ON THE BARBECUE TRAIL

LOOKING FOR LOVE-BARBECUE, WINE & COCKTAILS

By Doc Lawrence

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA--Each year for about a decade I’ve shared barbecue experiences with readers and listeners, often daring to whisper an occasional opinion or recommendation about the All-American food, dear and delicious smoky barbecue. Down here near Atlanta, pork reigns. It’s the meat of choice with no close second, although plenty of places do chicken and beef right.

The history of barbecue and its preparation will not be in my food, wine and spirits columns. Rather, finding the best places-restaurants, café’s, shacks, roadside tents-where you can drop in knowing that everything is prepared with a whole lotta' love is the goal. I’ll stick my neck out and say that no state really has a corner on barbecue. The style, spicing, wood, pit, sauces and preparation aren’t confined to state boundaries. However, there are pockets of cooking methods that do hearken to tradition and have been preserved by good cooks over many decades.

And, therein lies the mystery. Who are the ones that keep local traditions alive? What keeps everything original? What causes good people to come back month aftr month, year after year?

Most of all, where can we find these people and their food?

What they have in common is a commitment to quality barbecue. It’s an art form, one of the few flawless collaborations that really make people happy.

I’m on the road in the heat of summer in Dixie looking for the barbecue that stands out from the rest. The sauce that is made with love. Real Brunswick Stew. And the wines, cocktails and beers that magnify the barbecue experience.

Look for dispatches from Valdosta, Dothan, North Wilkesboro, Monteagle, Lexington, Panacea, Corinth, Spartanburg and Winchester. Plus many more places.

Looking for a worthwhile vacation featuring new places and smiling faces? The Mississippi Gulf Coast is a winner:

http://global-writes.com/2012/06/mississippis-gourmet-gulf-coast.html

CHEF JAY SWIFT-NEW SOUTHERN CUISINE

4^TH & SWIFT-A GOURMET GEM IN ATLANTA

 

By Doc Lawrence

ATLANTA--Location, location. It remains important in the success formula and 4^th & Swift, Chef Jay Swift’s wonderful restaurant is a stone’s throw from the busiest thoroughfares in the South, yet comfortably nestled in a quiet location with very ample parking. The adventure is confined to the dining experience, not the nightmare of navigation and parking which burden many Atlanta restaurants.

A Baltimore native, Jay Swift has a menu reflecting Deep South preferences, all enhanced with an imaginative cocktail and wine program that blends into the overall enjoyment.

I was asked by my companions, a distinguished assemblage of ranking officials from North Carolina’s renowned Harrah’s Cherokee Casino and the Cherokee Tribe to select a restaurant for an evening of food, drink and conversation that was emblematic of Atlanta’s reputation as the unofficial headquarters of New South cuisine. That’s daunting if you take such requests seriously. New South is in the eyes of the beholder and since I am an Atlanta native and have a track record that includes years of dining in many other Southern cities, I made a studied decision.

For one evening, I was a prophet: 4th & Swift, featuring Chef Jay Swift.

Begin at the bar. There are bottles upon bottles of handcrafted bitters along with standbys like Peychaud’s, the magic potion in the Sazerac cocktail. The cocktail menu features some high-octane delights like “The Cries of Silent Men,” invoking images of Southern existentialists like Walker Percy. It’s a Gin-based witches brew with secret elixirs. Maybe topped off with  eye of newt? One can only guess, but all can enjoy.

Dinner was a gentle immersion into the best of Dixie. Several ordered the chef’s special, Three Little Piglets, while I spotted braised short ribs from Will Harris’ renowned grass-fed beef farm in South Georgia. A bottle of Argentine Malbec enhanced the experience, and the Chef’s special ricotta-stuffed squash blossom appetizer paired well with chilled Pinot Gris from Oregon. The wine list symbolically states that management takes its diner’s needs seriously. What you see is reasonable and compatible. Many outstanding wines are also available by the glass.

An evening here includes amenities that make pleasant memories. Spacious seating with comfortable tables. The noise level is low. Conversation flows uninterrupted by those dreaded cries of dining banshees, something that can ruin an otherwise terrific evening. They must have been in other restaurants on this evening.

Jay Swift has perfected the balance in great dining: Food, wine, cocktails and ambience. Here’s a place to get to know someone. The dining ritual is the near perfect way to reach out and build bridges of understanding; and 4^th & Swift must have had this in mind from the inception.

Turning vision into raves from happy diners isn’t easy. 4th & Swift is a template for gourmet excellence. This is easygoing, elevated dining, the Atlanta food experience we deserve.

