Fried Chicken Plus…

We do love good fried chicken!  The problem for us is that the seasoning has to have some distinct pop of flavor.  Kentucky fried chicken (crispy) is one of our safe dining destinations when we’re home or on the road but we’ve also had great fried chicken in local restaurants here and there over the years.  It is a road trip favorite meal…

This is Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken’s location on Lovell Road near the Turkey Creek Shopping Area in Knoxville/Farragut Tennessee.  This is the second Knoxville area Gus’s location.  In the past we’ve eaten at their Sutherland Avenue restaurant but this much newer location is much closer to our home in Loudon County.

As per Gus’s website, they are the current reigning champion of the National Fried Chicken Festival.  Also the Travel Channel has ranked Gus’s as the 12^th tastiest restaurant in America to ‘chow down’.

Despite its obviously casual almost ‘bare bones’ appearance, Gus’s is a sit down restaurant with friendly wait staff taking your order and delivering the food.  While we were there they also had a steady flow of ‘to go’ customers.

The menu is very straightforward and brief.  There are 3 different ‘starters’, fried okra, fried green tomatoes and Fried Pickles.  Customers can order their chicken ala carte…by the piece…as a ‘snack’ (chicken only: 2 piece white or dark, and ‘mixed’ with 8, 12, 16 or 20 pieces of chicken.  Then there are the meals or ‘plates’ which include varying quantities of chicken, including ‘tenders’, as well as baked beans, coleslaw and a slice of white bread.  Alternate ‘sides’ include seasoned French fries, mac ‘n cheese, greens and potato salad.  FYI, Gus’s does serve beer.   

As I mentioned, the dining area décor at Gus’s is minimalist.  These ceramic chickens and other miscellaneous items were noted on a shelf high up on the wall.

The founders and creators of Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken were from Mason Tennessee.  Napoleon “Na” Vanderbilt and Maggie started selling chicken ‘to go’ out of the back door of a tavern they operated starting in 1953.  With the support of the local community, they opened their restaurant in Mason in 1973.  Both “Na” and Maggie have passed but that restaurant is still serving their chicken...

The first photo above shows Laurie’s meal.  She ordered the “3-Piece Dark Plate”, (2 thighs and a leg), with the usual sides of baked beans, coleslaw and that slice of white bread under the chicken.  Laurie prefers the dark meat but she doesn’t really like legs so I ‘had’ to help her out.

My meal was the “3-Piece White Plate”, (2 breasts and a wing).  I switched out the baked beans for the seasoned fries.  We both enjoyed our chicken and our sides…my seasoned fries were very good and the slaw holds its own too.  I didn’t write down the prices, they aren’t posted on the website and my receipt wasn’t detailed.  Nevertheless, the pricing was very fair and we got more than enough food.

It should be noted that these restaurant’s full name is Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken.  It is not Nashville hot fried chicken.  The heat in Gus’s chicken is fairly low key…just enough to be different.

The only negative we have ever noted about Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken is that it isn’t all that great leftover the next day.  The light breading or the process used to cook the chicken seems to cause the meat to be too dry to be a great leftover.

Then there was this sign.  It explains why that slice of white bread is placed under the chicken.  It’s what Napoleon and Maggie did in the beginning at the back door of their tavern and it’s now a tradition. 

The menu at Gus’s also includes 5 different types of pie, all of which are baked daily.  They include pecan, chess, chocolate chess, sweet potato and old-fashioned coconut.  We have yet to try any of them.

So why is “Na” and Maggie’s restaurant referred to as Gus’s?  Their son Gus (aka Vernon) and his wife Gertrude, were the ones who not only continued the legacy but were part of Gus’s continued success. 

Gus’s World Famous Hot and Spicy Fried Chicken is located at 126 Lovell Road in Knoxville Tennessee.  It is right across the street from Costco.  Gus’s is open 7 days a week.  Website: Knoxville (Farragut) | Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken (gusfriedchicken.com).  Currently this chain has about 40 restaurants across 13 states.

