I am one of those guys that really likes variety - a lot. Don’t ask my
wife, Jeanie, about that because it probably drives her crazy
sometimes. Still, I do have my favorites and, fortunately, some of my
favorites match up with Jeanie’s likes, too. We don’t limit ourselves
to Meat and Three’s only, but we do make the rounds together when we
can.
After having been gone most of the day Friday, I was looking forward to
a nice, relaxing night with just Jeanie. All three of the kids had
plans that included overnight stays with friends or family, so a night
of peace and quiet was sounding better by the moment. The first order
of business was to find something to eat and the choice was Jeanie’s,
since she had been busy all day long with the kids while I was gone,
and she deserved it. As you may have read on my previous post, I had
already enjoyed a catfish meal for lunch. When Jeanie mentioned an
interest in catfish for dinner, I “almost” thought about traveling that
route again for supper. That would have been pushing it, I guess.
Besides, I knew there were other options.
Have you ever been to the
Star Café [
http://www.meatandthree.com/tn/starcafe/] in Goodlettsville, Tennessee? Their slogan claims that they are the “
Home of the World’s Best Fried Chicken”.
Well, I enjoyed some of that chicken Friday night, along with mashed
‘tators, black-eyed peas, cornbread and, you guessed it, sweet tea.
Jeanie ordered the catfish, the mashed ‘tators and black-eyed peas and
was well pleased with her choices.
I have been to the Star Café many times, both the one in
Goodlettsville
and the one that was previously open in Whites Creek, at the corner of
Old Hickory Blvd. and Whites Creek Pike. When the Whites Creek location
closed, my co-workers and I and my family were disappointed - we really
liked the atmosphere and the food. The building had some history to it
and the mix of people that showed up at the various times we went were
interesting. They had live entertainment, too, on Friday and/or
Saturday nights.
When one of my co-workers, Randy, heard that a new "Star" had opened in
Goodlettsville, we made the short drive there one day, and have made
many trips since. Some of the things were familiar from the old Star
Café, like the old table whose legs consist of blue jeans and boots,
and the flat wooden western guy with a cigar in his mouth, hanging on
the wall. Knick-knacks and photos and various antiques make up an
interesting décor in this older home that has been transformed into a
great little Meat and Three. During the summer months, you’re likely to
see some vegetables growing right in front of the building and Friday
nights will find some form of live music brought by local talent.
Well, our little date began nicely with a very satisfying meal, and we
rented a couple of movies and enjoyed a really nice and relaxing
evening that was long overdue. You remember the variety I mentioned
earlier? Well, a funny thing happened after church Sunday. We found
ourselves at Star Café again. The whole crew was there, along with a
couple of the girls’ “friends”. You know what that means, don’t you?
Dad gets the bill, and man oh man, these guys know how to eat!!!
Hey, we’re just glad they were all here and we were all together. With
the holidays coming up, enjoying meals and times like these are a
reminder of what it’s all about. Getting a taste of those times in the
everyday moments is special. Between the seven of us, we hit most of
the meats (fried chicken, meat loaf, turkey and gravy, baked ham) and
the vegetables (mashed ‘tators, green beans, crowder peas, black-eyed
peas, mac and cheese, broccoli casserole). You can count on it - we
will be back.
One thing I just thought of: with the claim that the Star Café makes in their slogan, I am just wondering when
Bobby Flay is going to show up with a throwdown challenge.
Who knows? It could happen.
