Mud Street Cafe, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
Carpeted stairs designed with a Victorian floral pattern lead down to the underground Mud Street Cafe in historic Eureka Springs. Colorful artwork decorates the limestone walls and covers the table tops and chair seats. A grand oak bar commands one wall of the dining area. From the moment we stepped into the cafe, we felt welcomed. The hostess and servers were fun and gracious. They assured us that their t-shirts’ inscription, “Heavily medicated for your safety,” referred to caffeine.
Our lunch selections were so fresh and delicious that we can only believe everything else is too. And my grilled cheese sandwich was unique. Served on pumpernickel rye bread, it oozed with yummy cheeses (provolone, Swiss and cheddar), sliced mushrooms, fresh spinach, sunflower seeds and sprouts. David had a towering, lean prime rib sandwich on light rye. And our friends enjoyed croissants stuffed with chicken salad made with grapes, walnuts and a hint of dill. Delicious!
Mud Street Cafek is known for its award-winning coffee, espresso drinks and desserts, but we’ll have to return another day to sample them. You’ll find the cafe at 22 G South Main Street.
The Palmetto Room, Cheraw, South Carolina
In the small town of Cheraw about 80 miles northeast of South Carolina’s state capital, Columbia, we got to enjoy some culinary “firsts” for us in a new restaurant at 129 Market Street, The Palmetto Room. To our delight, we truly enjoyed each of them.
Collard sandwich with fatback. Even a dining companion who has lived in South Carolina more than 30 years and whose mother is a South Carolina native had never heard of a collard sandwich! The cooked collared greens are served on cornbread cakes, with yummy chow-chow (cabbage/vegetable relish) and a skinny, hot green pepper (don’t know what it’s called) on the side. Some folks, like me, sprinkle vinegar on the collard greens. Fat back is fried pork fat, and only fat – no lean. It’s crisp and flavorful. What’s not to love about that? (Spare me the clogged arteries speech.)
Tomato pie. Yum! Sliced red tomatoes with mayo and lots of gooey melted cheddar cheese, baked in a pie crust. I want the recipe for this one!
Sweet potato pie. David was a big fan of this dessert. It’s much lighter than pumpkin pie, but the spices (cloves?) were too much for my palate. That was fine with David – it left more for him!
