1 00:00:09,280 --> 00:00:11,680 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to save your prediction of iHeartRadio. I'm 2 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: Annie Reeve. 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 2: And I'm Lauren Vogelbaum, and today we have an episode 4 00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 2: for you about Southern style cafeteria dining. 5 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, and we had to be specific because there's 6 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: a lot of different types of cafeteria dining. 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, and this is a kind of particular one, 8 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:31,800 Speaker 2: and we figured it's worthy of its own of its 9 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: own episode. Yeah. 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: Yes, And I, even though I already know the answer, 11 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: I asked the question, Lauren, was there any reason was 12 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 1: on your mind? 13 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:44,839 Speaker 2: Well, you suggested it. 14 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:47,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, here we go. 15 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:54,440 Speaker 2: So Father's Day just passed this past weekend, and so 16 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 2: I was asking Annie if she had any Dad related 17 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:03,800 Speaker 2: still that she might want to talk about, and she 18 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: she mentioned, did you mention a specific one or just 19 00:01:07,720 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 2: like just like cafeteria style restaurants in general? 20 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, I just said cafeteria style. But then you followed 21 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: up and I was like, these are the two which 22 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: I now know. The other one was that I couldn't 23 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: remember the name. These are the two that I associate 24 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: with my dad. 25 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:31,919 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, yes, I, perhaps perhaps embarrassingly, have spent twenty 26 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,319 Speaker 2: years in Atlanta and have never been to any of 27 00:01:34,360 --> 00:01:36,959 Speaker 2: these to any of the chains of these places. I 28 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,440 Speaker 2: still have never set foot in a Piccadillys, but but 29 00:01:40,520 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 2: I have been many times to like like privately owned 30 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 2: independent ones. So here we are. 31 00:01:48,360 --> 00:01:53,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that that totally counts. Yeah, And it was 32 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: really interesting to read about. And I there are some 33 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,880 Speaker 1: things that I've just never considered that they were, like 34 00:01:59,400 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: the invention up the tray. Yeah, okay, I haven't thought 35 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:09,360 Speaker 1: about that. My dad, It's funny every time you ask 36 00:02:09,480 --> 00:02:12,080 Speaker 1: me and I send you a bunch of topics, and like, 37 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:16,360 Speaker 1: all but two of them are very southern. He was 38 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 1: a very he loved Southern food, and when we were 39 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:27,480 Speaker 1: growing up to celebrate things, he wanted to go to 40 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,680 Speaker 1: what was at first a Morrison's and then became a Piccadillies, 41 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:36,240 Speaker 1: which we will talk about, which to me is a child, 42 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: I was a little I don't want to say condescending, 43 00:02:41,280 --> 00:02:44,080 Speaker 1: but I was like, we could go anywhere, and we're 44 00:02:44,280 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: driving thirty minutes to this cafeteria and I've confessed before, 45 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:54,040 Speaker 1: I'm really nervous holding the tray. Oh sure, yeah now, 46 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: and then even as a kid, I was like, I 47 00:02:57,160 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 1: can't do this. 48 00:02:58,440 --> 00:02:59,360 Speaker 2: I'm gonna drop it. 49 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 1: Do you know how clumsy I am. A real nerve 50 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: wracking experience for me, But I do get like he 51 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 1: loved it. He I've also said he loved liver and onions, 52 00:03:10,919 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: and you couldn't get that in too many places, but 53 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:16,640 Speaker 1: a lot of the cafeterias had it. But he just 54 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: I think he loved the affordability of it. He grew 55 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,440 Speaker 1: up in that mindset of like you're getting this price, 56 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: and he loved that there were all these options. And 57 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: you know, even me as a kid who was like 58 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: we could have gone somewhere else, I did like like 59 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,119 Speaker 1: it was sort of fun to see like, oh look 60 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:41,040 Speaker 1: at all these options. 61 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 2: Yeah damn, what will it be? And I get to 62 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,640 Speaker 2: pick exactly what I want and it's not like yeah yeah, 63 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:50,160 Speaker 2: sure yeah. 64 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:52,560 Speaker 1: And I did like the food. It was just sort of, 65 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: I guess for some reason, to. 66 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 2: Me, I was like, this is not fancy, like we 67 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 2: were talking about it. This is normal, This is normal. Yeah, 68 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,240 Speaker 2: what is fancy about this? I see you. 69 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:10,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, he loved it. He loved it. Well, yeah you 70 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: can see. I mean, we're going to talk about a 71 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 1: lot of the are mentioned, at least a lot of 72 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:18,479 Speaker 1: the foods featured at these types of establishments here, but 73 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: a lot of Southern foods. 74 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, right, it's I list a lot of them. 75 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:27,400 Speaker 2: Just kind of take it from there. 76 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, in automats. 