Marie's, Oxford, Mississippi ****

Mississippi Lebanese food, and excellent in this case. The six people in Edna Earl's party ordered all sorts of different dishes, and all were terrific. They had hummus, and stuffed grape leaves, and kebbeh (a sort of meat loaf), and a dish that was green beans and rice, and "Marie's casserole" (a little similar to moussaka), and baklava and Lebanese cheesecake, and Turkish coffee and several other dishes the names of which Edna Earl doesn't even know! (Edna Earl does love a mystery!)

EE understands that Marie's had a previous very successful incarnation in a building on the Courthouse Square, but that it has recently re-opened, after a several-year haitus during which time Marie, the Lebanese owner, went back to graduate school and got a graduate degree in math, somebody said. Oxford locals seem very happy to have Marie's back in business. We arrived about 11:30 AM on a Friday, and before we finished our meal the place was full.

The present location is a not very interesting building in a not very interesting strip mall. In fact, the strip mall location and a not very friendly waitress (We decided she was depressed.) are the only reasons Edna Earl is not giving Marie's five stars.

The interior of the place is tastefully decorated, with white tablecloths and white paper on top of the tablecloths. Marie's could work well for a "ladies' lunch" spot, or for a business lunch, or for a group of friends, or for a well-behaved family meal.

Oxford, Mississippi, already boasted a number of good eatin' places. Now it has one more. Thanks, Marie's, for an exceptional lunch.

Farmer's Market Cafe, Montgomery, Alabama *****

Located in the shadow of the Alabama State Capitol, the Farmer's Market Cafe is one of those places that make me glad to be alive. Yep, it's a winner -- for the scene at least as much as for the food. I mean, the food's fine, and some of it is really good, but it's the scene that steals the show. Housed in a long, low concrete block building, The Farmer's Market Cafe features one big dining room that seats probably a hundred folks. And those folks -- well, this is what makes the place so interesting -- those folks include scores of Alabama senators and representatives, lots of people who work in the various government offices, the guys who work in the nearby machine shop, blue-haired ladies from across town, and 'most anybody else -- maybe even the Governor hisself! The Farmer's Market Cafe is a veritable study in the population of Montgomery, Alabama. You'll find there the bluest of bloods, seated right next to the bluest of collars.

I did happen to notice that the clientele of The Farmer's Market Cafe is decidedly more male than female. While there were a few women customers, there were by far more men in attendance on the day we were there -- which leads me to wonder that if a woman were, say, looking for an Alabama husband, a few lunches at The Farmer's Market Cafe might not be a bad investment of time and money.

The arrangement of the interior of the place is a definite contributing factor to the scene. There are booths around the walls, but the backs of the booths are very low so that nobody's view is obstructed. There's absolutely no privacy in The Farmer's Market Cafe. There's no place for a couple of folks to hide and engage in an intimate conversation. No, no. Everything's completely out in the open. And I have a sneakin' feelin' that that's completely by design. The space in the middle of the room features a few big round tables that seat eight or people, but far more of the middle-of-the-room space is taken up with rows of rectangular four-top tables pushed almost together to make eight-tops, producing a result that winds up being more or less communal seating. There's a lot of friendly talk in The Farmer's Market Cafe, all of a decided Southern variety. There's talk among folks at individual tables, talk between the customers and the very friendly and capable waitresses, talk from table to table. And, I strongly suspect that, what especially with all the lawyers and politicos that frequent the place, The Farmer's Market Cafe is a place where, you know, "The deal gets did," if ya know what I mean. I could be totally wrong, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn that a good bit of Alabama law got decided in The Farmer's Market Cafe.

Here's a conversation we heard at the other end of our table where two three-piece lawyers were having lunch: The waitress walked up and one of the men introduced the waitress to the other man. (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)
Lawyer Number One: "Harold, this is Barbara Gordy. Barbara, this is Harold Dempsey."
Lawyer Number Two (Harold Dempsey): "Barbara Gordy? Nice to meet you, Barbara. Gordy? You kin to Al Dozier?"
Waitress (Barbara Gordy): "Yes. I married into the Faulkner side of the family."
Both Lawyers: "Oh, yes, sure." and "Uh-huh. I see. Yes."
At this point all three parties expressed complete understanding and agreement. The two lawyers seemed to know exactly what the waitress's comment had meant, and the conversation quickly moved to another topic.

