Jimmy Mac's - June 14, 2012 - Pam's 2 Cents

It was great to be with the ASC gang again after my week at Emerald Isle. When Susan asked what we did at the beach and I said, "Absolutely nothing," she seemed surprised. I shouldn't have been surprised that she was surprised. Susan has the energy of three people, at least, and accomplishes more in an hour than I can get done in a week. I think it made her feel better when I said we did laugh a lot and make fun of our neighbors behind their backs. We also sat out on the deck at night enjoying choc-tails and watching for shooting stars.

For nearly 30 years I've been going on vacation to Emerald Isle with my friends the Merfoxes ("Mer" for mermaids because we love the ocean, and "foxes" because, well, we are foxy! ["foxy" being 70s slang for "incredibly attractive"]). Penelope, Honey, and Ace (not their real names) live near Chapel Hill, five hours away, and I've really missed them since I moved here four years ago. But we get together when we can, and one day when one of us wins the lottery, we're going to buy a beach house and go whenever we feel like it instead of having to save up for only a week. You hear that, lottery gods? We need a winner here!

You may wonder how four peri/post-menopausal women can get along so well for a week in the same house. Well, it's because long ago we created a set of beach rules that we follow to the letter. I highly recommend them for any women who get together for an extended period in a limited space. Here they are:

The Beach Rules

1. No men
2. No kids
3. No pets
4. No diets
5. And everybody takes their medication

Anyway, the food at Jimmy Mac's was delicious, especially the corn on the cob. Or maybe it's just that time of year when you crave corn on the cob. I eat mine longways, one end to the other then return, like a typewriter. Some people eat all the way around in a sort of spiral. I've always wondered how people choose, or maybe you don't choose, maybe it's just some ancient corn-eating instinct.

Susan was hesitant to get the fried scallops since she'd never had them before, but I assured her they'd be good and I think she enjoyed them. The Merfoxes always go out to eat at The Crab Shack in Salter Path our first (and third, and fifth...) night at the beach, and I always get fried shrimp and scallops. I love those fried scallops dipped in tartar sauce. Yummy! And the hush puppies - we founder ourselves on those before the main course even comes. It's funny to watch how everybody at the table eats their hush puppies a different way. Penelope and Ace put cocktail sauce on theirs, Honey eats hers plain, and I put butter on mine. I'm detecting a theme here - eating idiosyncrasies.

And speaking of eating idiosyncrasies, I thought Greg was having a heart attack about halfway through his Hot Hot Hot Elk Burger. His face turned red and he started sweating and beating on the table. When he could finally breathe again, he just kept on eating, said it was really good. I prefer the kind of heat you get with wasabi, which feels like it's lifting the top of your head off but doesn't burn the inside of your mouth to the point you can't taste the food. Which reminds me, if you've never tried cocktail sauce made with regular horseradish AND wasabi, you should. It's incredible.

Little did I know when we sat down to eat in Jimmy Mac's that we'd be treated to an after-dinner show. The couple at the next table decided to perform a lengthy love scene as we sat digesting and discussing what animal we would choose to be if we could be one. Their exhibition wasn't quite as graphic as the duck love scene Susan described, but still too much PDA for a family restaurant.

By the way, Jimmy Mac's was featured in Our State magazine last year: http://www.ourstate.com/jimmy-macs/

Looking forward to the Bar-B-Que Wagon tomorrow night. Y'all come join us!

June 14th - Jimmy Mac's - Bryson City, NC

Tonite it was pouring the rain and when we arrived at JM (Jimmy Mac's), it was packed with no street parking available on either side. So we had to park in the back alley. Thank goodness, I'm local and knew about that.

JM's is located in downtown Bryson across from the old Theater, which is now the community theatre. (Rabbit Trail - My aunt used to work as the ticket agent in the old theater and so I used to get in free. That was very cool, I thought and as a result, I spent many weekends there as a child watching such great old scary classics as The Blob, The Frogs, House on the Hill, Rosemary's Baby, The Fog. Great times). JM's is now in the location of The Family Restaurant, which was a staple in BC. The Barker's owned it and they all worked there; except I don't remember the daddy working there. All the girls did and the mom, who was THE BEST cook. You could always count on a fabulous breakfast. Just plain ole' good country cooking, which is rare these days. In fact, BC no longer has anyplace where you can get just a good home cooked breakfast, except at home. I was sad when The Family Restaurant closed. Jimmy Mac's owner, is from Florida, and was apparently known there for their burgers. The owners are really nice, and I know them somewhat from the local auction I attend on a regular basis. (Rabbit Trail - In fact I have been going to this auction since I was in high school and it was located in what was the old bowling alley. The same family has owned the auction for several decades. If you are in town and want some entertainment and a chance to grab a bargain cheap; whether it is antiques or household items, head to Almond Auction at the Almond junction. Antique auction on odd Wednesdays at 9 am and junk auction every Friday at 5 pm. ) Anyway, JM's owners and myself often bid against each other for the same items. I did not know at the time they were  
buying items for their restaurant.

