Actually, I don't know whether Pappy is still the governor or not, but I do know that Mississippi comes top in a number of key measures. According to the Census Bureau, Mississippi is leading the way in poverty and obesity. With a day off from the woods of Alabama, I figured this was something I needed to see. Plus, Keith, one of our frequent contributors, went to college and grad school at Mississippi State, so I thought it might be good to check their accreditation.
It takes somewhat less than two hours to drive from Tuscaloosa to Starkville (which, from what I understand, is pronounced "Star-vool," the second syllable rhyming with "wool.") I arrived to find a ghost town. The semester had evidently ended without my being notified. So, I parked and wandered through the quiet campus. It was very nicely landscaped and, despite being built to handle 19,000 students, it had a small college feel. After looking into a few academic buildings and peering through the fence to see where the bulldogs play, I eventually found my way off the campus and into The Little Dooey.
Call me a quick learner, but I have begun to discern that barbeque is an important lifestyle commitment in the southeastern United States, perhaps second only to college football. Each town, village, or neighborhood has its own favorite barbeque and the debate over which one is best may sometimes rise to the level of whether the Crimson Tide deserves to play LSU next month. (OK, so I'm exaggerating, nothing rises to the level of what the Crimson Tide deserves.) In any case, The Little Dooey appears to be one of Starkville's favorites, and the pulled-pork I ordered was as warm and soft and sweet as anything I've tasted.
After stuffing myself, I decided that the only thing to do was nap for the rest of the day, so I got ready to head back to Alabama. I had failed in my attempt to check Keith's credentials, and I had been unable to confirm any of the household income data, but I had learned one thing: If every meal in Mississippi tasted like the one I'd just had, there is no doubt that Mississippi is the fattest state in the nation.
Ah the Litl Dooey, finest bbq in the south. Makes me hungry just thinking about it. If you walked from campus, you walked through my old neighborhood, the Cotton District. Glad to know you got it right and ordered the pulled pork. I hope you wandered over to the College of Forest Resources building, it's really nice. Unfortunately for me, they moved into it the year I finished grad school. It was partially paid for by revenues from cutting loblolly pine on the School Forest just south of Starkvegas.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little surprised you didn't head up to Tishomingo and pick up a lil' folding money from the man that'll pay you $10 to sing into his can.
ReplyDeleteI generally refrain from singing into a can during gustation. There are those who attempt both at the same time. But, I find it coarse and vulgar.
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