Eating Our Way toward Galveston!

Following our short visit to Eutaw Alabama, we got back on I-20/I-59 and continued southwest across the state line into Mississippi.  Just past Meridian Mississippi, we once again diverted onto the slower but more interesting US Hwy 11, which parallels I-59 south toward Laurel and Hattiesburg Mississippi.  Our overnight destination was the Hampton Inn in Hattiesburg.

After we'd checked in at our hotel, we headed out for dinner.  I'd done some research and Mug Shots Grill and Bar ended up as the winner for dinner...  As you can see, the interior of Mug Shots is expansive, loaded with booths, tables and chairs, a full bar and a plethora of televisions.  Industrial look on steroids!  

Well, Mug Shots does have a full bar...and after a day of driving Laurie was ready for an adult libation.  I don't believe that she was expecting her bloody Mary to come with its own appetizer! ($9.00) Note the celery, olive, onion ring and bacon...

We did order an actual appetizer, the Pow Pow Shrimp. ($12.99) Mug Shots version of this spicy shrimp appetizer was OK...no complaints, but not the best ever either.

For my entree, I ordered Caitlin's Cajun Sandwich. ($12.79) The sandwich consisted of a blackened chicken breast topped with hickory smoked bacon and melted pepper jack cheese and mayonnaise and it came with lettuce and a slice of tomato.  I asked for the lettuce and tomato to be on the side.  The sandwich was accompanied by beer batter French Fries.  This was a very nice sandwich indeed!

Despite the fact that I did enjoy my sandwich, Laurie's evening meal looked even better than mine.  She had the Buffalo Bleu Salad. ($13.49) The mixed greens were topped with crispy fried chicken tossed in Mug Shots' (** second level) mild Wang sauce.  The salad was topped with bleu cheese crumbles, hickory smoked bacon, diced tomatoes, red onion and house-made ranch salad dressing.  Laurie really liked her salad.  I was allowed a bite as well and I concurred with her assessment.

Mug Shots Grill  and Bar is a franchised operation with at least 22 locations in a 5 state area.  The Hattiesburg location is at 204 North 40th Street.  Phone: 601-271-2299.  Website: https://www.mugshotsgrillandbar.com/location/mugshots-hattiesburg/.

                             

The next morning we departed from Hattiesburg and rolled on down I-59 toward New Orleans, picking up I-12 westbound just east of Slidell Louisiana.  We hadn't had breakfast at this point so I got off I-12 after a couple of miles and followed US Hwy 190 and then LA Hwy 22 west looking for a place to eat.  Laurie got on her phone and found a likely breakfast spot in Mandeville Louisiana, right off Hwy 22 west.  Shortly after her discovery, we pulled in the parking lot at the Crazy Pig Southern Kitchen... We did notice that the housing in this area was a bit up-scale.

The interior of the Crazy Pig Southern Kitchen was warm and friendly...not the industrial look that we're so tired of.  There is a diner style counter, high tables and chairs and plenty of well-spaced tables with standard seating.  The staff was very friendly and talkative...

The menu at Crazy Pig was both mind boggling and daunting.  The daunting part was trying to figure out what to order!  This isn't your typical breakfast menu, that's for sure!  I ordered the Schnitzel with a hand hammered chicken fried pork cutlet, topped with two over-medium fried eggs, a side of sausage gravy and a grilled biscuit, all accompanied by a choice of grits or breakfast potatoes. ($17.99) It was a great breakfast although I will say that our home-made sausage gravy at home is superior to the Crazy Pig's. 

Among the other house specials one can find the Booya Biscuit, a fried egg with cheddar cheese, praline bacon and a fried green tomato on a grilled biscuit.  Another option is the Sticky Chicken, fried chicken with cane syrup and whipped butter on a grilled biscuit.  The south sure does like sweet!

