I think others were very worried about me sticking to my diet on the road. I felt I had it nailed. In the end, I did really well. We found great restaurants, I ordered what I wanted or didn’t want, we split most dinners, I ate ribs without any sauce (they were all great!), we had some sort of eggs for breakfast every morning, I watched Michael eat all the things I couldn’t eat and I was okay with it.
Did I take a bite of forbidden food? Yes, I did. I think it was six times during the three weeks and it was only a bite. Not a helping. A bite.
We ate at Paula Dean’s place in Savannah, Georgia. We had to try her Fried Green Tomatoes (Sin #1) so I had two with a small dot of red pepper sauce on top along with julienne sliced cucumbers and onions. Delicious. Michael had the crab stew that was primarily a vessel for butter and cream. He also had some amazing fried cornmeal pancakes and garlic and cheese biscuits along with a crab cake burger. Oh my. I had the grilled shrimp and cole slaw and gave Michael my potatoes, which were simply double-fried chunks of heaven. Wonderful. It was just fun to be there.
We also had a great experience at Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta. We loved that it was opened until 4:00AM. Can you image what a wild place that must be after everyone swings by for food after the bars close? We also noticed a sign on the window that said, “No Weapons Allowed.” Wow. Michael ordered the Midnight Train, which was the famous four huge fried chicken wings and a perfect waffle with maple syrup. I had a forkful (Sin #2). Just a taste. It was amazing. Savory and sweet. I ate a huge baked chicken breast with vegetables. I couldn’t finish it.
Kimberly had told us that her most favorite restaurant in the entire country was called Porters Beer Bar also in Atlanta. Okay. Off we went. Many miles later, it was in a section of Atlanta that reminded us of Haight Ashbury in San Francisco or Soho in New York. There was also a concert happening so it was a bit crowded with people and cops. It was a bit of a shady neighborhood. As we did not know about Porter’s, we had dressed well for the occasion. Well, we stuck out like sore thumbs.
It turned out to be an amazing place. We had the chicken and waffles earlier so we weren’t hungry for a huge dinner. We arrive to the tiny bar and Michael spotted some 15-year-old Pappy Van Winkle bourbon from the Buffalo Trace distillery we had just visited in Kentucky amongst one of the largest selection of bourbon he had seen in one place. They also offered more than 400 beers. We settled in, chatted with the bartender and others at the bar. The menu was outstanding. There were two offerings of pork belly and one of beef heart, all very sophisticated offerings for a small place in not such a good area. We ordered the fois gras terrine appetizer. It arrived piled high with tasty things including slices of crispy garlic chips. I took a bite of it on a piece of cocktail bread (Sin #3). It was rich with deep flavors all working together.
After a guy we had been talking with left, two women joined us and began to chat. They insisted that we taste of their Salt and Vinegar Popcorn (Sin #4) made with herb and garlic oil. It took our breath away. We had such a good time talking with everyone including the owner that the bartender bought us a dessert of Passion Fruit Crème Brulee. I had a spoonful (Sin #5). It was the best I have ever had.
William’s concert tour was following a week behind us. After texting him about Porters, he made his way there and had their bone marrow and shrimp and grits. He also loved the place.
And my last sin was during our search for pralines in Savannah. We found them. Oh my. We watched them being cooked and they offered us one. How could I not take a bite? At least we split one! (Sin #6) We bought three pounds and have been giving them away as gifts.
So, today we will see how well I did during our three week road trip. I see Mr. B., the nutritionist, to get weighed and to begin the university’s three-month liquid diet and protein bars tomorrow. More on that to come after I meet with him.
No comments:
Post a Comment