Pretty Southern

Author: Lauren

  • Interview with “The Help”

    Atlanta was recently graced by shining stars. Kathryn Stockett, whose literary constellation always shines bright over her home city, was in residence with long-time pal Tate Taylor and actresses Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer. Better known as the celebrities from “The Help”.

    PrettySouthern was privileged to sit down with Tate and Viola, then Kathryn and Octavia, to discuss “The Help”. The first question we got to ask was to director Tate Taylor, a Mississippi native who grew up with Kathryn Stockett. We ask this question in all of our interviews: “How do you define a Southerner for the 21st century?”

    “The South is a paradox.” Tate declared. “A family of devout Christians goes to church then afterwards invites everyone over for milk punch.”

    “We celebrate everything hard. First it’s the milk punch, then it’s the bourbon…” he laughs. Tate grew up with Kathryn ‘Kitty” Stockett in Mississippi. Both were “raised in the wonderful company of many African Americans” and are quick to dispute any tough questions of race in the film.

    “Dimitri worked for our family for 32 years,” Kathryn said. “Holy shit, she knew everything about us but we didn’t really know anything about her.”

    Author Kathryn Stockett and actress Octavia Spencer of "The Help"

    “I had a very real relationship with her. She would say ‘Look at yourself. You are so beautiful.” Giving that gift truly signifies an amazing, generous person. “You don’t know much about her life, outside of what she did for your family. How could we really call her family?”

    “You can’t be fearful (of racism),” Tate said, as he recounted a story of a woman who had seen the movie then claimed she wouldn’t bring her 10-year old because she didn’t want her child to be exposed to the n-word.

    Thanks to one of our readers Katie Cooper for her question: “Did Hilly ever learn her lesson and grow up to embrace integration?” Kathryn responded with “No. I think Hilly is going to be fighting that demon her entire life because she is so immersed in her beliefs.”

    “I wanted it to be on paper for people to look back on how ridiculous those rules were.” Kathryn declared.

    Actresses Octavia Spencer, Viola Davis, director Tate Taylor and author Kathryn Stockett of "The Help"

    Opening in movie theaters nationwide tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 10, “The Help” is a story of gumption, courage and most importantly, love — the kind of loving relationship a soul has with itself and God.

    This process with The Help has reinforced that old adage: it’s not what you know, but who you know. Where would the Kathryn Stockett’s of the world be without the Tate Taylor’s to support him? He started working on the screen In almost every way, Tate Taylor is the godfather of The Help. Growing up with Kathryn, living with Octavia, working alongside Viola and the brilliant other actors and crew of this film.

    The entire film was shot in 59 days in Greenwood, Miss., beginning in July. Tate joked about Viola sweating bullets, and how in the ending scene between Skeeter and Hilly they had to film it in the shade because it was 108 degrees outside and Bryce Dallas Howard couldn’t be in the sun because she has such fair skin.

    Now…let’s turn this conversation to the outstanding Octavia Spencer. Her character, Minny, provides much of the comic relief in the film. She originally met Tate when they were living together in L.A., then met Kathryn one summer in New Orleans. “Y’all were holding court, telling stories about each other.” Kathryn noted. Tate said “I could watch Octavia reading the phone book.”

    “I felt pressure on making sure a) Kathryn’s source material was perfect and that Tate was happy plus b) an homage to the men and women whose backs built this country. We find out there’s not a superiority or an inferiority but an equality.”

    Octavia called Minny a “dichotomy” as she shows her brave face to the world, and for her children, but she’s really the victim of domestic violence.

    “The world is my oyster and I’m putting a pearl inside.” Octavia cheered! “The Help” is coming to a theatre near y’all! It’s easily the best film about race relations in the South since “Driving Miss Daisy”. We’ve got our fingers crossed for these folks for numerous Academy Awards!

    You can watch part of our interview with Viola Davis and Tate Taylor here! It’ll take a hot minute to upload but the clip totally worth it.

    Interview with The Help from Kevin Patrick on Vimeo.

  • Ron Eyester’s Pet Project

    Previously I wrote about Chef Ron Eyester and his Morningside restaurant Rosebud, a well-loved and much publicized venue where many stop in for upscale comfort food for dinner or brunch. But Eyester (along with business partner Jason Chenette) owns and runs another eatery just across the street that, although it doesn’t receive as much culinary praise, he says is still a great eatery in its own right.

    The Family Dog—a full bar with a “farm-to-table pub cuisine”—is “Rosebud with its hair down; it’s Rosebud’s playground,” Eyester said. “We’re trying to create a haven for people in the neighborhood to hang out.”

    According to Eyester, Rosebud is the more labor-intensive concept. Rosebud is where he has to craft new dishes and focus on creating a more formal dining experience. He said he felt like subconsciously he opened the bar almost as a casual outlet for himself.

