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Peter Ferrara/McCreary County Record
WRITE ON: Dining Delight
Fine Fare In
Our Own Backyard
Published:
December 11, 2007
By PETER S. FERRARA
McCreary
County
Record Columnist
"Everything I love is either illegal,
immoral, or fattening." So said the gifted American writer, reviewer and
humorist Alexander Woollcott. It is hard to imagine today, but once upon
a time in America there was a collection of people of great wit and
intelligence who so enjoyed each other's company that they dined
together every single weekday for more than ten years. This group became
known as "The Round Table," and they met at New York's Algonquin Hotel
from 1919 until a short time after the stock market crash of 1929.
What is remarkable about them is not just who they were but what they
represented. Theirs was an era before radio, movies, television, and the
internet dominated popular culture. In those long-ago days, what many
smart folks did was-- are you ready for this-- read books, plays,
newspapers, and magazines-- and then discussed them. "Read anything
interesting lately" replaced "Pass the salt" as a staple of dinner
conversation. Besides Woollcott, the Round Table included New Yorker
magazine founder Harold Ross, playwright George S. Kaufman, writer and
poet Dorothy Parker, and the "silent" Marx brother Harpo (Adolph Arthur
Marx), among many others.
They elevated dinner conversation to an art form, each trying to outdo
the other in clever put-down's, outrageous practical jokes, and creating
mayhem at each other's expense. Their antics often later appeared in
their writings and for a decade amused and entertained those for whom
there was not room at the table. Yet what lay underneath all this and
kept the group going for so long was a genuine love for each other's
intelligence. Members of this elite forum delighted in skewering each
other with their razor sharp wit, slashing at the folly of their
outsized egos with one hand as they carved roast beef with the other.
Besides giving each other plenty of food for thought, the Round Table
also really enjoyed eating fine food themselves. A quick glance at the
expansive waistlines of Woollcott or Robert Benchley gave ample proof of
that. The Round Table experience also represented the difference between
"eating" and "dining." Every living thing on this planet eats something.
Strung all together, this carnage is described by scientists as "the
food chain." But while it is true that a lot of eating is going on,
there isn't much "dining" to be found except in our better restaurants
and at each other's homes when someone has planned a meal worthy of the
name.
In modern America, dining occurs on a grand scale at Christmas and
Thanksgiving. That's when many families gather around a large table and
don't race through a meal to get back to watching television, playing
video games, or going on-line on the internet. These holidays mark some
of the few times when families pause from their busy lives and eat more
slowly and take a little more time to actually talk to each other at the
table. The dining experience is a quickly-vanishing event in our home
life. This is really too bad. Not only is dining a healthier way to
consume food, which is to say slowly and perhaps with a glass of wine,
but it encourages people to get to know each other better. It seems odd
that when we first go out on a date with someone special, we often go to
a restaurant instead of just a fast food place. Once we are a "couple,"
however, the dining experience gives way once again to just eating.
This brings me to a restaurant right here in McCreary County where the
atmosphere actually encourages good conversation and the food rewards
it. Located in the Big South Fork Scenic Railway Train Depot in downtown
Stearns is "Suzanne's Fine Dining." Here the formica counter has been
replaced by cozy tables with white cloths over them. The hot dog and
pizza have given way to a different kind of eating experience. Yet the
prices remain low and are in fact competitive with the fast food joints
out on Highway 27. How is this possible?
Suzanne Nutter loves to cook and it shows in everything she makes. Do
you think you know all about fried chicken? Try her fried chicken
tenders served with honey mustard dipping sauce and maxi fries for $6.79
and discover this staple all over again. Fifty cents more buys you her
special ravioli dinner, where jumbo ravioli are stuffed with a blend of
provolone, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan, white cheddar and Romano
cheese accented with marinara sauce and served with a green salad and
your choice of dressing. You can move up the food chain and enjoy prime
rib, red king crab, ribeye steak, blackened shrimp and a whole host of
other meals that must be tasted to be appreciated.
While I don't do restaurant reviews as a rule, I am writing about
Suzanne's because this county desperately needs one restaurant of this
caliber for the tourists we hope to have visit us and upon whom our
economy will increasingly depend. But why should the tourists have all
the fun? At her prices this is a place for all of us in this beautiful
county we call home. You should also know that she has a full catering
service, bakes cakes for all occasions, and even has take-out available
if you call (606) 376-2253. "2253" on your telephone spells the word
"cake," so it's easy to remember.
You don't need a reservation and dress is casual. While you're there,
you can also admire David Nutter's art work, which adorns the walls.
When I first saw what he does, I thought they were photographs but
they're not. They are paintings taken from snapshots of the county's
colorful past. David is also your host, and will make sure that your
experience at the restaurant is a really good one. While this county is
not yet "restaurant wet" and is therefore at a disadvantage when it
comes to our neighbors, the day may come when a diner can enter a place
like Suzanne's on a rainy evening and say another quote from Alexander
Woollcott: "I must get out of these wet clothes and into a dry Martini."
But even without the benefits of wine and spirits, Suzanne's is an
eatery unlike any other we have here.
You can visit them on-line at "Suzannesdining.com" or actually dine
there on Friday's and Saturday's from 5 to 9pm and at the Sunday buffet
from noon to 3pm, where adults eat for under nine dollars and kids under
five. Gift certificates are available and will be "relished" by anyone
on your Christmas list. Now, what are you waiting for? Suzanne's waiters
are waiting for you.
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Fine
Dining
