Ladies and Gentleman--LUNCH!!

In order to help loyal reader Jim Smith (like we believe that's NOT an alias) get by the afternoon hungry time, we now pause to review today's selection from Roly Poly!

Reba and I got the #16 Russian Beef (roast beef, brie cheese, lettuce, tomato, scallions, dill pickle chips, russian dressing, all lovingly crammed into a flour tortilla) and the newest fave crave that hasn't even hit the menu yet, the Steak Fajita (steak and other stuff). We always get a whole sandwich and swap halves--the fajeeter was sorta hot (after all, it doesn't come blazing on a white hot sheet of metal), but was good. I did get one bite that tasted a bit on the gamey/liver-y side (in fairness, it would been great with fava beans and a nice Chianti). The Russian was likewise pretty good, although I think it would have been better hot. And without the brie. Again, there was a bite or two in there that was a bit too...too much like a slab of industrial solvent. But that's just brie for you.

Overall, both sandwiches were real good and the shop itself is always neat and clean and it's in a cool old building with an outdoor seating area at the sidewalk that's perfect for fresh summer days like today when the temps are in the comfortable 90s.

In reading back over this, it just occurred to me that I have now become the spiritual successor of Dennis Washburn.

For those of you who grew up in Birmingham, you know what I mean. And you weep tears of exceeding joy.

For the rest of you, Mr. Washburn worked as an entertainment/feature/dining/binge drinking/television/movie reporter for the Birmingham News for about a thousand years. Papers used to have guys like this to write about the local nightlife and write glowing praise for advertisers whom they patronized.

His inimitable style often had he and his wife Bunny flitting to and fro with their friends across the swingin' Seventies landscape of the Magic City, gorging themselves on racks of lamb and martinis at one swank bistro, before leaving (with a doggy bag for their poodle, whose name escapes me) only to head to another watering hole for some prime rib and cocktails, then on for a night of dancing while listening to the hot tunes being spun by Rockin' Ray. Most of the time this was done while driving a car from one of the local dealers, so the trip also served to provide an opportunity to write an auto review. Oftentimes, a movie was involved, so you could also wangle a movie review out of it, too.

Dennis had a cool Mac Davis perm and the puffy, pallid appearance of one too many nightcaps. He wound up losing his job at the News a good while ago, mainly because he wrote what he always did, but SHOCK OF SHOCKS, someone decided he wasn't writing an IMPARTIAL review of a product, but was, in fact, RECEIVING COMPENSATION from the advertiser. Again, this stuff used to be normal practice, but it was time for Dennis to carefully adjust the mirror, buckle his seatbelt, put the gear shift into Drive, and swing the gleaming new Ford Thunderbird out onto the expressway of unemployment.

Didn't stay down long though before he started up his own little local advertising paper called Dennis Washburn's Hotline. Same stuff he did for the News, except no one could fire him for being a shill.

He passed away a few years back and it really was sort of sad to see him go.

UPDATE: Jim mentioned in the comments below about The Cane Break--Hartselle's own Bob Cain, the founder of the Cane Break Supper Club and leader of the Cane Breakers, is listed in the Alabama Music Hall of Fame.
posted by Terry at 1:48:00 PM