Wanna go down south and hit up the rustic eateries, and take pictures :)

[fuzzybabybunny]

I got back on Sunday. I definitely took a lot of pictures (~2500, 20GB) but right now I'm so busy with school and stuff, plus I feel really really sick. I didn't get any dry rubbed ribs in the Carolinas, so after I got back I went to a local barbecue place that does ribs for $10 an entire rack, smoked for 12 hours. Well, I ate the entire rack in one sitting and from that day on I've been feeling VERY lethargic, loss of appetite, upset stomach, light nausea, and basically like I'm living in a brain fog. Just last night I was at a meeting at 7PM and I felt that I was going to come close to passing out. That night I could hardly sleep because my mind was constantly racing all over the place on just random stuff and I was tossing and turning. The sudden increase in the weather temperature and humidity doesn't help either; I always feel more healthy and energetic when it's cold out, and heat and humidity really exacerbates sickness symptoms for me.

Just some quick highlights of my trip:

I saw a couple get married.
I was stuck in 3 major traffic jams and 1 minor one, ALL involving semis.
I had a coast guard helicopter's spotlight shined on me at night.
A crazy bum that I couldn't understand took me on a short, nonsensical tour of New Orleans. With his little doggie. He bought vodka on the way.
I got a free T-shirt at a restaurant.
My tent got dragged into the ocean.
I got 45 mpg in my car. Twice. The trip average was somewhere around 42 mpg.
I saw a guy jump over, mid-air roll ninja style, a straight row of 10 children.
I got woken up by campground security at 3AM.
I spent the night in a Catholic monastery.
I met two ATOTers on the trip, plus the wife of one of them

********

Okey, here's the plan. I'm in Covington, LA. I wanna go to Pensacola, then to Birmingham, then Charleston, SC (Francis Marion National Forest) and Myrtle Beach (Hog Heaven restaurant). After Myrtle Beach, I wanna go visit Virginia Beach?, definitely Shenandoah National Park, maybe Washington DC, then to West Virginia, and finally back home.

Right now I'm just up for any kind of local, native cuisine. So seafood along the Carolina coast. Not sure about inland stuff.

******

I'm leavin' yay!

Not too sure what I'm gonna do after Birmingham though

Gonna be in New Orleans by Monday and Birmingham by Wednesday

***

Help me plan my route!

http://fuzzybabybunny.smugmug.com/gallery/1650588#134296434-O-LB

Here's what I have so far:

Starting from Cinci and following the red line to New Orleans, hopefully getting lotsa good food and cajun goodies along the way.

Now I don't know what to do; go inland or follow the coast. I'm thinking the coast will be much more picturesque. I'd really like to camp on a beach at Perdido Key. But what do I do after Perdido Key?

1. Keep on following the Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina coast (BLUE)? Is it too good to miss?
2. Go inland towards Birmingham and Atlanta (YELLOW)? I'm not too big of a city person

What do I do on my returning leg (WHITE)?

1. From Shellman Bluff go through South Carolina (Congaree National Park), North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky?

2. From Atlanta or Shellman Bluff go to Chattanooga, through the Great Smokey Mountains (2nd time for me), and up through Kentucky?

***

My spring break starts in a week and lasts for 9 days. I'm located in Cincinnati, and during this break I want to travel south via car.

I'm thinking about hitting up Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. I REALLY want to try out some good old fashioned southern food like ribs, barbecue, gumbo, creole stuff, cajun stuff, omg omg omg, and take pictures of the local culture or scenics along the way.

I do NOT want to spend a lot of money, so no upper class establishments, just some good, plentiful, rustic homestyle food. I don't care if I have to eat it sitting in a plastic chair

Any recommendations? Watching shows on Food Network about southern cooking just tears me apart...

*****
List of possibilities:

Atlanta, GA: Daddy D's
Atlanta, GA: Kool Korner
Atlanta, GA: Barbeque Kitchen
Plains, GA: sandwich shop
GA: Blue Willow Inn, Light House Grill (unlimited catfish!), Buckner's Music Hall (all you can eat!)
Shellman Bluff, GA: Speed's Kitchen
Lafayette, LA: Prejean's - perhaps a bit expensive
Beaux Bridge, LA: Mulate's
LA: crawfish! PM Viper0329
Calvert City, KY: some BBQ joint with mutton
Paducah, KY: Starne's BBQ
Posiclare, IL: English's Pit BBQ - good old fashioned trailer food
Birmingham, AL: Niki's West
Birmingham, AL: Johnny Ray's BBQ
Tuscaloosa, AL: Dreamland BBQ - must see?
Lexington, NC: Lexington BBQ
Little Rock, AR: Whole Hog Cafe - now that's a name!
Scott, AR: Cotham's Mercantile
Hot Springs, AR: Stubby's or McClard's
Jefferson County, MS: Old Country Store