JIMMY MAC'S DOWNTOWN BRYSON

The restaurant is decorated  in antiques with framed photographs covering the walls. Great old frames and photos both. Antique canning crocks of varying sizes, Coke memorabilia, blue canning jars, stained glass adorn every surface and wall, which antique/vintage furniture pieces serve as storage pieces. There are booths lining the large picture windows in front and along one wall, which tables are crowded in over the rest of the floor. The floors are the original wood floors and add to the ambiance.
Only one downfall for me.... a big ole' TV mounted on the wall. You all KNOW how I love those in a restaurant!

While the place was packed as soon as we walked in a table walked out so as soon as the waitress cleared it, we were in business. This is typically the case, since the selection of good restaurants in BC is limited. JM's business is mostly a dinner business, which means at lunch you can usually grab one of the window booths and watch the going's on outside. Of course, that  means that folks outside can watch you eat as they stroll by.

We asked about specials, and apparently JM's don't have specials. We took our time ordering, as they have a very extensive menu and you can even order off the lunch menu if you want a smaller portion. How accommodating is that!? Nice..

We were waited on very quickly, which is surprising, since the place as packed, with more folks coming in. The waitress was very nice and treated us like we were the only ones in the place.
We did not order an appetizer this time as the food is very filling with generous portions. JM's offers a great selection of burgers, with some great and unusual combinations, such as Hawaiian, S&M, Hot, Hot, Hot and a huge host of others. You can also have your selection in beef, buffalo or elk. I believe there are over 20 varieties.
They also specialize in seafood. Shrimp, Scallops, Tilapia, Grouper, Oysters, among others, as well as standards such as  Chicken and Steaks. The cooking methods also are vast, with your choice, of fried, grilled, blackened, broiled, or baked or in pasta. Deciding what to order is very difficult and will take some time. (Just a side note: while they do offer sweet tea, I do not order it as it usually tastes like it was cooked too long). Too bad, as I am an avid southern tea drinker.  I did ask about the freshness of the seafood and the waitress stated it was brought in weekly. They also make some of their own salad dressings.

I ordered the Fried Seafood Plate, which had Oysters, Scallops, and Shrimp. I had never had a Fried Scallop, but Pam assured me they were good. It came with choice of potato, corn on the cob and salad.

STANDARD GARDEN SALAD. NOTE THE GREEN BEANS.. MUST BE A FLORIDA THING? 

FRIED SEAFOOD PLATE. .




Greg ordered the Hot, Hot, Hot hamburger plate in Elk. His burger came with Jalapenos, Horseradish and Tomato salsa. It also came with Steak Fries. 

HOT, HOT, HOT HAMBURGER. LORDY! LOOK AT ALL THOSE JALAPENO'S

Lisa ordered the Buffalo Chicken with Blue Cheese.  It was topped with Bacon and Blue cheese. (See what I mean by unusual combinations?)

It also came with choice of Potato and an ear of corn. 

Pam ordered the Ribeye Steak. It too came with choice of potato, and ear of corn and a salad. 

RIBEYE WITH BAKED POTATO & EAR OF CORN

We had to wait quite a bit before our food arrived. But not so long that we became cranky! While we waited, we talked about books we were reading or had read. I just finished The Glass Castle. Not for the squeamish. And The Wet Nurse's Tale. I am currently reading The Two Lives of Billy Tipton. Very interesting. About a woman in the early 1900's who started dressing as a man when she was around 19 y/o and lived that way until her death when she was in her 60's. Not terribly fascinating in and of itself. But, to add to the intrigue, she was also married 5 times, to men and woman and raised several children. Her secret was not found out until her death when the emergency personnel attempted to perform CPR. She was a jazz musician. There were other notable women who lived as men such as one priest, a pirate and several performers. 

We did ask Pam what she did at the beach and apparently she and her friends did absolutely nothing. Which is quite the vacation... just relaxing, reading, walking on the beach and enjoying the company of good friends. This is a ritual of Pam's. She and her friends have been getting together for years and spending the week on Emerald Isle. What a great tradition. She did say they laughed a lot and made fun of their neighbors. 

