After their last restaurant burned down, Sylvester and Mary Hoover moved closer to downtown Greenwood and reopened Hoover's Country Kitchen earlier this year. The new restaurant is just a few blocks from the bookstore, and it's been a revelation to us. We've taken writers, chefs, musicians and publishers to eat at Hoover's Country Kitchen, and they all agree we have something special here. It may be the most honest meal in town, and that's largely due to Mary Hoover, who learned everything her mama taught her about cooking and then some. She always has a story to go with the meal, so we thought she would fit right into the Lay-By Festival.
We'd planned to have a soul food luncheon with gospel music at Hoover's Country Kitchen, but sadly, the restaurant closed its doors early last week. Economic hard times are squeezing small businesses, and the demise (temporary, we hope) of Hoover's is a tragic sign of dying old ways.
But the Hoovers are resilient folks, and Mrs. Mary knows the traditions must continue in spite of hard
times, so she wanted to continue with our gospel lunch. We moved the whole deal out to Tallahatchie Flats, a cotton-field commune where you can rent a refurbished shotgun shack and have a back roads Delta vacation without the misery and discomfort. We scoped out the site and realized that serving a hot lunch in the middle of a parched cotton field in July might be too authentic. Mister Bubba, who tends the property and is an interesting character we hope to know better, showed us an alternative spot behind the shacks, a shaded area along the banks of the storied Tallahatchie River. It might have been the nicest spot in all the Delta that day.
We set up tables and chairs, made tea and laid out the settings while Mary scurried to finish her dishes. At one o'clock, the guests began appearing over the dusty turnrow, perhaps skeptical of eating outdoors in the scorching day. But the mystique of the setting allayed all fears, and as guests arrived, they were treated to two wonderful local gospel singers, Veronica West and Marilyn Key, serenading us down by the riverside, a holy breeze keeping the heat and mosquitos at bay. The blessing was offered, then Mary introduced each dish — smoked ribs, fried chicken, candied yams, turnip greens, purple field peas, cornbread and her own special Delta Butter Roll dessert — every one eliciting oohs and aahs from the crowd as she uncovered the dishes like a magician revealing tricks. Each dish had its own story, and she explained their preparation. The only thing more enticing was sitting down with a full plate and indulging. And after much good cheer, everyone sweated and stumbled away in need of a nap, all in agreement that there was something about eating this soul-saving food, and hearing this pure musical expression, in such a lovely setting that testified to the purity of this culture. We'd all do well to leave work every now and again, drive into the country and take lunch by the river, sweat a bit and give thanks with a song in our heart and a full stomach.