I was intrigued.

The place is not pretentious. It has plywood paneled walls decorated with photographs of Alabama sports teams and athletes. There's a big map of the State of Alabama, and a replica of the Alabama State Seal. Hell, for all I know, it's the REAL Alabama State Seal! There's a hand-lettered sign at the beginning of the cafeteria line that reads, "Just hang up!" There's another similar sign at the check-out counter.


Now to the food: The cafeteria line serves an especially bountiful array of traditional Southern specialities, among them numerous homemade desserts. We had a blackberry cobbler that was particularly outstanding. Plastic, divided plates are the order of the day, and (thank goodness) stainless steel utensils and paper napkins. Pitchers of sweet and unsweet tea, and ice-filled plastic glasses (two each person, the reason for which I'm not quite sure) are brought to your table. A little surprise comes at the end of your meal when a waitress comes by to ask what flavor of ice cream you'd like -- on the house. We asked for vanilla and were each brought a little round, old-fashioned, cardboard container of vanilla ice cream.

So, for its food, for its friendly and capable waitresses, for its scene, for its "Hang up the phone!" signs, for its little free ice-creams, for its so proud display of the Alabama State Seal, I hereby declare The Farmer's Market Cafe a five-star institution. So said this nineteenth day of June, two thousand and eight. Long may the Alabama Farmer's Market Cafe prevail!

Uncle Mort's, Jasper, Alabama *****

NOTICE: This review was originally written before Uncle Mort's mets its untimely demise. Alas, Uncle Mort's no longer exists -- except in Edna Earl's fond memories.

Okay, Edna Earl's ol' man and her children think she's absolutely CRAZY for lovin' Uncle Mort's so much, and EE herself can't figure out exactly why she does, but she does. It's one of those mysteries of the universe, EE guesses. Okay, Edna Earl will try to explain. First, she loves the downright funkiness of the place. Uncle Mort's is located in an ol' barnlike building with an "antiques shoppe" attached. The inside of the restaurant has wood paneled walls with a locally painted (EE assumes.) mural and with autographed photographs of various Alabama celebrities (members of the band Alabama, others whose names escapes EE right now). Uncle Mort's specializes in smoked meats, which makes it even weirder that EE likes the place, since she's not much of a meat eater. But again, EE loves the sheer funkiness of the place. Oh, EE forgot to tell you that the expansive grounds feature some abandoned animal effigies that appear to have been part of some previous incarnation of the place -- concrete pigs, a carousel pony, that sort of thing. And there's a big house up the hill, still on what appears to be the grounds of the place, and EE has always assumed that that's where Uncle Mort himself lives. Therein lies part of the mystery, too.

Now for the food: Uncle Mort's serves very good ol' Southern breakfasts -- eggs and grits and biscuits and the works, and also pancakes. Edna Earl is usually there at lunch, for a roadstop, so she doesn't usually do the breakfast thing, though she certainly has and found it fine. EE's favorite lunch order is: cold sliced turkey, baked potato, salad with bleu cheese dressing, bread. Now, this doesn't sound very adventurous, but it's a great taste combination. They have really good bleu cheese dressing, something EE don't regularly order because the lame imitations at most places so turn me off. Not Uncle Mort's, though -- His bleu cheese dressing has big ol' chunks of real bleu cheese in it. Also, EE likes the simplicity of the plate. So often when you order a "plate lunch" at a Southern restaurant you get a whole bunch of soggy, overcooked, under-seasoned vegetables. Not so at Uncle Mort's. EE doesn't know that they have a single vegetable on the menu! (Again, this is a real reversal for me; Edna Earl is a vegetable lover. But there's something about Uncle Mort's ...) And, oh, the "dinner salad" is a little unusual. No limp iceberg and chopped tomatoes for Uncle Mort -- no, no. Uncle Mort's salads do have iceberg lettuce, but said lettuce is crisp and cool, and it's imaginatively accompanied by a piece of watermelon rind pickle, a piece of spiced, pickled crabapple, and several black olives. Yum -- and definitely NOT same-old, same-old.

