in two days, leaving Chicago in the early morning and arriving in Memphis in the mid-afternoon on the first day. Our hotel was within steps of the Rendezvous, from which we have had ribs air-delivered to us, but had not experienced in person, so that was dinner. Good not fabulous, but happy we went. A good dry rub rib, and a couple of glasses of beer--not much to complain about. We had been warned by a friend who had just spent three months working in Memphis that Jim Neeley's Interstate BBQ was better (more on that later), but the proximity of the Rendezvous, plus always having wanted to go, gave it the edge--and we only had one dinner in town. We set out the next morning, this time avoiding I-55, and instead took Hwy 61 south out of Memphis towards Tunica and Clarksdale, MS. Much more interesting road--a state highway that lets you pass through a number of southern towns. We stopped for breakfast in Tunica at the Blue & White Restaurant--a terrific southern diner with stellar homemade biscuits. Friendly people, although it was slightly disconcerting to walk in and see virtually every booth filled with hunters in camo gear. My wife whispered to me, wondering if anyone could spot us as "you-know-whats" (I assume she meant some combination of any or all of the following: yankee-liberal-Jewish-rabble-rousing-Communists). I whispered back, asking her if she thought our SUV import with Illinois plates or my curly hair or the New York Times I had brought in might be a giveaway. But the Blue & White was a not-to-be-missed experience--the biscuits, country ham, perfect eggs, grits, hash browns, gigantic coffee mugs--it was heaven. And I swear our waitress said when we were leaving that "you all come back and see us sometime." If you turn right from the restaurant and head a few blocks into the old downtown, you'll see a two-block stretch of stores and the town square right out of a movie (like "To Kill a Mockingbird.")

We kept going south, passing through Clarksdale and Cleveland. There was an entrance to the Natchez Trace Parkway at some point along the way, and took this beautiful scenic drive the last 25 miles or so into Natchez. We stopped at the historic B'Nai Israel Temple downtown (unfortunately closed--we wanted to see the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience which is in the basement of the synagogue). Then we had lunch at the Magnolia Grill, right on the banks of the Mississippi, apparently the oldest restaurant in Natchez, and a nice find. Mostly seafood, fairly sophisticated preps, very good spot for lunch. On the way out of town, we stopped at the city cemetary, just a mile or so from downtown. I knew my great great grandmother had come from Natchez before getting married and moving to Louisville, so thought I'd take a shot and see if there were any of her kin there. In a small walled off spot, I found the old Jewish section--no more than 50 graves--and just inside the gate, the first headstone was that of her brother, who died in 1850-something, at the age of 20. A very moving experience, but I digress.....

We made it to New Orleans by 8 pm, and drove right to Tujugue's (pronounced Two Jacks) in the Quarter for dinner. It's been serving the same table d'hote dinner for 130 years--gumbo, salad, brisket with horseradish app, followed by your choice from among two or three entrees, and caramel bread pudding for dessert. Very reasonable for a fixed price dinner ($40 complete), and a perfect place after a long road trip where few if any decisions needed to be made.

In New Orleans, we went to most of the usual suspects--Cafe Du Monde, Central Grocery, Mother's. Dinner one night at Emeril's Delmonico (tre expensive, quite good, but better steak places in Chgo), another night at Pascal's Manale (for BBQ shrimp--after a long bad slide in quality, followed by being closed by Katrina, this old-school joint is back, better than ever. Make sure you have drinks with the bartender, Eddie). Another evening we had po' boys and oysters at Felix's. And a late night shrimp po' boy at St. Charles Tavern, a 24/7 dive--spunky waitresses, decent food, pretty cheap. The best find was a corner bar off Magazine Street, called Parasol's--the finest roast beef po' boy in town, according to the local guy who steered me there, and it was a sensation. Messy, drippy, and "dressed" (New Orleans talk for lettuce, tomato, mayo). Make sure you order the fried pickles.