77 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 2: Oh and automats definitely sure. 78 00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:37,920 Speaker 1: The automat episode. Okay, So this brings us to question 79 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: Southern style cafeterias. What are they? 80 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:51,359 Speaker 2: Well, American Southern style cafeterias are restaurants where you typically 81 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 2: order by going up to a series of stations inside 82 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 2: the restaurant and picking a number of dishes to make 83 00:04:58,200 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 2: up your meal you have and workers will add the 84 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:04,000 Speaker 2: dishes to your tray or scoop them onto a plate 85 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 2: on your tray, which you then take, hopefully safe and sound, 86 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,120 Speaker 2: to a table in the dining room where you eat 87 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:12,159 Speaker 2: your meal. You pay at the end of the line 88 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,360 Speaker 2: when you order, and can add a beverage, which might 89 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 2: be handed to you or brought around to your table 90 00:05:16,240 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 2: by an attendant, or might be self serve. Something like 91 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:20,840 Speaker 2: a yeast roll or a piece of corn bread is 92 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: usually included, and you can usually add a dessert like 93 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 2: a pie or a banana pudding to your order. The 94 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: dishes tend to be local Southern style comfort foods, proteins 95 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: might be roasted or barbecued or breaded and deep fried. 96 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,920 Speaker 2: Sides might be a stewed veg or bean dishes, cast 97 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 2: rolls of various kinds pastas like spaghetti or mac and cheese. 98 00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: Sometimes spaghetti and meat sauce is considered a protein that's 99 00:05:46,520 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: a little bit granular. For this episode, I needed to 100 00:05:48,680 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: mention it out loud, but anyway, the concept is sometimes 101 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 2: called a meat in three because the typical order is 102 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: a meat in three sides, though many as often do 103 00:05:57,839 --> 00:05:59,919 Speaker 2: have pricing for like a meat in two, for a 104 00:06:00,040 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 2: play of four sides, or for ordering things a la carte. 105 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,720 Speaker 2: The concept is considered a little nostalgically old fashioned, and 106 00:06:08,760 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 2: a lot of the dishes tend towards a little old 107 00:06:11,520 --> 00:06:14,839 Speaker 2: fashioned like kind of heavy and salty and soft, really 108 00:06:14,880 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 2: stick to your ribs satisfying sort of things. Though. This 109 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 2: style of restaurant is really homey but also really structured. 110 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 1: It's a it's a. 111 00:06:25,400 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 2: Choose your own adventure book but for but for eating. 112 00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: Yes, And I have to say, my dad was not 113 00:06:32,640 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 1: the only fan like people have such nostalgias. 114 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,600 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, oh yeah, uh. 115 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:46,360 Speaker 1: So my condescending child, I understand and now I want 116 00:06:46,360 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: to go back and try to. 117 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: Get Yeah, yeah, I was. This was a very hungry 118 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 2: episode for me. I was really mad that I wasn't 119 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 2: eating everything I'm about to talk about. Yes, anyway, okay, 120 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 2: acknowledge here at the top that yes, there are other 121 00:07:02,040 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 2: types of cafeterias out there. They have the same route 122 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:07,880 Speaker 2: and the same style of service, but evolved into their 123 00:07:07,920 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 2: own thing, you know, like a cafeteria at a school, 124 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,840 Speaker 2: a hospital, prison, office building, shopping mall ikea, or like 125 00:07:16,880 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 2: a fast casual concept like a Boston Market or Chipotle. 126 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:24,640 Speaker 2: Those are different than what we're talking about today. We 127 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 2: do absolutely want to hear about other cafeterias, right in. 128 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: Let us know. 129 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 2: Do you have a local one that serves specific local things. Yes, 130 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: tell us about it, please, thank you. Also, not all 131 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,720 Speaker 2: meet and threes have cafeteria style service. Some do table service, 132 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 2: some are buffets. But yeah, here we are so all 133 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 2: that being said, Southern style cafeterias tend to be places 134 00:07:51,400 --> 00:07:54,680 Speaker 2: you would go for lunch specifically. Some are open for dinner, 135 00:07:54,840 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 2: maybe brunch on weekend. A lot of the chains, especially 136 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 2: are very bright and like sterile feeling, maybe a little institutional, 137 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 2: But some of the independent ones are either fancier or 138 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:11,480 Speaker 2: kind of dive heer. There's often an egalitarian sort of 139 00:08:11,480 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 2: feel to them these days. You know, at the table 140 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,000 Speaker 2: next to you, you might see folks you know or 141 00:08:16,080 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 2: folks from a completely different walk of life. There's usually 142 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:22,400 Speaker 2: a kitchen in the back where they prepare the food, 143 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:25,800 Speaker 2: often inan like big service tubs, and then either like 144 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 2: a bar, or a number of separate stations with warming 145 00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 2: trays or warming lamps where you can look at the 146 00:08:31,720 --> 00:08:35,240 Speaker 2: dishes on offer and pick what you'd like, like a buffet, 147 00:08:35,280 --> 00:08:37,719 Speaker 2: but each station has an attendant who is serving you 148 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 2: rather than you serving yourself. Traditionally, anything that can be 149 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 2: served with an ice cream scoop probably is, and the 150 00:08:46,880 --> 00:08:50,800 Speaker 2: dishes often rotate, with different things on offer every day, 151 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,200 Speaker 2: sometimes on a schedule, like meat loaf is on Mondays, 152 00:08:54,200 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 2: fried catfish is on Tuesdays, that kind of thing, But 153 00:08:57,480 --> 00:09:00,800 Speaker 2: the dishes really can vary based on where you are 154 00:09:01,040 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 2: and like the general price point of the restaurant in question, 155 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 2: Like there are absolutely cafeterias that will serve you a 156 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,480 Speaker 2: slice of prime rib or some nice roasted trout or 157 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 2: like sautage shrimp. Mouse cafeterias are on the more affordable side, though, 158 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 2: and serve less expensive proteins like lots of chicken and pork. 159 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,600 Speaker 2: So you've got you know, your fried chicken, chicken, fried steak, 160 00:09:21,679 --> 00:09:25,040 Speaker 2: fried pork chops, fried catfish or cod or whiting. Maybe 161 00:09:25,040 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 2: honey baked ham, roasted chicken, roasted turkey, non fried pork chops, 162 00:09:29,559 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 2: they do exist, blackened fish, barbecued pork ribs or pulled 163 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: chicken or pork. Maybe some meatloaf, chopped steak, beef tips, 164 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,760 Speaker 2: pot roast. Also Okay, I didn't know exactly where to 165 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 2: put this note, but I need to inform you that 166 00:09:45,600 --> 00:09:49,319 Speaker 2: gravy can and will be ladled on top of any 167 00:09:49,400 --> 00:09:52,600 Speaker 2: protein or starch. If you're fancy, you got a choice 168 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:54,720 Speaker 2: between your white gravy and your brown gravy. 