Uncle Mort's clientele is comprised largely of older folks, with an occasional family in for Sunday dinner. EE can't recall ever having seen a teenager or twenty-something or thirty-something in there, and she's visited Uncle Mort's many a time.

Long live Uncle Mort's, if only for folks like Edna Earl!

Durbin Farms, Interstate 65, Clanton, Alabama ****

Durbin Farms is a great place to stop and take a break from the road. A right spiffy produce market with a nice little soup/sandwich/ice cream cafe attached, Durbin offers plenty of space for you to stretch your legs in the produce market and on the expansive grounds before or after your meal. The place is locally owned and operated. There are picnic tables and lots of other places to sit outside as well as tables inside, so it's a good place for those traveling with dogs and kids to give some run-around time. Durbin's sandwiches are delicious, and the whole place most pleasant. Folks LINE UP for the ice cream. It must be good. (Alas, I love ice cream, but, ya know ...)

Go Durbin Farms! Wish there were more like ya!
http://www.durbinfarms.org

Oh, Durbin Farms is located between Birmingham and Montgomery, at exit 205 off Interstate 65. It's a little nearer Montgomery than Birmingham.

The Four Winds, Cusseta, Georgia ***

Oh, Lordy. Let's just put it this way: The Four Winds, located on the edge of Fort Benning, home of the U.S. Army Ranger Training School, is the home of the world famous Ranger Burger ... and the Master Gunner Burger, and the Sniper Burger and the Special Forces Burger ... You get the idea. These burgers are HUMONGOUS -- real heartstoppers. Should you want to know, there's an annual Ranger Burger eating contest.

The Ranger Burger also serves a very good fried catfish plate, and they serve steaks and a few other items.

The place is a weird mish-mash of put-together rooms and buildings that have evolved over time. What some folks don't know is that down underneath all that is a plastic log cabin. I kid you not. At one point, in one of its incarnations, the Four Winds (I think it had a different name then.) had an exterior that was a plastic log cabin. But, alas, the plastic log cabin has been covered over with something more, well, tasteful.

Do not, however, despair that the place has been too gentrified. It has not. Case in point: My favorite element of The Four Winds -- their sign out front. Mounted very high on a pole in the middle of the parking lot is a big plastic sign that sports a huge hamburger from one side of which a paratrooper is parachuting, and from the other side of which a soldier (My guess is it's a Ranger.) is rapalling. I guess the owners had the thing custom made, 'cause I seriously doubt that there's another one like it in the whole wide world.

Mel Gibson has eaten in the Four Winds. Yep. He was in town for the filming of the movie We Were Soldiers, and he stopped in at the Four Winds. I hear that the waitresses weren't even impressed. One of them was quoted in the newspaper as having commented, "He was just another customer to me."

Speaking of service at The Four Winds, it needs help. There's this one terrific waitress there, but she's so overworked it's pitiful. I think the place lacks in the management division.

The clientele is as interesting as the food. The dining room is huge, and it's occupied by a combination of Rangers just in from the field, deer hunters, and all sorts of other locals, including the Chattahoochee County High Sheriff who's usually perched at the table near the door, overseeing the speed trap his deputies operate out on Highway 26. (Don't say you ain't been warned.)

So, long live places like The Four Winds. It's just that I don't wanna go too often -- ya know?

Po, West Village, Manhattan ****

Last night was Edna Earl's second trip to Po. Edna Earl likes Po. It's a bit costlier than what EE likes to spend for a meal (She dropped sixty bucks for two courses -- a salad and an entree -- and two glasses of wine.), but the food was good and the waiters were nice and she likes the European feel of the place, and she likes the neat little street, Cornelia, where Po is located. And every now and then, ya know, Edna Earl just loves a little session with a white tablecloth.

The "roasted guinea hen" was good and certainly not something Edna would fix (or even be able to buy) at home, so that was a treat for EE. Her other course was a beet salad. It was okay, but nothing she'd write home about -- and the greens of the salad were so unwieldly that they were impossible to wrangle into her mouth -- so she left 'em be.

EE understands that Po's real specialty is its pastas. She did not have a pasta last night, but she did have a pasta on my first visit to Po and found it superb -- better, probably, than what she had last night. So, Edna Earl will definitely go back to Po, soon as she saves up some $, but she'll likely order a pasta next time.

