Big Jim's Oyster Bar, located in the swamps around Lake Seminole, about 15 miles below Donalsonville GA *****

Need Edna Earl even try to say more than this photo already says? Well, of course -- but later. In the meantime, just imagine for yourself -- and realize that Edna Earl has granted Big Jim's Oyster Bar (and here) the coveted compliment of FIVE STARS! Stay tuned to this very swamp.

Niki's West, Birmingham, AL *****

website: Niki’s West, Birmingham, Alabama

Lord! Edna Earl doesn’t know where to begin! Maybe at the big ol’ meandering parking lot, which attests to the popularity of the place. Parking attendants stationed throughout the extens ive lot make sure that things do move right along, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble snagging a parking spot, even if you arrive at peak hours.

Located across the street from the Alabama Farmer’s Market in an industrial neighborhood sandwiched between two interstate highways, Niki’s is a one-story low-slung building which with its canvas awning that stretches from the front door out into the parking lot evokes supper clubs and steakhouses of the 50s.

Speaking of that front door, HUNDREDS of Birminghamians show up just about every time it is opened. And the clientele is diverse. You’ll see everybody from tiny blue-haired Birmingham ladies to businessmen (lots o’ businessmen) to lawyer-types to mechanics to big ol’ former jocks sporting “UAB Sports Medicine Center” badges. The last time I was there I saw a coupla characters who defied even ol’ Edna Earl’s description!

Niki’s West is, among many other things, an exercise in efficiency. From the parking lot through the serving line (Niki’s is cafeteria-style), through the seating method, through the check-out, Niki’s is a veritable study in efficiency. They have mastered the art. It is no telling how many folks Niki’s serves in a given hour on just about any day they’re open. And it doesn’t matter how many folks are in line when you arrive as a customer, you can be assured that you’ll be in and outta there, and well-fed, well within an hour. And, they have so much seating space that it’s okay to linger, too, should that be your pleasure.

When you go, try your very best to look way ahead of you up the line and scope the offerings of the day so that you’ll be ready to order when it’s your turn – ‘cause if you’re not ready, you’ll get “yelled at” by the big ol’ guys on the serving line. Well, “yelled at” might not be quite the right term – ‘cause they did call Edna Earl “Sugar” when they “encouraged” her – but these guys’ first priority seems to be to move folks on along.

Now for the food. If Edna Earl tried to list all the items that Niki’s offers, this post would run so long that – well, it’s a moot point because EE couldn’t list everything anyway. Let’s just say that on any given day Niki’s offers at least 8 meats, at least 20 vegetables, let's say around 30 salad items, a full array of desserts, and several breads. And everything Edna Earl has eaten there so far has been good! Niki’s mostly serves traditional Southern fare, but EE thought she detected a hint of “Greek.” And sure enough, after her first trip to Niki’s she did a little research and learned that indeed Niki is Greek. The family has apparently been in the restaurant business in Birmingham for a long time.

Edna Earl's research also yielded the fact that the Southern Foodways Alliance has interviewed members of the Niki’s family, and you can read that online if you’d like to:
http://www.southernfoodways.com

Edna Earl can’t leave Niki’s without saying a word about the women who run the check-out station – the cashiers. If ever ol’ Edna Earl saw two “dolled up” women, these are they! PLATINUM hair, tons of make-up, low-cut sparkly dresses, flashy nails, heaps of “jewelry” … You get the picture – and they take yo money and say a few kind words – encourage you to come back, that sort of thing. But even that is done efficiently. Those two Dolly Parton look-alikes are also the fastest two change-makers and card processors ol’ Edna Earl has ever encountered! EE really wanted to linger a bit in order to catch the “just between themselves” gossip these two were engaged in slightly beneath the volume of their public “thank you sirs” and “yall come backs,” but alas, ol’ Edna Earl was moved right along so efficiently that she didn’t have even a minute to eavesdrop. And everybody who knows anything about Edna Earl knows that eavesdropping is a major reason she even goes to a restaurant in the first place!

So will Edna Earl return to Niki’s West? Definitely. Time and time again. But not on a day when she wants a quiet, relaxing meal. Instead, she’ll go to Niki’s when she wants a huge choice of Southern/Greek-inspired fare, an even bigger helping of people-watchin’, and a totally energized, efficient dining experience.

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!

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.

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.

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!

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!