It didn’t occur to me for several days, but by stopping at this little place, we’re one away from a set of barbecue joints in the four corners of Georgia. Eighteen months ago, we visited Mountain Man in the northeast corner, almost in North Carolina. In the fall, we went to Thatcher’s in Trenton, from which a brisk walk would soon take you to either Tennessee or Alabama. And now we’re on I-95’s southernmost Georgia exit. Going east would take you to St. Mary’s before finding the salt marshes, but there does not appear to be a barbecue restaurant in that town. A quick hop west, however, sees Jack’s BBQ, which, since 2007, has been located in a rustic building across the street from a big truck stop. Continue reading “Jack’s Bar-B-Q, Kingsland GA (CLOSED)”
Month: February 2013
Kickbacks Gastropub, Jacksonville FL
Anybody looking to our blog for coverage of beer is bound to be disappointed. Barbecue we’re pretty good about, and Buford Highway we’re getting better with, but since only one of us drinks, and only occasionally at that, we are scattershot journalists at best. But this visit to Kickbacks wasn’t about getting better coverage for our blog, it was because I wanted to marvel at their selection and try something new for myself. I crossed my fingers that I might leave with a new favorite, hoping that Kickbacks’ reputation might show off something new and neat. Continue reading “Kickbacks Gastropub, Jacksonville FL”
Metro Diner, Jacksonville FL
We had originally planned to visit a breakfast joint called the Metro Diner in December 2011. I found it via Flavortown USA, a fan site for TV’s Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives, and saw that it is one of five Jacksonville-area restaurants to have made it to their show. We don’t get to Jacksonville very often, but it’s always nice to step away from Saint Simons for a few hours and go visit our old friend Chris. Anyway, much of that last trip had to be scrubbed, including breakfast, but this time I was determined that we’d leave the island on time and make our way to the San Marco neighborhood in the early hours and maybe even beat the breakfast rush. Continue reading “Metro Diner, Jacksonville FL”
Beachcomber BBQ & Grill, Saint Simons Island GA
Once in a while, we visit a barbecue restaurant and we just know going in that it’s going to be discussed in comparison to something nearby. That’s the nature of this blog; these aren’t isolated “restaurant reviews,” objective and in a vacuum, but slices from our life and experiences. Roger Hardman and his sister Heather opened a little place called Beachcomber BBQ in 2001 and, for a few years, enjoyed the distinction of being the only barbecue joint on Saint Simons Island. Continue reading “Beachcomber BBQ & Grill, Saint Simons Island GA”
Oliebollen
This is Marie, contributing an article about a traditional Dutch treat that we got at the last visit to my parents’ place. Mom wanted to make oliebollen, which are a kind of proto-donut, because it’s a traditional New Year’s treat in the Netherlands, and I was more than happy to partake. The rest of the family was slightly bewildered at the sudden need to make fried goods in the middle of the day. You really do need to have a particular reason to make these if you are making them at home, and the near vicinity of New Year’s was not convincing since they are not Dutch. Continue reading “Oliebollen”
Keith-A-Que, Ashburn GA
So there was this giant peanut that I wanted to see again.
In December of 2011, on our way back from Moultrie, we had passed a really big peanut statue on the side of I-75. I was going to be content to photograph it from the car, but by chance, it was almost right next door to our next stop. We were drawn into Carroll’s Sausage and Meats by their billboards, and, as we pulled in, we saw the peanut right across an empty field. The girlchild napped in the car, and Marie and the baby went in to shop, and I traipsed across the field to take pictures. Continue reading “Keith-A-Que, Ashburn GA”
Smoakies Bar-B-Que, Cordele GA
The time has come, at last, to wave farewell, for now, to certain corridors and avenues in middle and south Georgia.
For the three years that we have been blogging, we have tried to take alternate paths on our regular trips from Atlanta to Saint Simons Island. For one thing, I-16 is a total bore, and for another, we’ve wanted to cover roads rarely taken, and find restaurants, meals, and stories in smaller, out-of-the-way towns. We have always anticipated moving to Asheville – and perhaps will, later this year – and, when that day comes, the big, dull expanse of central Georgia will be amazingly out of the way. It’s best to tackle it now, which is why Savannah is so poorly represented here. There will be time enough for Savannah down the line. Continue reading “Smoakies Bar-B-Que, Cordele GA”
Marie, Let's Eat! 