She also had a question ready for us. If we could be an animal what would it be and why? She asked us to be specific.  Lisa chose the Eagle; as you have read. Pam chose an adult Sea Turtle so she could live free. Greg chose a Peregrine Falcon. I chose a butterfly who lived in the Butterfly Conservatory at Niagara Falls. I chose that because I wanted to be something stunning, but not be killed prematurely, as butterflies have short lives. There, in the conservatory, I would be protected, fed and admired and live as close to a natural habitat as possible. 

Pam was a little concerned about our fears of short lives, tragic endings at the hands of humans and added a contingency. If we could live as an animal without any fear of humans or short lives, what would we be? I chose a great, beautiful snowy owl. 

I was adamant that one thing no one wanted to be was a female duck. I have had probably 50 + ducks over time and for some reason, God saw fit to give the females the short end of the stick. I have never seen such a rough, brutal mating season as the ducks have. If one  can endure that short span and live to tell about it, the rest of the time is pretty OK. I will not go into any details, but lets just say... it ain't pretty! 

We also talked about some of the more colorful locals around town. Don't every small town have them, and I for one, think they make the town an even better place to live. The South wouldn't be the South without the interesting, eccentric folks we like to call our own. As Julia Sugerbaker said, "In the South, we don't keep our crazy family members locked away upstairs. We bring them on down to the  living room and show them off " And aint' we all the better for doing so. I think so anyway.

The food at Jimmy Mac's was very good. Everything was done to perfection, with plenty of taste and color. Pam wanted seconds on the corn. It was really good. Definitely not that bland, frozen stuff you often get in restaurants. This tasted like it came straight from the garden. The baked potato was also fresh and done perfectly. My seafood was delicious! The breading on the seafood was not heavy, and it was not frozen. The shrimp, scallops and oysters were fresh, full of flavor and cooked just right. I thoroughly enjoyed every bite of my dinner. And from the looks of the others' plates, so did everyone else. I would highly recommend JM's...even if he is from Florida. If you like seafood... try it here. And if the dinner portions are too big for your appetite - remember you can order from the lunch menu. 

Pam drew for next week and we hope to see you all at the BBQ Wagon beside the old A&P in Bryson next Thursday at 6:30. We will not meet again until June 28 due to Pam and Lisa being out of town. Come join us!

Tonight we met at Susan and Greg's and rode in together to Freddie Mac's in Bryson City, NC. It's between Ace Hardware and the long institution of hardware stores, Clampett's (I don't think any relation to Jed or Granny).  Freddie Mac has a good selection of seafood and about 20 burgers including bison and elk.  I had the buffalo chicken with blue cheese. It was pretty good! The sides (baked potato and ear o' corn) were good as well. It was more crowded than usual but the wait staff kept up pretty good.  We were well satisfied with everything as I'm sure you'll read from Susan and Pam soon.  The question of the night again came from Pam. She asked if we could be any animal what would it be? After much thought I said an eagle because they are large, intelligent, and protected birds who can climb and glide at high altitudes and they usually live in really beautiful parts of the country.  I remember a trip a couple of years ago to Vancouver, BC to a Society for Applied Anthropology meeting.  My friend Jenifer and I were sitting outside of the Museum of Anthropology at UBC and this beautiful, startlingly large eagle came swooping down with a few feet of us!  It was breathtaking!! It was an incredible experience in such a gorgeous setting and I'll never forget how impressive that eagle was! So eagle it is.  I'll let Pam or Susan inform you about Susan's outburst regarding NOT wanting to be a female duck. That was a disturbing conversation.  But we also talked about local folks and happenings and some of that was disturbing as well.  These guys are hilarious but I wouldn't post everything we talked about for a lot of reasons.
Afterward we drove over to TBCY's to get yogurt.  When Pam got through, she came out and looked all around saying things I can't repeat because Greg had driven us way over to another parking lot and Pam couldn't find us.  We just sat there in the car, watching to see if she was going to start walking or call the cops.  She finally found us and promptly cussed us as she got in the car.  Of course we were laughing at Pam's expense, and my guess is we will pay dearly at some undetermined time in the future.

June 7th, River Side Grill

This restaurant is located just outside of Bryson on Hwy 19 beside the Watering Trough and Nabers. Is has been newly renovated inside and out with new log look siding. The inside has new floors, booths, bar and some new decor.

RIVERSIDE GRILL

RIVERSIDE GRILL FRONT DOOR

RIVERSIDE GRILL OUTSIDE TABLES

It still has the sports bar  or bar look and feel, complete with a couple of huge TV's. We all know how I like those. One was right beside our table at head level. And to beat it all.. they were all fuzzy.. snowy. BUT! you do expect TV's in a sports bar or bar.  The new booths are very tiny and feel (once you get in them) a bit like a carnival ride in that you cannot move. They are very tight, and the metal pole underneath is against your leg. Lisa said that was so if  you got too drunk, you couldn't fall out of your booth.

