Queen of Southern Cuisine

Paula Deen Opens Restaurant At Harrah’s Cherokee

By Doc Lawrence

     CHEROKEE, NC—No rightminded Southern boy would turn down an invitation to be with Paula Deen. I left the snow and ice of Atlanta, headed to the Smoky Mountains of Western North Carolina, entering the ancient land of the Cherokee to join an auspicious celebration, a ribbon cutting ceremony for the historymaking opening of Paula Deen’s Kitchen in the $630 million Harrah’s Cherokee expansion. There was some icing on the cake: I was able to dine there and even appear onstage with her.

     After an earlier event with the ebullient Paula last summer in Atlanta, I began to believe that she and country music star Dolly Parton were meant to be sisters. Both have a magnetic stage presence, audiences connect with them immediately and they are talented daughters of the South who embrace their heritage. Their naturalness, easygoing manner, good-natured humor, songs and food bring joy to the masses. What you see, hear or eat is precisely what you get.

     The ceremonies began with Michell Hicks, the eloquent principal chief of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee Nation joining Ms. Dean in a press conference welcome with his overview of the Harrah’s expansion and the opening of what already is one of the most popular restaurants this side of Nashville and Atlanta. “We believe in risks,” said Chief Hicks, “and our belief in where we wanted to go is right here with us today.”

THE YOUNG MAN FROM ATLANTA

HORTON FOOTE’S MASTERPIECE

 By Doc Lawrence

I was riveted to my seat. It was much more than another meaningful play; it was my home in Decatur, Georgia during my adolescence. My parents, our occasional domestic help, our religious practices and within a short time, the death of my brother and the crumbling of my parent’s marriage. Even today, I look away from mirrors in the morning, preferring to avoid the pain of seeking answers. Horton Foote’s masterpiece garnered a Pulitzer, but it is more than an acclaimed drama. A revelation would be more appropriate. It runs through February at Theatrical Outfit at Atlanta’s Balzer Theatre. There will be no finer production of a wonderfully told story anytime soon. Tom Key, who heads Theatrical Outfit and shines as Will Kidder in the play, offers this insight you will find stimulating.

What is the measure of a great play?  Is it commercial success, critical raves, winning a Tony or Pulitzer?  As powerful as those standards appear when achieved, one is sobered to read the long lists of award-winning “hits,” of which only a comparative few are actually familiar.

My own measure of a great play occurred on my first visit to London.  As I crossed the River Thames on the Waterloo Bridge toward The National Theatre, I saw an enormous marquee displaying the programming of the day:  Hamlet by William Shakespeare that afternoon and The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams that evening.

I was struck with how amazed either playwright might have been to realize that years after their lifetimes, their scripts were still being produced and thousands were seeing their works.  Such longevity and relevance over the course of time and place surely is a mark of greatness.

Even though many of those National Theatre ticket buyers that day knew Hamlet would die by the end of the play and that The Gentleman Caller would not be a good date for Laura, still they came, with the trust that the story would move them.

Yonah Mountain Vineyards challenges California Goliath - David wins!!

By Doc Lawrence
SAUTEE-NACOOCHEE, GA-The road to the winery tasting room traverses the ancient land of the Cherokee, along the path where Desoto explored during the 1500’s. Yonah Mountain Vineyards, named after the nearby imposing mountain, is a rising star operation that will not shy away from a challenge. 

North Georgia was still reeling from a rare blizzard that trapped millions in their homes for nearly a week. My antidote to cabin fever brought me deep into the Blue Ridge Mountains north of Atlanta to judge wines. Our distinguished panel-with no black robes or powdered wigs-evaluated some Napa Valley Goliaths with Georgia’s David, the rising star wines from Yonah Mountain Vineyards. 

Former longtime residents of Fort Lauderdale, Yonah Mountain owners Bob and Jane Miller came into the wine business through gradual experiences with fine wines and haute cuisine. No longer new kids in the wine business, Bob Miller teamed with 

his winemaker wizard Joe Smith for a few hours, placing their confidence on the line. Calling the event “the great wine challenge,” their wines were pitted against some Napa Valley giants in a blind tasting before an elite panel of judges led by maestro Michael Bryan, president of the Atlanta Wine School, Jane Garvey, one of America’s top wine authorities, Gil Kuylers of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Harry Constantinescu, wine director of the fabled St. Regis, Atlanta and others. 

