Tastes of the South
Every now and then I find myself doing a 180 degree turn on something completely unexpected. Today it was cornmeal. Having grown up in the south, I'm quite an anomoly for not liking the following cornmeal related items: cornbread, hushpuppies, fried fish, fried okra...it's all part of the regional DNA. Just not for me.
Tonight I became a convert at the birthday celebration for my dear friend, Crystal. A group of about twenty people gathered at a new Chouteau eatery, Revival, to raise a glass in celebration of one of the coolest broads around (step off, ya'll...she would consider this an ultimate compliment). The patio is incredible, the bar is impressive, and while I didn't see the dining room...the food is amazing.
I'm not sure if this is their normal hospitality, or because a group of advertising and marketing people seemed like fabulous potential brand evangelists, or if it was just to shut our very loud group up for a while, but the chef personally made at least five trips to deliver assorted plates of complimentary appetizers, and then some desserts. One plate had giant sized hushpuppies; in hopes of mitigating the impact of my Grey Goose cosmo, I took a tentative bite and it was AWESOME! So I had a few more bites. OMG...this was NOTHING like the crap I've had in the past. The non-cornmeal items were even better. And the Red Velvet Cake!!!! And the beignets! While I still reserve the right to avoid okra, that's my new favorite place. I know at least half of the group made immediate vows to return with friends, so good going, chef!
Crystal is also responsible for another 180 degree switch I experienced this year. Growing up in a household of country fans, I spent my fair share of time singing along with Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn into a hairbrush, imagining myself to be the next big thang. All of that came to a screeching halt when I discovered other kinds of music that made more sense to me. Age 8: Sha-Na-Na, The Eagles Age 9: KISS Age 12: Prince, Mexican pop...no, I'm not kidding; how do you think I learned Spanish? Age 14: Dire Straits, Cyndi Lauper Age 16: The Cure, The Church, Echo and the Bunnymen. And so on.
Umpteen years later in February of this year, during a break at band practice, Crystal and a couple other girls mentioned they wished we would do a Dixie Chicks song. I protested, lost, and later downloaded a few songs from iTunes to learn. Then I saw them on PBS "Austin City Limits" and you know what? They're pretty freaking fabulous performers! Who else have I missed out on?
Tonight I became a convert at the birthday celebration for my dear friend, Crystal. A group of about twenty people gathered at a new Chouteau eatery, Revival, to raise a glass in celebration of one of the coolest broads around (step off, ya'll...she would consider this an ultimate compliment). The patio is incredible, the bar is impressive, and while I didn't see the dining room...the food is amazing.
I'm not sure if this is their normal hospitality, or because a group of advertising and marketing people seemed like fabulous potential brand evangelists, or if it was just to shut our very loud group up for a while, but the chef personally made at least five trips to deliver assorted plates of complimentary appetizers, and then some desserts. One plate had giant sized hushpuppies; in hopes of mitigating the impact of my Grey Goose cosmo, I took a tentative bite and it was AWESOME! So I had a few more bites. OMG...this was NOTHING like the crap I've had in the past. The non-cornmeal items were even better. And the Red Velvet Cake!!!! And the beignets! While I still reserve the right to avoid okra, that's my new favorite place. I know at least half of the group made immediate vows to return with friends, so good going, chef!
Crystal is also responsible for another 180 degree switch I experienced this year. Growing up in a household of country fans, I spent my fair share of time singing along with Dolly Parton, Tammy Wynette, and Loretta Lynn into a hairbrush, imagining myself to be the next big thang. All of that came to a screeching halt when I discovered other kinds of music that made more sense to me. Age 8: Sha-Na-Na, The Eagles Age 9: KISS Age 12: Prince, Mexican pop...no, I'm not kidding; how do you think I learned Spanish? Age 14: Dire Straits, Cyndi Lauper Age 16: The Cure, The Church, Echo and the Bunnymen. And so on.
Umpteen years later in February of this year, during a break at band practice, Crystal and a couple other girls mentioned they wished we would do a Dixie Chicks song. I protested, lost, and later downloaded a few songs from iTunes to learn. Then I saw them on PBS "Austin City Limits" and you know what? They're pretty freaking fabulous performers! Who else have I missed out on?
Posted by Tammy at 8/7/2008 11:05 PM 
Categories: Grub, Amigos, Sounds
Tags: Revival Southern style country music
Categories: Grub, Amigos, Sounds
Tags: Revival Southern style country music
Wailing country tunes is a total Broad Skill! I think you only missed Wynona.
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