Time now for another ‘dog fix’ for Laurie!   

This is Flurry, the latest neighborhood dog to be spoiled by my better half.  In that second photo she’s liking her ‘lips’ after receiving and eating a milk bone.  Laurie keeps a sealed container of large and small milk bones on the front porch ‘just in case’ she has the chance to pamper another pooch.

I’ll end with Laurie’s first ‘harvest’ of the season.  The only edibles that she grows are herbs from her planters on our back deck.  In this case she’d harvested tarragon, basil and sage, which she bundled and hung up to dry for future use.

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Ronald Allen Myers – Memorial Day 2024

Memorial Day…a day when I always wonder what my life would have been like if my father, Ronald Allen Myers, had survived World War II.  He probably would have returned to his career as a conservation officer in Michigan.  I certainly would have been given more exposure to nature and the great outdoors.  I probably still would have gone to Michigan State University but my major probably wouldn’t have been in Social Sciences – Police Administration.

But, since my dad was KIA in Czechoslovakia while fighting one of the last engagements with German troops, I’ll never know what the future would have been for my mother or myself.  I just wish that I could remember my dad…but I was only about 2 and a half years old when he was killed on May 6^th, 1945.

This photo of my dad and me is from sometime in 1944… It was probably taken in front of my material grandparent’s home on Prospect Street in Jackson Michigan.  I would have been about 2 years old.

Over the past several years I have been in contact with a WWII researcher – David Foud, from Pilsen in the Czech Republic; Andrew Woods, a Research Historian from the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton Illinois, and through Andrew another Czech researcher, Martin Schmid.  They have all provided me with bits of information about my father’s last days… I’m hoping for additional information as their research progresses.

Andrew Woods’s focus is the US Army’s First Division, the Big Red One.  My dad’s unit was part of that famous American fighting force.  David Foud is a civilian who has been working on a project that commemorates fallen American soldiers in Czechoslovakia in 1945 and 1946.  Martin Schmid is specifically researching the battle between German and American forces on May 6, 1945 near Cheb/Eger, in what is now the Czech Republic.

This photo of my dad, with a column of American soldiers and armor, apparently moving toward Czechoslovakia, was taken by a US Army photographer.  David Foud sent the photo to me.  He’s obtained it from the 16^th Regiment Association.  The official label on the photo reads “Sgt. Ronald Myers advances down a road towards the German town of Riefensbeek, 14 April, 1945.

Martin Schmid forwarded a considerable amount of information to Andrew Woods who then passed it on to me.  Martin, a student at West Bohemia University in Pilsen, was writing a thesis on the WWII battle fought near Tesov in the Cheb Region in 1945.  He stated that he is “an avid collector of the American First Infantry Division”. 

I believe that this photo was forwarded to me by Andrew Woods and that it was originally sent to Andrew by Martin Schmid.  It is a local memorial to my father placed somewhere near the location where he was killed in what is now the Czech Republic.  I was very happy to see this local remembrance and that it has been so well maintained.  After the war, my dad was exhumed and then reburied in the Lorraine American Military Cemetery in Saint-Avold, France.

The following information was also forwarded to me by Andrew Woods.  It was apparently sent to him by Michael Rund of the Muzeum Sokolov in the Czech Republic.  The excerpts below were taken from a book entitled “Kveten bez Seriku” or “May without Lilies”.  It was written by Vladimir Bruzenak.

“Companies I, K and L of the 3^rd Battalion attacked from Jesenice and Okrouhai in the Milikov area…near Tesov.  The soldiers of Company L encountered resistance from German soldiers, members of the RAD and Volksstrum.  German machine guns and handguns started firing from the wooded hill above the village.  They were answered by gunfire from the American tanks and fire from infantry weapons.  The entire firefight lasted about an hour.  Only after a platoon of K Company soldiers joined the fight did most of the Germans either scatter into the surrounding woods or surrender.  The body of the German commander was said to have been found only a few days later.  Staff Sergeant Ronald Myers, the last dead of the entire 18^th Regiment in this war, was killed by German fire.”

