Livingston, Alabama (Sumter County)

In late 2007, I had the pleasure of attending a meeting at the Ruby Pickens Tartt Public Library in downtown Livingston. Livingston (http://www.ci.livingston.al.us/) is located just off of I-20/59 between Tuscaloosa and Meridian. It is home to the University of West Alabama which was founded in the mid 1800's and has a current enrollment of around 4,000 students. Livingston was a real surprise to me. Having driven to Mississippi to visit family my entire life, I had never gotten off to explore this area. The downtown area is very scenic with a large supply of old stately homes and historic buildings. There was a real progressive feel to the City probably due to the presence of the college and the Interstate. We were treated to homemade desserts from the Mennonite bakery, Touch of Home, which was very good. Touch of Home offers the best hot lunch in Livingston with different entrees each day of the week. A real treat and worth the short drive from the Interstate. For fans of covered bridges (yes, that includes me) check out the covered bridge on the campus of UWA (pictured here).

Butler, Alabama (Choctaw County)

In the Fall of 2007, I attended a meeting in the rural West Alabama town of Butler in Choctaw County. Choctaw County sits along the Mississippi border near Meridian, MS. The town itself is relatively uneventful. The locals at our meeting advised us to head east on Alabama Highway 10 to the legendary Ezell's Fish Camp in the town of Lavaca, AL. Ezell's sits on the banks of the Tombigbee River and serves up fresh from the river catfish. Catfish in multiple shapes and sizes is the order of the day, but fried catfish is what to get. Also, the cole slaw is very good. A very unique setting along the river is only enhanced by the 200 year old wooden structure that the restaurant is located within. If you love catfish, this would be worth a detour off of I-20/59 on your way between Tuscaloosa and Jackson, MS. Also be sure to take a gander at the 'Swamp Monkey' stuffed behind the cash register.

Prattville, Autauga County

I have made numerous trips to Prattville (county seat of Autauga County) over the last couple of years. I must say that, 'the preferred community' has a lot of appeal to me. Starting with the historic downtown district on the banks of Autauga Creek at Pratt Dam. Prattville has a unique downtown by southern standards in that it does not boast of the traditional southern 'town square'. Instead, Founder Daniel Pratt (a native of New Hampshire) set up the town in a more New England style layout. The land was first settled in the 1830's around Pratt's visionary industrialist goals. A good website devoted to the history of Prattville: (http://www.pratthistory.com/index.htm).

In recent years Prattville has grown and thrived as a progressive city with a unique identity in the shadows of Montgomery. The historic district has experienced revitalization in the last decade and special emphasis has been placed on the natural beauty of Autauga Creek complete with a Creek Walk that is due for completion in Spring 2009. Prattville is truly a rare work/live/play community.

As for dining options, there are several that are on my list to try in coming visits. My favorite to date is Fat Boy's Barbecue just outside of the historic district. As a lover of all things water, the setting on the banks of Autauga Creek is perfect. The barbecue offerings are traditional southern with plate lunches, sandwiches, and more. I am a big fan of the plate lunch (with banana pudding of course). For more information: (http://www.fatboysbarbqueranch.com/)

Prattville is also home of one of the best golf courses in Alabama in the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail's Capital Ridge. The Judge layout maybe the best round of golf in the State.

Athens, Limestone County

In July of 2008, we had a meeting on the town square of Athens, Alabama in extreme northern Alabama. Downtown Athens is one of the quintessential small town downtown areas in all of Alabama. Athens has a population of around 20,000 and its proximity to I-65 and Huntsville has made Athens a thriving community. Athens was incorporated in 1818, making it one of the oldest cities in Alabama. In May of 2008, Southern Living featured a small Tex-Mex restaurant on the town square named Tortillas Blanco (http://www.tortillasblanco.com/). After reading the article, I had penciled in TB for my next trip to Athens. It did not disappoint at all from the warm welcome, the good food, and the AMAZING chips. The chips are actually commercially available at several locations in the area. The Nachos Blanco are a heaping pile of goodness and the standard burritos are also a good choice. The chips and tortillas are made fresh daily.

Moulton, Lawrence County

In late 2006, I attended a meeting in the City of Moulton. Moulton is the county seat of Lawrence County and is located in North Alabama. Along the way to Moulton from I-65 is a unique destination in the small town of Oakville. This is the Jesse Owens Memorial Park dedicated to one of America's greatest Olympians. Owens won 4 gold medals in the 1936 Berlin Olympics in Track and Field. The park is dedicated to his life and accomplishments (http://www.jesseowensmuseum.org/).
We dined at the best barbecue joint in Moulton, John's Barbecue. Located in an old wooden house, and a real treat for Bama football fans (massive amounts of memorabilia), John's serves up traditional southern pork barbecue and tasty side dishes.

Monroeville, Mockingbird Country

In April of 2008, I attended a meeting in Monroeville, AL; the county seat of Monroe County. Monroeville is most famous for its To Kill a Mockingbird legacy. Monroeville is the hometown of To Kill a Mockingbird author Harper Lee, as well as her childhood neighbor Truman Capote. Capote penned at least 20 literary works that made it to film or TV including 1958's Breakfast at Tiffany's. It is estimated that 30,000 people journey to Monroeville due to its strong literary heritage every year. In 1997, the Alabama legislature named Monroeville, "The literary capital of Alabama." For more on Monroeville, http://www.villageprofile.com/alabama/monroeville/index.html.

The courthouse in the town square is the centerpiece of town. Constructed in 1903, it contains the Monroe County Heritage Museum as well as a statue dedicated to the fictional Atticus Finch.

As far as dining goes, we were sent to (fittingly enough) the Mockingbird Grill just off the town square. The Mockingbird Grill was packed full of people coming in for the southern style buffet lunch. It was a good solid buffet with several choices, but not so overwhelming that the quality of the food suffers. I would definitely dine here again if in the area. We were also told that David's Catfish was a good bet...maybe next time.

Clanton, Alabama Chilton County

As I scheduled a trip to Clanton in early 2008, I immediately had visions of peaches dancing in my head. Having driven past the giant peach water tower immediately off of I-65 for years, I always wondered just how good the peaches were. There was a great article in Southern Living magazine (linked in favorite links) that featured the best exits off of I-65. The featured stop in Clanton off of exit 205 was the peach park (http://www.peachpk.com/) . This place features large grounds with swings, waterfalls, an open air vegetable market and of course, peaches. I assumed the peaches would be good, but was very pleasantly surprised at how good the barbecue was. I recommend the barbecue with a bowl of fruit on the side. The fruit bar features fresh fruits of a varieties and as expected the peaches were outstanding. The only negative I had was that I was a disappointed with the peach cobbler. I think it is so massed produced that it loses a little in translation. Overall, I agree with Southern Living. Good stuff.

Welcome to Taste of Alabama

I never thought I would start a blog and often maligned those addicted to such antics, but after a couple of years of extensive travel throughout the State, one of my co-workers suggested that it would be a good idea to document my journeys. He always thought it was funny when a random, middle of nowhere town was mentioned and I immediately had an anecdote about the location or a suggestion on where to eat. I hope this blog will serve to help others in their journeys in the State of Alabama and I also hope to learn more from your suggestions and comments. I have been documenting my journeys for the past couple of years and the goal is to slowly post those events until I can get up to date and then to post comments/reviews on a 'as they happen' basis. Thanks for your interest and enjoy!