Savoring of Flavor of the Southern United States One Last Time

With my year-long sojourn in Spain beginning on Sunday, I've been trying to consume as much of the good, greasy, American cuisine as I can. Spoon in the peanut butter? Check. Corn dogs? Check. With those American delicacies aside, there aint nothing more American than a good ol' cheeseburger or a plate of BBQ. While I typically don't eat beef or pork, the sudden realization that I'll be thousands of miles away from southern BBQ and cheeseburgers has me frantic.

A few weeks back several friends and I went to eat cheeseburgers at Bird's Aphrodisiac Oyster Shack in Tallahassee, Florida. This is perhaps the best burger I've ever had. It is not greasy, but rather juicy and full of flavor. They have crazy toppings there too, like peanut-butter, bananas, jalapeños, etc. But I like to keep my fun traditional: a slice of American cheese, ketchup, onions, tomatoes, mayo, and lettuce. Delicious.

Last week, a few other friends and I went to Tom Jenkins Bar-B-Q in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. This place is smoking. I ordered the spare ribs, chicken, collard greens, macaroni and cheese, baked beans, and corn bread. While the corn bread was a bit dry, the rest was amazing: the collard greens were tender and a bit sweet, the macaroni wasn't too cheesy, the pork fell off the bone, the chicken was juicy, and the baked beans were robust. You'll definitely leave smelling like a BBQ grill and weighing an extra few pounds, but those are small sacrifices.

While I certainly don't eat this type of food very often, I must admit I'll miss the opportunity to grab a quality plate of southern BBQ or a cheeseburger on a whim. What I'll miss most, though, is the dinner company. The maxim is true; the best side dishes with BBQ or a burger are friends. A new place, however, brings new friends and new food.

Get a Burger with a Side of Bigotry at the Wild Turkey Tavern in Avon Park, Florida

The Wild Turkey Tavern, a popular restaurant in Sebring and owned by Mike Reark, is perhaps known more for its self-conscious “country” chic and the controversial messages on its marquee than its mediocre food. Usually the messages are political in nature, which I believe to be healthy for political discourse. But recently its messages are hateful and intolerant. The sign today reads:

RAMADAN-A

DING-DONG

ITS PISS OFF A

MULSIM MONTH

I’m not an opponent of free speech, nor do I think political correctness is always good or necessary. I am, likewise, not partial to any organized religion. But bigotry - either on religious, racial, or social grounds - is unacceptable. Long before the phrase “In God We Trust” was emblazoned in our national consciousness, and long before our political and economic liberation from England, there existed a precedent of religious freedom and tolerance. Even at the very moment the USA was born, our founding fathers extolled this simple right. To imagine the USA as a nation not religiously inclusive, tolerant, or at least accepting is profoundly un-American (see the link below for a recent historian's ground-breaking study on religion in early America).

Shame on you, Wild Turkey, for your bigotry, hate, and ignorance of your nation’s own history. If you enter the establishment, you'll also find other expressions of bigotry - racial graffiti next to confederate flags and much, much more. If you find this offensive, please boycott the Wild Turkey Tavern. Write letters to the local press condemning this behavior. And, lastly, do not vote for Hinote, Scott, or Renfro in the upcoming 2010 elections, for they support the Wild Turkey Tavern. That said, it’s unfortunate and very likely that the Tavern's business will continue to serve burgers with sides of bigotry.

For more information on the owners's hateful, ignorant, and disgraceful signs, see this article published by Highlands Today and this blog entry.

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