Many thanks to my father and the thousands of other members of our armed forces who have given their lives to ensure our liberty and freedoms.  God Bless America!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Weird plus Food plus Beauty

It’s been kind of quiet around here…warm laid back late spring days with a lot of rain.  Lots of ‘social events’ if we count medically related appointments plus occasional restaurant forays and ‘real’ social get-togethers. 

In this relatively short and less than usual verbose post to my blog site, I’m starting with ‘weird’, then food, (with at least one breakfast item which was weird), all followed by flowers and nature.

We are fans of Roadside America, which is described as “an offbeat guide to offbeat tourist attractions… It was time for us to revisit and take a couple of pictures of “The Bone Yard” near Loudon Tennessee.  This unusual front yard display keeps on growing.  In November of 2022 one tourist reported that there were about 70 skeletons on display.

The homeowner who has created this offbeat attraction has now significantly surpassed that count.  This photo actually cuts off a large section of the display.  It is now too big to include everything in any detail.

This close-up view of The Bone Yard near its center provides a good look at the detail that has gone into this weird attraction.  Included in the display are skeletons riding bicycles, a skeleton horse pulling a hearse, a horse-drawn wagon complete with a family, skeleton dogs, a graveyard and a giant skeleton.  We didn’t talk to the owner (Ronnie) but he has been known to come out and chat with visitors.

When I took a closer look at the photos I noticed that lights have been places all along the procession.  An after dark visit will be forthcoming!

The Bone Yard is located at 9378 Vonore Road in Loudon Tennessee.  Roadside America rates this attraction as “worth a detour”.  To learn more about Roadside America, (which includes weird attractions across the USA as well as in Canada), just go to Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions.

Now for a little food…

I do love a nice steak and egg breakfast but this one was just not perfect.  The problems relate to the price of quality steak these days and my attempt to find reasonable or acceptable beef options. 

I had grilled a couple of “rib eye chuck steaks” for dinner a couple of days earlier.  While they had looked nicely marbled and had been seasoned and ‘resting’ in the fridge for 24 hours, it still ended up not only a bit tough but also lacking that nice beefy flavor.  I’d bought this cut of beef before and it had been fine but, as I’ve learned even when buying more expensive cuts, they are not always created equal.

Knowing the issues with this hunk of leftover steak I sliced it and then reheated it in butter to accompany my over-easy eggs and toast.  It didn’t help much...   

Yes, this too was a breakfast!  We’d purchased some Braunschweiger for sandwiches a few days earlier…something we have an urge to do once or twice a year.  When trying to figure out what to have for breakfast one morning, I improvised.  So I toasted an asiago bagel, added butter and then plastered the Braunschweiger on both halves, then adding Country Dijon Mustard. 

My conclusion was that while my breakfast was OK, I’d have enjoyed it more on a plain roll with a little mayo on one half and the mustard on the other half…and eating like a normal sandwich.

The last time we shopped at The Fresh Market in Farragut, we’d decided to try one of their small batch pastas, in this cast the Parmesan and Prosciutto with artisan sacchetti pasta.  We’re always looking for easy quick meals and while The Fresh Market is pricy, they do offer easy dining options not available elsewhere.  Note: This is not a store for basic food items, at least for us.  It’s where we purchase special or upscale items for a treat.

This is the finished product on my plate.  Our servings were about equal and since this is a ‘small batch’ item there was no temptation to load up on another helping.  Any sauce could be used with this pasta but we decided to keep it simple.  Laurie made up a butter and garlic sauce using Amish butter and sliced dried garlic.  Added a bit more parmesan to our servings, this was a really nice meal.

…now to the ‘beauty’ segment of this post.  

Despite the shrinking wooded area around us as new home have been built, our little patch or strip of forest is home to an increasing number of ferns occurring naturally…and from certain viewpoints one can imagine actually living in the woods vs our new reality.