A Paula Deen Weekend

By Doc Lawrence

CHEROKEE, NC--Harrah’s Cherokee Casino is a luxury colossus, and I’m here this weekend to join in the ceremonies celebrating the opening and debut of the magnificent Creek Tower and Paula Deen’s new restaurant. Taking all this in leads to the staggering conclusion that this is already the Southeast’s most spectacular resort.

I’m joining the ebullient Paula Deen and visionary Cherokee leaders along with Harrah’s top executives for the ribbon-cutting, staying in Creek Tower, enjoying once again Paula’s delectable Southern dishes, all blended into an evening of Vegas quality entertainment.

The new restaurant, Paula Deen’s Kitchen, has generated big buzz since the announcement last spring. Having Paula’s national celebrity presence at Harrah’s and in the region--the gateway to the Great Smokey Mountains--has immeasurable beneficial benefits. Good for Paula Deen. Good for Harrah’s and good for the wonderful Cherokee people.

 One other example of Harrah’s Cherokee commitment to excellence is the entertainment lineup. In March, two of the all-time legends of country music, Merle Haggard and Kris Kristofferson, team for two days of their music, songs that continue to mirror the heart and soul of America.

I’ll have in-depth stories including vignettes from Paula Deen, the undisputed first lady of Southern cooking, Cherokee tribal leaders and Harrah’s officials published and broadcast shortly. Stay tuned.

Dr. King and Fine Wine

Three men from different backgrounds and strongly differing beliefs met totally by chance on a rainy evening in Atlanta. While sipping fine wine the wide divide in their beliefs did not disappear, but for a time, Jim Sander's hospitality and a mutual enjoyment of the wine bound them together in pleasant conversation, and a little known but historic meeting passed into history.

The Great Wine Challenge

Our editor, Doc Lawrence, was chosen by rising star winery Yonah Mountain Vineyards to serve as a member of a panel of distinguished judges for the Great Wine Challenge on January 15, 2011. This remarkable event, described by Doc as "daring and visionary," actually takes the wines from Yonah and puts them in the taste arena with some of America's most prestigous and expensive wines.

Joe Smith, Yonah Mountain's winemaker described this inaugural event as "pairing three of our wines from two vintages and pairing them against Ghost Horse Cabernet Sauvignon at $250 dollars per bottle, our Chardonnay versus Kittler Dutton Ranch at $90 dollars per bottle and our Viognier against Darioush which sells for $43 dollars per bottle."

Calling this a variation on a theme of "David and Goliath," Doc Lawrence praised Yonah Mountain and Joe Smith for "thinking and acting way outside the box. This is a very serious operation here at Yonah Mountain. They deserve a chorus of praise from the summit of the imposing namesake mountain."

Other judges include Michael Bryan, founder and president of the Atlanta Wine School, legendary Jane Garvey, one of America's top wine authorities and Gil Kuylers, wine columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

January 2011 Newsletter

We've closed the books on our maiden year and Wines Down South is positioned to provide more tourism and travel news to readers with even more interesting, relevant and exciting features. 2011 is the launch year for the Civil War Sesquicentennial and we are delighted to share stories, events, festivals, lectures and items of great interest useful to our readers who will be visiting the places where great battles were fought along with the many museums that showcase exhibits related to the tumultuous events 150 years ago. 2011 marks the 75th anniversary of Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell's immortal novel that remains a global favorite to this day. Many events have already been scheduled in Atlanta during different times of this year and our own veteran travel journalist Doc Lawrence, an Atlanta native, will be there to cover them, making it easy for tourists to visit the best and most interesting. Destinations from Virginia to Florida will fill our sections and we will add more wine and fine dining stories, plus the barbeque havens off the beaten path. The wineries and vineyards from just outside Washington, DC, down into North Carolina's Yadkin Valley, over into Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama continue to be major tourist attractions and the first stop for so many travelers are the great wine producing venues of Georgia, our home state. You'll want to plan your winery vacations through our exceptional resources and expert knowledge We are so happy you are on board with us and invite you to tell others about all Wines Down South offers for readers and advertisers. Like our beloved Southland, we will only grow and get better. HAPPY NEW YEAR!