We did the return trip to Chgo in one long day (7am to 9pm), but as we were going through Memphis around lunch time, I thought we might want to give the Jim Neeley place a try, even though we'd have to get off I-55, and go several miles out of the way. But just as we were about to do so, we passed a highway GAS-FOOD-LODGING next exit sign, and one of the listed places was Neeley's, obviously an outpost/satellite of the original. It was only a block or two off the highway, and even had a drive-through, so it was chopped pork sandwiches all around--just a touch of sauce and a mound of cole slaw on top of the meat. Totally beautiful.

crrush wrote:Do you have places picked out in Lafayette, specifically? If not, I might recommend skipping Lafayette and trolling around places like Abbeville and Breaux Bridge. Lafayette has a few good restaurants, but it's not much to look at, city-wise. Abbeville and Breaux Bridge are small towns with really rich, interesting food histories (oysters and crawfish) and a handful of good restaurants.

I just got back from spending the holidays with my folks in Baton Rouge, and I made a trip to Breaux Bridge to get some boudin and stock up on encased meats a couple of days before leaving. I hit Charlie T's, where the boudin was excellent and the meat selection was great as well. In addition to getting some andouille, smoked jalapeno pork sausage, and uncooked beef and pork sausage to bring home, we picked up a really nice crawfish and rice stuffed chicken (deboned whole chicken) which we cooked one night for dinner at my parents' and it was outstanding. The andouille and jalapeno pork sausage are/were great as well. I also hit Poche's on the other side of I-10, where the boudin was also very good (a bit spicier than at Charlie T's, although I would rank Charlie T's slightly ahead of it overall). I also picked up some andouille, smoked chaurice sausage, tasso, frozen chicken and duck sausage, frozen boudin and frozen boudin balls to stock the freezer back home. I had some of the tasso (very smoky and very good) and andouille (very good as well, although I think I prefer the Charlie T's product -- but the Poche's version seems as if it would hold up better in gumbo). As I polished off just under a pound of boudin prior to 11:00 a.m. and had the 50 mile drive back to BTR looming, I wasn't in much of a mood to stop and eat, but Poche's had really great looking plate lunches as well.

Both worth a stop if you end up taking crrush's advice to hit Breaux Bridge.

Charlie T's Specialty Meats (not official website)
530 Berard Street
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
(337) 332-2426

Poche's Market
3015A Main Hwy.
Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
(337) 332-2108

Olde School - thanks for the tip, we'll definitely find the Blue & White in Tunica!

As for Breaux Bridge, Matt, we have bookmarked a few spots on the laptop, but we're definitely excited for picking up some boudin and other local meats - got a new Coleman 62qt "Xtreme cooler" on the way from Amazon to keep us company in the Outback wagon.

Thanks!

If you like Dry rub Ribs, then try out Charles Vergo's Rendezvous. It is down near the pyramid in Memphis, TN. The ribs are outstanding and the meat falls off of the bone. It is worth a stop.

If you find yourself going through Augusta, GA - then check out Sconyers BBQ. It is famous and has catered the White House. This is the best BBQ I have ever eaten!

A lot of the areas you are going through I have written about on my website. The link is in my signature line. You might want to checkout some of the articles. They may or may not help, but I travel a lot and try to check out Mom & Pop places and restaurants that you can only find locally. I steer away from chain restaurants like outback, olive gardens etc.

I was in Arlington Heights a few months ago and found Joe & Guiseppe's Restaurant. Have you ever eaten there? I thought it was very good. A fine Italian restaurant.

Have fun on your trip.

Flhaus wrote:If you like Dry rub Ribs, then try out Charles Vergo's Rendezvous. It is down near the pyramid in Memphis, TN. The ribs are outstanding and the meat falls off of the bone. It is worth a stop.

We'll have to check out this place, their website page on the staff alone demands a visit, with some guys there 30-40 plus years!

If you find yourself going through Augusta, GA - then check out Sconyers BBQ. It is famous and has catered the White House. This is the best BBQ I have ever eaten!

I don't think Augusta is in our path, we'll be heading from Charleston straight to Asheville up Hwy 26.

I was in Arlington Heights a few months ago and found Joe & Guiseppe's Restaurant. Have you ever eaten there? I thought it was very good. A fine Italian restaurant.

Have fun on your trip.