After Laurie perused the menu, she decided to go for a 'benedict', not just any old 'usual' benedict but in this case Crazy Pig's Pontchartrain Benedict.  This version involved two poached eggs over crab cakes, resting on slices of tomato all on an English muffin with Hollandaise sauce. ($17.99) Laurie likes crab but she has had several experiences with crab cakes that are more 'stuff' than they are crab.  These crab cakes were mostly tasty crab meat.  She sided her breakfast with grits and she thought that the entire meal was excellent...

How southern can a benedict be?  How about the Whole Hog Benny, with the poached eggs, pulled pork and a sausage patty, all topped with Hollandaise sauce and bacon!  Another option would be the Voodoo Crawfish Benny, with the poached eggs, fried green tomato, crawfish tails and Voodoo sauce on a grilled English muffin.

While the Crazy Pig Southern Kitchen isn't inexpensive, it is special compared to most breakfast venues we've visited in recent years.  Interesting menu and fine breakfast fare!  This restaurant is located at 4700 LA Hwy 22 in Mandeville Louisiana.  Phone: 985-264-6655.  Closed on Mondays.  Website: https://www.crazypigkitchen.com/.

On to Galveston!

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

On The Road Toward Galveston

Back in March of this year, Laurie and I had decided to take a road trip, with Galveston Texas and Natchitoches Louisiana as our primary destinations.  Galveston because of its history and the HGTV show, "Restoring Galveston" and Natchitoches because of its history and the varied attractions in the area near the city.  So off we went!

When it was time for lunch, Laurie pulled up the nearby dining possibilities on her phone...and we stopped at Sadie's Diner in Vance Alabama.  Vance has a population of a bit over 2,000 residents but it is best known for the only Mercedes Benz plant/assembly line in North America.  It should be no surprise that Sadie's Diner is located at 10565 Daimler Benz Boulevard in Vance adjacent to the big Mercedes facility... 

FYI, the plant itself is located on 1,000 acres of land that was donated by the state of Alabama.  The land was part of the deal that helped win the contract with Mercedes.  The property features multiple test tracks...both road and off-road options.  The Mercedes-Benz Visitor Center includes a free museum that features cars produced throughout the company's history.  Plant tours are also available for a modest fee.

Based purely on it's size, Sadie's is not a true diner.  Expansive would be the best description of its interior dining areas.  The counter itself is basically a huge "S" with squared corners and my best guess is that it would seat about 40 customers at one time.  Tables...they have tables!  The second photo shows only about 60% of the tables at Sadie's.   Not unexpectedly, the walls were decorated with Mercedes-Benz signs, photos and even hubcaps.   

We don't eat breakfast before leaving on a road trip.  We take coffee and we hit the road.  breakfast on days.  Fortunately for us, Sadie's serves breakfast all day!  Since it is our favorite meal, our decision making was easy.  We both ordered "Trim 1", 2 eggs over medium, hash brown potatoes, a biscuit and meat... Laurie went for the bacon and I chose sausage. ($10.99 each) Our meals were OK, not famous but decent.  The problem was the service... We got very little attention from our waitress, coffee must have been in short supply, and the kitchen either decided to go on break or the waitress forgot to turn in our order.  It took 'forever' for us to get our food.  As you might have noticed from the photos of the dining areas, it isn't like the restaurant was overwhelmed with customers!  

Sadie's Diner is apparently owned and operated by Sprint Mart, a service station, convenience store corporation that features fresh food for traveling clientele.  This was the line waiting in the store segment next to Sadie's, waiting to pick up to go items.  To learn more about Sprint Mart and Sadie's Diner, you can go to https://www.sprintmart.com/sadies-diner/.

Once we passed Tuscaloosa Alabama on I-59/I-20, we were tired of driving on the 'super slab', (aka 'expressway', 'freeway' or Interstate highway), so we jumped off and followed part of US 11 south and west toward Mississippi.  It runs parallel to the Interstate.  Along the way, we came to the town of Eutaw Alabama.  Eutaw is the county seat for Greene County Alabama.  The county was named after Revolutionary War General Nathanael Greene of Rhode Island.  The town was named for the Battle of Eutaw Springs, the last engagement of the American Revolutionary War in the Carolinas.  Greene County's population as of the 2020 census recorded 7,730 residents, and it has the lowest population of any county in Alabama.  In 2023, the population was estimated at 7,341, a 5% decline in only 3 years. 