169 00:09:57,200 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: That is your own adventure. 170 00:09:58,559 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 2: Indeed, that is up to you. Cheese Wisely, the sides 171 00:10:05,679 --> 00:10:07,800 Speaker 2: are often the kind of things that take a long 172 00:10:07,880 --> 00:10:10,800 Speaker 2: time to cook but are easy to batch, the sort 173 00:10:10,800 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 2: of things you might otherwise see at like a family 174 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: supper on a nice Sunday or at a Thanksgiving or 175 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:19,160 Speaker 2: maybe a good cookout, So like collards or mustard or 176 00:10:19,160 --> 00:10:22,080 Speaker 2: turnip greens cooked down with hot pepper and vinegar until 177 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:26,480 Speaker 2: they're just silky, creamy squash or broccoli casserole topped with 178 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:30,120 Speaker 2: bread crumbs and plenty of melty cheese, baked beans in 179 00:10:30,160 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 2: a sauce of brown sugar and tomato, or maybe some 180 00:10:32,559 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 2: lighter hop and john or like just simple stewed butter 181 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 2: beans or black eyed peas, soufflated sweet potato or carrot casserole, 182 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:43,199 Speaker 2: or stewed apples, also sugary that they should probably be 183 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 2: classified as desserts, but they're not. Green beans stewed within 184 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 2: an inch of their life, probably with pork product in. 185 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,160 Speaker 2: They're always ask if you're vegetarian, stewed or fried okra, 186 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,800 Speaker 2: creamed corn, corn on the cub, potatoes mashed or baked 187 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,720 Speaker 2: or French fried, or hash browned ice play in our 188 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 2: seasoned hush puppies, which if you have never been to 189 00:11:04,559 --> 00:11:08,480 Speaker 2: the South and have never had there, these like savory 190 00:11:08,559 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 2: fried dumplings, and you should come to here and you 191 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:18,880 Speaker 2: should eat them because they're so good, really important, very 192 00:11:20,840 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 2: usually some kind of like super stew like maybe chili 193 00:11:23,840 --> 00:11:28,480 Speaker 2: or brunswick or chicken and dumplings, a side salad, a 194 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 2: jello salad, a potato or macaroni salad, cole slaw, tomato 195 00:11:34,080 --> 00:11:38,960 Speaker 2: and cucumber salad. Desserts could include like a scoop of 196 00:11:39,040 --> 00:11:42,600 Speaker 2: cobbler or a slice of pie, a big ol' wiggly block, 197 00:11:42,840 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 2: or maybe some cubes of jello, puddings of various flavors, 198 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:51,280 Speaker 2: maybe layer cake or strawberry shortcake. Like, the South is 199 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:55,440 Speaker 2: big and there are lots of local specialties. For example, 200 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 2: if you're in Texas, you might get enchiladas. If you're 201 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 2: in Louisiana there might be gumbo. If I have not 202 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 2: mentioned your favorite menu item, it is not a personal 203 00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 2: slight except for you. You know what you did? No no, no, no, 204 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:09,880 Speaker 2: no no no. 205 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: I love you. 206 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 2: I love you. Please write in, please wad in. In 207 00:12:15,600 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 2: terms of beverages, fancier and or dive, your joints might 208 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 2: serve beer and wine, but the drinks are generally non 209 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 2: alcoholic soft drinks, iced tea, have hot tea, hot coffee. 210 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: You know, I highly recommend getting yourself a sweet tea 211 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 2: and just seeing God through the sugar rush. 212 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, gets your hush buck, get your sweet tea. 213 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,319 Speaker 1: I have to say, you know, looking back to as 214 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 1: a child, I didn't know half the things work, huh. 215 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: But the jello. I love how so many people brought 216 00:12:54,640 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 1: up the jello because you could see it just. 217 00:12:57,720 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 2: Shining and gleaming. 218 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, you knew it was coming. Yeah, yeah, all these 219 00:13:06,360 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: choices you had to make. Well, speaking of what about 220 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: the nutrition. 221 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 2: Really depends, really really depends. 222 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 1: That's up to you, buddy. Yep. Indeed, well we do 223 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: have some numbers for you. 224 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay. So this type of restaurant is rare enough 225 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,520 Speaker 2: these days that market reports on the American restaurant industry 226 00:13:34,960 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 2: do not always include standalone cafeterias as their own category. 227 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 2: In fact, most of the reports that I saw did not. So, however, 228 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:51,240 Speaker 2: there certainly are still chains and independence in operation. At 229 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 2: one this family owned Houston cafeteria called Cleeburn, they estimate 230 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:59,920 Speaker 2: that seventy percent of their customers are regulars. 231 00:14:02,360 --> 00:14:04,959 Speaker 1: Yes, And I was actually watching a kind of mini 232 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: documentary about it before this, and it was really sweet 233 00:14:08,520 --> 00:14:11,280 Speaker 1: because they were just kind of walking around and interviewing 234 00:14:11,280 --> 00:14:14,079 Speaker 1: people and they're like, yeah, I've been coming here with 235 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:17,920 Speaker 1: my family for x amount mini generations. 236 00:14:18,080 --> 00:14:19,560 Speaker 2: Every week or even every day. 237 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 238 00:14:20,320 --> 00:14:22,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, And some people would come you know, lunch in 239 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: dinner or like they I think they referred to it 240 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:28,720 Speaker 1: at one point as like the dining room. 241 00:14:29,560 --> 00:14:33,080 Speaker 2: But yeah, yeah, people treating it like their own home. 242 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:39,720 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, in a nice way, in a friendly way. 243 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, definitely, definitely. Well, we are going to talk 244 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 1: more about Cleveborn and some other places because there is 245 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:51,920 Speaker 1: quite a history here to one. 246 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,360 Speaker 2: Pack there there is, and we are going to get 247 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:55,800 Speaker 2: into that as soon as we get back from a 248 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 2: quick break. 