A Few Things I Love About the South

1. Sweet tea

2. "Ya'll"

3. Hospitality

4. Cheese Grits (Don't even think about putting sugar in these!)

5. Having total strangers smile and wave at me (especially while driving)

6. Hearing older Southern ladies talk.

7. Fried food (chicken, pickles, Oreo's, etc.)

An Old Favorite

On the way to Virginia, we stopped by Concord Mills Mall for a short break. While we were walking around the mall, we went into a candy store where I came across Cry Baby Tears candy. As a kid these were my favorite candy, but I haven't had them in years. So, I bought a box and ate half of them. Unfortunately, the acidity of the candy "burned" the taste buds off of my tongue. But it was worth it. Oh, the memories.

Local vs. Chain

From time to time I like to highlight local businesses in Anderson. I do this in part simply because I enjoy the food or services that they offer, but I also do this in order to encourage others to support local owners and employees. Since my office is in the downtown area of Anderson, I have a lot of opportunities to visit many of the local downtown offerings.

When given the opportunity to choose between local and chain, I most often choose to go local. For example, although I do enjoy Dunkin' Donunts, I prefer the freshly roasted coffee, atmosphere, and service of eCity Java. (Props to my friend Daniel and the others that work there!)

When comparing local vs. chain stores, we often assume that the chain stores drain the life out of local businesses--and this assumption is undoubtably true from time to time. Yet, in his article "In defense of Starbucks," Jonathan Weber suggests that the presence of national chain businesses such as Starbucks, may actually be a good thing. Weber writes:

When a Starbucks opened across the street from our offices in downtown Missoula, Mont., a few years ago, a lot of people in this liberal college town were not too pleased. The national behemoth would squeeze the local coffee shops, critics said, and contribute to the homogenization of Missoula....

....As the founder and publisher of NewWest.Net, whose largest competitor is a multibillion-dollar national newspaper chain, I've always been more than sympathetic to this argument. As a company, and as individuals, we're all about supporting locally owned businesses and the eclectic downtown commercial culture that goes with them.

But earlier this month we learned the Starbucks would be closing; it couldn't compete with the excellent alternatives. And I don't see that as a good thing.

Continue reading the article here.

Super Size Me

Amy and I recently watched the film Super Size Me. In this documentary Morgan Spurlock attempts to show the connection that exists between obesity and fast-food by going on a "McDonald's-only diet" for 30 days. On this diet, Spurlock had to eat three meals a day that consisted only of food and drink available from McDonald's. When he begans his test diet, Spurlock was in great shape. Yet, by the end of the 30 days, his health had deteriated tremendously.

Granted, Spurlock does take fast-food eating to the extreme. But it often takes something drastic in order for us to pay attention to what is being said. Is our nation unhealthy? Yes. Could we do better at encouraging one another to eat healthier and exercise? Yes. Does this mean that we should limit our intake of processed and fast-food? Yes. Will it be difficult for us to make these changes? Yes. Is it worth it? Yes.

After watching the film, I don't believe that the solution is found in totally rejecting processed and fast food. Intead, we must learn to eat these foods in moderation. As a father of three beautiful girls, I want to do everything I can to help them become healthy, active young women. And part of that process certainly involves teaching them how to make wise food choices.

If you're interested the movie, you can watch the entire movie for free here.

Of Course!

Dunkin' beat Starbucks. There would have been a time in my life in which I would have found this to be shocking. But time changes...or should I say "taste changes." My preference of DD over Starbucks is rather obvious to anyone who looks at my car: the DD magnet, the floorboards and cupholders filled with empty DD cups, the DD ornament hanging from my rear-view mirror, etc.

Thai Spice: Breaking the Curse?

At the corner of Fant St. and Greenville St. there is a little restaurant called Thai Spice. For those who have lived in the Anderson area for a while, you'll probably remember that this building has been the home of numerous restaurants such as Church's Chicken, Pita House, and Phoenix Grill. (I can't recall if any others have come and gone.) When I first noticed that a new restaurant was coming I thought to myself, "That building is cursed. No business ever survives there." Needless to say, I was a bit skeptical when I first saw the sign for Thai Spice. I assumed that it would meet the same sad fate as all the previous restaurants.