There are 3 buildings on the courthouse side of Courthouse Square, not including the courthouse itself.  Unfortunately, the first photo above is of the newest building located next to the courthouse.  Built in 1931, this was the County Library and it was replaced with a new facility in the 1990s.  Other buildings literally in the square are the Grand Jury Building (1842) and the Probate Office (1856 with a second story added in 1938)

The second photo above is the actual Old Greene County Courthouse.  This two-story Greek Revival style building was the county's seat of government from 1869 until 1993.  The prior courthouse was burned to the ground in 1868.  Most historians feel that it was a deliberate act of arson by the KKK.  The fire destroyed paperwork pertaining to about 1,800 suits by freedmen against the planters and the fire took place just prior to the suits being acted on.

This historic plantation house is located at Mesopotamia Street and Kirkwood Drive in Eutaw.  Named "Kirkwood" or the Foster Mark Kirksey House, construction on this Greek Revival style home with Italianate influences, began in 1858.  The original owner/builder was Foster M. Kirksey, a planter, elected official, an agent for the Confederate government, a cotton factor and a commission merchant. (1817 - 1906) Construction was halted by the start of the American Civil War...leaving several features of the house incomplete.  Kirksey, who served as Sheriff from 1845 - 1848, was a significant part of Greene County history for more than 50 years.  As for the house itself, the balcony railings, cupola, and a few other minor features were completed by a couple in the 1970s who wanted to restore the home.

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

A Bit of Italian Food Plus

...continuing with Bill and Bonnie's visit.  Another meal out, this time it was Italian.  Back in May I'd written a post for the blogsite about a new Italian Restaurant in close proximity to our home.  It was promising and, since both Bonnie and Bill really like Italian food, we got dressed up before we headed out the door!

Laurie's sister Bonnie and her husband Bill, ready to head out for dinner...

Yours truly and Laurie (my better half), also ready to head out for dinner.  And yes, I did dress up for dinner.  The man in black with a collared shirt... I generally avoid restaurants where I have to wear long pants.  If its over 50 F, I wear shorts!  It's one of the 'privileges' of retirement...

                          

This is the Fork and Vine in Lenoir City Tennessee.  They now have a permanent sign that replaced that white temporary signage shown in this earlier photograph.  To see my earlier post regarding this restaurant, you can go to https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5617317794624015781/711400631634636564.  As you will note on the faded signage below that temporary sign, this location was previously called Joe's Italian Cuisine.

My bad!  A couple of posts earlier I'd negatively credited the first charcuterie board to the wrong restaurant, "Water into Wine".  In reality, the first board shown above (termed a Salumi Board) was enjoyed at "Fork and Vine" prior to the arrival of our salads and entrees.  At $15.00 it was indeed a good deal and the quality was there as well.  The second charcuterie board is the one that should have been 'credited' to our experience at "Water into Wine".

FYI, Fork and Vines Salumi Board contained an assortment of meats and cheeses plus roasted red pepper hummus, sliced ciabatta bread and tangerine chili olives.  For the record, I'm not a real fan of charcuterie boards but many people are including Laurie, Bonnie and Bill.  I don't dislike them but I'd prefer focusing on the main courses or more singular appetizers...

Another Fork and Vine appetizer was their Drunken Mussels. ($15.00) The mussels were swimming in an amazing vodka and white wine sauce, with basil, garlic, tomatoes, and banana peppers.  They were also accompanied by sliced ciabatta toast points with herb butter.  Bread and herbed olive oil came with the meals and seconds were provided at no cost.  The bread was invaluable for soaking up the mussels delectable sauce...

The only negative was that too many mussels hadn't opened up during the cooking process.  It should have been caught in the kitchen.

Laurie ordered a side 'Julius Caesar' salad with her entree.  Salads with an entree are $5.00 vs $12.00 for a dinner sized Caesar salad.  Laurie really enjoyed her salad.