On the 17^th I’d posted Laurie’s new pots and flowers that now grace our front entrance and porch.  Since then, with ample rain and enough sunlight, the mixed planters and flowers have really ‘popped’ and the colors are really eye-catching.  Even the yellow purslane flowers have filled out in an impressive fashion.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Our First Chinese Buffet in Many Years

We haven’t eaten in a Chinese restaurant that features a buffet in many years…  Covid really hammered the buffet industry and Laurie has never really been a ‘buffet fan’ although she has made an exception or two in recent years at my behest.  The meds she’s on have also shrunk her appetite.  Despite these facts, we do have a list of restaurants to try or try again and a Chinese buffet style restaurant was on the list. 

We invited our friends Sue and Steve to join us on this dining ‘adventure’.  Sue pet sits for neighbors and Laurie was recently able to get her ‘dog fix’ with Tango, one of Sue’s ‘clients’.  Both of us carry milk bones in our pockets when we go out into the front yard or to the mail box.  Some neighborhood dogs just won’t budge until they get their treats if they see us!

This is the China King Buffet and Grill in Lenoir City Tennessee.  It’s located at the end of a shopping area that includes Home Depot, Walmart and a plethora of smaller shops.  The outside of the restaurant, especially the sign, could use a ‘refresh’.  Apparently the “Grill” portion of the sign was added or replaced as compared to the faded “China King Buffet” portion.  

We had previously eaten at China King Buffet…about 14 years ago.  Our memories aren't what they used to be but we didn’t remember the décor being this eye-catching or the food being above the ordinary.  We remembered a plain and simple dining area, but perhaps we were mistaken.  In any case, the look of the dining area was promising…and the restaurant was really busy!

Once seated it was all about the quality of the food and the selection available.  The choices were pretty much overwhelming.  There was a salad related serving counter or bar, two ‘hot tables’ loaded with a variety of dishes and a dessert bar/counter too…

Selections from the ‘hot tables’ included 2 types of rice, noodles, a couple of soups and appetizers such as fried cream cheese wontons, chicken wings and boneless spare ribs.  Sue really enjoyed the ribs and Laurie thought that the wontons were very nice indeed.

In addition to the buffet tables as shown above, there is a nice selection of sushi too.  Laurie had 2 – 3 pieces of sushi with her buffet selections and she thought that it was fresh and quite nice...she loves sushi.  The menu lists 25 varieties of sushi…

The grill master will also stir up a selection of items that you select with the veggies and protein that you’d like to have.

The menu for China King Buffet reads “Sushi and Grill” as well as “Chinese, American and Japanese Cuisine”.  By way of example, one option that is e a kid favorite was good old mac ‘n cheese.  China King’s menu is broad enough to satisfy the variety of limited taste preferences that are the norm for many children and some adults.

I didn’t take a photo of everyone’s selections from the buffet.  This was my second plate from the ‘hot tables’.  This time I had bourbon chicken, orange beef, black pepper chicken, 2 varieties of rice, and a spring roll.

Protein offerings include shrimp…a couple different varieties, fried fish, calamari, pork, beef, and of course, chicken.  I had the coconut shrimp and it was OK but it was very popular.  Hibachi and Mongolian Combinations include 11 different combinations with spicy versions available too.

It was a bit of overkill but we didn’t skip dessert.  The banana pudding was credible and the other dessert choices were OK…but dessert wasn’t our reason for eating at China King.  China King’s actual menu is huge, offering Combination Platters and Specialties, plus soups, Egg Foo Young, Chow Mein, fried rice and even a number of Chef’s “Lite” Dishes.  FYI, China King does offer ‘adult beverages’.