Oh, one thing about Po: She wishes the place had been a little quieter. EE's dinner partner and she could barely make conversation across our small table. But, it's New York, where finding a quiet restaurant is a challenge.

Some Thoughts About Restaurants In General

UTENSILS: Call her a snob, but Edna Earl hates to be asked to "Keep your fork, please." Anytime a waiter asks her to keep her fork, EE wants to say, "No, thank you." But she doesn't. She's polite and keeps her fork. Problem is, where is one supposed to keep it? Your plate is at that point in time being taken away (else you wouldn't be asked to keep your fork), so the only place left to keep said fork is on the table -- right? Well, Edna Earl says "Yuck!" -- on two counts: First, food from the fork could well soil the tablecloth or tabletop; second, the table might well contaminate the fork! EE just does not think it would be too much trouble or expense for restaurants to provide replacement utensils when some are taken away.

Further ruminations in the utensil department: Edna Earl hates plastic utensils. I mean, come on, folks -- stainless steel utensils are cheap. Edna Earl knows, because she admits to having bought them herself. Plus, they're reusable -- for years and years and years! EE just find it hard to believe that it's cheaper to buy, store, and continuously replace plastic utensils than it is to invest in some stainless utensils and a machine to wash them. Okay, EE realizes that a person will have to be employed to wash utensils, but she understands that dishwashers don't cost much.

Same goes for styrofoam "plates." And, on an ethical note -- Edna Earl is afraid that you're killing the universe with those plastic and styrofoam things.

DECOR: Please, no carpet on floors of restaurants! Nasty! Edna Earl doesn't even want to think about what might be lurking therein. Also, get rid of fluorescent lighting. Right now. Do it. And hide your &*%$ cleaning supplies. EE can't get over how many times she's been in a restaurant and cleaning supplies were in evidence. Except for those few rules, Edna Earl is very open-minded when it comes to restaurant decor. She likes everything from spartan to rococo -- provided the place is clean and friendly, and the lighting is appropriate.

SERVICE: Edna Earl wants a waiter who's nice. He or she doesn't have to be overly friendly -- in fact, EE would prefer that they not be -- she doesn't want a lot of apology, and she doesn't care to hear about said waiter's personal troubles. (There is a time and a place for that, EE opines, but when you're waiting her table is not the time.) What Edna Earl does want in a waiter is somebody who's nice to her. She absolutely does NOT want somebody who acts all snotty -- like EE's a stupid fool because she's not familiar with the place or might not know what some obscure menu item is.

Several of EE's own children have worked off and on in the food industry, so she knows that the life of a waiter is a difficult one. She appreciates the challenge. Believe me, she does. But she also appreciates, as the customer, being treated with respect. Most of the time that is exactly what she gets, but occasionally ...

NOISE LEVEL: Edna Earl really doesn't know what a restaurant can do, exactly, about its noise level, but often she's in a restaurant where the noise level just seems to her to be "off." Usually the place is too loud. EE likes to be able to carry on a conversation with others at her table, ya know. Very rarely she's in a place where the noise level is, weirdly enough, too low. That is, nobody's talking -- everything's all uptight and there's so little conversation that if EE does say something she feels as if everybody in the place hears her. Again, EE doesn't know exactly what a restaurant can do about this (except maybe consider "background music" and its effect?).

Now, one more thing: Unless this is a sports bar or some other special place, TURN OFF THE FRIGGIN' TV!

THE FOOD: No matter how formal or informal the restaurant, no matter how expensive or how inexpensive, no matter whether the decor is simple or elaborate, no matter where the restaurant is located, it should be obvious to any customer that the folks who run the place actually know something about food. Edna Earl is totally amazed that sometimes somebody throws up a restaurant, and opens the doors and starts serving something without knowing very much at all about food. Now, EE is not saying that one must be formally educated to know about food. No, no. A diploma from The Cordon Bleu School is absolutely not one of ol' Edna Earl's requirements. The very best cook EE ever knew probably didn't go to school a day in her life. She grew up in the backwoods of rural Georgia. But she knew more local ingredients and how to prepare them than anybody Edna Earl has met before or since -- and that knowledge revealed itself loud and clear in Mary Eva Ward's beyond superb cooking.