249 00:14:56,320 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 3: For a word from our sponsors, and we're back. 250 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,360 Speaker 1: Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you. Okay, So, as we said, 251 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:15,480 Speaker 1: we are focusing on Southern style cafeteria dining for this episode, 252 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:20,800 Speaker 1: but briefly, according to several sources, the idea of cafeteria 253 00:15:20,880 --> 00:15:25,720 Speaker 1: style dining like this was introduced at Chicago's Columbian Exposition 254 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: in eighteen ninety three by John Krueger, and Krueger was 255 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 1: inspired by Sweden's Schmorgasbors, so he set up a restaurant 256 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: to showcase where he thought this type of dining could go. 257 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:42,359 Speaker 1: In Kruger's mind, this type of restaurant should serve affordable, 258 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:48,840 Speaker 1: light foods, and he called them cafeterias. Millions of people 259 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:52,840 Speaker 1: attended this event, and we're exposed to this idea, and 260 00:15:53,040 --> 00:15:56,480 Speaker 1: after this we see the branching of two interpretations of 261 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:03,880 Speaker 1: this idea, the automat and the cafeteria. In eighteen ninety eight, 262 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: William and Samuel Childs introduced the tray and trey line 263 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 1: format at one of their New York restaurants. And this 264 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 1: is where I was like, I've never thought about who 265 00:16:12,560 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: invented the tray, but I'm not saying they did. But 266 00:16:16,760 --> 00:16:18,720 Speaker 1: I was like, I've never even considered this, and I 267 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: should have. Share. Customers liked trays because in their minds 268 00:16:23,920 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 1: it was cleaner. The whole concept of this style of 269 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:30,320 Speaker 1: dining may have been in part popularized by Henry Ford 270 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: of Ford Motors, who really sold this idea of assembly 271 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: style production. In the nineteen tens, cafeterias modeled after this 272 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: one started opening around the country, but they particularly took 273 00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: off in the South. The Southern style cafeteria was popular 274 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: for restauranteurs for many reasons similar to what we discussed 275 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: in our automatic episode. It was an example of cuisine 276 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:59,200 Speaker 1: that was consistent, efficient, and in this case, fairly cheap. 277 00:17:00,040 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: On top of that, this was a time of a 278 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,159 Speaker 1: lot of industrialization and an evolution of what work looked 279 00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: like a lot of folks were moving from farming to 280 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:14,880 Speaker 1: working in a factory. In some fields, people had perhaps 281 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:16,719 Speaker 1: had the time to go home for lunch, but they 282 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:20,000 Speaker 1: didn't have that time anymore. On top of this, more 283 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:22,600 Speaker 1: and more people were moving to cities, but they may 284 00:17:22,640 --> 00:17:25,959 Speaker 1: have still craved the homie food from the more rural 285 00:17:26,000 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: areas that they grew up in, or even from going 286 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: home for lunch. Restaurant purveyors saw an opportunity in that 287 00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:38,840 Speaker 1: to cater to all of this, some cafeterias started opening 288 00:17:38,960 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 1: and offering something like a meat and three plate. It 289 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,640 Speaker 1: was quick, affordable, clean, and offered many options for workers 290 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:47,680 Speaker 1: on their lunch break. 291 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:52,360 Speaker 2: And part of the draw here, especially during the leaner 292 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,640 Speaker 2: times of like the nineteen teens and twenties, was this 293 00:17:55,880 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 2: baked and emphasis on minimizing expensive meat and filling up 294 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:06,520 Speaker 2: on generous portions of vegetable and starch based sides. Nutritional 295 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:08,760 Speaker 2: science was also kind of starting to happen around this 296 00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:11,240 Speaker 2: time and was recommending this style of plate building. 297 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 1: That's interesting, okay. The food itself was very traditionally Southern, 298 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: very homey, comforting. Perhaps, as discussed, a lot of these 299 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,960 Speaker 1: dishes trace back to the recipes and influences of enslaved 300 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: West Africans. 301 00:18:31,880 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 2: Also important to note these are places that were most 302 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: likely segregated before up until the Civil Rights Act of 303 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:38,600 Speaker 2: nineteen sixty four. 304 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: So yes, okay, So a lot of the big chains 305 00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:47,680 Speaker 1: when we're talking about this category started opening in the 306 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:52,440 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties. If I don't mention your favorite, I'm sorry 307 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: and write in Also, these are abbreviated histories, otherwise this 308 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:59,080 Speaker 1: episode would be ridiculously along. 309 00:18:59,400 --> 00:19:02,679 Speaker 2: Yeah, at least a few of these. We could go 310 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 2: on for a whole, solid, normal, forty five minute episode about. 311 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:11,120 Speaker 1: Yes, but I was starting to feel fear in my heart. 312 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,840 Speaker 2: So certainly, if we ever get around to traveling again, 313 00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:19,160 Speaker 2: I would love to, you know, do some oral history 314 00:19:19,240 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 2: with some locals about you know, whichever whichever chain is pertinent. 