 

[alien42]

if you are in atlanta go to daddy d'z for bbq (and no bbq joints are cheap, not even in the ghetto)

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Originally posted by: alien42
if you are in atlanta go to daddy d'z for bbq (and no bbq joints are cheap, not even in the ghetto)

Thanks!

Well, by "cheap" I don't necessarily mean that I have to get a full slab of ribs for $8. Maybe $15 tops? I just don't want it to be like I have to pay $20 for a steak.

 

[alien42]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny

Originally posted by: alien42
if you are in atlanta go to daddy d'z for bbq (and no bbq joints are cheap, not even in the ghetto)

Thanks!

Well, by "cheap" I don't necessarily mean that I have to get a full slab of ribs for $8. Maybe $15 tops? I just don't want it to be like I have to pay $20 for a steak.

$10-$15 should cover any of the local bbq joints

i also highly recommend a cuban sandwich from kool corner (only $5). not really a native food but they are unbeatable. i have been getting them for around 10 years and still love them.

 

[montanafan]

Speed's Kitchen at Shellman Bluff, Georgia for old-fashioned seafood.

 

[thehstrybean]

Chattanooga, TN. Trust me on this one. Great aquarium, sweet sites, beautiful mountains, and great food. If you do come call me up and I'll point ya around...

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

Thanks guys! Anyone else?

I've already been to TN, hiking the Great Smokies

 

[theknight571]

Lafayette, LA : Prejean's

It's probably a little on the expensive side, but of all the places we ate while in LA relocating our staff from N.O. after Katrina, this is the only place I remember. (We ate at all kinds of good places... this is the only name I remember though... I'll post more if they come to me)

I had :
Smoked Duck & Andouille Gumbo : A rich stock, chocked full of smoked Dixie duck and Acadian andouille, flavored with a dark roux.

and

Rocky Mountain Mixed Grill : A mesquite elk chop with wild mushroom sauce, a blackened deer chop with Sauce Béarnaise, and a buffalo tenderloin with brandy peppercorn cream, recommended medium rare, served with dirty rice & mesquite grilled asparagus.

Remembered another one:

Beaux Bridge, LA : Mulate's

Don't remember exactly what I had.

I know this isn't an eatery, but if you have time you could visit Avery Island, LA, and see how they make Tabasco Sauce. There is also a wildlife preserve on the island for some excellent pictures opportunities.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: alien42
i also highly recommend a cuban sandwich from kool corner (only $5). not really a native food but they are unbeatable. i have been getting them for around 10 years and still love them.

Agreed. The place looks sketchy from the outside but the guy makes one good cuban.

 

[IronWing]

Are you doing a big circle? Georgia and Arkansas aren't exactly in straight line for you.

Anyway, should you head west, then Patti's ( http://www.pattis-settlement.com ) in Grand Rivers, KY has awesome porkchops though it isn't cheap.

There is a BBQ joint in Calvert City, on Hy 62 just west of the Western Kentucky Parkway (re-named after some politico now) that has good mutton and pork BBQ.

Starnes BBQ in Paducah is the best pork BBQ I've ever had and the atmosphere is great, a lunch counter with blue-green walls. The dessert cart includes Hostess fruit pies and Moon Pies so you can't so wrong. http://www.aboutpaducah.com/listings/restaurants/bbq/94.html

Whistlin Pig, Fulton, KY - good old timey truck stop BBQ.

If you come across southern Illinois instead of cutting south then English?s Pit BBQ, Rosiclare, IL is great BBQ. Yes, it is a trailer parked on the shoulder of the highway. Yes, there are Cadillacs and state troopers parked out front, it is that good.


In Atlanta, try Barbecue Kitchen, 1437 Virginia Ave, College Park, GA (near the airport). Really good southern food.

Birmingham, AL - Niki's West - Don't let the seafood theme fool you, there is good southern cooking within.

Birmingham , AL - Johnny Rays Bar B Que, 316 Valley Avenue Birmingham, Alabama - in an old Sambo's building it is really good BBQ.