A few months ago Amy and I made our first trip to Thai Spice. Although we had heard a number of people talk about how great the food was, we didn't venture to Thai Spice until we were given a $50 gift certificate. Honestly, I was a bit surprised when I walked inside. What had once been a fast food type of setting had now been transformed into something much nicer. New tile, fresh paint, and lovely paintings helped to change the atmosphere. Yet, we were not only impressed by the improved surroundings but also by the food and service. The spring rolls, Pad Thai, and the sauteed broccoli and chicken were all very delicious. The vegetables were fresh and the meats were tender. For drink, Amy had sweet tea and I enjoyed the Thai tea. This drink is a blend of a special tea and cream. It's very sweet and unusual. The tea reminded me of yerba mate.

Since our first night at Thai Spice, Amy and I have enjoyed eating there on numerous occasions. If you haven't been to Thai Spice, I'd encourage you to go for lunch or dinner. I don't think you'll be disappointed. If you don't know what to order I recommend the following: Spring rolls or Crab Ragoon for appetizer; Beef Salad or Pad Thai for the main course; and Thai tea if you don't mind trying something a little different. (They also have a few unique imported beers, plum wine, and the usual drink fare.)

I believe Thai Spice has been around for about a year and it seems to be fairing well in the "cursed building." Maybe Thai Spice has finally broken the curse.

Moravian Spice Cookies

If anyone would like to do something nice for me, I have a suggestion: You can send me some Moravian Spice Cookies. Thin, crispy, and wonderful.

Fall and Pumpkins

There are a lot of things that I enjoy about the fall season: cool mornings, changing leaves, and corn mazes to name a few. But one of my favorite fall offerings is the pumpkin. So whether I'm carving, eating, or drinking, I like a large dose of pumpkin during the fall. And every year there are so many things to satisfy all of us who are pumpkin lovers: pumpkin picking, pumpkin carving, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cheesecake, roasted pumpkin seeds, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin spice beer, pumpkin candles, and pumpkin smashing for those with a slight destructive streak. I'm curious...how many of you enjoy pumpkins? If you do, tell me about your favorite pumpkin activity, memory, food, or drink. Share a recipe, a memory, or whatever...if it involves a pumpkin, feel free to write about it in the comment section.

Peppino's

Since moving to Anderson, our family has eaten at a lot of pizza places: Cici's, Frodo's, Famous, Family, Domino's, Wedgy's, Little Caesar's and Papa John's. Of all of these in Anderson, our favorite has been Famous Pizza with Family Pizza coming in at a close second. Of course, our favorite in the Upstate is Bertolo's Pizza, but after last night Bertolo's will have to share its crown with Peppino's Pizza. The pizza is handtossed and excellent. I enjoyed the pizza so much, I'm eating it for breakfast this morning.

UPDATE (3/13/08) - Strangely enough, this blog post is the number one entry on Google for people searching for Peppino's in Anderson. I assume that most people are looking for the phone number, so I wanted to help out by placing Peppino's phone number here: (864) 224-3650

And as a shameless plug, if you live in Anderson...be sure to come and worship with us at Redeemer Church!

Late Night Drinking

I'm not sure about some of you, but there are times when I just have to drink coffee. Well, tonight was one of those times. I finished drinking my second (large) cup of coffee a few minutes ago, and now I'm getting ready to go to bed. Strangely, I feel more tired now than I did before I had the coffee. Is it possible to build up a tolerance to caffeine? I guess so. Maybe this is just proof that I consume too much caffeine each day.

Cheesy Chicken Lips

Last night on the news, a lady was talking about eating "chicken lips" at the Anderson Soiree'. So, when Amy and I went to the festival today we bought a couple. We loved them! So, what are cheesy chicken lips? They are fried egg rolls filled with chicken, Wisconsin cheese, cream cheese, and a cheese sauce. If you're ever in Anderson and you want to try some, give me a call and we'll stop by Rick Tanner's and order a couple of chicken lips. You won't be disappointed.