315 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:26,600 Speaker 2: But anyway, here we are, Yes, here we are. So. 316 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:31,000 Speaker 1: One of the first was a chain called Morrisons that 317 00:19:31,080 --> 00:19:34,159 Speaker 1: popped up in the nineteen twenties. It was first opened 318 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:38,920 Speaker 1: in Mobile, Alabama and founded by Ja Morrison. This restaurant 319 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: aim to provide these fresh, homey, pre cooked options that 320 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: were financially within reach, and people really took to it, 321 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 1: and over time the chain balloon to one hundred and 322 00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 1: fifty locations across the United States. Each of them offered 323 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: over one hundred items that were made that day, and 324 00:19:57,080 --> 00:20:01,720 Speaker 1: many of the offerings were based on region. This chain 325 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:05,439 Speaker 1: remained popular until the nineteen eighties, which you might hear 326 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:08,320 Speaker 1: see you might see a eighties come a lot. We'll 327 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 1: talk about that later. Most of their locations were eventually 328 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: bought by competitor Piccadilly, Inc. There is one still operating 329 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: under the name Morrison's Immobile, and you can actually find 330 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:22,480 Speaker 1: a lot written about it, and a lot of it 331 00:20:22,520 --> 00:20:27,680 Speaker 1: is really endearing, so recommend but that that is That's 332 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:30,080 Speaker 1: definitely what happened. When I was missing to you, I 333 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:31,600 Speaker 1: was like, I know it used to go buy one 334 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:34,639 Speaker 1: name and it went by a different name. It was 335 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: this there you go which speaking of Thomas J. Costas 336 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,320 Speaker 1: opened a small cafeteria in Baton Rouge, Louisiana called Piccadilly 337 00:20:43,359 --> 00:20:47,120 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty. Two years later, in nineteen forty four, 338 00:20:47,280 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: a businessman who had experience working in the cafeteria business 339 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:55,000 Speaker 1: named Tandy Hannibal Hamilton purchased this cafeteria. 340 00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:01,280 Speaker 2: Good name, Oh Southerners with their names like that, miled. 341 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: Tandy is in quotes and everybody refers to him as Tandy, 342 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,840 Speaker 1: and I'm like, I don't know him that way. I 343 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:14,080 Speaker 1: can't refer to him as Tandy, So I'm referring to 344 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,920 Speaker 1: him as Hamilton. Yes, but I understand that. I guess 345 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: Tandy is what he really went by anyway. Hamilton had 346 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:29,560 Speaker 1: worked and learned as a chef previously during his time 347 00:21:29,560 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: as a soldier in France. In nineteen eighteen, when he 348 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: returned to the United States, he started working as a 349 00:21:35,240 --> 00:21:39,280 Speaker 1: Sioux chef in Texas. According to some sources, the lack 350 00:21:39,320 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 1: of affordable housing caused by the oil boom and the 351 00:21:42,560 --> 00:21:44,639 Speaker 1: state meant that he and his wife lived in a 352 00:21:44,720 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: tent city and gave birth to their daughter there. They 353 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: then moved to Kansas City, where Hamilton got a job 354 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:55,159 Speaker 1: with the chain The Forum Cafeterias, eventually rising up to 355 00:21:55,200 --> 00:21:58,479 Speaker 1: earn a position as a chef and later the general 356 00:21:58,520 --> 00:22:02,360 Speaker 1: manager of the chain. Inten thirty four, a little less 357 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:05,120 Speaker 1: than a decade later, he felt limited in his job 358 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: growth opportunities, so he decided he wanted to see about 359 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: starting his own cafeteria style restaurant. Its purchasing Piccadilly. Despite 360 00:22:16,119 --> 00:22:19,719 Speaker 1: wartime rations of the time, Hamilton tapped his friends and 361 00:22:19,800 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: set to work expanding, opening restaurants in various states, and 362 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: like we see so often in these episodes, he was 363 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,760 Speaker 1: really big on consistency and he tested a lot of 364 00:22:30,760 --> 00:22:34,040 Speaker 1: the recipes himself. But he was also big on incorporating 365 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:39,520 Speaker 1: local taste. He really wanted franchises to have their own input. 366 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:44,280 Speaker 1: Once submitted, if approved, the recipes they might send would 367 00:22:44,280 --> 00:22:48,960 Speaker 1: be used at every restaurant. They even developed this whole 368 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: system based on minimizing food waste and cost. They got 369 00:22:52,840 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: pretty specific, like how to cut meat. There's actually a 370 00:22:55,520 --> 00:22:59,720 Speaker 1: really long paper you canus that I appreciate and enjoy. 371 00:23:00,040 --> 00:23:02,760 Speaker 1: But they got they really got down to the nitty 372 00:23:02,760 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 1: gritty of the whole thing. Their growth in the South 373 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:10,120 Speaker 1: really expanded in the nineteen fifties and in the sixties 374 00:23:10,119 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 1: they were operating as far as Arizona. The fortieth Thiccadillies 375 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:18,600 Speaker 1: opened at Decatur, Georgia's South to capmol And nineteen seventy one. 376 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: When I read this, I was. 377 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,520 Speaker 2: Like, oh, oh, yeah, that's just right down the street. 378 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. 379 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: Sure. The number of locations doubled by the eighties. Well Yes, 380 00:23:31,640 --> 00:23:37,520 Speaker 1: here's another one. In the nineteen forties, Bob Louby established Looby's, 381 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:40,280 Speaker 1: which went on to become one of the country's first 382 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:45,480 Speaker 1: cafeteria chains. His father, Harry had opened New England Dairy 383 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:49,560 Speaker 1: lunch Cafeterias Missouri in nineteen eleven. After Bob took over, 384 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:51,879 Speaker 1: the chainsaw a lot of growth, first in Texas and 385 00:23:51,880 --> 00:23:55,760 Speaker 1: then elsewhere. By the eighties they had sixty three locations, 386 00:23:55,880 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: primarily in Texas. And people are so they remember this 387 00:24:00,680 --> 00:24:07,719 Speaker 1: so fondly. Absolutely, Yeah, yes, But unfortunately we do have 388 00:24:07,720 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: to mention in nineteen ninety one there was a mass 389 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,240 Speaker 1: shooting at a Luby's, including Texas. It was the most 390 00:24:14,280 --> 00:24:17,399 Speaker 1: fatal mass shooting in the US until two thousand and seven. 391 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:23,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, which, at a certain point, I guess speaks to 392 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:27,320 Speaker 2: the way that these sorts of places can become centers 393 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 2: of community. Unfortunately, in terms of a tragedy like that. 394 00:24:33,280 --> 00:24:37,680 Speaker 2: Lubies celebrated their seventy fifth anniversary in twenty twenty three, though, 395 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 2: and put out displays in some locations of vintage cookwear 396 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 2: and photos of their staff and customers from years past. 397 00:24:47,160 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: Yes, and I don't think we've mentioned but a lot 398 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:55,080 Speaker 1: of people have discussed how they have like Thanksgiving meals. 