 

[thehstrybean]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
Thanks guys! Anyone else?

I've already been to TN, hiking the Great Smokies

But have you been to Chattanooga?

 

[Queasy]

If you're going through Alabama, be sure to stop by in Tuscaloosa and go to Dreamland BBQ. This is the original shack in the back of the woods type BBQ joint. Awesome Awesome ribs.

There is also a place called "Nicks in the Sticks" that is just a hole in the wall but serves a great filet mignon. It has been 20 years since I've been to it. Still good from what I hear though.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you're going through Alabama, be sure to stop by in Tuscaloosa and go to Dreamland BBQ. This is the original shack in the back of the woods type BBQ joint. Awesome Awesome ribs.

Good BBQ but damn, their commercials are horrid.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: fuzzybabybunny
My spring break starts in a week and lasts for 9 days. I'm located in Cincinnati, and during this break I want to travel south via car.

I'm thinking about hitting up Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. I REALLY want to try out some good old fashioned southern food like ribs, barbecue, gumbo, creole stuff, cajun stuff, omg omg omg, and take pictures of the local culture or scenics along the way.

I do NOT want to spend a lot of money, so no upper class establishments, just some good, plentiful, rustic homestyle food. I don't care if I have to eat it sitting in a plastic chair

Any recommendations? Watching shows on Food Network about southern cooking just tears me apart...

You ever get a chance to check out some of those Ohio sites I told you about?

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you're going through Alabama, be sure to stop by in Tuscaloosa and go to Dreamland BBQ. This is the original shack in the back of the woods type BBQ joint. Awesome Awesome ribs.

Good BBQ but damn, their commercials are horrid.

Heh...I don't think I've even seen one.

 

[Feldenak]

Originally posted by: Queasy

Originally posted by: Feldenak

Originally posted by: Queasy
If you're going through Alabama, be sure to stop by in Tuscaloosa and go to Dreamland BBQ. This is the original shack in the back of the woods type BBQ joint. Awesome Awesome ribs.

Good BBQ but damn, their commercials are horrid.

Heh...I don't think I've even seen one.

It seems like they run all the damn time on the local stations.

:music:If you're lookin' for Q and nothing else will do...:music:

 

[LS20]

start at chowhound.com, work the regional boards, build a nice road trip map from it

 

[eLiu]

I know it's not on your list, but "Lexington Barbeque" in Lexington, NC is absolutely amazing.

 

[JDMnAR1]

In Little Rock, the best barbecue is Whole Hog Cafe, IMO. A short drive outside of Little Rock will get you to Scott, AR and Cotham's Mercantile, which has loads of character. While you are in the area, you can check out the Clinton Library.

 

[Kaieye]

I am tired of drooling over my keyboard. Would you stop it?

 

[Quasmo]

You're welcome to stay at my place if you come through Savannah, Ga (Home of Paula Dean). I have a pull out, and if you come through on the 15th, it's St Patricks day, we have the 2nd largest St Patty's Day celebration in the country, and I have a bunch of friends comming down to sleep on my floor as well, the more the merrier!!!

EDIT:
BTW Paula Dean is a no talent hack, her food tastes like crap, and everyone in Savannah finds it funny that all these (morbidly obese) people, take a pilgrimage to eat at her mediocre restaraunt. They stand in line for 2 hours just to eat her disgustingly plain southern food.

 

[Viper0329]

Come to Louisiana and eat crawfish. PM me and I can give you places to eat across the state depending on where you are going.

I'll also give you a list of foods that you must eat while down here

 

[Tobolo]

Dont go to Atlanta if you want rustic lol. There is a nice small sandwich shop and a meat and three across the street in Plains, GA. Lot of history (Jimmy carter from there) and the preserved the appeal of the town. However I would check before you go down because that nearby area got killed during the storms the other day. The town next to it is under curfew now.

 

[MSUEngineer]

Old Country Store on Highway 61 next to Alcorn State in Jefferson County here in MS if you want to go out of your way. Best fried chicken you'll ever eat. The owner/cook even comes out and sings old folk songs!! His fried chicken was featured in Southen Living Magazine I believe. It was on his menu he gave us. Bring cash though, he doesn't take credit cards.

 

[Rage187]

Alton Brown did a show on Food Channel called "Road Tasted"

He drove around the south and across the US looking for all the back home cooking places. It looked like fun.

Maybe watch it for some ideas.