Tonite we had two new folks to join us. John & Margaret. Glad to have them. None of us had eaten at the River Side before except for John who had eaten there way before the renovation.

Pam did not join us tonite as she is lounging on the beach at Emerald Isle with her girlfriends. Apparently this is a long standing annual event that has been occurring for over a decade. That sounds like a nice tradition. I did text Pam to ask for our weekly question and called her too, but she must be partying it up as I did not get a response. Good for her! She deserves it.

They do have a list of daily specials, mostly hamburgers and fried items. Their specialty and claim to fame is their Deep Fried Cheeseburger. The menu contains appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. They also serve alcohol.

Lisa ordered the Fried Mushrooms for an appetizer. John & Margaret ordered the Catfish bites. I was not able to get a pic of the Catfish bites as Margaret was very hungry.

FRIED MUSHROOMS

I Lisa ordered the Ribeye. It came with a baked potato, salad and choice of veggies or ? Greg was the brave soul tonite and ordered the Deep Fried Cheeseburger. It came with fries. I ordered the Fried Onion Bacon Blue Cheese Hamburger. It came with a sweet and spicy sauce drizzled over it, which I asked for on the side. (due to my food issues, you  know). It came with fries, which I asked to be extra crispy.

RIBEYE WITH BAKED POTATO & VEGGIES

LISA SALAD 

FRIED ONION BACON & BLUE CHEESE CHEESEBURGER.  SWEET & SPICY SAUCE ON THE SIDE 

DEEP FRIED CHEESEBURGER WITH CRINKLE FRIES

John ordered the Fried Fish and Chips. The fish was Flounder and there were a lot of fries. Margaret ordered the Grilled Trout and it came with a baked potato and veggies.

FRIED FISH (FLOUNDER) & CHIPS

GRILLED TROUT WITH BAKED POTATO & VEGGIES

We talked about our weeks and what our plans were. Margaret is leaving at the end of June to head across the big pond  to the Netherlands. She will be there several months to stay with her son and daughter in law and grandchildren. What fun!

We talked about snakes we had seen recently. Greg and I just found a large rat snake in the yard this morning. The dogs did not see it and it was hiding next to the bunny cage. Margaret swears she has a 6ft black snake living under her house. John swears it is a copperhead. Either way.... a 6 footer!! That could eat a small child or small dog - of which we have 3.

Margaret also shared with us the news story of a man who ate another mans face. Apparently he was running around naked and just attacked some random stranger and ate his face. Luckily for us.. this did not happen around here, but in Florida. Too much sun??? Sunscreen overload???? Jellyfish venom??? Just plain crazy??? I vote for the last one.
No wonder Hollywood is having such a hard time coming out with new movies to entertain us.. real life is much more interesting. Remember Shock Theater? The Blob, It Came from Outer Space, I come in Peace... well they aint got nothing on the Florida Cannibal Man. I did look this story up after we got home. Apparently both men were naked and the Cannibal Man just attacked the homeless man who was lying near the Miami Causeway sleeping. When the police officer yelled at the Cannibal Man to "get off him" he just looked up at the officer, growled and went back to his dinner. YIKES!! I loved the interview with the Cannibal Man's girlfriend who stated she did  not feel a bit unsafe with her boyfriend as he was a Christian and carried his Bible and Koran everywhere with him.

We also talked about the new moved coming out Prometheus. It has just started at the Cherokee Theaters. John was able to pull up the ads for it so I could see what it is all about. Looks interesting,.

Back to the restaurant. We had to wait quite a bit for the food, but the waitress who was friendly did bring us pitchers of tea so we would not have to wait on those. My burger was so - so. I am glad I asked for the sweet & spicy sauce on the side as I did not care for it. I only ate half of my burger and farmed the rest out to the others. The blue cheese was a bit strong for me and I like blue cheese, but Greg, Lisa and John liked it. I tasted Greg;s burger and I have to say.... I did not care for it. Greg only ate half of his burger too and farmed the rest of it to the others. Overall, the restaurant experience was alright. Not great, but not somewhere I would return to. The owner was very nice and talkative and genuinely wanted us to have a positive experience.


Lisa drew for next Thursday and we will meet you at Jimmy Macs in Bryson City next Thursday at  6:30. Pam will be back and maybe others will join us too. See you then!

