Here in the southland we have a type of restaurant called a “Meat and Three”. And they are just what they are called.  First you get a choice of your meat course, depending on what day it is it might be fried chicken or catfish or maybe meatloaf. The you pick your three veggies or sides. And yes here in the mid south we consider Mac and cheese the premier side. If given a chance a true son of the south will eat Mac and cheese at least twice a day- dinner, supper and then breakfast if no one is looking. I have seen it on the breakfast buffet at Shoney’s.

But don’t confuse a Meat and Three with a chain restaurant buffet bar. The best of them are little mom and pop places hidden in little hole in the walls off the beaten path that we don’t let the tourists (Yankees) know about.

Out front you will see pick-up trucks, Cadillac’s and soccer mom SUVs. Once inside you’ll find a man in a $1,000 suit patiently waiting in line behind the guy who works on the garbage truck. Here rank hath no privilege. All you need is about $6.95 and you will get your plate of heaven on earth and a big glass of sweet tea.

This is not fine cuisine we are talking about here; you will not find Wolfgang Puck back by the stove making art statements on a plate. But you may find an old woman named Mize Emma who has spent all morning frying catfish, making hot water cornbread and greens that will melt in your mouth. And guess what-she isn’t worried about no cook book. She is just going serve up some food the way her mama taught her to make it. And if you want a diet plate you might just need to make dust and head up the street to some fool ass place with table cloths

Well today as a reward to myself I stopped at my favorite meat and three and had lunch. Once there I ran into a guy I know and we sat together after we ordered our lunch from the counter. There was not a whole lot of conversation going, just sounds of good food disappearing being washed down by large slurps of tea.

We both had the pork chops w/gravy, creamed potatoes, greens and creamed corn casserole and oh ya a hot biscuit.. When we finished, Mize Emma’s daughter stopped at the table to give us one last refill of tea and to let us know she only had 2 pieces of her mama’s Key Lime Pie left and did we want them before some else got hold of em? Of course being the gentlemen we are, we agreed to take them off her hands, not wanting to insult her mama or anything.

Once we able to escape we grunted our goodbyes and left. There was only one option for me. I came home and took a nap. I don’t know what Clevon did, but it wouldn’t surprise me if he didn’t park his UPS truck under a big ole tree for a short nap his own self.