Enjoy the delights of dining, wineries, recreation and travel: www.winesdownsouth.com

FATHER'S DAY 2012

A FEAST FOR MY FATHER

By Doc Lawrence

In my hometown of Atlanta where we never stop celebrating Gone With The Wind. I recall how much Gerald O’Hara, Scarlett’s Irish-born dad loved his wife, children and, of course, Tara, and how proud Rhett Butler was to be a father to a little girl. Fathers are special and those like me who are lucky enough to have theirs still around, should think about a feast as we celebrate the men who occupy this hallowed status.

Dad remains my hero. A combat soldier in World War II who still hates war, a good and decent man who did his best to give his family a wonderful life and never thought of expecting anything in return. But, my father also enjoys good food, particularly things that are farm fresh, often advising me during my adolescent “know-it-all” days that home grown tomatoes would extend my life.

Now, I pray he’s right.

My feast for Father’s Day is what I would serve the great blockade-runner and smuggler, Captain Rhett Butler, a man who enjoyed the finer things in life and, according to Margaret Mitchell’s book, got what he wanted. Because Rhett Butler was from Charleston, the great epicurean center of the Southern Atlantic Coast, lived in Atlanta, traveled to Paris and New York, and had business in New Orleans, we can assume that he loved Champagne, was very familiar with the wines of the world and had a refined palate that was attuned to great dishes that, as we say down here, were properly prepared.

We’ll begin his feast with a few pours of chilled Champagne served with snacks that are salty. Caviar (quality domestic caviar is available now) in some form; perhaps something with anchovies? This will stimulate conversation and invigorate those appetites.

The first course should have roots in Charleston and Savannah, two cities that have a related food heritage. My choice is She-Crab Soup, that fabulous dish made with crab roe and seasoned with a touch of fine sherry. I would not hesitate, by the way, to serve a quality semi-dry sherry with it.

Next, to honor my father, Atlanta, Scarlett and Rhett, I’m serving roasted pork loin in Port with prunes according to that great Southern cook Edna Lewis’ recipe. The wines for this rich, flavorful entrée will be a choice of Chambertin, the magnificent red Burgundy that was Napoleon’s favorite and, for those who prefer something more robust, a Tannat from Uruguay. (Try one bottle soon and you’ll be hooked.)  Ms. Lewis lived for many years near Atlanta and her recipes and wonderful stories occupy many pages in her collectible cookbooks.

In 1945, Dad was a military attaché in New Orleans to the World War II hero General Jonathan Wainwright, and even lived for security purposes in the Presidential Suite of the historic Roosevelt Hotel. To complete my feast for Dad, I selected a dessert, Charlotte Russe, a dish I once devoured at a private dinner at Antoine’s, the fabled French Quarter gourmet shrine. The whipped cream, custard, berries, ladyfingers creation is memorable a quarter century later and it is good and rich enough to salute my best friend and life mentor. Wine? I saved an Australian treasure: a 2001 Botrytis Semillon from New South Wales. It’s rare, valuable and would be hard to equal.

Just like the super fellow with such a big heart I’m honoring this Sunday.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!

Take a trip to Mississippi's Gulf Coast:

http://www.bytheseafuture.org/DocLawrence_Southwind_June-2012.html 

KNOXVILLE-A VACATION GATEWAY

TENNESSEE MOONSHINE TRAIL

                                             By Doc Lawrence

Wish that I was on ol' Rocky Top
 Down in the Tennessee hills
Aint' no smoggy smoke on Rocky Top
Ain't no telephone bills
Rocky Top you'll always be
Home sweet home to me
Good ol' Rocky Top
Rocky Top Tennessee.

             “Rocky Top,” by Boudleax and Felice Bryant

KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE-A journey into the land of White lightening, 200 miles of history, beauty, adventure, and charm, begins just outside of Knoxville’s famous attractions and little-known sites. This trail gets its name from the route’s legendary history as a moonshine-running corridor during the prohibition era. It was a time when rebels careened around these curves, transporting illegal, homemade corn whiskey under the cover of darkness to avoid the law.

I’m off to visit historic towns whose famous thrill-seeking outlaws unknowingly laid the foundation for today’s stock car racing, experiencing the natural beauty of East Tennessee, anticipating that much of it remains as it has for hundreds of years. Its mountains are laced with might streams like the Powell, Nolichucky, French Broad and Holston Rivers. These ancient forces, harnessed by the Tennessee Valley Authority to generate electricity, created vacation hotspots Norris Lake, Douglas and Cherokee Lakes, beautiful bodies of water that draw thousands of visitors each year. Along the way, my journey will explore the picturesque mountains, traveling along the path first cut by Daniel Boone.