May 31- Guayabitos, Bryson City, NC

Guayabitos is located in the strip mall known as the Valley Village shopping center. Ingles used to be there before they built a new building and moved. Guayabitos is only a short distance from downtown and convenient to most of Bryson. There is plenty of parking also.

We all arrived on time and only had to wait for a couple of seconds for a table. The employees at Guayabitos are all one family and there are no "assigned tables or staitions" as in other restaurants. They all wait on you which means you never go long without someone asking if you need refills or anything else. The folks are all really sweet and if they are not covered up, will stop and chat for awhile.

We did nor order an appetizer as each table is served with complimentary chips and salsa. If you are not careful, you can easily fill up on those and not have room for your supper.

Since Greg and I had been there many times before we suggested a couple of things we had found that were  really good. The Pollo Fundido and Pollo Tapito are two really great dishes.

Lisa ordered the Pollo Fundido , which is a flattened, grilled chicken breast with onions, jalapeno and cheese sauce.

Pollo Fundido 

Pam order the grilled quesadilla.

Grilled Quisadilla

 I ordered the chicken enchiladas with greens salsa and Greg ordered the Mole Ranchero, which was flattened, grilled chicken breast with mole sauce.

Chicken Enchaladas with Green Salsa

Chicken Ranchero

Greg and Lisa also ordered the hot sauce, which was very hot! Tasty too , not just heat. 

We all talked about whether or not we had developed our alter ego names. We did! and they were quite hilarious. But we can't tell you as they are secret. Pam wanted to know if we had ever had nicknames and if so what are they. 

Greg's was Bubble Eye due to an eye condition when he was very young. We shortened that to Bub, since it is much nicer. Lisa's was Pud, which she is still called by family. (never got the story on how that happened). Mine was Susanmalindajanehopkins when I was very young. My papa started that one. When I was in college I had two; Little Bit and Bug. Bug has stuck the longest and I still get called that by people in college.  I don't think Pam had one that has stuck... 

We talked about local and national news.. movies, books we had read or were reading. I told them about Polly Evans book I was currently reading; Fried Eggs with Chopsticks. It is supposed to be an adventure travel book about Polly's adventure around China using public transportation, which in this case, means bus, train, taxi and donkey. It is quite hilarious and worth reading. Plus you get some little bits of unknown trivia in the process. Let me just say that according to Polly, the Chinese are excellent at expelling various bodily fluids in the most unlikely of places.. mostly in public. After reading that book.. I have no desire to go there. She also has two other travel books out - "Its not all about the Tapas," and something about Kiwis flying. She is a very matter of fact writer and doesn't hold anything back in her explanations of goings on. I spared everyone the gruesome details about the numerous times Polly has to endure someone expelling some sort of bodily fluid on or near her. Not while everyone was eating.....

Pam asked us if we were in the Witness Protection Program, where would we chose to live. We could not live in the South.  Lisa immediately said Hawaii. She felt it was pretty evident why  one would choose to live there. I was not so sure... typhoons, hurricanes, volcanoes.. not real evident to me. Plus the cost of living is  higher than a cat's back. 

Greg chose Prince Edward Island; one of the Atlantic Provinces in Canada. We have visited  there a couple of times and it is really pretty, but I would not want to live there. He likes winters though. 

I chose Nova Scotia which is another Atlantic Province in Canada. It has everything.... ocean, mountains, country, rivers, beautiful, quaint villages and cities. Plus Pam said I could come back and visit the south. So, I chose to come back down south and live during the winter. I do not like lots of snow and cold for prolonged times like I did when I was young. 

Once again... I think Pam got away with not answering. How does she do that? 

We ended up staying very late at Guayabitos just talking, laughing and enjoying the evening, company and meal. No dessert... we were stuffed. 

It was Gregs turn to draw and so Thursday, June 7th we will be at the River Rock Grille in Bryson City. It is beside the Watering Trough, near Na-bers. See you there at 6:30!

Guyabitos in Bryson City

Pam and I met Susan in the parking lot, wondering where Greg was, but not to worry. He was just running late. We went in and Susan and Greg knew all the folks who owned the place and worked there. The atmosphere is festive and inviting. Conversation at the table is always fun and this week, while waiting on food and drinks - which didn't take long at all, we talked about local news and the events of the day. We laughed and I really enjoyed my meal selection which was pollo fundido, an odd name, but really good. It was a thin grilled chicken breast smothered in grilled onions and poblano peppers. I requested their hot sauce and it was hot and really flavorful.
We talked about book selections, Pam getting ready to go on her annual beach vacation, movies, and why Susan had a large stuffed Santa Claus riding in the back of her car.  You know, the normal things. Anyway, Guyabitos is a good, local restaurant where the food is consistent and service is good as well.