399 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: You can have a Thanksgiving meal at a lot of 400 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 1: these places. Yeah, yeah, a lot of people fondly remember 401 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:09,040 Speaker 1: Louvie's Thanksgiving mill. I love that. Greek immigrant Nick mckellis 402 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: purchased a cafeteria in Houston in nineteen fifty two, allegedly 403 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:15,520 Speaker 1: at the behest of his wife. According to some, he 404 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: originally wanted to turn it into a barbecue joint, but 405 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,800 Speaker 1: a bunch of the regulars really pushed back. We're like, no, no, cafeteria, 406 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: you will not be doing that. So he's stuck with 407 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: the idea he learned from the original owners and Cleveborne 408 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: Cafeteria became incredibly popular. It already was, but it really 409 00:25:34,520 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 1: took off. People love it, and again, they just have 410 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:43,400 Speaker 1: these fun memories of it. It's really beautiful to hear 411 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:47,960 Speaker 1: people talk about it. Yeah. Yeah. And in twenty sixteen, 412 00:25:48,359 --> 00:25:51,720 Speaker 1: the restaurant burned down and a huge outpouring of support 413 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,879 Speaker 1: followed and they reopened more than a year later, and 414 00:25:54,920 --> 00:25:56,720 Speaker 1: they were all these interviews with people who were so 415 00:25:57,119 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 1: relieved that it really Yeah, and this was the second 416 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: time the restaurant had been devastated. By a fire and 417 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 1: had kind of the community support come around and helped 418 00:26:08,960 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 1: them build back up. Yeah, but, as we've been mentioning 419 00:26:16,640 --> 00:26:21,439 Speaker 1: alluding to, this style of dining did go downhill. It 420 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:26,840 Speaker 1: became less popular, at least widely in the mainstream, and 421 00:26:26,920 --> 00:26:30,919 Speaker 1: a lot of things contributed to that. The introduction and 422 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: proliferation of fast food restaurants started chipping away at the 423 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: popularity of cafeteria style dining beginning in the nineteen sixties. 424 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:43,800 Speaker 1: By the nineteen eighties, Americans started viewing this style of 425 00:26:43,880 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 1: dining as old fashioned and not in the fun way. 426 00:26:47,359 --> 00:26:50,920 Speaker 1: I guess. Not only that, but over the next few 427 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,240 Speaker 1: decades we saw the rise of fashion casual dining, which 428 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,800 Speaker 1: some argue was just another iteration of cafeteria style dining 429 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:02,240 Speaker 1: in some cases, at least since a lot of the 430 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,240 Speaker 1: restaurants were located in malls. The decline of the mall 431 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:08,359 Speaker 1: didn't help either. The one we went to was in. 432 00:27:08,240 --> 00:27:11,480 Speaker 2: A mall, yeah, in or sometimes in the same like 433 00:27:11,560 --> 00:27:12,720 Speaker 2: lot ash. 434 00:27:13,760 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, but they are not all gone, and in a 435 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,119 Speaker 1: lot of places they're going strong still. Even if it 436 00:27:21,160 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: is just a single local restaurant like Cleve Burn's, that 437 00:27:25,480 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 1: place is going yeah. 438 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:34,000 Speaker 2: No forever. Yeah, in some chains during this general time period, 439 00:27:34,359 --> 00:27:39,040 Speaker 2: like Loubi's and Morrison's got into institutional dining, like cafeterias 440 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:44,679 Speaker 2: at universities or hospitals or corporate parks, so pivot, pivot. 441 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:49,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. Piccadilly filed for bankruptcy twice in the early two thousands. 442 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: They tried it to go concept that never really seemed 443 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,320 Speaker 1: to take off as early as the nineteen nineties, and then, 444 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: as you might imagine, COVID hit this style of restaurant 445 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:02,880 Speaker 1: pretty hard. 446 00:28:03,880 --> 00:28:08,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you know, COVID hit the whole restaurant 447 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:15,359 Speaker 2: industry pretty hard. Interestingly, some buffets switched to cafeteria style 448 00:28:15,440 --> 00:28:19,160 Speaker 2: service during the pandemic in order to like minimize customer 449 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 2: interaction with with serving utensils and to be able to 450 00:28:22,320 --> 00:28:28,040 Speaker 2: install like full guards instead of just sneeze guards. But yeah, 451 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:31,960 Speaker 2: you know, it's partially due to all the reasons listed 452 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 2: above about fast food, fast casual chains stuff like that, 453 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 2: and also some of the people for whom this has 454 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:46,040 Speaker 2: been a big nostalgic thing are getting older and maybe 455 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:49,880 Speaker 2: not going out as much. But some cafeterias have like 456 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,360 Speaker 2: opened up online ordering and take out and delivery options 457 00:28:53,800 --> 00:28:56,840 Speaker 2: or have moved into catering or doing like mobile pop 458 00:28:56,920 --> 00:29:00,000 Speaker 2: ups stuff like that to try to attract newer audiences. 459 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:06,800 Speaker 2: It's I feel like I was like, oh, back to 460 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:12,160 Speaker 2: Lauren's Killjoy Corner over here. So, like a larger issue 461 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:17,080 Speaker 2: in the restaurant industry is profit margins and the rising 462 00:29:17,160 --> 00:29:21,480 Speaker 2: costs of ingredients and overhead, especially like energy and rent. 463 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 2: You know, because like restaurants and especially independent joints are 464 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:30,560 Speaker 2: expensive to run, and they are difficult to work, and 465 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:35,280 Speaker 2: they don't typically make a lot of money. Yet you know, 466 00:29:35,360 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 2: they are a vital joy in a community, gathering places 467 00:29:41,880 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 2: and incubators of culture. So yeah, when you can support local, 468 00:29:47,960 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 2: if there's a place that you have nostalgia for, go 469 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:54,600 Speaker 2: go there. Eat some hutchpipies. 470 00:29:55,880 --> 00:30:00,720 Speaker 1: There was one There was one mom and pop version 471 00:30:00,800 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: of this that my dad really loved, and it was 472 00:30:02,680 --> 00:30:07,480 Speaker 1: in Cleveland, which was also like a thirty because. 473 00:30:07,240 --> 00:30:12,040 Speaker 2: I Georgia, not Cleveland, Ohio to be specific. 