Highlights include a stop at Dandridge, the second oldest town in Tennessee (ca.1792), a delightful mixture of old and new. Today, downtown Dandridge is a National Historic District showcased by the courthouse completed in 1845, a prime example of Greek Revival architecture. Next is Russellville and an opportunity to learn about the headquarters of Confederate General James Longstreet during the winter of 1863-1864. Morristown is home to Bethesda Church, a quaint old building with high-backed pews and an enclosed pulpit, one of the oldest churches in this section of the state. The church was built in 1835, and was later used as a hospital for wounded Union and Confederate soldiers. There are approximately 82 unknown soldiers buried nearby.

When you think of Tennessee, Davy Crockett comes to mind. Morristown was the American hero’s childhood home and has a museum containing artifacts from Davy's childhood, telling the story of this legendary figure in American history who died fighting at The Alamo.

I’ll be reporting on legendary places like Clinch Mountain, Cumberland Gap, Joppa Mountain Pottery, and describing the museum in Maynardville that provides a glimpse of the heritage of Union County. The museum has a reference library with genealogy lines of many families connected to Union County, known as the "Cradle of Country Music." This is the home of the Grand Ole Opry’s Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins, Kenny Chesney, Lois Johnson and Carl Smith.

This will be the launch of a series of vacation ideas that appeal to those visiting the South during the Civil War Sesquicentennial as well as those who yearn for real adventure, preferring travel closer to home.

Join me in all the fun.

Looking for better travel in Florida? Read about what many describe as "Original Florida." With the Sunshine State set to celebrate its 500th Anniversary, here's a few places to visit:

 http://global-writes.com/2012/05/tallahassees-culinary-triangle.html

JUNE VACATIONS IN GEORGIA

JUNE DOWN SOUTH VACATION DISCOVERIES     Beaches, Mountains, Vineyards, Food    After completing a whirlwind tour of plantations, farms, markets, dairies and vineyards all sponsored by Georgia’s outstanding tourism department, we’re headed out for more original stories this month as the heat gradually rises. Knoxville is home to the University of Tennessee and it’s also one of the gateways to the Great Smoky Mountains. Doc Lawrence will be there to meet the challenges and adventures of the “White Lightning Tour” providing our readers with lively reports and exciting photographs of this treasured and beautiful part of America. The new posts in Wines Down South include stories about two Georgia cities, Statesboro and Vidalia, complete with a glimpse into Georgia's rich history, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, world-class attractions, culinary delights and more. Known around the world for sweet onions, the Vidalia area is full of local flavor offering unique shopping, dining, scenic drives, and outdoors adventures. Less than 60 minutes from Georgia's coast, Statesboro is emblematic of Southern charm and is home to Georgia Southern University. The school’s 11-acre Botanical Garden blooms year-round and the Wildlife Center teems with raptors, reptiles and waterfowl. We explore the new Civil War archeology finds at the Natural History Museum and show you how to have a better getaway with fine and antique shopping, arts venues, a historic downtown stroll, and more than 200 restaurants. The Bulloch County courthouse is beautiful and the Saturday Farmer’s Market is just across the street from the Emma Kelly Center for the Performing Arts, named after one of the great characters in “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Doc Lawrence pairs filet mignon (click for recipe) from Will Harris’ nationally acclaimed White Oak Pastures (see video on the right) with two Georgia wines, one from Horse Creek Winery in Nashville and Still Pond in Arlington. Both are featured on the right. Visit Wines Down South and join Doc and Lynne Brandon at Lauri Jo Bennett’s cannery in Norman Park Georgia, have a glass of something special at the only tasting room on Georgia’s Interstate system, and watch Vidalia onions sorted and packed for the world to enjoy. Summer is underway and we want you to come along as we enjoy the delights of our South. Friend Us! Follow Us! Share Us! It's a heralded farm producing the best beef, chicken and more for great restaurants and respected stores like Whole Foods. Enjoy the tour with owner Will Harris (click).   Steak Oscar Recipe   DOC'S WINE PAIRING For the White Oak Pastures' Steak Oscar few wines work better than the Hahira Red from Ed and Andrea Perry's Horse Creek Winery in Nashville, Georgia. The Bulloch County Courthouse in lovely Statesboro Wines Down South Sheila Brewington    Doc Lawrence    Stephen W. Cannon    Val Kruse  Jordan Bloomingdale    Guy McKenzie     Anne Marie O'Keefe     Lynne Brandon Copyright © 2012 Wines Down South, All rights reserved.