    “We like to have a good time, and if I’m going to be here [at the restaurants] 14–15 hours a day, I might as well enjoy what I’m doing as much as I can throughout the day…

    “So if I say something that would perhaps be inappropriate in a dining environment, now I kind of have my own playground. I mean, I can do what I want. I can say ‘fuck’; we’re in a bar!”

    When asked if The Family Dog would be his last restaurant, though, Eyester said he doubted it. “I’d love to do at least two more concepts.” Among his ideas, Eyester mentioned a market concept where patrons could go “backstage” at Rosebud, offering shoppers the same locally sourced ingredients he uses for his restaurants, as well as a possible breakfast joint. “We’ve had so much success with that, and I could eat breakfast food three times a day.”

    But considering how busy his existing projects keep him, Eyester said those ideas are definitely something he’d have to pursue sometime down the road.

    For more information, call 404.347.9747 or visit The Family Dog’s website.

    [author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://prettysouthern.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Parrish.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Elisabeth Parrish is a journalist and publications editor living in Atlanta. In addition to her posts on Pretty Southern, she runs the blog Love, Love, Love It! focused on awesome movies, books, music and more.[/author_info] [/author]

  • Our Southern Girl Amidst Chilean Protests

    I’m a proud product of public education. From Pre-K to my college diploma, I trusted and took full advantage of the schools and resources my government provided for me. It came as a surprise when I learned that Chileans don’t have that same liberty or, as some may say, that luxury. It came as an even bigger surprise when students took to the streets. Last Thursday marked the biggest, most violent, and perhaps most meaningful of the protests for public education in Chile.

    My apartment is located about six blocks from downtown – the epicenter of the protests. The students want to be as visible as possible, which is problematic for the operation of the city, but has also yielded national news coverage. Chile has some public education. For Pre-K to high school, there are several government-run schools whose funding is administered through individual municipalities.

    However, the funding for these municipalities is not uniform and incredibly low. The United Nations recommends that governments of “developed nations” should spend at least 7 percent of their GDP on education. Chile spends 4.4 percent. As a result, the public schools are of very low quality. Chileans do anything they can to pay for private education not only to give their child a good opportunity but also to keep them safe. One of my students once told me that child molestation can be a problem in some of the public elementary schools in poor barrios.

    Higher education is a different call-to-duty, but it seems to draw the most support, probably because its proponents are of a passionate age. Although Universidad de Chile is a public university, tuition is still very expensive for its students, and the grant and scholarship opportunities that should be available to low-income students simply don’t exist. Students are always eligible for subsidized loans but they still have to repay their debt after graduation.

    Students gather and block Alemada, the main thoroughfare in downtown Santiago. All photos of the riot are courtesy of Jennifer Mattern.

    Last Thursday, Aug. 4, was an emphatic exclamation point to what has been more than two months of weekly marches and demonstrations. Some of the protests hark back to Chile’s military dictatorship in the 1970s. Women would walk in the streets banging spoons on empty pots and pans, because Chile’s poor was going hungry. Thursday, many students hung out of their balcony apartments creating the same clamor. But despite the raw sentiment of the protests – the need for better public education options —many are becoming out of control.

    Thursday’s demonstration yielded an estimated 870 people arrested, and more than 90 police officers were injured. Protesters knocked over trashcans and lit their contents on fire. Storefronts without metal protection doors were smashed. Santiago’s beautiful colonial Spanish architecture was vandalized with scribbles of “Educacíon no se vende” and anarchy symbols. Vehicles were damaged by molotov cocktails. And the tear gas was more powerful and pervasive than it has ever been. I’ve learned to stay away from the streets just because of it but it lingers in the air for about 45 minutes, so even innocent passersby are often gassed.

    A caribiñero prisoner transport van, equipped with a water cannon, attempts to disuade students from continuing down Alemada.

    The protesters carry lemons, a natural tear gas aid, and shove them in their eyes and mouths to stop the burning.  Some of the protesters aren’t even students – they get liquored up before the protest and buy cans of spray paint because it’s a rush. To keep order the retaliation is brutal and, well, frightening. To see a gas -masked caribiñero launch a tear gas “bomb” into a crowd of chaotic protesters feels like watching a scene from a war movie. But it’s not a movie. And if the government doesn’t respond soon, the protests could only get worse, more violent, and more complicated. It feels strange to have an opinion about a government that isn’t yours and I know I am on the naïve side of how to make these decisions.

    I have a friend who is a professor at Universidad Católica, the wealthiest and most prestigious University in Chile. “We are very clear about what we don’t like, but we don’t have a procedure yet,” he said. And I think this is very true. I am in awe of the amount of passion and drive these students have to obtain what they need. But destruction and street fires aren’t going to motivate the wealthy government to make a change. Policy and procedure might. Many people say that President Sebastian Piñera and his cabinet don’t care about the lower class, but destruction, rather than conversation, won’t encourage favor.