Smokey Pig, Columbus, Georgia and Phenix City, Alabama *****

Okay, let it be said right now, and in no uncertain terms: SMOKEY PIG BARBEQUE in Columbus, Georgia, and Phenix City, Alabama, serves the absolute hands-down BEST barbeque sandwich in the world. In fact, it serves the QUINTESSENTIAL barbeque pork sandwich. Don't let anybody tell you different. Trust ol' Edna Earl. Or, if you don't trust her, go try a buncha other barbeque sandwiches. It won't be long before you'll find yourself trottin' your two little hooves right on back to The Pig, as she's lovingly known -- and you'll walk right up to that counter (or drive right up to that window if you're in Columbus) and order, "One sliced pork sandwich, please." And the rest is heaven.

The stew (Brunswick stew, for those readers who might not know) is good, too, as are the fries and the slaw and the tea. But it's the sandwich that truly rises to the occasion. Now, Edna Earl's not going to reveal exactly where she's from, but she will let you know that she's from a place where, well, there's a LOT of competition when it comes to barbeque. And Edna Earl's tellin' ya right now -- When it comes to the quintessential barbeque sandwich, there IS no competition. It's SMOKEY PIG, all the way.

Minnie's, Columbus, Georgia ***

Minnie's is a local institution in Columbus, and deservedly so. It's cafeteria-style -- You carry a tray through a line where the women servers behind the line ask you "Whatchoo want, Darlin?" "You want some gravy on that, Sweetie?" "Cornbread or biscuit, Honey?" This kinds talk gets on ol' sweet Edna Earl's nerves, to tell you the truth, but some folks seem to like it. And, oh yeah, it don't matter WHO you are -- you're gonna get the "Honey" and "Sweetie" and "Darlin" bit.

Food is good but not great. It's traditional Southern, cooked by somebody who is an okay cook but not one of the masters. (There are those whose Southern cooking is, somehow, by some mysterious stroke, a cut above the others. Minnie's is not one of those.) That is, it's okay, but it ain't inspired. Edna Earl suspects that many of the vegetables are of the canned or, at very best, frozen variety.

Minnie's dining room is huge, with several different rooms, actually, and you're liable to see anybody in there. Since Minnie's is near the courthouse, it's a favorite of the legal crowd.

Edna Earl has recently several times been put off by the fact that the place often smells of Lysol.

One thing Edna Earl does like about Minnie's is the fact that you get your own little pitcher of tea, so you don't have to depend on somebody to come fill your glass.

One thing Edna Earl doesn't like about Minnie's is the PLASTIC UTENSILS! Would it be too much trouble to have real forks and spoons and knives?! And styrofoam plates give Edna Earl the heebie-jeebies, too.

Still, Minnie's is a great place for a local experience.

Caroline's, Apalachicola, Florida ****

In recent years Edna Earl has only eaten breakfast at Caroline's -- but what a breakfast! Their breakfast menu is amazing! There are so many offerings that EE can't begin to list 'em -- and each one sounds absolutely delectable -- too much for breakfast, really. Okay, on second thought EE will try to list some of what's on the menu: There's bountiful omelettes of all varieties, a number of other egg dishes (Benedict, etc.), homemade pancakes with tempting sides, fruits galore, homemade breads, grits, various seafood dishes ...

Okay, Edna Earl is going to do something she usually doesn't do. She's going to include a link to the menu:
http://www.apalachicolariverinn.com/breakfast.html

Now, see why Edna Earl is impressed?

EE's recent trip to Caroline's was with three other people. Each of EE's party ordered something different, and all loved their food. Service was great, too, and you can't beat the setting there on the shaded deck overlooking the very place where the Apalachicola River flows into the Gulf of Mexico.

At a table near EE's group were seated a party of Europeans who were obviously having trouble ordering in English. The waitress could not have been more helpful, and the European visitors left Caroline's with stories of a very pleasant American (and Southern) experience, Edna Earl suspects.