FARM TO TABLE IN SOUTH GEORGIA

LAURI JO BENNETT’S PICKLED DELIGHTS

“When I want you in my arms,

  When I want you and all your charms
  Whenever I want you,

   all I have to do is dream.”

                  Boudleaux and Felice Bryant, recorded by The Everly Brothers

By Doc Lawrence

NORMAN PARK, GA—This small town nestled deep in South Georgia is nearer to Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city than the great metropolis of Atlanta, unofficial headquarters of the New South. Colquitt County is the home of the Georgia Baptist Convention and the fertile soil grows almost anything that roots. Nearby Moultrie was the home of the great songwriting team, Boudleaux and Felice Bryant who as husband and wife wrote over 1500 songs for legends like the Everly Brothers, The Grateful Dead, Buddy Holly, R.E.M., Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan and others, and they penned “Rocky Top,” the official song of the University of Tennessee,

 

Drink the wonderful water here and you might feel an itch to write a love song.

Lauri Jo Bennett has her jams, jellies, and pickled vegetable headquatered in this fertile land. A highly respected schoolteacher, she longed to plunge into the challenges of entrepreneurism and began making gourmet delights from local sourced fruits and vegetables. This family effort now sells a couple dozen different products like pickled green beans, asparagus, okra and fabulous Strawberry pepper jelly in over a slew of states. Everything is made by hand from scratch including the labels. Laurie Jo is emblematic of farm-to-table and needs no hype.

Lauri Jo is the real deal: impossible not to like and admire. Leaving Norman Park I wondered if any state official ever thinks of having her as a representative of Georgia’s best. I can see Laurie Jo serving her goodies to the communist rulers of China served along with the wines of nearby Horse Creek. Friendships are crafted this way. It’s part of the magic of South Georgia’s hospitality tradition, something as natural as a smile and handshake.

Laurie Jo began her company with a dream. This is a place where dreams are revered because they often come true.

Enjoy more about the food and wine of this great part of Dixie:

http://bytheseafuture.org/DocLawrence_Southwind_May-2012.html 

ON THE ROAD IN GEORGIA’S HEARTLAND

GEORGIA OLIVE OIL, WINE, BLUES AND GOOD FOOD

By Doc Lawrence

“You can reach over in the corner mama

  and hand me my travelin’ shoes

  You know by that I’ve got them

   Statesboro blues.”

               Blind Willie McTell, recorded by The Allman Brothers

STATESBORO, GEORGIA. It’s home to Georgia Southern, an acclaimed university that serves as the cultural hub of all that is wonderful about this deep South region nestled in the Coastal Plain. Vidalia onions are grown nearby and the town of the same name has a museum dedicated to this edible bulb and all it means to the local economy and food heritage.

Statesboro, made very famous by the Allman Brothers rendition of Blind Willie McTell’s blues classic, has all the energy of a college town and is a good place to lose those bad economy blues. Also, it is the launching pad for the annual Georgia Media Marketplace a press tour like no other in any state.

Joined by noted travel writers from other states and Canada, the itinerary includes visits to places like Horse Creek Winery in Nashville, a serious operation producing award winning muscadine and vinifera wines, with dinner and overnight at nearby Shadow Oak Plantation.

Lakeland is home to Georgia Olive Farms, the leading East Coast producer and marketer of olive trees and Georgia Olive Farms Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This is a near perfect prelude to Lauri Jo’s Southern Style Canning in Norman Park. Lauri Jo Bennett’s down home cooking is in Mason jars and blossomed into a full-blown market in 13 states

Other visits include Weeks Honey Farm in Omega, Gin Creek and Sparkman’s Cream Valley in Hartsfield.

Glass Enterprises Gator Houses in Camilla is one of only three-dozen alligator farms in the United States and Pelham, with a remarkable downtown, is home to the Pelham Wildlife Festival, held in October.

Still Pond Farm Winery in Arlington is Muscadine headquarters. The manicured vineyards supply fruit for the 11 award winning wines and many other wineries throughout the country.

Publix and Whole Foods feature the meats from White Oak Pastures in Bluffton a family farm that cooperates with nature to produce artisan products that are healthy, safe, nutritious and delicious.

Arlington’s Quail Country is an Orvis endorsed hunter’s paradise. Literally a step back in time showcasing Southern hospitality and a wildlife habitat.

Everything is finished with a tour of Blakely and Early County featuring the Coheelee Creek Covered Bridge and the 12th Century Kolomoki Indian Mounds.

Returning to the Atlanta International airport, a survey seems to be in order: Is it true that the Statesboro Blues make you feel good all over?

More about the food adventures of Georgia and Florida:

http://bytheseafuture.org/DocLawrence_Southwind_May-2012.html