    It’s hard for me to understand. The impediment of upward mobility in society is something I’ve never experienced directly, but being in the middle of it all feels like something worth fighting for.

    So, frying pan and wooden spoon in hand: one bang for their right to protest, one bang for their right to a good, safe education, and one bang, extra loud, for a governmental response rather than retaliation.

    Chelsea CookChelsea Cook is a journalist from Atlanta who taught English in Santiago, Chile, and author of the series “Our Southern Girl in South America”.

     
     

  • Spiced Bourbon Honey Iced Tea

    Thanks to our friend Liz Krebs for shooting over this delicious recipe from Blisstree! Spiced Bourbon Honey Iced Tea by Elizabeth Nolan Brown!

    Ingredients:

    6 cups water
    3 (chai or India) spiced black tea bags
    1 cup bourbon
    ⅓ cup clover honey
    optional: 2 sprigs lavendar, if you’ve got it handy
    optional: 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

    Combine all ingredients in a jug or pitcher with lid. Put on lid and shake it up (alternately, I guess you could stir, if that’s more your style).

    Let it steep in the fridge. (I mean, obviously, you could drink it right away, but it’s better after it sits for an hour or few.)

    Serve on it’s own or over ice; you may want to pour through a strainer if you used lavender, to avoid getting it in your drink.

    Editor’s note: the feature photo is actually the delicious Seersucker cocktail from West Egg here in Atlanta!

     

  • West Egg How Gatsby Dreamed

    Take two former lawyers with great taste and a whole lot of gumption then y’all have got the foodie heaven of West Egg. Atlanta’s up-and-coming Westside is history in the making, thanks in part to businesses like this new restaurant.

    Owners Jennifer and Ben Johnson met while attending law school at Duke. Right before graduation, Ben popped the question and they’ve been together ever since. They both practiced law at large firms in Atlanta following law school before Jennifer got the itch to open a restaurant then left her practice in about 2002 to start working on what would become West Egg.

    “It was opened on a shoestring, with friends and family rallying round to help paint, build and otherwise turn a raw space into a slightly less raw restaurant,” the couple explained. Ben kept his day job for several more years before joining West Egg full time in 2007.

    The name West Egg comes from the fictional town in “The Great Gatsby”, which has always been a favorite book of the Johnsons. “We even had a passage from it read at our wedding long before there was any thought of a restaurant,” they said. “When we found the original space, the Westside was a far different place than it is today. Bacchanalia and Taqueria del Sol were pioneers just up the street, but back then there was nothing in the area to speak of south of the railroad track and 14th Street except Northside Tavern. It was the Westside; we were serving coffee and breakfast; West Egg just jumped out as the perfect name.”

    West Egg is now housed in Westside Provisions on Howell Mill. The space is ideal for dates, working lunches, coffee breaks or even just to come and hang out. “In moving from an old industrial building into a brand new space, we tried to carry over references to the industrial character of the surrounding neighborhood. From the mirrored reclaimed factory windows in the dining room to the old chicken-wire safety glass around our bakery area, almost all of the furnishings are vintage or reclaimed in some way.”

    Buttermilk Pie crafted from Ben's grandmother's recipe.

    “Our menu is based around Southern comfort foods. Many of our desserts, such as the Coca-Cola cupcake and buttermilk pie, are based on my grandmother’s recipes. We make our own pimiento cheese, pickle our own okra, and put bacon on just about anything. Our dinner menu includes Pig & Grits (slow roasted pork shoulder over grits) and Country Captain (a traditional low country dish of chicken stewed in tomato curry). Our boozy milkshakes are based on our homemade vanilla softserve and include sweet tea (made with our housemade liqueur) and bourbon chocolate. Our cocktails include the Maple Mint Julep (sweetened with maple syrup) and the Seersucker (gin, basil, and lemonade).”

    The Seersucker. Imagine a Mint Julep…but even better!

    “The South always has had a defining tradition of graciousness. Hospitality, to kin and stranger alike, simply is a part of life.  We have tried to capture that tradition of Southern comfort and hospitality with West Egg but also free it from triteness or too much nostalgia. We want a come-as-you-are casualness befitting a dynamic city like Atlanta, where tattooed twenty-somethings sit next to families with young kids who sit next to pinstriped lawyers who sit next to young entrepreneurs on laptops who sit next to students twenty minutes out of bed – and who all feel equally welcome and at home.”

    On one afternoon, this PrettySouthern writer found herself writing with an iced cafe au lait, which lead to a beer sampling and then a piece of buttermilk pie! For more information on West Egg, check out their website and tell Ben and Jennifer that you saw them on PrettySouthern!

