Tater

Sadly Ruth and Jimmy's closed a couple of years ago (unless it secretly reopened and noone told me...I wish!).

Our favorite cheap place is Taqueria Guadalupana on Summer. For something a little nicer, try Cafe 1912. I've also heard a few places have bar/patio menus that are cheaper than the regular menu. Finally, my wife and I ate at Do sushi in C-Y the other night for $50, tax & tip included with a $6 beer and a $8 glass of wine.

There is a Harry's Detour Downtown near the Arcade. Not to be confused with Cafe 61 which (I'm 99% sure) is the same folks that run On Tour. If not, someone correct me.

Lan4Dawg- We hate missing out on trips to Athens too. A casualty of the high finance of college football. I'll have to check on that Holly Springs suggestion...Sounds great. Generally if we are that close to Oxford, we hit City Grocery or Taylor or any number of places. Pizza Den sadly has gone downhill since Pizza Bob was killed and it's been taken off of our list. It used to have the best muffaletta north of Amite, La. A quick yellowpages search for Holly Springs lists Annie's Restaurant, Nadine's City Cafe, Phillips Grocery and a bunch of chains. Try to get back to Oxford soon. I would guess you would be shocked at the growth and changes both on and off campus. Mostly for the good unless you are trying to buy real estate. Gregg

There's a cookbook out from Hattiesburg chef Robert St. John called Southern Staples or How to Survive in a Southern Kitchen without a Can of Cream of Mushroom Soup. My mother in law got it for Christmas and it looks great. I've never eaten in one of his restaurants and have no affiliation with him. http://www.robertstjohn.com/

Great stuff reading about cycling on a food board. Both of my loves! For a cycling message board, check out roadbikereview.com. Similarly formatted message boards with a very diverse community of all sorts of cyclists. If you are like me, you probably don't need another internet diversion. My comments above relate to my research on post-ride nutrition for a proper recovery. I'm looking to increase my endurance (and speed) on back-to-back hard ride days and a complex protein (along with some carbs) is recommended. I'm about to begin a whey powder mix to see how I feel at mile 40 on a Sunday after 60 or so on a Sat.

My favorite town in the world (and not just because of my Ole Miss alma mater) has a new place called L&M Kitchen and Salumeria. We picked up a to-go pressed sandwich last night. Mrs. Tater got the sausage/ragu and I got the house special with prosciutto, coppa and another forgotten italian pork product. Excellent italian cheeses too. Great atmosphere and really good service. EDIT: I'll update more when we try more. They have antipasta, ensalata, pasta and entrees as well.

yellow truffle- The 6 Gap gets great reviews and is probably one of the better centurys in the southeast. There's another near Chattanooga coming up in May or early June called the 3 Mountain/3 State that's good as well. I have ridden neither, but ride with a group here in Memphis that hits both of them.

I've been reading up on post-ride recovery lately (I'm NOT an experience cyclist-a year and a couple of thousand miles under my belt). I have trouble on Sunday rides after a long Saturday ride. That said, all the experts I've read say you need complex proteins within 30 minutes post-ride. This helps your muscles rebuild quickly and properly after being "torn down" by the ride. Those I trust suggest whey protein mixed in milk (or orange juice). I'm sure any good, complex protein would be satisfactory (meat, eggs, etc) but I don't have time to prepare that generally. Take it for what it's worth from some uknown internet poster, but there is support amongst cyclists out there on the web. Your recipe sounds delicious by the way.

I totally agree with Taqueria del Sol. Great place for two to eat good food + margaritas for around $25. My favorite though is the New Yorker Deli on Pharr in Buckhead. Get a fried bologna sandwich stock (don't change a thing). It's absolutely the best sandwich in Atlanta. Like redneck foie gras. Tater in Memphis with the Atlanta blues again.

Finally able to post to this thread after some issues with my login. It's upgraded and I can finally contribute. My favorite for sandwich is a tie between the BBQ Shoppe on Madison and A&R on Elvis Presley. The Shoppe has better side dishes and "apps" (get the bologna/sausage/cheese plate). Some choose the Texas toast but you get more meat on a bun. Chopped of course. The Shoppe also has the best ribs I've eaten in Memphis. I've long been an apologist and defender of Charlie Vergo's Rendezvous, but it has gone downhill in the past 3 years. I still love the atmosphere and it will ALWAYS be better than what they serve at Corky's, but I can't stake my rep on it anymore. The Shoppes dry ribs are as perfect as you can get in Memphis. Cozy Corner has become the darling of the foodie set for a hole in the wall joint. It has great ribs too and you won't go wrong. Their cornish game hen is really, really good but a lot of work for little payoff. The best ribs I've ever eaten period are from a little joint about 1.5-2 hours north/northwest of Memphis in Holcomb, Missouri. Strawberry's is the name of the place. If word ever gets outside of the 1 hour radius it draws people from, it will be the next Ridgewood BBQ (highly touted by the Sterns/Roadfood over in East Tennessee). Get there before everyone hears about it. They sell out quickly.

One more...forgot about Gulf Shores. Go to Gulf Shores Steamer for local flavor, cold beer and good steamed seafood. Get a platter and get messy...

I highly recommend Soto for the best sushi in town...but do not miss their nightly specials. Appetizer portions of lobster/mango/portabello mushrooms in a cream sauce, jackfish carpaccio with truffle oil...etc. Ask a good waiter for a recommendation. Sit at the bar if possible. Service can be spotty.

What a great trip. I'm jealous... I can make a few recs... Clarksdale - Madidi ...Madidi--Clarksdale Owned by Morgan Freeman. I have not been, but it's gotten good reviews (and I can guarantee there isn't much else). Also Abe's bbq at the crossroads. It's good, but I'd hold out on 'q for Memphis. Greenville - Doe's Eat Place Great steaks and tamales (a Miss. Delta tradition for some reason). bad area of town but great atmosphere. Merigold - Just off Hwy 61. Not food, but McCarty Pottery. Great pottery sculptures, dishes, etc...unusual and well-kept secret from visitors. Ask any local... Cleveland - KC's. Probably the best wine list in Mississippi and really, really good food. You eat here if you are looking for upscale food in Mississippi. I'm not sure if there is a comparison. Greenwood (about an hour east of Hwy 61 on 82) - Lusco's. Great old Southern restaurant with private booths. If they have the pompano, I highly recommend it. Oxford - City Grocery already mentioned and I recommend. Also try Old Taylor Grocery about 15 minutes outside of town for great, great catfish. BYOB. Oxford is a great town, with quite a bit more to do than the others listed above. Memphis - Rendezvous ribs, Cozy Corner ribs and chicken, Interstate BBQ. Try Sekisui in Midtown (no other location) if you are craving Japanese or Sushi after all that Southern food. These are not in order from South to North...have a great trip and give us your impressions.