Fried, Stewed or Nude?
Posted: December 2, 2008 1:53 pmFiled under: Kevin, Uncategorized, internet, rant, reflection, weather
Periodically, I write on a forum in one of my “hometowns.”
For me, a “hometown” is where one spent a good portion (that means ‘years‘ for the non-Southerners reading this) of their life. I have thee, er, three: Prattville, Cullman and Florence, all in Alabama. 
I’m reminded of the theme song to the serial sit-com (you don’t watch it standing up, do you?) “The Jeffersons,” which was a spin-off from “All In the Family.” The lyric in part was, “Well, I’m movin’ on up!”
Prattville is just north of Montgomery, Cullman is north of Birmingham, and Florence is north of Cullman. I am “movin’ on up!”
And, I spent some time in Nashville, going to college/university there, and later living and working there for a while. In fact, I once actually obtained a TN driver license!
I absolutely ADORE Nashville and Tennessee (where else can you be in the metropolitan area and return to the idyllic countryside in 30 minutes?), and I want to attend grad school there, so maybe the LORD’ll lead me there, eh? Plus, they have NO STATE INCOME TAX! Woo-hoo!
Anyway, I was recalling about some pleasant life experiences in the forum, and wanted to share it with you all.
How do you like your oysters?
Wentzell’s Oyster House in Mobile, AL (for those folks who don’ know where it is, i.e. what state {it’s a state of mind, folks!}, or think it’s some kind of art fixture/hanging-thingy by Alexander Calder) on Lower Dauphin Street is THE place to eat oysters.
I recall having gone there many years ago (as a kid) and absolutely fell in love with what I perceived as a chintzy, dive-like atmosphere. But you see now, I’m a Southerner, and by God, that’s what we do! And we do it so well! It’s a kind of story telling, you know.
Man, I’ll tell ya’, dives have the best food!
There’s a little place in Memphis where a late friend of mine and I ate when we came back from a winter camping trip on Reelfoot Lake.
I told Ernie that the Bald Eagles hang out up at Reelfoot. So, with him, that was my second trip up there. It suddenly rained, then snowed, and we like to froze our little hineys off! But we had a great time!
Oh, Reelfoot is in the NW corner of TN, and was formed by the New Madrid earthquake in the winter of 1811/1812.
Anyway, the little joint where we ate was right on the wharf, along the Mississippi River (betch’a didn’t think I could spel it, did’ja?!).
It was the kind of place that had old wooden floors, with spaces in between the boards. It was dark inside and kinda’ narrow.
But, oh… my… word! Did they have the food, brother!
You know, come to think of it, it seems to be little out-of-the-way places that have the best food!
One of my faves in FloTown is Hollywood Inn!
Their oxtail soup… forget the Campbell’s slogan, ’cause it ain’t “mmm, mmm, good”! It’s slap the dog & spit in the fire good!
But by night, it’s a dive! You could get cut there!
Oh yeah… we were talkin’ ’bout oysters.
I like ‘em raw.
Put ‘em on a saltine cracker with a dash of Tobasco© brand hot sauce (too vinegary for anything else), chew once or twice, swallow, and wash it down with a beer!
Reminds me of boiled okra. Nice & slimy. Yum!
COOKING HINT: boil the okra along with corn and tomatoes and the slime will magically disappear!
But then, you gotta’ make biscuits! (Don’t get me started on buttermilk cathead biscuits with sorghum and fresh butter!)
Gosh, I’m gettin’ hungry!
