Potluck: A Podcast about Southern Culture

First, Chris starts the show off with a story about how some folks dear to us showed some Southern neighborly love. This took us into a brief discussion about Operation BBQ Relief and the work they will be doing in the aftermath of hurricane Florence. Then they discuss an Eater.com article titled, "Whole Hog Is an American Tradition — So Why Is It Stuck in the South?" Then, the get a little fired up about a list Southern Living put out title, "The South's Top 50 Barbecue Joints 2018."

Thanks as always to our sponsors, who make this show possible:

Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew's new restaurant in Murfreesboro, just a few minutes outside of Nashville. Go there. Dallasandjane.net or open table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane.

Southern Socks - Based in Lexington, KY, they make Southern-inspired socks. USA-made, super high quality. http://southernsocks.com and on Instagram @SouthernSocks -- Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! Check out the new early fall collection! http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons -- Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Visit Franklin - Check out the amazing contest our hometown is doing: visitfranklin.com/contest. If you win this all expenses paid trip to our town, Chris and Will are going to throw something special in too!

First, Will and Chris talk about week 1 of college football, and Chris shows that he knows more than he lets on. Then they discuss the new St. Paul and the Broken Bones record, which releases on September 7, 2018. Finally, they discuss an article in the Indianapolis Star which broke down an economic report claiming that Indiana is now more like a "southern state" than a midwestern one. Will expresses some emotions during this one.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew's new restaurant in Murfreesboro, just a few minutes outside of Nashville. Dallasandjane.net or grab a reservation on Open Table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane.

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Tree House Macarons - New fall flavors out now! http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons - Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Visit Franklin - Sign up now for the contest to win an all expenses paid trip for 2 to beautiful Franklin, TN. If a Potluck listener wins, we are going to do something special for them! www.visitfranklin.com/contest

It's the end of the month, so we are doing our second ever bonus show on Old Fashioned Friday. We take questions from listeners and drink Old Fashioned Cocktails. Enjoy.

This episode is brought to you exclusively by Visit Franklin.

They are giving away an incredible VIP trip for two, to come visit Franklin… all expenses paid. Flights, two nights at Aloft hotel, $250 spending money, $250 Lyft credit to get around…. and some incredible VIP experiences.

Enter now at: www.visitfranklin.com/contest

We start off the show by debriefing the wonderful Southern Whiskey Society event which happened in Franklin, TN on last Saturday. This leads us into a good discussion of some mouthwatering dishes that we had at the event. Then, we discuss a Food and Wine article which discusses southern chefs and the attention they are giving to the pottery on which their creations are served. That article is titled "Why Southern Chefs Are Picking Pottery Like Produce," if you want to read it for yourself. Then, they wrap it up by discussing a new podcast from Reckon Radio/AL.com about "the Machine" at the University of Alabama. This four episode mini-series, titled "Greek Gods," takes an inside look at the secret society which allegedly controls politics at the University and even leaks into state politics.

Thanks to our sponsors:

Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew's new restaurant in Murfreesboro, just a few minutes outside of Nashville. Dallasandjane.net or open table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane.

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons -- Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Southern Socks - Southern-inspired socks. USA-made, super high quality. http://southernsocks.com and on Instagram @SouthernSocks -- Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

Visit Franklin - You could win a once-in-a-lifetime trip to our home town, worth nearly $3,000. Check it out at https://visitfranklin.com/contest

First, Will and Chris talk about a list put out by Food & Wine of the 40 most influential restaurants in the past 40 years. There is some crossover from the list we covered by Robb Report, but this contains about 10 more southern restaurants! Then, they talk about a book Will is reading by Earl Swift called Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island. It is great non-fiction work, chronicling the work of Chesapeake Bay crabbers on a remote island, which has lost well over half its land mass since the late 1800s. Finally, they discuss the Wildsam filed guide on the American South.

Thanks to our sponsors for making this show happen each week:

Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew's new restaurant in Murfreesboro, TN. Dallasandjane.net or open table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Two Brooks Farm - Mississippi delta rice. No fungicides or insecticides, ever. Great people growing delicious rice. http://twobrooksfarm.com or @TwoBrooksRice on Instagram. Use the code POTLUCK and save 20% on any order.

Southern Socks - Based in Lexington, KY, they make Southern-inspired socks. USA-made, super high quality. http://southernsocks.com and on Instagram @SouthernSocks Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

First, Chris tells Will about a dinner he went to in downtown Nashville and put on by Southern Foodways Alliance, called "Brown in the South" at Chauhan Ale & Masala House. This leads into a discussion of a New York Times article discussing the difference between "soul food" and "southern food." After that, they talk about their top 5 southern albums of the last 10 years. Finally, they talk about the new Ole Miss mascot, the "land shark."

Thanks to our sponsors, who make this all possible:

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. Beautiful green bottles. Still, sparkling, blackberry pomegranate or lime. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! Two meringue-based shells with a filling, usually a butter cream, ganache, or a fruit preserve. Southern-inspired flavors like Pecan Pie, Red Velvet Cake, Lemon Blueberry, PB&J, Blackberry Mojito, Blueberry Cobbler. http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Two Brooks Farm - MS delta rice. Traditional white and brown rice. Missimati (mississippi Basmati), Jasmine (mississippi jasmine), Black rice (super healthy), and Red Rice (also super healthy). No fungicides or insecticides, ever. Great people growing delicious rice. http://twobrooksfarm.com or @TwoBrooksRice on Instagram.