474 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,920 Speaker 1: Yes, but I didn't mention, but I grew up where 475 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:18,280 Speaker 1: I grew up. When I was growing up, there was 476 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:20,240 Speaker 1: we had to drive a long time to get to 477 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:22,040 Speaker 1: these restaurants. That was part of the reason I was 478 00:30:22,120 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: kind of like why, but he really loved this one 479 00:30:26,560 --> 00:30:28,760 Speaker 1: in Cleveland, and it was it was you could tell 480 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:31,640 Speaker 1: it was a place people came like they had their 481 00:30:31,680 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: regulars and they knew what the specials were every day, 482 00:30:36,840 --> 00:30:41,240 Speaker 1: and there was something about it that just felt like, oh, 483 00:30:42,160 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: i'd somebody. There was a quote I read somewhere that 484 00:30:44,360 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: was like, it feels like my grandmother's in the back cooking. Yeah. 485 00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:51,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, And I like a lot of the things 486 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:55,080 Speaker 2: that I read from people who opened one of these 487 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 2: however long ago, or who took over from from a 488 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 2: parent said but you know, they wanted to keep doing 489 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 2: it because they wanted to cook like their grandparents cooked, 490 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,800 Speaker 2: and they wanted to keep that style of food alive. 491 00:31:09,040 --> 00:31:09,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. 492 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, I do recommend what one of the little indie 493 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,240 Speaker 2: places that I have been to a lot back when 494 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 2: our offices were in Pont City Market here in Atlanta 495 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:24,880 Speaker 2: is a place across the street called Eats, which is 496 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,040 Speaker 2: just lovely, lovely. 497 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:30,800 Speaker 1: Yes, And it's also a place that like people who 498 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: have been or like you get the cheer wine or 499 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:40,440 Speaker 1: you have all these like specific right. Yeah, it was fun. 500 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:43,520 Speaker 1: That's a good one. Yeah, But we would love to 501 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,040 Speaker 1: hear from you listeners any thoughts about this, And as 502 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: we said, we were focusing on this specific style, but 503 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:56,240 Speaker 1: we know it exists outside. Oh yeah, so anywhere right in? Yeah, 504 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: let us know, Oh please please please. 505 00:32:00,120 --> 00:32:02,440 Speaker 2: Meanwhile, I think that is all that we have to 506 00:32:02,480 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 2: say about Southern style cafeterias for now. 507 00:32:06,400 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 1: It is, But that does bring us to listener mail. 508 00:32:10,280 --> 00:32:11,719 Speaker 1: We have already received. 509 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 2: It does, and we are going to get into that 510 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:15,520 Speaker 2: as soon as we get back from one more quick 511 00:32:15,520 --> 00:32:16,920 Speaker 2: break forward from our sponsors. 512 00:32:26,360 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: And we're back. 513 00:32:26,880 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 2: Thank you, sponsor, Yes, thank you, and we're back. 514 00:32:29,760 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: With listen lot. Oh, we didn't even talk about trey etiquette. 515 00:32:46,280 --> 00:32:48,560 Speaker 2: That's sorry, that's my bad. That should have been in 516 00:32:48,600 --> 00:32:54,200 Speaker 2: the about section at the top. There there is deep 517 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:58,840 Speaker 2: tray etiquette about, like like, you know, making sure how 518 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:03,680 Speaker 2: you face yourself in the tray line next to other customers, 519 00:33:04,280 --> 00:33:07,120 Speaker 2: about how you jostle and handle your tray so that 520 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:09,120 Speaker 2: you're not because it's usually on these little metal rails 521 00:33:09,160 --> 00:33:10,680 Speaker 2: and you don't want to jostle too hard so that 522 00:33:10,720 --> 00:33:13,640 Speaker 2: you make a bunch of noise. If you pass the 523 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 2: station and you decide you wanted something from there, I 524 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:18,400 Speaker 2: think it's gone. I think you have to It's forward 525 00:33:18,440 --> 00:33:21,440 Speaker 2: only it's like any S games and you're Mario. You 526 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 2: have to keep going. There's no going back. 527 00:33:23,960 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 1: Yeah. See can't you see why an anxious child we 528 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:34,160 Speaker 1: view this as such a shore. Yeah? Yeah, I was 529 00:33:34,240 --> 00:33:39,280 Speaker 1: so nervous. My dad's having the time of his. 530 00:33:39,320 --> 00:33:49,080 Speaker 4: Life anyway, Okay, Ramble wrote, Hi, all, Your Dorito's episode 531 00:33:49,120 --> 00:33:51,720 Speaker 4: brought to mind a wonderful karma memory. 532 00:33:52,800 --> 00:33:56,960 Speaker 1: I had a truly a whole boss showed up to 533 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:00,520 Speaker 1: an art opening. This was in the early nine and 534 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:04,720 Speaker 1: he was wearing his new white suit. Oh no, he 535 00:34:04,960 --> 00:34:09,879 Speaker 1: was double fisting doritos and cheese curls and discovered there 536 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 1: were no napkins or public restrooms. After seeing that his 537 00:34:13,680 --> 00:34:17,600 Speaker 1: hands were orange and he was wearing a white suit, 538 00:34:19,080 --> 00:34:21,720 Speaker 1: he spent the rest of the opening with his hands 539 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:31,040 Speaker 1: away from his body. I so enjoyed that. Thank you, Doritos. Wow, 540 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 1: a white suit. 541 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:33,000 Speaker 2: Wow. 542 00:34:33,200 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: A lot of mistakes were made here. 543 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 2: Yeah that's uh yeah, being a guy wearing a white 544 00:34:39,280 --> 00:34:43,560 Speaker 2: suit and double staying doritos and cheese and that is bold. 545 00:34:43,560 --> 00:34:47,120 Speaker 2: That is a number of bold choices to have made, 546 00:34:47,600 --> 00:34:49,359 Speaker 2: and it sounds like he really deserved it. 547 00:34:49,560 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: So Also, it sounds like somebody might have set this up, 548 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,000 Speaker 1: because if there are no napkins, somebody either was like, 549 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:02,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to get some people, or it's like a 550 00:35:02,120 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: a mishap happened, something fell through the cracks. But I 551 00:35:06,320 --> 00:35:12,200 Speaker 1: don't know. Maybe this smith this was a setup. It 552 00:35:12,239 --> 00:35:12,680 Speaker 1: could be. 553 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:14,759 Speaker 2: It could be a total coincidence. It could be a 554 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 2: setup from the universe. You never know. 555 00:35:17,520 --> 00:35:20,520 Speaker 1: I do think double fisting, like I would I get 556 00:35:20,560 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 1: like one if I had a fistful, But if I'm 557 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:29,759 Speaker 1: going for both, that's really yeah, that is that's flying. 558 00:35:31,760 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 2: Right there. Yeah yeah, Oh the cheesy son. It's my 559 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:48,160 Speaker 2: favorite son to fly too close too. Tracy wrote, I 560 00:35:48,320 --> 00:35:51,560 Speaker 2: just finished putting together and a low Ta pasta salad 561 00:35:52,160 --> 00:35:54,920 Speaker 2: as I wrote in about potato salad, and felt morally 562 00:35:54,920 --> 00:35:57,720 Speaker 2: obliged to write to you about pasta salad. I agree 563 00:35:57,760 --> 00:36:01,040 Speaker 2: with Lauren. As a pasta lover and a exture first person, 564 00:36:01,120 --> 00:36:03,480 Speaker 2: there is a lot that can go wrong with pasta salad. 