Best BBQ in Mossy Head

A few weeks ago, my husband and I made an astounding discovery on one of our Friday Date Nights. We got in the car and drove about four miles to the hick hamlet of Mossy Head which consists of the prerequisite Baptist church along with a gas and convenience store. We'd heard there was a killer barbecue joint there, but I was wary. The news had come from a distant relative known to kill and eat wild squirrel. We didn't have any problem finding the small cafe. It was on the main drag (Hwy 90) underneath some grandfather oaks. We screwed our courage to the sticking point and tramped in through the screendoor.

The aroma of roasting pork butt slapped us across the face as we entered the air-conditioned cafe. It smelled good, by golly, and we were hungry. Simply Good Country Cookin' looks a little bit like a general store on the inside. There's a counter with an old cash register, farm implements hanging from the walls, and a few simple wooden tables with ladderback chairs. We hadn't seen a credit card sign in the window, so we asked and were told they accepted only cash or check. You know you're in the country when people still write and accept checks. Our shoulders slumped. I hadn't brought the checkbook; we usually use the debit card on our Friday night forays. We schlumped back out to the car. Then, I had the brilliant idea of seeing how much money we had in my wallet and Ed's billfold. We had plenty to feed two, so we went back inside and took a seat at a table in the back.

The menu was simple and classic, typed up and slid into a plastic sleeve to protect it from sauces and spills. They offered mainly pork bbq (THE bbq as far as The South is concerned) with a few variations. Ed decided on the ribs and I went with the sliced pork, slaw and fries. We both had tumblers of iced tea with lemon wedges. The service was fast and passably friendly. It wasn't long before our meal came out on Styrofoam trays divided into little comparments and accompanied by plastic picnic utensils. I don't know if Martha Stewart would approve, but I'm certain she'd flip her wig over the barbecue. My sliced pork was tender and tasty, the sauce just the right combinaton of tangy sweet and pungent vinegar. The fries, though frozen, were crinkle cut which counts for something, and the slaw was finely shredded with just a hint of sweetness. I'm not a rib-eater myself, but Ed's ribs were delicious. I know because he told me and because he allowed me to snatch a bite. No need to worry about the fortitude of the plastic cutlery; those ribs were just sliding off the bone. You could have eaten them with a spoon.

The cost for our piled high trays was quite reasonable. We both ate and drank tea for less than $20. The only disappointment was they didn't have a selection of homemade desserts, only something called peanut butter pie I wasn't sure I wanted to try. What I wanted was a piece of apple pie or a bowl of cobbler. Still, even without the dessert, the meal was downright good. We'll go back.

I'll be glad when the election is over June 6. We get a Dothan, Alabama station and both Ed and I are tired of the political ads. We have noticed that politicians down here do things a little differently. They seem to make a proud point of announcing their religious convictions and their connections to "true conservative values." Luther Strange (with a name the evokes comic-like impressions of evil, a cross between Lex Luther and Dr. Strange) lets us know that he's been leader of the men's Bible study in his church practically forever, while another candidate announces he supports "traditional marriage." Which is okay, but I question whether thinking voters should be making choices based on such beliefs and claims. Should they be the factor or even a very important factor when we're choosing qualified candidated to run the government? More important to me is where the candidate stands on real issues. Another judge who wants to be re-elected says he is "pro-life," but then says he will interpret the law and not make the law. You wonder how he is going to interpret Roe v. Wade, which, as far as I know is still the law of the land. I was stunned to see a nativity display on the county courthouse lawn here last December. Not that I have anything against displaying an emblem of your faith, but I do have a problem when the government that is supposed to represent all of us seems to represent only the majority. Both my husband and I have noticed that with these ads on TV very few candidates talk about issues. Personal beliefs seem more important. When they want to take a break from self-aggrandizing and insinuating themselves with the conservative majority population, the good old boys do a little mud-slinging. Well, it's been interesting.

By the way, if you don't agree with my comments in the paragraph above, don't bother to respond. My purpose is not to engage in a dialogue here, but just to voice my opinion. Aren't we both glad that we live in a country where we can do that?

The big excitement out our way this week was a little trip to the ER. I came home from a hard day of shopping, and Ed graciously offered to prepare dinner for us. I'd just picked up my book when I heard him say a bad word and stick his hand under running water. Trying to cut an acorn squash with the wrong knife, the sneaky squash had slipped away from him; the knife had found the palm of his left hand much easier to penetrate. He bled, then bled some more. We looked at the wound and decided he might need a few stitches, so he wrapped his hand in an old towel and I drove us to the emergency room at the Niceville hospital.

We didn't have to wait long, after completing the paperwork, before the nurse called Ed back for his vitals and to do a health history. Then, we were shown into the treatment area where the nurse filled a plastic washtub with water and told Ed to soak his hand. He did that for a while, then she came back and wrapped him up. Our longest wait was for the doctor to arrive, a female doctor who'd had a long day and was at the end of her shift. The wound was a gusher. Not a scene for the faint of heart. But, eventually, the doctor got it closed up and wrapped Ed's paw in an age bandage. He looked like a pale prizefighter with one giant gloved paw when she was done. We'd arrived at 5:40 p.m. and left about 8 p.m.

We had to go to Bluewater Bay to find a pharmacy that was open to fill Ed's prescription for pain medication. The pharmacist said that would take 45 minutes, so we went and got a bucket of chicken at KFC and ate in the truck. All night long Ed had said he wanted some chicken. I figured it was the least I could do for him, given his condition. I had a breast and he ate two wings and two thighs. The meal wasn't a highpoint in our culinary adventures together, but we were both hungry and it was food.

Finally, we got his prescription and headed home, hitting the sack around 10:30 p.m. It had been an eventful evening. Ed is doing well. I think he's basically bummed because he can't work on the house for a few days. I'm thankful that it was a minor accident and not more serious. He should have the stitches out in a week or so.

That's all for now. If you're down this way and want some good barbecue, I know a place in Mossy Head. Maybe we can meet you there.