We haven't been to this place, but we'll give it a look when we're out there (it's a good haul from our downtown residence).

Thanks for the tips Flhaus, and welcome to LTH!

Oxford, MS--One of the loveliest places on the face of the earth.

Here is a NYTIMES link to a nice article about Oxford

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A9629C8B63

Dont miss City Grocery on the courthouse square for dinner.

City Grocery
152 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655,
662-232-8080,

iblock9 wrote:Oxford, MS--One of the loveliest places on the face of the earth.

Here is a NYTIMES link to a nice article about Oxford

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.h ... A9629C8B63

Dont miss City Grocery on the courthouse square for dinner.

City Grocery
152 Courthouse Square
Oxford, MS 38655,
662-232-8080,

Thanks for the info! My buddy in Asheville also recommended Ajax Diner (which is mentioned in that NYT article), so we have some good options...altho we'll probably just be there for lunch...and to see Faulkner's grave natch.

Ok, y'all. We are in Memphis...and it's cold here too!

We left Chicago Sunday 7am with happy hearts and empty bellies. We stopped in Arcola (yep, that's right - Illinois' largest Amish settlement) at the Red Hen, a typical breakfast-anytime diner. Food was tasty but nothing worth takin' a picture. We did enjoy their book selection in the "gift shop" area.



As we headed south on I-57, we consulted our books and map to find a good lunch spot. Our favorite book so far is Southern Belly. We wanted to go to the "original" Burger King in Mattoon, IL but we hit the town about 9:30am so too early...sigh. We did find the best fried chicken ever, though! Mason, TN is home to the original (he opened a few more around the area) Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken.





Since it was Sunday afternoon and the NFL playoffs were on TV, not very crowded...but that wasn't a problem for us. We ordered a 2pc White Meat and 2pc Dark Meat Plate, plus some tasty sweet tea (not quite "southern sweet" IMHO).



The place is everything you'd expect, which is not much. The people working the kitchen were very nice, although the lady ran out of the kitchen when I asked to take a pic of them.



Notice the big, sloppy bustub full of battered chicken parts...yum!

Unfortunately, Gus himself died in July, but they carry on the legend very well!

Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken
Highway 70 (yup, you'll find it)
Mason, TN
901-294-2028

After we arrived in Memphis and took the Sun Studio tour (if you ever go to Memphis and don't take this tour you are shorting yourself dearly) we checked in to this great hotel hidden downtown by the Peabody, Talbot Heirs Guest House. The owners are quite friendly, and suggested a place for dinner about a block away. Cafe 61 was slow as well (Pats & NYG game), but very tasty food - creole influenced local ingredients.


Fried Green Tomatoes and Shrimp w/Remoulade


Pecan-crusted Catfish w/Cajun Shrimp


Derk's Favorite Shrimp

Cafe 61
85 S. 2nd St
Memphis, TN
901-523-9351

We were quite stuffed, so skipped dessert. We walked around downtown, but it was pretty dang cold by Memphis standards so not much going on. We had a nightcap at the Peabody Hotel lobby bar, and chatted with some nice folks who flew in from L.A. just to tour Memphis and get the full Elvis experience.

A fine first day, IOHO!

wino66 wrote: we checked in to this great hotel hidden downtown by the Peabody, Talbot Heirs Guest House.

Is the Talbot Heirs the little hotel with the mini fridges stocked with ice cream sandwiches and other goodies? If so I second the recommendation. My wife and I took our first weekend away together in Memphis and stayed there, thanks for the post as I can never remember the name. I usually stay at the Peabody when i have to go to Memphis for business but I would stay at the Talbot for a fun trip in a heartbeat.

iblock9 wrote:

wino66 wrote: we checked in to this great hotel hidden downtown by the Peabody, Talbot Heirs Guest House.

Is the Talbot Heirs the little hotel with the mini fridges stocked with ice cream sandwiches and other goodies? If so I second the recommendation. My wife and I took our first weekend away together in Memphis and stayed there, thanks for the post as I can never remember the name. I usually stay at the Peabody when i have to go to Memphis for business but I would stay at the Talbot for a fun trip in a heartbeat.