For her entree, Laurie ordered the Vodka Di Gallo.  The fresh Creste di Gallo pasta came with a pink vodka cream sauce, onions, basil and mushrooms.  Laurie added blackened 'colossal' shrimp to her main course. ($8.00) With the shrimp, her meal cost $24.00.  Other add-on options included chicken, meatballs or Italian sausage. ($6.00) Laurie completely enjoyed her entree...and would order it again.

Bonnie also ordered a side salad with her entree. ($5.00) It came with mixed greens, tomato, red onion, carrots, cheese and croutons.

FYI, a total of 9 starters or appetizers are on the menu at Fork and Vine as are other salads...including dinner salads.

Bonnie ordered the 1809 Risotto...with creamy parmesan risotto, mushrooms, seared scallops and herb broccolini. ($28.00) The base of the cream sauce is a lemon wine cream.  Bonnie enjoyed her entree and Laurie gave a big 'thumbs up' on the risotto.

As for Bill's entree, somehow we missed taking a photo of his 'seafood entree'.  It was the Ciopinno Lenoir with mussels, clams, shrimp and fish simmered in at robust tomato based broth. ($24.00) It was served with grilled Ciabatta bread and Bill also added a Caesar salad to accompany his meal.  He was happy with his choice for dinner and he completely cleaned his plate!

As for yours truly, I started my meal with a bowl of Italian Wedding Soup. No photo yet again. ($9.00/cup $5.00) It was very nice broth and it was loaded with little meatballs, spinach and pasta pearls. 

I had a hankering for pizza so I ordered Fork and Vine's Wood Fired Pepperoni Pie. ($16.00) As per the menu it was made with fresh house made pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and 'loaded with pepperoni'.  Since my favorite pizza is a combination of Italian sausage and pepperoni, I asked that sausage be added to the toppings.  No problem...same price too.  It sure looked good!

As you may remember, Laurie and I have been searching for great pizza ever since we moved to East Tennessee.  Sadly, we're still searching.  My pizza's crust was soggy, the pizza sauce was bland...to me it lacked any Italian seasonings...and 'bland' carried on to the sausage and even the pepperoni.  I took about half of my pizza home and 'dressed it up' a couple of days later.  I added more pepperoni (spicier than than the original), extra mozzarella cheese to help re-moisturize the pie and Laurie sprinkled on some basic Italian seasoning.  It was a much improved pizza with the changes we made...

Fork and Vine shows a lot of promise in a market basically devoid of quality Italian cuisine.  Other than the pizza...and the unopened mussels...we were quite happy with our experience.  We will return in the near future and try some other menu options.  Fork and Vine Restaurant is located at 131 Kelsey Lane (visible from US Hwy 321) in Lenoir City.  This restaurant is open from 11 AM until 10 PM Monday - Saturday and from 10 AM until 4 PM on Sunday.  Phone: 865-317-1098.  Fork and Vine's website is at https://fnvlenoir.com/.  They are also on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/p/Fork-Vine-Lenoir-City-61568667290284/.

We did not eat out for every meal or even every day during Bonnie and Bill's visit.  Laurie took the above photo of myself, Bonnie and Bill enjoying a meal of ribeye steaks (medium rare), corn, sauteed squash, sweet and sour cucumbers and fresh bakery bread...plus a bottle of wine.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit and for those in and from the USA, have a HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SAFE JULY 4th!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Popular Local Diner for Breakfast...

Bonnie and Bill's visit continues... They expressed interest in eating breakfast out one morning and since that is our favorite meal and we love breakfast out too, off we went.

We love diners!  Unlike the eastern and northeastern part of the country, there aren't too many diner style restaurants in the Knoxville area.  Laurie and I chose Nick and J's Cafe for our breakfast.  It is one of the most popular restaurants in the area.

How popular is it and how favorably do customers rate Nick and J's Cafe?  On TripAdvisor it is ranked #6 among all of Knoxville's restaurants.  On Yelp, customers have recorded a 4.6 out of 5.0 rating.  With over 2,100 reviews, Nick and J's scores 4.8 out of 5.0!