Dallas & Jane - Chef Alex Belew's new restaurant in Murfreesboro, just a few minutes outside of Nashville. Chef Alex uses fresh, local ingredients to create delicious dishes that honor the seasons and pay tribute to his grandparents. Delicious. Go there. Dallasandjane.net or open table. On Instagram at @dallasandjane

First, Will and Chris discuss a story which has set the "Southern internet" on fire this week: Sean Brock's announcement that he is stepping away from Neighborhood Dining Group. They dissect the cryptic announcement and speculate what it could mean for the future. Then, they skim the surface of what is a quite deep issue of Time magazine focusing on the South. Finally, they talk about a new book will is reading: The Lost Country by William Gay. Gay was a Tennessee writer who passed away in 2012. This new Southern gothic novel, which was released in posthumously July 2018, is set in 1950s Tennessee.

Thanks to our sponsors for making this podcast happen:

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. Beautiful green bottles. Still, sparkling, blackberry pomegranate or lime. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Southern Socks - Based in Lexington, KY, they make Southern-inspired socks. State themed socks, bourbon socks, horse-racing socks, Y'ALL socks. USA-made, super high quality. http://southernsocks.com and on Instagram @SouthernSocks Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! Two meringue-based shells with a filling, usually a butter cream, ganache, or a fruit preserve. Southern-inspired flavors like Pecan Pie, Red Velvet Cake, Lemon Blueberry, PB&J, Blackberry Mojito, Blueberry Cobbler. http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Duke's Mayonnaise - Richmond, VA-based, family-run. Good people making the best mayonnaise. http://dukesmayo.com or @dukes_mayonnaise on Instagram.

Two Brooks Farm - MS delta rice. Traditional white and brown rice. Missimati (mississippi Basmati), Jasmine (mississippi jasmine), Black rice (super healthy), and Red Rice (also super healthy). No fungicides or insecticides, ever. Great people growing delicious rice. http://twobrooksfarm.com or @TwoBrooksRice on Instagram.

First, Chris starts off the show by bringing Will a few gifts. One of those gifts launches into a conversation about regional Southern sodas. Finally, the guys talk about the minor league baseball team moving to Madison, AL and the outrageous names on the short list for the team. They quickly transition to a chat about the fun names of other minor league teams.

We are grateful to the folks who make this podcast possible:

Mountain Valley Spring Water - Delicious spring water straight from the source in the Ouachita Mountains in Arkansas. Beautiful green bottles. Still, sparkling, blackberry pomegranate or lime. http://mountainvalleyspring.com and on Instagram @MountainValleyWater.

Southern Socks - Based in Lexington, KY, they make Southern-inspired socks. State themed socks, bourbon socks, horse-racing socks, Y'ALL socks. USA-made, super high quality. http://southernsocks.com and on Instagram @SouthernSocks Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

Tree House Macarons - Augusta, GA. A French sandwich cookie! Two meringue-based shells with a filling, usually a butter cream, ganache, or a fruit preserve. Southern-inspired flavors like Pecan Pie, Red Velvet Cake, Lemon Blueberry, PB&J, Blackberry Mojito, Blueberry Cobbler. http://treehousemacarons.com and on Instagram @TreeHouseMacarons Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Duke's Mayonnaise - Richmond, VA-based, family-run. Good people making the best mayonnaise. http://dukesmayo.com or @dukes_mayonnaise on Instagram.

Two Brooks Farm - MS delta rice. Traditional white and brown rice. Missimati (mississippi Basmati), Jasmine (mississippi jasmine), Black rice (super healthy), and Red Rice (also super healthy). No fungicides or insecticides, ever. Great people growing delicious rice. http://twobrooksfarm.com or @TwoBrooksRice on Instagram.

Surprise, Y'all! This is a bonus episode showcasing a little tradition we call "Old Fashioned Friday." On a normal Friday afternoon, we get together and have some Eli Mason Old Fashioneds. Today we decided to grab our microphones and take some listener questions in this special bonus episode. It was so much fun, we think it will become a mainstay bonus episode.

Old Fashioned Friday is brought to you by:

Mountain Valley Spring Water - http://mountainvalleyspring.com

Southern Socks - http://southernsocks.com

Use code POTLUCK to save 15%.

Tree House Macarons -http://treehousemacarons.com

Use code POTLUCK to save 25%.

Duke's Mayonnaise - http://dukesmayo.com

Two Brooks Farm - http://twobrooksfarm.com

Will and Chris begin this episode by attempting to recreate a beverage mentioned in the book "The Happy Table of Eugene Walter." This mythical drink features "best bourbon," sparkling water, and amaretto, and gives of the impression the partaker is enjoying an iced tea. Then, Chris gets into some of the fun details of his whirlwind trip to Atlanta and Birmingham. Finally, they discuss Chick-fil-a's new concept of meal kits.

Thanks to our partners for making this show possible:

Mountain Valley Spring Water - http://mountainvalleyspring.com

Southern Socks - http://southernsocks.com - Use code POTLUCK to save 15%

Tree House Macarons - http://treehousemacarons.com - Use code POTLUCK to save 25%

Duke's Mayonnaise - http://dukesmayo.com

Two Brooks Farm - http://twobrooksfarm.com