Not sure about the ice cream sandwiches, ours had yogurt, juice, water, coffee, and biscotti. It's across the street from Peabody, easy to miss, since it's just a door with the name above it. There are 7 suites on the 2nd floor above a convenience store, etc. There is "outsider" art lining the hallway.

Okay, so we were gonna end the day in Vicksburg, MS but it didn't happen as planned (oh well, that's the beauty of road trips - you do what you want and roll with the punches).

We started the day doing the Graceland tour (very cool, but a tad pricey). Elvis is definitely everywhere...once we got on the road, we drove south on Hwy 61 until we hit Tunica, MS (a huge mecca for casino gamblers). Lunch at the Blue & White Restaurant, a great little diner on the side of the highway downtown (can't miss it). Delicious fried dill pickles (in coins like Gus does at WaSC), with a salty/savory batter. Also, a catfish hoagie: cornmeal crusted and fried just right, on a bun with some mayo and shredded lettuce...and standard crinkle fries. And sweet tea, natch.




Fried Dill Pickles

Off we drove to Clarksdale, home of the famous "Blues Crossroads" of 49 & 61. Right at that intersection lies Abe's BBQ - so we had to stop and get a BBQ pork sammich, some BBQ beans, and a tamale. They usually only sell in 3's but the nice lady gave us a single to try - very tasty!


I do my best "I'm a smoked pig" impersonation

Notice the interesting jury-rigging on his smoker...nice.

We drove around looking for other stuff, but since it was MLK day, not much open...heavy sigh. Back on the highway, I guess.

As we sped down 61, we spotted a sign on the other side (due to its blinking light, like one of those taxi lights outside a hotel). It said "fresh fish" or something so we hit the brakes and made a U-turn.



Lordy, Lordy!!! Best crawfish boil we've had in many a moon. One pound was $5 and they just handed us a plastic bag...so we popped open the wagon hatch and had a tailgater...cooler comes in handy, when you keep cold beer in it for times like these.


Josefa is anxiously awaiting our mudbugs

The boil pot behind the trailer/shack

Makeshift tailgate party...

We stopped at another spot, Chuck's BBQ, I think it was in Rolling Fork? Had a nice vibe, decent pork sammich, and it was open!

When we hit Vicksburg, we decided to drive around downtown and get the lay of the land. We passed Adams St, where Walnut Hills Round Table is and checked it out...CLOSED.

So we went looking for Solly's Tamales on Washington St...CLOSED. That's when we decided to ditch Vicksburg and keep heading south. So here we sit in a Holiday Inn Express in Henderson, LA. It's a bit east of Lafayette and close to Breaux Bridge, which we'll be taking on tomorrow. Got me a High Life shorty, or as Josefa calls them, "killer millers."

We were very disappointed in Vicksburg, also. The Walnut Hills Round Table was closed on the days that we were in Vicksburg.

We stopped at the Coca-Cola museum in the downtown area. It was the only museum dedicated to Coca Cola where you really couldn't get a Coke.

The lady at the museum directed us to two local restaurants ... and both of those were closed. There is an old time pharmacy adjacent to the Coca Cola museum that was worth a stop as they had a lot of historical exhibits, a prescription counter and little else.

However, we continued our way up Washington St. and found a small whole in the wall "Meat and three" sould food place that served an excellent catfish with great sides. I will have to research the name of the place. The restaurant consisted of a blackboard, two steamtables, ten tables and chairs that you generally find in a thrift store. And some really great cooking.

If downtown Vicksburg has benefited from having a gambling riverboat in town, I saw little evidence of it. Few local businesses, few eateries in the downtown area.

By the way, most restaurants in Mississippi close on Sunday and many on Monday. Also, the period between Christmas and New Years is a week that many restaurants close.


Biedenharn Candy Co and Museum of Coca-Cola Memorabilia
www.biedenharncoca-colamuseum.com
1107 Washington St
Vicksburg, MS 39183
(601) 638-6514

yeah, we saw the museum sign as well, but we got into town about 7-8pm so too late for that stuff. It really did seem like a quaint town (with the exception of the tacky casinos) and we would've liked to see the Civil War stuff...but oh well, life marches on.