The only reason Edna Earl is not giving Caroline's a fifth star right yet is that in recent years she's only eaten breakfast there, and just the once. She's going to try to go back soon and have lunch or supper so that then she'll feel confident about that very hard-to-get fifth ol' Edna Earl star! In the meantime -- You go, Caroline's!

Pirate's Cove, Colquitt, Georgia **

Edna Earl and her ol' man have eaten here a couple of times, only because they were on the road, hungry, got to Colquitt and their favorite, Tarrer Inn, was closed. Pirate's Cove is a make-do sort of place. Meat and three, served in a right depressing space that reminds EE of a dank, humid church social hall. Food (the usual -- fried chicken and vegetables, banana pudding ...) is served from one of those buffet "food trough" lines. Local folks in there seem to be having a good time, but the food and the place are both a little too "subsistence" for Edna Earl, who's always ready to get outta there and hit the road.

Gibson Inn, Apalachicola, Florida **

What a wonderful dining room! Edna Earl just wishes that the food matched the room. They're trying too hard with the food. Calm down, folks. Take a lesson from the Tarrer Inn up the road in Colquitt, Georgia. And look around your beautiful, historic dining room and take a lesson from the space, too. See how very simple and very elegant it is? Subtle, restrained, traditional -- no? Why not just serve good, traditional food rather than try for something all super-internationalized and hyper-gentrified -- something that often doesn't work? (Edna Earl gets the distinct impression that there's one of those Iron Chef wannabes back there in the kitchen.)

For such high-priced food, Edna Earl couldn't get over how UNgarnished the plates were. Restraint is one thing; PLAIN is another. One of the two meals Edna Earl and her chums ate at The Gibson was breakfast. The next day EE's group ate breakfast across the street at Caroline's, and she'll have to say that Caroline's WAY outdid the Gibson -- certainly in terms of how appetizing the plate LOOKED. (Tasted better, too, and offered more choices, and the service was much better.)

Service at The Gibson was fine once EE's party finally got some, but they waited so long (more than half an hour), that one of the group finally got up and got some menus from a stack near the door.

The place just didn't seem to have their act together. Edna Earl thinks they're trying to define themselves. There's such a wealth of good ingredients there in Apalachicola, one of the seafood capitals of the world -- looks like the folks at The Gibson could look to traditions for some guidance.

The Owl, Apalachicola, Florida *

What a crock. Overpriced food, rude waiter. There were seven in Edna Earl's party, and not one reported having liked the food. There was this appetizer that -- well, yuck. GREASY comes as close to describing it as Edna Earl will venture. Three in EE's party tasted the thing and then left it alone for the rest of the evening. Edna Earl didn't particularly like the physical place, either. It felt dark and closed in. Maybe it was where Edna Earl's party was seated (upstairs), but it just was not a pleasant place. EE had heard that The Owl was good, but boy were she and her friends disappointed. EE hopes she hit it on a bad night. But, it was so bad that she doesn't know that I'll go again.

Tarrer Inn, Colquitt, Georgia *****

If Edna Earl is anywhere NEAR South Georgia, she tries to stop in for a meal at Tarrer Inn. Located in a very nicely restored inn on the Courthouse Square in the little bitty town of Colquitt, Georgia, Tarrer Inn is no diner. Rather, it's a very nicely appointed "Sunday Dinner" sort of place, with white tablecloths and nice serving pieces. Now, don't get the wrong idea; Tarrer is not all frou-frou and pretentious, but it is nice and comfortable and reminds Edna Earl of family sit-down Sunday dinners from way back when she growing up. The food is served buffet style, but it's not one of those "all you can eat food trough" set-ups which Edna Earl despises. The food is served from chafing dishes -- they even have this giant seashell thing from which you can dip ice cream. Waiters bring your iced tea and keep your tea glass filled. The food is delicious, too, and very traditional -- fried chicken, baked chicken, baked ham, roast beef, all the traditional Southern vegetables you can think of, cornbread, biscuits, several salads, homemade pies, ice cream ... really a LARGE selection of very carefully prepared food. At about ten dollars a person last time Edna Earl visited, the cost is a little more than other "meat and threes," but EE would never put Tarrer Inn in the same classification as a "meat and three." It's much nicer.

Edna Earl likes the scene at Tarrer, too. It's not at all stuffy. There are all sorts of local folks in there talking, greeting each other, and sharing news. Let's put it this way: Tarrer Inn is a place your grandmother would love -- and you will, too.