565 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,160 Speaker 2: The tip about overcooking the noodles is one hundred percent effective. 566 00:36:07,560 --> 00:36:10,439 Speaker 2: I suggest at least one minute beyond the box instructions, 567 00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:13,320 Speaker 2: here are a few other tricks to improve the pasta 568 00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:17,160 Speaker 2: salad experience. First, make the dressing in a large bowl 569 00:36:17,400 --> 00:36:20,400 Speaker 2: and pour the hot, freshly drained pasta into the dressing. 570 00:36:20,719 --> 00:36:24,040 Speaker 2: It will absorb the dressing, preserving flavor and improving texture. 571 00:36:24,239 --> 00:36:27,640 Speaker 2: Wants the pasta cools. This is best for vinegarette, but 572 00:36:27,719 --> 00:36:30,120 Speaker 2: with a mayo based dressing. Let the pasta cool for 573 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:34,040 Speaker 2: a few minutes before adding it. Second, save some pasta water. 574 00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,880 Speaker 2: As with any good pasta dish, saving some of the 575 00:36:36,920 --> 00:36:39,400 Speaker 2: warm water filled with starch granules and adding it to 576 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:41,759 Speaker 2: the pasta when tossing it in the sauce will help 577 00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,040 Speaker 2: thicken the sauce and with adherence to the noodles. I 578 00:36:45,080 --> 00:36:47,680 Speaker 2: do this with pasta salads too. When the pasta is 579 00:36:47,719 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 2: cooling and absorbing the dressing, it will help keep things smooth. 580 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:53,440 Speaker 2: I don't know if there is a scientific reason why, 581 00:36:53,480 --> 00:36:56,000 Speaker 2: but I just applied the pasta logic and it worked, 582 00:36:56,040 --> 00:36:59,680 Speaker 2: so I kept doing it. Third, a minimum of four 583 00:36:59,719 --> 00:37:04,680 Speaker 2: hours in the fridge before serving is essential for flavor melding. Last, 584 00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:07,160 Speaker 2: if serving at a cookout, keep the salad in an 585 00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:10,840 Speaker 2: insulated bag or cooler on ice. No one wants a 586 00:37:10,840 --> 00:37:15,040 Speaker 2: warm snack or food poisoning, so keep it chilled. Side 587 00:37:15,080 --> 00:37:19,000 Speaker 2: note balsamic vinegar is a great topic suggestion. Apparently white 588 00:37:19,000 --> 00:37:22,880 Speaker 2: balsamic is not really balsamic in the dop definition yeast 589 00:37:22,920 --> 00:37:25,920 Speaker 2: poop and legal semantics. Sounds like a great episode to me. 590 00:37:26,760 --> 00:37:28,440 Speaker 2: Thank you for giving me an excuse to go through 591 00:37:28,440 --> 00:37:30,640 Speaker 2: my mom's recipes. It brought me a lot of joy, 592 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 2: as do all of your episodes. Wishing you and your 593 00:37:33,200 --> 00:37:37,879 Speaker 2: team well in these weird times. And Tracy also sent 594 00:37:37,960 --> 00:37:42,440 Speaker 2: in recipes for Greek pasta salad and tortellini pasta salad. 595 00:37:42,680 --> 00:37:45,920 Speaker 2: If anyone would like them, yes. 596 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: Just contact us. They sounded delicious and I do love 597 00:37:49,160 --> 00:37:54,359 Speaker 1: the tortellini pasta salad was just her mom's shorthand, and 598 00:37:54,400 --> 00:37:57,400 Speaker 1: I think it was for like one hundred and eighty people. 599 00:37:57,520 --> 00:38:00,000 Speaker 2: Oh my heck yeah. 600 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,280 Speaker 1: And so she was like, here's how you cut. 601 00:38:02,080 --> 00:38:06,440 Speaker 2: It down to, you know, a normal human size. 602 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:09,440 Speaker 1: But it was funny because there's a picture of it. 603 00:38:09,520 --> 00:38:11,680 Speaker 1: I was reading it like, I don't know what, I 604 00:38:11,719 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: don't understand. I can't comprehend. 605 00:38:14,360 --> 00:38:17,960 Speaker 2: Uh, it's too many tortellini, but. 606 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:20,440 Speaker 1: It's fantastic because my mom does that too. And I 607 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:21,920 Speaker 1: read it, I'm like I think she. 608 00:38:23,719 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I mean, you know, if you're only ever 609 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:29,399 Speaker 2: making it for a whole cookout full of people, then 610 00:38:30,080 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 2: why would do you need it for a four person serving. 611 00:38:34,120 --> 00:38:36,160 Speaker 2: That's the ridiculous part. 612 00:38:36,920 --> 00:38:40,960 Speaker 1: I think it was twelve packs of tortellini hoofda, it was. 613 00:38:41,040 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: It was it was the serious business. 614 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:49,080 Speaker 2: I'll say, all of this sounds like serious business, so 615 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 2: it does. 616 00:38:50,480 --> 00:38:56,759 Speaker 1: I love the tips. Very professional makes sense to me. 617 00:38:57,320 --> 00:38:59,040 Speaker 2: Yeah. 618 00:38:59,200 --> 00:39:02,360 Speaker 1: We've also heard other people about their their pasta salad 619 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:05,720 Speaker 1: techniques and recipes, and there's just such a huge range 620 00:39:05,719 --> 00:39:07,040 Speaker 1: and I kind of adore it. 621 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:12,000 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, it's yeah. As as I was saying in 622 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:13,920 Speaker 2: that one, you know, like at a certain point I 623 00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:18,279 Speaker 2: was just listing foods that can go into anything. I 624 00:39:18,440 --> 00:39:21,040 Speaker 2: was like, I have I have to stop because otherwise 625 00:39:21,040 --> 00:39:23,520 Speaker 2: I'm just listing literally every food on the planet. 626 00:39:27,800 --> 00:39:31,880 Speaker 1: But Super Producer Andrew chimed in with the caesar pasta salad. 627 00:39:32,080 --> 00:39:34,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, with a good caesar dressing. 628 00:39:34,200 --> 00:39:39,160 Speaker 1: Sure I can see that. Also, Yes, I feel like 629 00:39:39,400 --> 00:39:44,200 Speaker 1: assamic vinegar is up there with olive oil in terms. 630 00:39:43,840 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 2: Of hey, i think we've been avoiding it. 631 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:48,520 Speaker 1: Nerves that I think about it, but. 632 00:39:49,280 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 2: I think I think that it would be a little 633 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:56,239 Speaker 2: bit more contained there are a bunch of different varieties 634 00:39:56,320 --> 00:40:00,680 Speaker 2: that yeah but yeah absolutely when of one of my 635 00:40:00,760 --> 00:40:04,319 Speaker 2: favorite things on the planet, so tasty, so good. 636 00:40:05,320 --> 00:40:08,880 Speaker 1: Yeah ma too these poop and legal semantics you know 637 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:17,200 Speaker 1: how win is over not know here here we are 638 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:21,160 Speaker 1: on board. Well, Thank you so much to both of 639 00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 1: those listeners to writing in. If you would like to try 640 00:40:23,040 --> 00:40:26,040 Speaker 1: to us, you can our emails hello at saborpod dot com. 641 00:40:26,080 --> 00:40:28,359 Speaker 2: We're also in social media. You can find us on 642 00:40:28,440 --> 00:40:31,400 Speaker 2: Blue Sky and Instagram at savre pod, and we do 643 00:40:31,480 --> 00:40:34,239 Speaker 2: hope to hear from you. Save is a production of iHeartRadio. 644 00:40:34,440 --> 00:40:36,600 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, you can visit 645 00:40:36,600 --> 00:40:39,759 Speaker 2: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 646 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:42,640 Speaker 2: your favorite shows. Thanks as always to our super producers 647 00:40:42,719 --> 00:40:45,440 Speaker 2: Dylan Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, 648 00:40:45,480 --> 00:40:47,200 Speaker 2: and we hope that lots more good things are coming 649 00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:55,240 Speaker 2: your way.