Service was efficient with plates being promptly removed when finished.  Our server/attendant was very helpful in explaining just what was included in the buffet.  It was a weekend day when we stopped for dinner.  I prefer eating at buffets on weekends as there are more diners and the food turns over and is regularly refreshed…not much down time with your options just sitting there…

All 4 of us really enjoyed our meals.  It’s nice being able to sample food items and decide which ones appeal to your taste.  Despite a couple of trips to the food tables, no one felt ‘overstuffed’…probably due to a relatively low carb load.  Note: This isn’t gourmet Chinese cooking but it is a buffet that offers good food at a reasonable price.  With taxes and tip, the bill for Laurie and I came to $44.00.

China King Buffet and Grill is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.  You can order from the menu and they do a lot of take-out business.  This restaurant is located at 925 US Hwy 321 North in Lenoir City Tennessee.  It is in close proximity to an I-75 interchange so it’s handy for travelers.  Phone: 865-988-5988.  Website: Home | China King Buffet (tnchinakingbuffet.com).   

On the way home we drove south down US Hwy 11.  Laurie wanted to have a look at this little church in the woods at 917 Pond Road on a hill just off the highway.  It is an attractive church in a great setting, that’s for sure.  This is the Episcopal Church of the Resurrection in Loudon Tennessee.  I couldn’t find any history about this church building.  Website: Resurrection Homepage - Church of the Resurrection (episcopalloudon.com).

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave  

Flowers, Food and Bugs

This post involves items for the home, related happenings, a bit of cooking and an insect invasion… One issue locally is will the rain ever stop?!  YTD we’ve had more rain than either Seattle Washington or London England…

This year Laurie decided to replace her old clay based planters.  They were falling apart.  She wanted something eye-catching and bright that would last for a while…hence these large yellow pots.  They are filled with a variety of colorful annuals and perennials.  Another advantage is that she found rolling bases for the planters so we can move them as needed due to the weather or just to clean the area around them.

She also bought a hanging planter…which we may not hang.  It is easier to take care of them and they dry out more slowly when they aren’t blowing in the wind.  This flowering plant is one of over 100 species of the genus Portulaca or Purslane.  Purslane is widely consumed as an edible plant although is some areas it is considered to be invasive.  These plants are eaten with great relish by chickens.

Laurie and I love a good sausage gravy over biscuits for breakfast.  In my case, over-easy eggs are a frequent accompaniment.  Good sausage gravy is hard to find in restaurants.  As I noted in an earlier post, Laurie noted a recipe that was published by the Pioneer Woman. The Pioneer Woman – Recipes, Country Life and Style, Entertainment.

In any case, we took Ree Drummond’s recipe and modified it…actually several times.  This time we wanted a double batch of sausage gravy so we doubled up on the sausage.  We prefer Jimmy Dean’s sausage and in this case we used a pound each of Jimmy Dean Hot and Jimmy Dean Regular pork sausage.  I cooked the sausage, breaking it up as I went.  When the sausage is ready, the recipe states that we shouldn’t drain the grease…and we don’t. 

This is the finished sausage gravy in a deep pan.  In the past we’ve made this recipe with all regular sausage, all hot sausage and with varying amounts of milk.  We’ve also made it with half and half milk.

In this instance, with a double batch, we used a half cup of flour, 4 cups of whole milk, a half cup of half and half milk and a bit of salt and pepper. 

Once the sausage is browned, we mixed in the flour, stirring it until the white color of the flour has been blended into the meat.  Then we added the milk, the pepper (leaving out the salt), and continued to cook on medium heat until the mixture began bubbling.  We turned the burner down to low and, stirring occasionally, the gravy thickened.  We poured the gravy into storage containers, freezing one for later and keeping the other one in the refrigerator until its use the following day.

This photo shows the breakfast we enjoyed the next day!  Excellent!  We’ve had good sausage gravy in restaurants a few times over our 45 years together but we’ve never had a better version anywhere else.  Off camera I did sprinkle my breakfast with Tabasco...

The Pioneer Woman specifically states that canned biscuits are not preferred with the gravy.  Actually she states “Never canned biscuits”.  She recommends Pillsbury Grands Frozen biscuits…and that’s what we used in this instance.  They worked well but Larry, aka “Big Dude”, at https://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/ had a better idea. 