Like many diners, the walls are covered with memorabilia, as well as photos of customers and local celebrities.  Both counter service and booths are available for diners.  The atmosphere is bustling and friendly.  The wait staff is efficient and friendly...and most of them seem to have been working at Nick and J's Cafe for some time.

Laurie ordered a breakfast that was a break from her norm, which usually involves eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast.  She did order a side of bacon with her 3 pieces of cinnamon maple French toast with powdered sugar and strawberries. (Total = $18.99) Laurie gave high praise for the quality of the bacon and she really enjoyed her French toast with its topping.

I followed Laurie's example, ordering a breakfast item that I rarely chose...  These 3 plate-size buttermilk pancake behemoths came with butter and maple syrup. ($10.50) They were thick and had a little crust or flat top griddle 'edge' to them.  I really liked them...but this was just too much food for even me.  I managed to finish about 75% of my plate.

Laurie's sister Bonnie ordered the Deluxe Pancakes. ($11.99) They came with your choice of blueberries, strawberries or chocolate chips with whipped cream.  Her choice is obvious based on the photo...unless you're color blind.  She was a little worried that a blueberry compote would just be layered on top of the pancakes and she was pleased that actual blueberries were actually mixed in the batter.  She skipped the whipped cream.  She could only finish about half of her pancakes, but her husband Bill had a few bites too.

Bill went 'southern' for his breakfast.  This was the Clifty Farm's Country Breakfast. ($13.99) It included a slab of country ham, 2 eggs your way, toast or a biscuit and gravy and seasoned or 'dusted' home fries.  Bill ordered his eggs 'basted' but Nick and J's doesn't do 'basted' so he had to settle for scrambled.  We warned him that the ham would be pretty salty...and it was...but he seemed to like it.  His toast was on the side.  

In our opinion, the only negative is that Nick and J's doesn't offer hash brown potatoes as an option instead of 'home' fries.  In retrospect, it is one of the reasons why we didn't order our usual breakfast items.  I will note that a lack of hash browns hasn't hurt Nick and J's business...

Nick and J's Cafe is located at 1526 Lovell Road right at the interchange/exit with the Pellissippi Parkway aka TN Hwy 162 just north of I-40/I-75.  It's open for breakfast and lunch Monday - Saturday.  Phone: 865-766-5453.  The restaurant was named after the owner/operator's children, Nickolas and Jordan.  Learn more and check out the menu at https://knoxvillerestaurantstn.com/.  

I just had to include a photo of the Laurie 'original' charcuterie board that we recently put together for a neighborhood gathering.  It featured 6 types of cheese, salami, sweet ham, pepperoni, grapes and Bear Jam. (The jam includes blueberries, elderberries, apples and raspberries) Not shown...a basket of crackers and toast rounds, a bowl of olives and another bowl featuring pickled mushrooms.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Family Trip, More Food and Miscellaneous Too

...continuing with Laurie's sister Bonnie and Bonnie's husband Bill's week long visit.  Relax, browse, shop, sightseeing, food, and then repeat the cycle.  While we had several meals at our house, (creamy chicken over rice, pork roast and potatoes, plus grilled ribeye steaks with sauteed squash), all of our food photos were taken during restaurant dining excursions.

So, I'll start with food, then sightseeing, furniture shop browsing, a little more food and then a bit of nature's whimsey.  

Bonnie and Bill love dining at waterside...(who doesn't?!)...so Laurie and I ensured that we stopped by The Mudpuppy on Tellico Lake in Vonore Tennessee for a relaxing meal.

We actually started out with an appetizer, the Creamy Queso with Chips. ($11.00) It was OK.  Bonnie ordered a burger.  It was cooked as ordered and she remarked that the French fries were superior! ($17.00)

Laurie ordered the "Bacon me Crazy" Cheese 'Sammie'. ($14.75) Basically this is a grilled cheese sandwich that comes loaded with bacon...and we all know that  bacon makes everything better!  Laurie decided to try the onion rings as her side.

