After a year or so of lurking, I've finally decided to post for the first time. Here goes... My husband (a Brit no less) and I are taking our first trip to the south next week. We'll be driving from Atlanta to Asheville. From there, we'll be driving through Tennessee (stopping in Memphis and Nashville) then onto Louisville and back down to Atlanta. (I KNOW it's not the best time of year--weather wise---to attempt a southern road trip but it's the only time we can do it). One of the main reasons for the trip is to do a little research on Southern Bakeries and Sweets. I'm going to be opening a small, old fashioned bakery in Los Angeles later this year and am looking for some new ideas (well, new for me and for a lot of people in L.A. maybe, but old and traditional for those of you in the South). Can any of you direct me to places in the cities that I mentioned (or nearby) that we MUST stop into as well as give me suggestions as to the cakes & pies that we have to taste?? I've already done some research with the Sterns books & website and am looking for additional suggestions. I'm specifically looking for GREAT versions of caramel cake, chess pie, derby pie, banana pudding, hummingbird cake, etc. Thank you all so much in advance for any help you can provide!