Tarrer sets the standard that Edna Earl wishes a lot of other Southern restaurants would strive for.

One heads-up: Tarrer is open some weekdays, but they have a bit of a weird schedule. Twice Edna Earl has driven quite a distance to get there and found Tarrer closed -- so check the schedule before you go drivin' all the way to Colquitt.

Another heads-up: If you're in the mood for an adult beverage, you're outta luck. Tarrer Inn is not a drinking establishment. Listen to ol' Edna Earl -- It's your fantasy sweet Southern Grandma's dining room table -- on a Sunday back in time.

Ajax Diner, Courthouse Square, Oxford, Mississippi *****

Now here's a place that's close to Edna Earl's heart. Traditional Southern food, in a diner setting, with a little somethin' extra -- and it's always a GOOD somethin' extra. EE's personal favorite order is a vegetable plate with fried eggplant, collard greens, black-eyed peas, coleslaw -- or whatever vegetable combination is in season -- with cornbread, of course. The mashed potatoes are a favorite, as are the chicken an' dumplins and a local specialty called "Comeback Sauce" (somethin' to do with football? Edna Earl is no sports fan.). Mixed drinks and wine and beer are available. Ajax sports a lively scene, pretty much any time of day or night, with a bar up front and restaurant seating a few steps into the place. The world's best waitresses work at Ajax Diner on the Square in Oxford, Mississippi -- no kiddin'. They're SMART as whips, too.

Ajax is a favorite of the whole Mississippi Manning family -- so you're liable to see Eli, Archie, and Peyton, as well as the Manning wives and mothers. You might just catch a glimpse of other famous Mississippians in here, too -- so between bites be sure to keep a lookout. Warning: Portions are HUGE at Ajax, so come hungry. You'll come back, for sure.

Xavier's, Piermont, New York ****

Xavier's is a decided step up for an admitted diner junkie. No diner, Xavier's -- non, non! Xavier's is tres shi-shi -- one of those places where you get many courses (I think I counted six.), of about a tablespoon of food each course. Impeccable service, interesting food, quiet, intimate setting -- definitely a fine place for a special occasion dinner, which mine was. I understand that one must make reservations months in advance. This was my second time at Xavier's. Shi-shi food is not really my thing -- not that I don't like it or am afraid of it -- but because it's often overpriced, over-wrought, frequently served by rude waiters in loud, overcrowded dining rooms -- but Xavier's completely avoids all those too-faddy pitfalls. Again, for a special occasion evening, Xavier's is pretty close to perfect.

Cozy Soup 'n Burger, Broadway near 8th, Manhattan ***

This is my second favorite diner in Greenwich Village (second to The Waverly). The waiters here are a little less friendly, but the food is good. They have these humongous hamburgers that hamburger people (I'm not one.) seem to like. Also, the milkshake people seem to flock here, too. (I'd like to be a milkshake person, but, alas, a weight consciousness prevents me.) The other night I arrived in New York on one of those damp, very chilly evenings. In the course of getting here and getting checked into my room I'd become drenched and thoroughly chilled, and hungry. So I popped over to the Cozy and ordered a cup of their French Onion Soup. Boy, did it ever hit the spot! So thanks, Cozy Soup 'n Burger, for being there when I needed you.

The Waverly Restaurant, West Village, Manhattan *****

Okay, I admit it. I'm a diner junkie. And the Waverly is my all-time favorite. I've been coming to the Waverly for years, every chance I get. I love the Latino wait staff at The Waverly, for one thing. You just won't find any better. As far as food goes, the omelettes are the stand-out at The Waverly. They're served in a little skillet. The menu is HUGE. I don't see how in the world one little place can offer so much variety on a menu. The food isn't what I'd call gourmet, by any stretch, but it's fine for what it is -- diner food -- and the price is right and the service is wonderful and the place is spotless -- so I love it. Long live The Waverly!

