STICK A FLAG IN IT!

The other night I was on the phone with my friend Karen, who lives in Orange County, CA and works as a chef at Whole Foods. She needs to come visit me! I know she would love this country life and these charming Southern gentlemen. But, we will come back to that later. Karen and I were on the phone while I was getting ready to go out with Country Man and 2 other couples for dinner. She asked where we were going, and I told her, "a restaurant called Marlows Tavern" and she said,

"Yeehaw! Is that one of 'dem there country saloon-type taverns!"

I laughed and told her, 

"Karen, NO, we aren't all hicks around here. 

We do actually have normal restaurants with normal food." 

I'd had a momentary brain-lapse forgetting where I was, and not realizing that "normal food" in the California-sense of the word is different from "normal food" here in Georgia. See: "Stick a Beer up the Chicken's Butt" for example. I was still suffering from my brain lapse regarding "normal food" until I opened the menu and saw everything fried, with grits, with a biscuit, extra buttery, specialty sweet iced tea, potatoes and corn galore. I laughed out loud at the selection: pointing out items like "shrimp & grits" and "fried chicken stack" and "loaded corn on the cob".

One of the couple's I had never met before looked confused by my reaction, so Country Man explained where I was from and directed them to my blog. The next statement is always, "Oh my gosh, I love California! And Vegas! I've never been to Vegas. People actually live there? That sounds so fun! Why would you leave and move to Georgia!?!" I'm working on a "Why I left" blog post, it is coming soon. But, its a long and complicated story needing delicate treatment. People here in Georgia seem to love their Southern roots and country-ways, but they don't expect anyone else to love it....hence the reaction I usually get, "why would you leave?"

But, you know what people - I love it too! It is in adventure and such a nice change of pace.

That was a tangent - why do I always seem to do that. I blame my mother for my lack of "staying on topic" skills. Back to the restaurant. Back to the menu. 

I went half California-half Georgia by ordering fish tacos with a side of jalapeño grits. Yum! 

Who would have thought to put grits as a side with fish taco. Only in the South, my dear. Of course, I thought the fish tacos could have used some avocado, but aside from that, it was delicious. 

Country Man opted for something called "The Kitchen Sink," i.e: everything in the kitchen thrown on top of one burger. It was scary!

But of course, oh so good!

I've never been a food picture-taker until recently, and I have to tell you that it still feels a little awkward to me. I'm like, "WAIT! Don't take a bite yet. Wait! Angle it this way. Your burger is such a beautiful model. oh yeah, baby. work it french fries. Wait! The lighting isn't right!" Okay I'm not that annoying yet, but these are baby steps in the blogging world, I don't doubt that I will get there eventually. 

Right now I try to snap it as quickly and discreetly as I can without looking like a tourist from China. But, when this little beauty came out, I had to snap snap snap away - I don't care that I literally just met you TJ, let me take pictures of your food!! So y'all think I'm weird?

Well, stick a flag in it!

Note: it is NOT the 4th of July

This is just how we roll in these parts..

at our "normal food" restaurant in the South.