Willie Mae: Southern Star – Side Splittin’ Good!

  • Thursday, February 12, 2015
  • Willie Mae

Lawsy Mercy! I never expected so many people to miss little ol’ me when I quit spying on restaurants and writing stories about my visits, but according to the folks at Chattanoogan.com quite a few people wondered where I was (and some even thought I had expired).

“Whe-e-ere’s Willie Mae?” they asked. Believe it or not, that ol’ rascal Lou and I got hitched!

We moved quite a ways from Chattanooga but you folks told the publisher that you missed my sassy stories, so I agreed that when I come to visit my son Jack and his family, I will be sure to make a few visits to places and tell you a story here and there.

I was in Chattanooga recently and, before I left for home, I asked Lois to join me for another partner in crime jaunt and she was thrilled!  

I knew she wouldn’t like it, but we headed up Signal Mountain on Taft Highway.

I heard about a place that made wonderful quiche and stopped in to visit the folks at Southern Star. Going up the mountain wasn’t so bad, but you know how Lois gets. I think she closed her eyes and missed what a cute little community it is.

We headed inside the shop and the food looked so fresh! They make their own mixed salads right there.

They said the quiche was in the oven and wouldn’t be ready for a while. The gal suggested the chicken fingers or the salads.

We decided on a combination of three salads for $5.25. They had potato salad, chicken salad, egg salad, broccoli salad, pea salad – basically any salad you could think of! And I knew what was coming next.

“I can’t make up my mind,” said Lois. The girl at the counter told my finicky friend that she would be happy to ‘split one of the sides’ and to go ahead and choose four.

Now, doesn’t that bring a tear to your eye? When businesses treat you with such kindness, it makes you have faith in good old-fashioned people service!

I will roll my eyes at Lois every once in a while, but it blessed my heart to see them treat my friend so sweetly and being so patient with her. They just didn’t realize that when they did that …it was going to take Lois a little bit longer to decide which ones to get.

She couldn’t make up her mind if she wanted the Greek artichoke salad or the strawberry salad.

They had baked goods displayed in the glass counter and you could order full cakes, pies or desserts to take with you. They also had standing coolers full of pre-made ready-to-go lunches and people were buzzing in and out picking up take away orders.

After I looked around, Lois finally made up her mind and chose the pea salad, the strawberry salad and she split the portions to have the chicken salad and the apple-walnut salad. I got the chicken salad, the apple-walnut salad and the Greek artichoke salad.

Lois and I took our tray to sit down and I caught her eyeing my plate with ‘the look’. I figured she would fuss that I had more helping of the chicken salad and apple-walnut salad than she had. I began to remind her that two of her choices were halved and she said, “I know that, but I thought I got the artichoke salad”

I didn’t say a word, I just minded my own business.

Her light bulb flickered and she remembered what she got and was happy once she began trying them all.

Each salad was seasoned to perfection and I loved the mixture in the artichoke salad. This place was delightful and it was so good to spy with Lois again.

On the way down the mountain, we came upon a hairpin curve that I didn’t quite make before another car was zooming up the mountain and met us on the hair of the pin!

Signal Mountain folks are so kind and patient – that car backed up a little and let me back up and try again. Lois was having a fit and I just laughed at her and said, “Whee-ee-doggie!” as we made it down the mountain.

Hours:

M-F 11 am-1:30 pm

Dinner: Take-Away only till 7 pm

 

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