TRIP REPORT
GREAT ADVICE, BOB…Thanks so much.
Route: I took the Shenandoah route you suggested all the way from DC to Charlotte and then onto Atlanta. It was pouring last Friday from Philadelphia until about a half and hour onto I-81 and then the sun came out. A glorious setting for an interstate, passing many colleges and their towns: James Madison, Virginia Tech, Washington and Lee.
For lunch Friday I Yelped a town and went to the best rated BBQ place. They told me there they were closed as they were “serving” at the local Lowe’s and directed me there. When I got there, I was told it was a “contractor’s” luncheon and not for the public, but, when I went to the food, they generously gave me a sample of their “Southern Hospitality”: excellent burgers, beans and slaw, though they had run out of pork. And, it was free.
Since I was a kid and my parents took us to Luray Caverns, I’ve longed wanted to see the Natural Bridge in VA. Well, unbeknownst to me, I-81 runs right past it, and I was able to stop and complete my quest of 55+ years. What a marvel of nature!! And, that it was unexpected made my day in spades.
Onto Charlotte and a barbecue place from Yelp that has been open since 1963 (Lee Harvey Oswald could have eaten there.) It is clear why it has survived, despite the very mustard-colored slaw. Best “Barbeque” I had on the trip, ie, pulled pork. http://www.yelp.com/biz/bill-spoons-barbecue-charlotte-2
Saturday: Into Atlanta and a nice lunch with graduating son at the General Muir. Very nice homage to the now-anachronistic NY Jewish deli, though not a doppelganger for a real one. My son thought it the best meal of the trip….until the ride north. That night, my wife and sister having flown down, we went to “the Crawfish Shack Seafood, a Cajun-Vietnamese wonder” where we all had a very satisfying meal highlighted by fresh, steamed crawfish and good gumbo.
Sunday in Atlanta: We took and electric car tour ,http://www.atlcruzers.com/ which is really worth the effort, as the city is a little disorienting to visitors like us (and it wasn’t our first time). Then to the Krog Market, but we decided on a nearby pizza place, intending to visit the Krog for dinner. The pizza place, O4W (Old 4th Ward) pizza is an excellent version of NY/NJ pizza (by guys from my home area of central NJ/Springsteen country), with good salads, too. Really excellent for any city, IMO. http://www.yelp.com/biz/o4w-pizza-atlanta
Unfortunately, I both had misread the hours on Sunday evening for the Krog, as well as assumed that the “hot chicken” place had opened (it hasn’t yet), so we had to give up on that dinner spot. We went to some forgettable Mexican place in Decateur instead. We did get to the Ponce market that afternoon, when our older son flew in. As Bob suspected, it was a giant food court with nice restaurants, but little character per se. I felt it could have been almost anywhere, even its sister Chelsea Market in NY, owned by the same folks. Didn’t visit the slew of stores.
Monday was graduation at Emory (made nicer by nice weather and our son’s puzzling Phi Beta Kappa pin—not sure how he did so well, frankly). Lunch at Mary Mac’s. I’d have to say it was the disappointing meal of the trip. Good ideas, tons of food and character and people. But, overall, nothing really memorable on the plates, except the green tomatoes and the decent fried chicken. But, very glad to have gone there…at the graduate’s suggestion. (We had planned to go there in 2012, with friends, when we rushed to catch a flight home to arrive before Hurricane Sandy cancelled them all.) Older son and I did visit the Varsity near the Olympic park later that night, near our hotel, while the grad was with his friends. Having had the Varsity at the airport and now this one, I think the place, especially with its fresh cut fries and good onion rings and ok burgers (though skimpy , which is usually fine with me) is in the league of Five Guys in that regard. We didn’t like the hotdogs, with any combo of toppings.
Tuesday, we drove to Charleston. Frankly, I hadn’t realized it was almost not at all north, so didn’t advance our journey home. Had a really nice and unexpectedly good lunch at a country market in Lexington. http://www.yelp.com/biz/the-farmers-shed-restaurant-lexington?osq=lunch Then, didn’t really have enough time to really explore Charleston, but did our best. And, had some wonderful steamed oysters on a place Andrew Zimmern highly recommended a few miles out of town. http://www.yelp.com/biz/bowens-island-charleston
Wednesday we stopped to buy peaches, strawberries and grits off of 95, and then to a Q place in Lumberton, NC, which was pretty good Q (though the brisket was lacking and they were out of ribs.) The owner hovered over us , seemingly surprised that, as northerners, we weren’t Trump people. He had his reasons, but…I couldn’t really understand his accent, luckily. Then onto Smithfield and the Johnston County Ham store. Disappointingly and surprisingly, it was small, and there was no opportunity to taste anything before buying. So, I had to buy blind. (The mangalista ham I opened yesterday was REALLY good, though). Then I spent a half hour in the Ava Gardner museum while my sons went elsewhere. Really glad for the heads up: she was interesting and perhaps the most beautiful movie star ever. No wonder Frank Sinatra fell so hard for her. A new perspective on that era of Hollywood and of Ava herself. Then onto Fredricksburg, where a high school classmate and his wife have retired from NY city and a nice visit and pancakes with country ham slices the next morning before heading home.
A good bonding and eating experience for sure, though the most bonding was between the two sons, which is fine with me as they are 6 ½ years apart. (And, every time I asked, Mr. B’s was, unfortunately, 50 miles out of the way, and we were always in a hurry to get to Fredericksburg by nighttime.)
Thanks, Bob. Suggestions and opinions well worth following…Thanks for providing them.