A couple of weeks ago, the editor of SeriousEats.com (which is a really great website) contacted me about using one of my pics for a post they were working on for regional hamburgers.
That post is here - it includes steamed, smashed, cheese-stuffed, green chile, onion, guberburgers, butter burgers, pimento cheese, Maid-Rites, and the hamburger that is native to a triangle-shaped area of north Alabama, north Mississippi, and south Tennessee: the slugburger.
A slugburger is a hamburger, but it's had the ground beef "extended" with some sort of filler - bread, flour, etc - to make meat go further. These little hamburgers were developed during the Depression, when resources were tight.
Well, the slugburger, breadburger, doughburger, Dudie burger...there are several names for them, but for this they went with "slugburger". Adam needed a pic of a slugburger and I made a set of slugburger pics on Flickr.
I think I was misquoted a wee-little bit because they're not called slugburgers in Moulton like is stated on the seriouseats.com post, but the cute part was that he (correctly) quoted me about telling my friend that works with the Southern Foodways Alliance that they should do a Slugburger Trail just like they have a Boudin Trail, Barbecue Trail, Gumbo Trail, and a Tamale Trail.
Well, until then, I made my own little Slugburger Trail on Google Maps just now. If you know of any places that should be added, just email me (ginger ---AT--- deepfriedkudzu ...DOT... com).
Oh! And Garden & Gun has a really-short film by Joe York with John Currence eating fried tamales at the Bourbon Mall outside Leland, Mississippi. Now, I think the best tamales are at Hick's in Clarksdale but I've never had a fried tamale, either. And what tops it off is John saying "take something perfect, fry it, makes it better. Every time."
(UPDATE: shortly after this, the Bourbon Mall had a fire and is closed)
--- I have another friend who is working on the Delta Culinary Trail for Mississippi tourism and can't wait to see how that is going to turn out!
In 2005, I got my first digital camera - a Sony Cybershot - and since then I've just been taking pics of everything. Lucky (& happily!) for me, some of them have been published!
Av and I travel soooo much, and we really try to avoid most all chain restaurants.
Favorite Restaurants/Food:
1.Commander's Palace, New Orleans, LA - Don't Miss: every single thing there is *amazing*. Be sure to have Creole cream cheese cheesecake for dessert, too!
2.Antoine's, New Orleans, LA - Don't Miss: the fish, the soft shell crabs, and the baked Alaska...and the service is incredible.
3.Doe's Eat Place, Greenville, MS - Don't Miss: steaks (one steak serves two easily) and tamales.
4.Veranda on Highland, B'ham, AL - Don't Miss: the chef is Tom Robey, from Commander's Palace. Get thee to Veranda! It's all perfection.
5. Chez Fonfon, B'ham, AL - Don't Miss: everything here is great...even the hamburger is amazing!
6.Taylor Grocery, Taylor, MS - Don't Miss: catfish, catfish, catfish.
7. Lusco's, Greenwood, MS - Don't Miss: pompano, and the atmosphere - with the tables with curtains and the little buzzer.
8.Jacques-Imo's, New Orleans, LA - Don't Miss: 'Godzilla Meets Fried Green Tomatoes'. Oh yes.
9.Big Bob Gibson's, Decatur, AL - Don't Miss: barbecue and white chicken sauce. White sauce got started here.
11.Drago's, Metairie, LA - Don't Miss: charbroiled oysters.
12.Prejean's, Lafayette, LA - Don't Miss: incredible fish dishes, like the Catfish Oscar Prejean.
13.The Bright Star, Bessemer, AL - Don't Miss: trout almondine, snapper throats, prime rib.
14. Ezell's Fish Camp, Lavaca, AL - Don't Miss: Ezell's is a *real* fish camp - right on the water with excellent catfish (obviously), fried pickles, and hush puppies.
15. Duchess Bakery, Cullman, AL - Don't Miss: doughnuts early in the morning while they are still hot.
16.Gambino's Bakery, Metairie, LA - Don't Miss: the Doberge: it is six layers of yellow butter cake with custard between each layer and the whole production is covered in fondant.
17. Rabideaux's Sausage Kitchen, Iowa, LA - Don't Miss: anything and everything they have there is wonderful!! Bring a cooler.
18.The Dillard House, Dillard, GA - Don't Miss: the process: your table automatically gets everything on the menu that day, and you can ask for more of whatever you like. Expect three or four main dishes, six or so side dishes, and dessert.
19.McGuire's Irish Pub, Pensacola, FL - Don't Miss: Everything there is wonderful - especially the prime rib.
20.Vrazel's, Gulfport, MS - Don't Miss: just about any of the seafood dishes.
21.Wintzell's Oyster House, Mobile, AL - Don't Miss: Wintzell's is just fun! Go to the original - the one downtown on Dauphin Street. Obviously famous for their oysters.
22.The Dinner Bell, McComb, MS - Don't Miss: it's a revolving tables restaurant. Especially good dressing and eggplant.
23.Walnut Hills, Vicksburg, MS - Don't Miss: making friends with everyone at your table. Another revolving tables restaurant.
24. Niki's West, B'ham, AL - Don't Miss: whole fried flounder, and dozens of vegetables available, all of them excellent - when ordering, just think of your two or three favorite and chances are, they're available. Don't miss the rutabagas.
25.Bob's Clam Hut, Kittery, ME - Don't Miss: Bob's may be a clam hut, but they make the most *amazing* lobster rolls.
26.Faidley's, Baltimore, MD - Don't Miss: The crabcakes. Best ever. Ever.
27.Joe's Dreyfus Store, Livonia, LA - Don't Miss: Bread pudding. And cheesecake. We've only had dessert here, but we can't wait to go back for supper.