He purchased a dozen biscuits from Bojangles, a fried chicken chain of fast food restaurants that is primarily located in the southeastern USA.  The company is expanding westward and they currently have over 820 locations.  A quick check on the internet revealed that Bojangles’ biscuits are the highest rated biscuits of any fast food restaurant chain.  To learn more about Bojangles, go to Order Fried Chicken Now | Bojangles.

We do have mac ‘n cheese from time to time.  It’s simple and filling, especially if I have a couple leftover hot dogs to add to it.  During a recent visit to our local Food Lion grocery store, I spotted a vastly different ‘take’ on mac ‘n cheese.  It is Guinness Cracked Black Pepper Mac n’ Cheese and it contains Cabot Farmers Reserve Cheese sauce and radiatore pasta.

This version of mac ‘n cheese definitely imparts that bold and malty flavor found in Guinness stout/beer.  The blend of the Cabot cheese and the malty Guinness flavor was actually quite enjoyable.  Laurie ate her mac ‘n cheese by itself but I accompanied mine with a leftover grilled bacon wrapped sweet Italian sausage.  It was an easy and satisfying meal and we will purchase this mac ‘n cheese outlier again!

FYI, I also found that there is a Guinness Black Truffle Mac ‘n Cheese…and many, many more Guinness related food items.  Learn more at guinness related food products - Search Shopping (bing.com).   

I do have a difficult time telling a hairy woodpecker from a downy woodpecker.  I think that this pair are hairy woodpeckers.  The adult was teaching is offspring how to eat…but from time to time the adult would still feed its fledged offspring.  Hmmm, human adults and teenagers…an interesting comparison.

FYI, hairy woodpeckers can be found all across North America…from Alaska to Newfoundland and as far south as Panama.

We were surprised that the woodpeckers would bother with the feeder giving the abundance of fresh insects available.  Perhaps they were overwhelmed by the millions of eatable insects and they wanted a change of diet.  See below…

Here in Loudon County and in at least 7 other counties here in East Tennessee, Brood XIX cicadas, (aka The Great Southern Brood) began emerging around the second week in May.  This brood has been biding its time and growing underground for the past 13 years.  While the south has annual cicadas as well, the periodic cicadas have those red eyes.  Annual cicadas have green bodies and black eyes.  The brood will be with us until about mid-June.  Laurie captured this photo from the internet.

Luckily we are not located in an area of the USA where the 17-year Brood XIII and the 13-year Brood XIX are emerging at the same time.  While we hear annual cicadas during evenings and at night, these Periodic cicadas make their noise in an effort to attract a mate during the day.  It is a hum…but not as high pitched as the annual cicadas in their personal effort to attract attention.  We also noted that the periodical cicadas seem to stop ‘humming’ when it rains.

As we surveyed our yard we wandered over to the edge of our lot which abuts a wooded lot.  That’s when we spotted these holes.  With only a bit of moss here and there it was easy to see hundreds of holes that our Brood XIX cicadas had emerged from.  It was a bit unnerving actually…

The process begins with mating.  Then the females start to lay eggs by making slits in twigs of woody plants using her knife-like ovipositor.  She lays about 2 dozen eggs in each slit and a single female can lay between 400 to 600 eggs.  The eggs hatch in 6 or 7 weeks.  The nymphs…which are white and ant-like in appearance, drop to the ground and bury in the soil to find suitable roots to feed on.  They suck the sap from the roots but they don’t seem to have a noticeable effect on the trees.

The nymphs burrow from 12 to 18 inches into the soil.  They begin to emerge when the soil beneath to ground reaches a temperature of 64F.  Once the nymphs dig their way up from under the ground, they molt and the adults emerge…taking flight up into the trees.  Note the exoskeletons by some of the cicada’s holes as well as the one shown on the brick wall.  That wall was littered with the remnants of the nymphs.

That’s all for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave