On the Road: 24 Hours in Tupelo
Published in Delta Magazine
By JOHN FINCHER BOBO
Head for the hills to Tupelo, honey. The next time you’ve got a little extra gas to burn and some curiosity in your belly, take a drive with your compass situated to the east. We’ve eaten through The Gumtree City, scrawled you down an itinerary (that’s ketchup, I swear), and even learned a few things. No disrespect to the King, but this place has more on the menu than PB,B,&B’s. But if you can’t help falling for bacon and banana sandwiches, they’ve got plenty of that too.
Saturday
Dough Burger Drive-In — 11 a.m.
As soon as you get off US-278, take the edge off your wander-hunger at Johnnie’s Drive-In with their famous Dough Burger — one of Elvis’ favorites, they say. The patty is a mixture of beef and flour, a Depression era solution in order to make the meat “stretch,” which is then deep fried. Think: beef-fritter. Served H-O-T, the Dough Burger is a rollercoaster of a bite: crunch of the meaty hash-brown in between pillowy buns, all jolted to life with the tart sharpness of yellow mustard, onions, and just the right amount of pickle. It was like the hottest, best Sonic burger you’ve ever had (if a burger patty and a tater-tot ever got frisky on the griddle). This was my first exposure to the delicacy, and I have to say I’m a fan. Give it a Google and you’ll learn this is unique to North Mississippi, but not just Tupelo (Corinth has a Festival in its honor every July).
The King and The Cars — 1 p.m.
Instead of just waiting around for happy hour, make your way across the street to the Elvis Presley Birthplace and theElvis Presley Museum (Mon.-Sat. 9:00-5:00, Sun. 1:00-5:00). If you’re on a perpetual Mississippi Blues Trail scavenger hunt (like me), you will find one of Tupelo’s two trail-markers here. Congratulations! Check it off your list and go drink a beer!
Just kidding! You have more MUSEUMS to see! Three cheers for learning! Who needs beer anyway? (me, I do.) But seriously, you need to check out this next museum. The Tupelo Automobile Museum is billed as one of the largest automobile collections in North America, with a collection of cars dating all the way back to 1886. They’ve got rare pieces like Elvis’ blue Lincoln Mark IV and Liberace’s black Corvette. You get to guess which one has a crystal candelabra bolted to the trunk.
Take a walk around downtown Tupelo. Make sure you stop by Cafe 212 for some caffeine and a marvelous white cheddar pimento cheese sandwich, or one of their other creative sammies. Their spin on the aforementioned Elvis sandwich, the Blue Suede Grill, was Mississippi’s horse-in-the-race for Zagat’s “50 States, 50 Sandwiches” feature. This place is no stranger to good press: it has the oh-so-rare 5-star rating on TripAdvisor, and it’s every local’s favorite place (seriously they won’t stop talking about it).
Brew Canoe — 5 p.m.
If you’re ready for that beer I promised you, paddle down to Blue Canoe, a funky-casual watering hole that boasts the biggest beer selection in North Mississippi. Behind the bar is a crowded tap-wall bejeweled with enough spigots and handles to make an operator’s switchboard look tame. After you’ve made the hard decision on your beer, make an easy one: order the Crack Dip Fries. Their spin on cheese fries is elevated with crisp hand-cut fries that are seasoned perfectly and covered in a spicy sausage cheese dip with just the right kick of heat. After much interrogation from me, the server kindly insisted the “crack” title is merely clever marketing and that no actual cocaine was used in the making of these fries. But in the interest of good journalism, my genuine doubt, and any future drug screens — I had to ask. The other standout on the menu was the Fried Black Eyed Peas. Crunchy, covered in Old Bay, and served with a side of sweet tomato chow-chow, this is what every sad bowl of “bar peanuts” hopes to be one day when he grows up and finally starts to respect himself. Hang around long enough and the live music will start kicking up.
Wanted: KOK — 8 p.m.
Time for dinner. I got a tip from some friends at work that I should try Kermit’s Outlaw Kitchen. Where do I even begin? Simply put: KOK is the reason humans “go out” for dinner. They use the freshest ingredients from local farms, and they know what to do with them. Owners Mitch McCamey and Seth Copeland preach the farm-to-table gospel and print a new menu every week, not unlike a church bulletin. Breaking down the cow in the backyard, these guys know their ingredients more personally than you know yourself.
I started my meal with the Southern Cheese Board, a dynamic cheese assortment accompanied with fine fixins like sesame brittle, green strawberries, quick pickles, and local Estes Honey. But the glory came down when I was served the holy Pork Belly Pop Tart. More akin to Toaster Strudel (the distinction is important if you know what’s good), this flaky puff pastry is filled with pork belly, drizzled with strawberry jam, and garnished with baby beet greens — apple butter on the side. It’s the ultimate umami/sweet experience. My entree — the Skirt Steak Roulade — was raised and butchered in house, stuffed with Conecuh sausage, and served on a platter-sized butcher board alongside bright magenta slices of watermelon radish, potatoes, carrots, shallots, and fennel. All of this was lovingly placed on top of creamy salt-spiked black-eyed pea grits. The bounty of produce was from our friends, the Heiskells, of Woodson Ridge Farms. Grits were from “Grit Girl” Georgeanne Ross of Oxford. I’ll be back next weekend, it’s well worth the drive.
You Said You Was High Class — 9:30 p.m.
If you were thinking something more white tablecloth, or if you’re a “second location” type, Park Heights is always an excellent choice. Their cuisine is refined and creative, and the menu is ever-changing. My group enjoyed the light and fresh Shrimp and Avocado mash, and the lightly fried Maine Lobster, dubbed “VooDoo” because of the spicy cream sauce the chef tosses it all in. Grab your drink—they’ve got an arsenal of bourbons and a dedicated martini menu—and take it to the rooftop for some added views to your booze. After you sign the check, untuck your shirt and head back to Blue Canoe for the live music. They’ll be well past the sound check and ready for you to shake your juke thang.
Sunday
A Hunk of Burning (Blueberry) Love — 11 a.m.
I’ll keep it simple for you in the morning. On your way out of town, drive through Connie’s for a damn good blueberry donut. I won’t hold it against you for staying in-theme and eating the praiseworthy chicken biscuit (it’s delicious), but I feel my temperature rising when I see a Connie’s blueberry donut come out fresh from the fryer. Krispy Kreme who?