Hey y'all! We're down in the bayou, it's 74 degrees and we gotta put the A/C on in the car on occasion. Oooo-WEE.

Okay, to the eatin'...we started the day by heading into Breaux Bridge proper, a really nice downtown area.


Cafe des Amis doesn't open 'til 11am for lunch, so we shopped...found a great Cajun Classic 12qt dutch oven for only $85 - done!

We were the 1st customers of the day (it was Tue) and decided to eat light since we'd be eating all day. We sampled a cup of the duck & sausage gumbo and a cup of the turtle soup (with a side of sherry). Both were outstanding, as were the fried catfish tails and the crawfish cornbread with crawfish etouffee.




After lunch, we headed toward Abbeville, via small roads and all that. Nice area, not too much goin' on though.

Abbeville is home to Dupuy's Oyster Shop, open since 1869. We got there before they closed at 2pm. A dozen each for us, and shared a cup of seafood gumbo (crawfish, shrimp, oysters, catfish). Outstanding!


Dupuy's Oyster Shop
108 S Main St
Abbeville, LA
(337) 893-2336

We then headed back to New Iberia, and out to Avery Island for the Tabasco tour. Kinda goofy, but it was free. Of course, we did do a little damage in the big-ass gift shop!

After that we were feelin' hungry, so we checked into our hotel and headed over to the Guiding Star on route 90, one of the favorite "boiling points" in the area.


Again, we were the 1st customers since they opened at 4pm and it was just shy of 5. We ordered a few beers, a serving of crawfish (4lbs) and a serving of shrimp (1lb). Quite tasty!






They use Tabasco pepper mash for their boil, and man did it have great taste!

Oh, and here's a pic of an order to-go...have you ever seen a case of beer with steam emanating from it? Not I!


We decided to skip feeding ourselves for a few hours, headed to downtown New Iberia and chatted with some locals in one of the bars. Talked to a guy who cooks big meals every Sunday in front of the bar, is retired and gets checks from the VA so he loves to cook! Dang...gonna miss it, and he looks like he can cook up a storm!

Dinner time...we drove by a place that looked interesting so we returned there for dinner. A quaint dining room, sorta like a Wisconsin supper club, but full of Southern folk. Josefa had a cup of the sausage gumbo, and I had the "house specialty" - Shrimp and Catfish Pirogue - A "Taste of the Teche Favorite." A plank of fried eggplant layered with shrimp stuffing and grilled catfish, then topped with creamy pesto sauce brimming with baby shrimp. It came with a potato...and just so we didn't both drop dead on the spot we ordered side salads.


Shrimp and Catfish Pirogue

Little River Inn
833 E Main St
New Iberia, LA
337-367-7466

Okay, we're pooped...early night to read and sleep it off.

wino66 wrote:When we hit Vicksburg, we decided to drive around downtown and get the lay of the land. We passed Adams St, where Walnut Hills Round Table is and checked it out...CLOSED.

What a drag! I wouldn't count Vicksburg, MS, as much of a sight-seeing destination, but Walnut Hills is worth the stop...if they're open. Did you happen to see what their hours are?

Way to improvise with the U-turn crawfish boil! You're experiencing one of the greatest parts of road-tripping through the South--the road-side snack shacks. You'll want to hit the breaks if you see any similar establishment advertising boudin or meat pies.

Did someone on this thread mention The Boudin Link? Can't remember where I read about it, but it's a site mapping locations of good (and bad) boudin in South Louisiana.

crrush wrote:Did someone on this thread mention The Boudin Link? Can't remember where I read about it, but it's a site mapping locations of good (and bad) boudin in South Louisiana.

One of the things that I miss most about living in South Louisiana is the wide variety of great homemade food available at your local mini-mart, gas station and roadside pickup truck. Nothing like Boudin, Fried Pie or a nice piece of chicken while you fill up the gas tank. God knows how many creole tomatoes I gobbled down on Carrolton avenue from the back of a pickup.

This post is making me very homesick, particularly considering it's about 55 degrees in Breaux Bridge today...and about 12 degrees here.