Ode to Hush Puppies: From trailer park goodness to haute cuisine

This piece ran in Oxford Town, The Oxford Eagle’s weekly arts and entertainment publication. The Oxford Town did not publish stories online at the time of publication. Copyright 2009 Oxford Town.

The first couple broke apart, spittering into gritty remnants in hot grease.  On the paper towel, they resembled sand-sprinkled fritters more than the round, deep-fried biscuit balls they wanted to be.  My mother laughed at them, suggesting we hit up Catfish One.  I cranked up the heat.

Finally the gooey cornmeal and stale beer mixture maintained its integrity, bobbing in the oil and resurfacing as a puffy and round slut puppy.  This is close to what Ruby Ann Boxcar promised in her cooking volume, “Ruby Ann’s Down Home Trailer Park Cookbook.”  She said everything in the book was “EDIBLE!” and “Boner petite!” Good enough for me.

Oxford, how I’ve missed you

So I’m back in Oxford. It’s hotter than Knoxville. It doesn’t cool down in the evening.

But today Paul and I went to the new Big Bad Breakfast restaurant that John Currence of City Grocery opened. Wow. Farm-raised everything. Fresh-squeezed OJ. Brulee grapefruit. Andouille sausage for breakfast. Brandy-soaked french toast. The wait staff is A+ just friendly and knowledgeable and chill. The ambiance is perfect. Fresh yellow paint pops with wine-colored accents. The tables are rustic for that farm feel. The art fits just right. It’s like a slightly more high class Bottletree Bakery with a little less character.