    August 4, 2011

  • Love the South

    My Yankee best friend sent me a funny editorial called Screw New York. If y’all don’t want to read this Manhattan diatribe it’s all good; although even this Southern gal has to admit that it made did make me chuckle.

    Essentially the writer conveys his sadist resentment towards the masochistic city in this love-hate relationship. He hates New York for being overpriced on everything including food, cocktails, rent, and existence in general but endures the torture because he’s sucked into the lifestyle.

    That’s not so much the case in the South. So I started thinking, as a counterpoint to this writer’s work, about the Pretty Southern examination of our culture. Instead of “Screw New York” I present to y’all “Love the South”.

    Love the South for making it easy to live below the Mason Dixon line. Folks come for a visit and are enchanted by our lifestyle. They’re always talking about how people aren’t as nice in other parts of the world. When they leave the South, their heart will twinge from feeling the lack o’ lovin’. They’ll return to their big city, be it New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or wherever and think “Why did I come back?” Eventually they’ll get sucked back into the tunnel of expensive loneliness, drowning their sorrows at the bottom of overpriced martinis. Lo and behold, in a few months, they’ll have to come back South for another sweet fix.

    Love the South for its simple things. The gas is cheaper, accents are softer, and strangers are friendly. We’ve got value meals available on every corner where a 22 oz. sweet tea is only $1. You can rent an apartment for a few hundred bucks a month, and even less if you’ve got roommates. If you’re on a tight budget, you can also rent an affordable room at https://www.americanlisted.com/all_states_0/rooms_and_roommates_93/cuartos+para+la+renta/. Despite a down economy, y’all can buy a house or property for less money in the South than any other place in the U.S. Why? We’ve got land y’all! Drive out of Atlanta a few hours, north to the mountains or south to the coastal plains, and build yourself a five bedroom house for a monthly mortgage or via home loans that’s less than a 600-sq. ft. Manhattan apartment. Why not also check out this Beehive Federal Credit Union page here for some perfect home loans! But before purchasing any property, make sure to consult professionals first, such as home inspection broward county. You should also get radon testing just to be sure and not regret later.

    Love the South because of the seasons. Sure it’s hotter than Hades outside, but come September we’ll start to feel that fall crispness which will linger on through November. In the winter, though it’s bitter cold, we still get that blessed day or two of 70 degrees and sunshine. Y’all don’t get that up North.

    Love the South for giving us wonderful food with no expectations of being “skinny”. Most of the time, people will think something is wrong with you if you’re too thin instead of idolizing your frail frame. We’ve got to make sure no soul is going hungry.

    Love the South because it’s got the best cooks in the world. Be it the local Chick-Fil-A, the gentleman frying your bacon at Waffle House, in your grandma’s kitchen, or one of the many gourmet Southern gems, there’s lots of good eating to be done in our region. Homemade pie, bacon for dessert, homegrown tomatoes and wonderful restaurants are served up for either cheap or free.

    Love the South because there’s at least a dozen places in a square mile offering inexpensive libations. The last time I was in Boston I got charged $6.50 for a Bud Light. That’s more than the cost of a six-pack at my local liquor store. I love it when I take my friends out in Atlanta because they’re fun to get trashed. In their buzzed state they proceed to rave about the South’s greatness because drinks are so cheap!

    Love the South for attracting the nicest gay people in the world. There’s my neighbor Gail and her partner Sherrie who own the house up the street…and they’re some of the sweetest Southern ladies I’ve ever met. We’ve got Pride Week, Elton John has a condo here, and God love every gay man who has ever paid me a compliment. Truly it’s an ego boost to have such nice gay people down South. After all, Atlanta is the city too busy to hate.

    Love the South for not being pretentious. No one will judge you for going to the grocery store in pajama bottoms and flip flops. I found these wonderful flip flops with a country style, they are just perfect for the countryside so check them out.I once walked through a Harris Teeter in Charlotte, N.C., drunk after a wedding without any shoes on. No one said a thing, though in my haze I do remember one produce guy smiling at me. Try doing the same thing in New York or L.A. and see what happens.

    Love the South for being a shining example of life’s elegance. Gorgeous antebellum mansions, gentleman in bow-ties, pretty dresses on even finer ladies, all sans snobbery. We’ve got the most beautiful weddings marking the beginning of even greater love stories. Though, the greatest love story of all, is that of the South herself.

    Love the South for welcoming us all. Even if you’re a Damn Yankee we’ll only poke fun a tiny bit. Everyone who visits Virginia all the way down to New Orleans is a friend of the South. We love newcomers because we get to share our stories, food, and fun. PrettySouthern is dedicated to spreading that love.

    Love the South because of her grace. The unmerited thankfulness that runs throughout our region. No matter how troubled your soul, there’s a place in the South where you can seek solace. For me, it’s right here in my Atlanta home.

    What do y’all love most about the South? Please comment below and have a lovely day.