Whole Foods, Union Square, Manhattan *

WHAT a disappointment. My buddy had told me how much fun he had loading up a tray and going upstairs to sit at the window and look out at the Union Square Park action while he ate his fresh food. My own experience, though, was nothing like that. Maybe it was partly because I was there at a very busy time, but it appeared to me to maybe be a place that's busy ALL the time. It's a big grocery store, complete with long check-out lines, where, after you've visited several of those "all you can load" food troughs you stand in line for a while, finally check out, and FINALLY take your loaded tray upstairs and fight for a place at communal tables. The utensils are all plastic, of course, which makes for a little difficulty with a salad. (I despise plastic utensils -- a pet peeve, I admit, but a sensible one.) The food itself looked "limp" to me -- as if it'd been in the trough for a while -- and nothing I ate tasted very good. Bottom line: The food in those troughs just looked a little too breathed on, coughed toward .... for me. And then to have to walk all over the store with it, and stand in line with it ... and then I wound up paying twelve bucks for a skimpy salad. No thanks. The place seems to me to be more of a fad than anything. There were lots of teenagers in there, probably thinking that they're contributing to the salvation of the universe by eating at a place called "Whole Foods."

Dojo, W. 4th St., Manhattan ****

Now, this is one of the very few places where I can stick to Weight Watchers core plan and eat good -- so I'm all about some Dojo. I had their "Vegetarian Special" that included brown rice, steamed vegetables, black bean soup, and Tahini dressing. But, one can also order all sorts of other dishes, and adult beverages, at Dojo. The prices are unbelievably low by New York standards -- $6.50 for some plates. I like the table opportunities, too -- you can sit outside, or inside near the window, or inside in a more enclosed space ... Dojo is just a few steps from the Angelika Film Center, so if you happen to be there and want a good, cheap meal -- pop into Dojo. Tell 'em Edna Earl sent ya.

Moustache, West Village, Manhattan *****

Yes, the little copper-topped tables are too close together; yes, there is this weird rule about ordering everything at the same time -- but I still love Moustache. I've taken scores of folks to Moustache, too, and everybody else I've taken seems to agree with me. It's Middle Eastern food -- falafel, pitza (yeah, they really spell it that way), tabbouleh, hummus, and this terrific dish called a Ouizi. I THINK that's how they spell it. It's pronounced the way you pronounce that gun -- OOZIE. It's sorta like a chicken pot pie made with phyllo. On the inside of the pie is an absolutely delectable mixture of rice, currants, carrots, almonds, chicken, and other goodies. It's served with a yogurt dressing. Somebody near me offered that one can order a vegetarian version of this dish, though it's not on the menu. And, one of the great things about Moustache is that the price is right. One can certainly eat for under fifteen bucks. And in New York, that's sayin' somethin'. So, for your money, you can't beat Moustache, located at 90 Bedford Street in the West Village. I read that they have a new location in the East Village, but I haven't been there yet.

Moustache doesn't take reservations. If you go after 7:00 PM, you'll probably have a wait.

Mustang Oil, Greensboro, Alabama *****

I love this place! It's exactly what it purports to be -- no more, no less. Well, it sorta is more -- 'cause some of the food really is good, and the scene is fun. And there's this terrific waitress who can remember the orders of at least 20 folks at one time! The place is a converted gas station which now serves as a very casual "restaurant," for lack of a better word. (Upscale it ain't.) It's also a community gathering place and, uh, "information disseminator," if ya know what I mean. (You can come here to catch up on all the latest news in the area.) Another thing I love about Mustang Oil is its diversity of clientele. You'll see everybody from the judge to the day laborer -- and you'll probably have a conversation with 'em. There are a number of tables, but lots of folks get take-out. The menu consists of barbeque and fried catfish, with all the trimmins'. They also have other items -- burgers, etc. And the French fries and coleslaw are really good. (No frozen French fries here -- thank god!) Beer is available, and, of course, lots and lots of sweet tea. The only negative I'd give Mustang Oil is that my party did not at all like the barbeque, but that's 'cause we're not from the region and every region has its own favorite type of barbeque. Folks in Greensboro probably love Mustang Oil barbeque. I myself, while I agreed with others in my party about the barbeque pork sandwiches, absolutely LOVE Mustang Oil's barbequed CHICKEN -- not at all dried out as lots of barbequed chicken is. Moist, flavorful -- yum! Mustang Oil, Edna Earl loves ya!