On my last day in Missouri, I got to see a few things that captured my fancy.
One is a levee. I’m sure there must be different levees for different locales, but this one was by the Mississippi in the boot heel. I had to drive up and over the levee to get to the facility I was collecting from.
The other was New Madrid, home of the New Madrid fault and one of the strongest earthquakes our country has ever experienced.
I can practically hear you saying, “Wait! I don’t remember hearing about that!” Well, they happened in 1811-1812, so it has been a minute. If you want to know more about these earthquakes that were estimated to be up to a magnitude 8, you can always consult my Preferred Source.
Earthquakes are not completely a thing of the past in this part of the country, though. When I was researching the big quake in the 19th century, I saw that there was a 2.9 magnitude earthquake in New Madrid on January 11, 2019. I guess we should always have our “go bags” packed. You never know when you will need to bug out.
For my last night in Missouri, I decided to take some people’s advice and visit Lambert’s.
In addition to “down home cooking” their main claim to fame is their “throwed rolls.”
And, yes, they really do throw the rolls!
The thrower really had an arm on him! He was shooting those rolls from one end of the restaurant to the other.
It’s easy to see that the decor is license plate chic.
I was seated quickly and the waiter brought me a Diet Coke and took my order.
While I was waiting, some of the servers circulated with the “pass arounds.” I ripped off a paper towel from the roll on the table and got some fried okra to nibble on while I was waiting.
My dinner arrived. There’s a roll in the photo, but I didn’t catch it. A server came by and handed me one.
The pass arounds kept coming. Black eyed peas were ladled into one of the compartments.
Then sorghum and apple butter made an appearance. I hope my Loyal Readers don’t think less of me, but “down home cooking” is not my preferred cuisine. But, I will admit that it was an entertaining meal. If I had been starving, I think some of that food might still be sticking to my ribs.
You can tell that the decor is heavily into kitsch. They have three locations, in case you want to include “throwed rolls” into your travels: Sikeston, Missouri; Ozark, Missouri; and Foley, Alabama.
As always, exit through the gift shop.
Tomorrow, I’ll be heading east.