She loves bacon and she loves cheese and this creation was a hit.  She thought that the onion rings were very good too...

For my meal I ordered the Southern Style Fried Catfish. ($18.00) It came with a pile of those great French fries and some of The Mudpuppies signature Mudpuppies, aka hushpuppies.  The fish was nice but I do prefer fried pollack or a similar saltwater fish.  The French fries are the best!

If its upscale seafood, its what Bill would order!  His entree selection was the Grouper Pontchartrain, grouper smothered in Cajun cream sauce, then topped with grilled shrimp and served over rice pilaf and broccoli. ($28.00) Bill reported that it was a very enjoyable and satisfying entree.

To view The Mudpuppy's menu, just go to https://www.mudpuppyrestaurant.com/menu.  To learn more about the related Cherokee Outdoor Resort in Vonore Tennessee, go to https://cherokeeoutdoorresort.com/.  For more photos...there is much more to see other than food...you can check out my previous post at https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5617317794624015781/8258884590672429200.

Hurricane Helene had done considerable damage on the Tennessee side of the Smoky Mountains.  Of course the storm had a truly disastrous impact in the mountainous area of North Carolina.

Bald River Falls is a major tourist attraction here in East Tennessee.  However, Helene dumped so much rain that the bridge right below the falls where Bald River feeds into the Tellico river was impacted and the road leading to the bridge and its viewing area was badly damaged.  Repairs and improvements were recently completed and the crowds were appreciative... 

Of course photos were necessary...and Laurie took this selfie of her sister Bonnie and herself.

FYI, before the flood vehicles and pedestrians/tourists shared the bridge, creating a bit of a hazard.  The re-engineered bridge provides a commodious space for tourists that is our of harms way...

Laurie and your truly will have lived here in East Tennessee for 16 years as of this coming August.  This was the first time that we'd visited the Smoky Mountains at a time when the Rhododendrons were actually blooming.  The banks of the Tellico River were loaded with blooms stretching on for miles!

On the home front, we are remodeling a former breezeway that the original owners had turned into an enclosed space complete with HVAC.  Laurie has been looking around for a pair of comfortable chairs for the new space when its done.  During Bonnie and Bill's visit we perused several furniture stores looking for pieces that might work with the library 'feel' that Laurie is trying to complete.  These chairs at a local consignment shop were very nice but not all that comfortable for me, plus Laurie likes a head rest...

On day while we were out on our furniture browsing trek, we determined that we needed a break from our toils.  So we stopped in at the Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge in Farragut Tennessee.  Our party indulged in a couple of adult beverages and we ordered a Cheese Board with meat, olives, hummus, jam and crostini.  There are never enough crostini with a charcuterie board so we ordered extra.  Not including the adult beverages, this cheese board with the contents shown above...plus a double order of more crostini...came to a total of $42.00.  Yikes!  Thanks for buying Bill!  

Laurie and Bonnie...the sisters are just a little more than a year apart in age...really have a good time when they spend time together!

Bonnie's husband Bill was having a good time at Water into Wine as well... This is Bill smiling!  What...no photo of yours truly?!  I managed to avoid the camera and I am also 'notorious' for not smiling.

Water into Wine Bistro and Lounge's website can be found at  https://waterintowineknoxville.com/.  

I thought that I'd end this post with a touch of nature.  Laurie captured this photo of an excited and stressed Killdeer in this rocky area near a medical office in Lenoir City Tennessee.  Excited because she had a clutch of eggs in the rocks and stressed because the 'feels like temperature' was hovering around 104F.  She was excited because she didn't want to leave the nest/eggs.  She was providing the necessary shade for her expected brood.  

FYI, Killdeer are a large member of the plover family that is found throughout North America and even into parts of South America.  It has a shrill, two-syllable call that sounds like someone saying 'kill deer'.  In 2024, the Killdeer was reclassified as a near-threatened species due to a significant population decrease.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge it...

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave