BELLYRUBBERS B-B-Q FOOD TRUCK of Lake City, Florida

Posted on September 20, 2012 by thep5909

 

In early September of 2012 I was driving east on US 90 out of Lake CIty, FL when I saw a food truck. It was literally (ok, almost literally) in the middle of no where! Well outside of the city, even going into where the road merges to 2 lanes. If you are at all familiar with the area I will kinda pinpoint it for you… go east of the airport and east of the college, then on the left, boom you are there. Now I am uncertain if this is where they plan to stay but it is very remote.

Now if you are a moderate foodie, watch FOOD NETWORK, or live in a town of more than 40,000 then you have either seen, heard of, or been to a food truck. In this case these friends bought a new truck & created BELLYRUBBERS BBQ. Now I am a fan of some good BBQ, sometimes I am even a fan of some bad BBQ. I guess that comes from my upbringing. Kinda goes with the thought that even if it is bad it can still be pretty good.

So I turned my truck around and went back to BELLYRUBBERS to give em a try. They were in the middle of cooking a large order for an office that sent one of their  workers out to the truck to get some lunch. But they were able to help me with my little order with no problem. As I stood there I noticed a limited side order menu. This is not surprising cause I take in to account that they are merely a food truck with not a lot of options. BUT, in this situation I has to ask for a sample of the cole slaw, cause I am a cole slaw snob, and there is some bad cole slaw out there. If you put vinegar or pineapples or even peaches in your cole slaw, I’m sorry but we cannot be friends. To me cole slaw should be what it was intended to be, a fat mans salad. None other but a fat man (speaking from experience here) could have takensomething as healthy as cabbage, carrots, pickle juice and add some sugar with a bunch of mayo (or salad dressing). Thus equates to a fat mans salad. Well, now that I have explained all of that to you, they were glad to give me a sample of the cole slaw and I could tell by looking at it, we had a winner. They did not use sugar and did use a lil too much mayo (for me personally) but I ate it all and enjoyed it.

Now it came time for me to make my decision for lunch,they offered sandwiches of pulled pork, sliced pork, pulled chicken, fried chicken tenders, hamburgers, hoagies, or  the dinner plate options of the sandwich items. All of the items were in the $5-9 dollar range with a menu for the kids as well. I asked them about what they liked better, the pulled pork or the sliced pork. They both agreed, the pulled chicken, then they gave me a sample to see what I thought. Lemme say, it was good, I mean really good.

The pulled chicken dinner plate was $7.75 with 2 sides & a dinner roll. My plans were to drive to a nearby roadside park to eat but dang it smelled too good not to eat it right there on the side of the road next to the food truck. It has been a long time since I called someone after a meal to tell them about what I just ate… in this case I called 2 people to brag on BELLYRUBBERS BBQ.

The place is unique and tasty (Not saying it is the best BBQ but dadgum its good). So if you find yourself near Lake City Florida I recommend BELLYRUBBERS for a good lunchtime meal. As of the time of this post they are ONLY open Tuesdays & Thursdays 10:30 am till 2:30 pm. The owners are Archie & Percy Brown. They have

posted their phone number on the menu and I will share it with you here. (386)965-2082 Give em a try, I think you will like it.

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Agritourism

Posted on August 31, 2012 by thep5909

Driving through North Georgia this summer (2012) I noticed a state of Georgia sign pointing the directions for ‘Georgia Agritourism’ with an arrow pointing to an open farm. When I say an open farm I mean a farm that is available for anyone to visit. They had a shop and some tractors for the kids to sit on or the adults to take pictures of. It seems that Georgia has really decided to capitalize on the value of the local farmers. Continuing my trip I noticed these signs all over the state; some for farms, wineries, orchards, even farmers markets.

Going back a few years ago I had heard the term Agritourism, and honestly I ignored it and put that file deep into the back cabinet of my mind. To me it really had no meaning of something that I would be interested in. Even though my father, my grandfather, and basically most of my family were farmers, I had just turned my back on that. I remember the days of wanting to ride on my grandfathers tractor, maybe walk into the corn fields, or pet one of the cows (all of my requests were denied). But as I grew up I grew farther and farther away from that side of the family. Eventually I moved to Atlanta and then to Jacksonville Florida, both locations have some farming but I was now far removed from that.

In many ways I regret not following in my fathers footsteps but if you really know me, well that is not who I am. I just cant imagine listening to Wicked or Les Mis on my iPod riding a tractor. Besides I am terrified of snakes, and it seems every year my dad has yet another snake story to tell… Not just a snake story but usually a 5 foot Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake kind of story… Yeah, not for me.

Ok, back to the topic at hand. On our summer trip we went through Georgia, Tennessee, North & South Carolina. It seems that in some way each of these places are starting to embrace this Agritourism plan (but by far Georgia is leading the way in the South). It looks as if there is a new winery, farmers market, or open farm in every county in the South. In North Carolina we saw apple orchards & pick your own blackberry farms. In South Carolina the peach farms are opening for tourists. And it seems that every single community has embraced the classic farmers markets.

The great thing about All of the before mentioned Agritourism locations is that this is our past, and our future. There is a great bumpersticker out there that simply says ‘NO FARMS, NO FOOD’. The truth cannot be any simpler. These farms or wineries also offer a new form of family entertainment either to show our kids where the apples come from or possibly a date night with someone special at a winery. These options are also a great way save money and spend time with someone you love.

If you take the few moments to do the research and search before you go on your next vacation or weekend away you will find many options of locations throughout the South. Some will offer fun with corn mazes in the Fall, Christmas tree hunting during the holidays, and teaching our future generations the value of buying fresh vegetables verses those in a can. I do hope that you get out there and enjoy Agritourism.

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Stoltzfus Bakery, Bryson City, North Carolina

Posted on August 22, 2012 by thep5909

Stoltzfus Bakery
Bryson City, North Carolina

**If you saw my post about them being closed, I got my answer. They are closed on Sundays & Mondays**

In the late spring of 2012 my mother & I were visiting the mountains of Western North Carolina. One day while we were there we got a bit hungry and decided to try out Stoltzfus Bakery which is at the end of the main drag of Bryson City. On that visit we each got a sandwich an RC Cola (in the bottle) and a bag of fresh baked cookies. We grabbed the food to go and sat on the banks of Deep Creek watching the vacationers take an afternoon ride on the creek in their tubes. When our lunch was done we realized that we had stumbled upon a great little deli/bakery.

Two months later we decided to take another vacation to the area. We knew that at some point we wanted to visit Stoltzfus for another sandwich and baked goods. When I walked in I noticed that it was someone different that was making the sandwiches. I then started asking questions about the deli/bakery. If you know anything about the mountains of North Carolina or anywhere in the South for that matter you would know that Stoltzfus is not a local name. It turns out that the gentleman that was running the shop is the owner, annnd that on our last visit we were assisted by his son. They have run this deli/bakery for a few years and have a small shop of dry pastas, baked goods, fresh meats & cheeses along with the deli service. The father relocated to N.C. from Pennsylvania when the son was very young. They use the Pennsylvania influence to add different flavors and styles to their menu.

In the conversation with the owner he let me know that the building that the bakery is in was originally a grocery store in the area. Not just a grocery store but the only ‘all colored’ grocery store in the region. At the time of writing this blog Stoltzfus Bakery is not a very large store, BUT in the fall of ’12 they do plan to expand into the soon to be empty unit next to their store. As the owner told me, they plan to expand their menu and add a few tables.

From our last experience we discovered that the sandwiches are of a very generous size, so this time we decided to get only one and split it. So split it we did, a sliced turkey and Münster on a whole wheat roll. Oh and of course the RC colas and a container of their ‘magic bars’. This time we drove a few miles out of town to a boat dock on a lake and watched the boats come in and out. The sandwich was fantastic and the magic bars were sweet and tasty. This is definitely a place that we will visit each time that we visit the area.

 

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Stumpknockers on the River

Posted on June 6, 2012 by thep5909

 

STUMPKNOCKERS on the River (Located between Ocala & Inverness Florida)

 

Quietly nestled on the banks of the Withlacootchie River… (Ohh my this opening line sounds like a radio ad, I apologize) Anyways… Stumpknockers restaurant has been known for years as a great place for food, drinks, and just being able to kickback. They are in fact right on the river with plenty of outdoor seats as well as what some would call a tiki bar. If you are looking for something a little more ‘restaurant like’, don’t worry they have indoor seating also.

On this particular visit (my first in over 10 years and my mothers first time there ever) we were seated inside but had to move outside because of where they sat us was frigidly cold. We commented to the waitress about it and she told us that it has to be cold in there cause the servers work so hard they sweat so much. Later we told the host and he said that the thermostat was set at 80 (Ain’t no way). So, since neither of us had a quilt or a ski jacket we decided to move outside to the deck.

Now enjoying our new (not cold) seats and I get my salad and mom gets her soup. My salad had cucumbers on it and I had asked for it not to have them on it…. Geesh it sounds like I am doing nothing but complaining about our visit, but honestly I want to say now before you think this is a bad review that we did enjoy the food and the atmosphere. The server was very nice but not a very good listener and did not keep our drinks filled.

Ok, lets get to the main course. My order was broiled scallops and shrimp, with a veggie medley and a baked potato. The scallops (4) were almost cooked perfectly, as were the shrimp (5). The size of my main course was a little small for the price but it really was delicious. In the past I would always order fried shrimp at this kind of restaurant but I have come to the conclusion that most any person can fry a shrimp, it takes a little skill to either grill or broil them well. The sides were basic with no frills.

Overall the meal was really good, the atmosphere was wonderful with the perfect Central Florida country evening, and I will be back… Just hope for a different server… and I will bring a blanket just in case.

www.stumpknockers.net

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WBIL-Tuskegee Alabama

Posted on May 27, 2012 by thep5909

In late May of 2012 after I stopped by to visit a friend of mine in Tuskegee Alabama I found myself headed south towards the lake front town of Eufaula. Not far out of Tuskegee in rural Alabama stands what looks from the distance like an military barracks (think along the lines of the old t.v. show Gomer Pyle, that main building that they always found themselves in). As I neared the building I could see from the road a radio antenna behind it in a field and the letters WBI hanging on the front of the building.

Well, my curious mind wanted to know more. So on this beautiful southern afternoon I drove up the driveway. See, my personal background comes from working in various radio stations in North Carolina in the late ’80s to Florida in the early 2000s. When I pulled up I could see the place had been empty for quite a while. There was a handful of cassette tapes scattered around in the grass along with some record albums, and even old documents from the early days of WBIL.

The grass around the building was terribly high and there was plenty of bees that made their presence known as if they were on guard for this radio relic. Slowly I walked around the building, secretly in hopes to find a door or a decent opening with no luck. But I was able to get a view inside a couple of broken windows and visualize what it must have been like when the station was the hottest thing in the area. For this current generation they will never know what it was like to call the local d.j. to make a request for a song that would either make you happy or make you forget that you were sad, AND actually have the d.j. play it for them. Those were the days…

So, after I got back in my car I thought ‘lemme see if there is still a live feed on am 580. Sure enough, there is. They now play gospel music. I heard some of the classic gospel songs from Mahalia Jackson and other urban gospel acts. Apparently WBIL is still operating from downtown Tuskegee Alabama. They proudly serve from Auburn to Columbus Georgia with faith based programming. In this day and age that mom and pop radio stations are closing down it is good to see that this station has survived 60 years. When I pulled up the info online I could see that WBIL is a part of a group of stations but not a part of the massive corporate groups* that have killed the enjoyment of radio. I do hope that WBIL will last another 60 years, its not likely but I hope they do.

*For more information on corporate radio and the effect on your listening pleasure look for the documentary Before The Music Dies at the time of this posting the documentary is available through HULU.com

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Horseshoe Beach, Florida 2012

Posted on May 8, 2012 by thep5909

In the late 1930′s almost no one lived on the coastal property that is known as Horseshoe Beach. Well, this is according to my mom who grew up in the nearby town of Cross City, Florida. She tells me that her first visit to the fishing town was in the late 30′s and many more times in the 40′s. Now when you visit you will see expensive condos, narrow roads, canals, and virtually No beach. The actual beach of Horseshoe Beach was taken by expensive vacation homes that sit on stilts with the hopes to avoid any flooding in the “just in case” a tropical storm comes in off the Gulf of Mexico (which is inevitable).

On this warm May afternoon my mother and I took the 19 mile drive West out of Cross City to the remote little town that has no red lights, and only one road in and one road out. On this particular Saturday there was a fishing tournament taking place that had the roads extra congested (both on the island and on the drive in).

When we got there we saw the very small strip mall on the right that consisted of a market, library, & marine goods store. It seems that may have been the extent of the shopping available in the area. There were a few signs for fishing cabin rentals and the one cafe almost to the end of the main drag.

If you are looking for a complete getaway from it all, I recommend you take the drive to this community. No malls, cell phone service is spotty, no Mc D’s, or any kind of fast food places. In a way this is still old Florida, even though there are condos, and high priced boats scattered around. One thing I can guarantee is that the sunsets there would be amazing… there is just something about the sunsets on the West coast of Florida that are a special kind of beautiful.

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TOUR de FARM

Posted on April 23, 2012 by thep5909

My daddy was a farmer for a lot of his life,hell even now in his eighties he still has a few acres that he grows a spring/summer garden. So when I heard about the event called Tour de Farm in Northeast Florida I got a lil bit excited. To some being around farmers, farmland, pigs, chickens, and the such is a culture shock. However even though I have spent most of my adult life in a metropolitan area I have a real connection to the country. So I set out to visit as many farms as I possibly could on this cool April Sunday afternoon.

 

Ok, lemme catch you up to what Tour de Farm is first. It is an event that is held annually in Northeast Florida that allows the public to visit various farms. The farms featured this year included goat farms, potato farms, vineyards, produce stands, and local educational centers. At each location you might get the chance eat some of the food grown at that farm, buy locally grown food or flowers, take your hand at milking a goat, pet a duck or even a hayride around the various farms with a guide to share what that farm does on a daily basis.

 

This year was my first year to visit the Tour de Farm but I had known about it last year. To my shock when I pulled into the first farm’s parking area, I was one of 200 cars. My first stop was The Black Hog Farm* in East Palatka, Fl. As I parked in the field across the street and headed over I got to smell that familiar smell of farmland and manure. City folks will say it smells like poop, country boys will say it smells like money…

As soon as I got there I could see a crowd at a seminar about the quality of fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat vs that of processed foods. There was another tent offering a service of delivery of fresh veggies. You could see a film crew that was there to film a documentary on the event. In the distance you could hear a folk group playing their traditional tunes for the group that was gathered for a lunch being served under the trees. My first thought was to get in line to eat but the line was extremely long, so I walk the farm. There I saw ducks, chickens, mules, oh yeah, and pigs… most were black if you were wondering.

I decided to move on to the next farm.

On the way to the next farm I found a produce stand along the route in front of a field of corn that still has a few weeks before it is ready for harvest. I stopped to buy some squash. Then I headed on the way, but I thought I would make another pit stop at the Bull’s Hit Store that was featuring a look at their agriculture museum. But there was no decent parking and I was anxious to get to another farm (since I know that the museum is open on a regular basis anyways).

The next farm I get to is in Hastings, Fl and is called Taters Farm*, specializing in….. potatoes. They also had a hay ride, as well as sunflowers,honey,cabbage, and a BBQ lunch for sale. I took advantage of the lunch and I am glad I did. the lunch comes from a little roadside spot that I have passed by for years named Smokin D’s BBQ and boy was it yummy. They offered either smoked pork or chicken, I got the pork with the sweet sauce & beans. As I grabbed a seat under the tree and began to eat a family sat down next to me. The son was about 6 and he had a plate of chicken and he pointed to it and asked his mom “Is this skin healthy for me?” and his mom replied “No son its not, but it is delicious so eat it”… with that,I fell in love…

My next stop was to be the Terk’s Acres Goat Farm* near St Augustine, Fl. On my drive over I decided to make a small detour to the farming community of Molasses Junction, Fl. There is not much there in this old Florida town but a few farm and an old time community store that includes a kitchen & a dance hall. So after I make a little pit stop to grab a drink I am on my way to the goat farm. Upon arrival to the farm on a small country road I am greeted with a major traffic jam that has cars lined up on each side of the road in the ditches. Seeing the families walking from the farm with gallons of goats milk, cheese, and soap I am getting ready to make my purchases.

First off I wanted to try the tacos that were being sold from the Corner Taco Food Truck, sadly I was told they had sold out. So I said hello to a couple of the goats on display and walked to the main building. Upon my arrival to the building I hear them say that they have sold out of the goat cheese & the milk was all frozen. Now lemme tell ya, I love goat cheese, I really love goat cheese. So, I was disappointed and decided to turn to the soaps being sold…. I probably would have bought some except for the fact that I could not even get near the area due to the dozens of people that were there buying what was left at the farm. So, I left Terk’s empty handed.

On that note I decided to head home and call it a day. If you decide to attend the next Tour de Farm I will let you you know a few things.

First off this is NOT an event that is handicap accessible, the terrain is rough at almost every location I went to.

Second I will tell you that if you have issues with Port a Pottys that is the only way to go to the restroom at the farms, plan accordingly.

Lastly I will say, wear shoes you do not mind getting dirty (sneakers)

 

*Black Hog Farm : www.blackhogfarm.com

*Tater Farms  : www.taterfarms.com

*Terk’s Acres Goat Farm : www.terksacres.com

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Cause Everybody Loves Pie

Posted on April 7, 2012 by thep5909

You may have come across this site in hopes to find the absolute best PIE recipe. At some point you just might find it on here. This site is committed to recognizing good food, quality recipes, small towns, traditions and Southern hospitality.

 

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