Sometime in 2011
I met Jay, a fellow FJR rider for the first time at a gas station. We introduced ourselves on the forum and since we lived only 50 miles apart, decided to get together and ride. We hadn't really thought about the days' activities past the gas station, so when I asked him what he had in mind, his reply was quick and to the point:
"Let's ride places and eat things."
I thought that was brilliant. I mean really, when you get down to it, what else do you need? A human's basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter. A biker's basic needs are food, a bike, and roads. Even the insatiable wanderer needs an end point. In that same vane, when it comes down to sharing your travels with others, what else really matters? All people want to know is "where did you go and what did you eat".
Food has always played a huge part in my riding adventures. Growing up in the middle of some of the world's best cuisine, the proverbial bar is set pretty high with Pants. Still, regardless of where I ride, I am always looking for that perfect place to eat. I seek that local diner - the one that has no use for advertisement cause everyone there knows all about this place. They serve local foods, and the owner has been cooking it this way for decades. The "décor" might be primitive, and you might even be served on a paper plate, but nobody cares about that. It's what is ON the plate that counts.
My buddy Mike has a fail proof method for finding good food on the road. When lunch time rolls upon us, and we get to the next town (regardless of its size), we ride directly to the center of town, look for the greatest concentration of cars, and eat there. If there is a disproportionate number of pickup trucks, that is even better. No farmer is going to leave his land in the middle of the day for shitty food. In the southeast, many times that town is a county seat. There will be a court house in the middle, and a square of buildings surrounding it. There will be a bail bonding store, a bank, a couple of law offices, two or threes department stores, and a couple of diners. You can predict it like the rising of the sun.
I've always had a sweet tooth, and it particularly manifest itself during the mid-afternoon. On a work day, I fight it off by distraction. But on the bike, I find myself uncontrolled. Inevitably, we have to stop for something at that time, and the allure of that favorite candy bar or ice cream is just too much to pass up. We all have our vices, I suppose.
In that light, before I returned to motorcycling, I didn't have much affection for pie, but that has definitely changed. It seems that across the motorcycling community, a time honored tradition of riding to a place that serves fresh pie has evolved. Motorcyclists seek out these places, and many (including me) would ride hundreds of miles just to try out a new pie. Of course like any other meal, it's not really about the pie. It's about the journey. You see this pie affliction across the board - it doesn't matter what kind of bike you ride, your style of riding, your age, gender, or home town. Riders like to eat pie. I've thought about this from time to time. Maybe the diversity of pie suits our hobby well. Like motorcycles, there are perhaps a hundred different kinds of pies. There is something for everyone to choose. You can pick the fruity kind, or the creamy kind. Thick crust or thin. You can have it warmed, or served right out of the ice box. Ice cream a la mode or not. So maybe the pie place is somewhere that, despite even our slightest differences, we can ALL find common ground. That plus the fact that a hundred grams of carbs makes everyone feel better.
That day, Jay and I (along with others) rode to Natchez, MS. Of course, we took the long, scenic, and twisty way to get there. We stopped to eat at the Pig Out Inn. The BBQ there is excellent, and since I've eaten there many times. They turned some old doors into tables. The smoke aroma throughout the building is delicious. The 3-meat combo plate is far more than I should eat. But I just can't pick between the ribs, brisket, and smoked turkey, so I accept the caloric challenge. Maybe I'll skip the ice cream this afternoon.
But maybe not......
Stay thirsty, my friends (and hungry) .....
