Evelyn's Blog - Taste of Gourmet

Love the kids from Tupelo....

Friday, a group of Tupelo Middle School 8th graders came to Indianola to the B.B. King Museum and ate lunch with us at The Crown!  What a wonderful group of young people!  Polite, interested, talkative....just a great bunch of kids!  It was a pleasure to have them in town and in The Crown.!

They have been studying Mississippi History and many had never been to the Delta....our flat landscape was a surprise!  They started at the Museum - it tells the entire story of the Delta from the 1927 Mississippi River Flood, the agriculture and cotton, how people lived, Civil Rights and of course the Music!!  They really liked the Bus.....it is a "bus" with a dozen or so seats with a screen in the front "windshield"  telling the story of what it was really like on the road traveling from town to town making music as B.B. was making a name for himself.  They also liked the "radio studio".....if YOU have not made the trip to Indianola to the Museum....you just have to come see it all for yourself!  www.bbkingmuseum.org
And of course we want you to come for lunch at The Crown....or just stop by to drink a cup of coffee with us!

Spring Break in the Mississippi Delta....

So many people are headed this way next week during their Spring Break to tour the B.B. King Museum (and to have Lunch at The Crown! )   Some are coming from colleges around the country to Pay it Forward by doing work at Habitat and at E.E. Bass Center in Greenville and other sites around the Delta.  Others are just going to be wandering the backroads, eating Hot Tamales and BarBQue, our Bayou Beer Bread and CATFISH!

Put Indianola's B.B. King Museum on your To Do List......PLUS
Sky Lake Cypress Preserve between Belzoni and Itta Bena just off Hwy 8
Wister Gardens in Belzoni (also on Hwy 8)
A walk along Indian Bayou here in Indianola - from Gilmer Park on W. Percy St to Fletcher Park on E. Main.
Cottonlandia Museum in Greenwood (now The Museum of the Mississippi Delta) on Hwy. 82 - great exhibits of Native American artifacts and farming in the Delta.
The Viking Store and Alluvian Hotel in Greenwood.
Music at The Blue Biscuit on Friday and Saturday nights across from the B.B. King Museum.
Billy Johnson's Hwy 61 Blues Museum in downtown Leland AND 
Lunch at The Crown .....we'd love to see you Tuesday - Saturday with lunch from 11:00 to 2:30!

The Delta is FILLED with great entertainment!

If you are Delta Bound or are lucky enought to live here.....there is ALWAYS some music or theatre or a blues player at a local club to enjoy!   FOR EXAMPLE:
Last night we were at a FREE concert hosted by Delta State University with Mose Allison at the piano!  The Bologna Performing Arts Center was full - enjoying his music and the great jazz group that opened for him!  Wonderful!

Tonight we are going to the Greenwood Little Theatre for a production on "Delta Swim Club".....
(March 1st...our Indianola Mid-Delta Arts Theatre will be presenting "South Pacific" with some great musical talent from around the Delta)  Call The Crown for tickets - 1662-887-4522 and Jen will take care of you!)

This Saturday night....there are TWO wonderful concerts....Eden Brent, Jessica and Bronwyn Brent are doing a concert at the E.E.Bass Auditorium in Greenville....These girls are incredible and they will be singing some of their mother's music too!  It's a fundraiser for the Greenville Arts Council....can't wait for that!

AND ALSO on Saturday night, the B.B. King Museum in Indianola is presenting a FREE concert/storytelling presentation of Mahalia Jackson....this great story teller "did" Ma Rainey a few months ago and it was wonderful!  Diane Williams has a great voice and great musicians to back her up!  We want to see that too!
We are so torn between the two events....don't ever say there is nothing to do in this little part of the world!

Indianola's "remarkable downtown".......

A lovely couple from North Mississippi had lunch with us Tuesday at The Crown!  They had just come from the B.B. King Museum and were in awe of the Museum's quality and story!  They said, "We are really museum lovers and the B.B. King Museum is one of the best we've ever seen."  And we really loved hearing that because we think so too!

But that wasn't all.....their next statement was..."Your town is just beautiful.  HOW did Indianola manage to keep the downtown alive?"   I was very proud to say that thankfully...our downtown never died!  Some of our loyal, local businessmen, years ago, raised private money to add great lighting, planters and plantings on the Bayou, paint some of the buildings that needed it, refurbish an old church for a Little Theatre and more! And most importantly Indianola's residents continue to support our local merchants and restaurants...on the highway AND downtown!  Indianola works together!

I couldn't be prouder of our little town of Indianola, right in the very center of the Delta.  The Museum attracts visitors from all over the world and our "job" is to make sure that everyone who drives down Indian Bayou enjoys their visit to Indianola, the Museum and the entire Mississippi Delta!  The daffodills are starting to bloom....ya'll come see us in Indianola and order some Catfish Allison at The Crown!

Day trips in the Mississippi Delta....

This Labor Day Weekend is a great time to back roads in the Delta!  Stop by The Crown of course...we serve coffee and dessert all day and lunch from 11 to 3:00!  And shopping, walking and eating in Indianola is a joy!

Then go into the B.B. King Museum for an amazing "Smithsonian style" experience.  The Museum tells B.B.'s story as well as the 1927 flood, what being on the road was like for musicians, about radio in the 30's and 40's, about juke joints and Beale Street....you can sit on benchs and listen and watch the whole story unfold.....so much to see!   Do NOT miss the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola!

Follow Indian Bayou from 82 East all the way through Indianola to Hwy 82 West, passing Heathman Plantation and into Holly Ridge where Charley Patton is buried and the very first Blues Trail Marker in Mississippi was unveiled!  If you are out this Labor Day weekend, Circle back into Indianola for Music at The Blue Biscuit on Saturday and Sunday night.....

I've been putting together some information about round trips from Indianola....I have a few finished and you can pick them up at The Crown....How to find Po'Monkeys outside Merigold, how to get to Skye Lake outside of Belzoni to walk through the 1500 to 2000 year old Cypress forest, crossing the Sunflower River near the Barrett Plantation, driving out to the 19th century Boyer Cemetery on an Indian Mound, how to find the potterys, McCarty's, Red Leaf, Peter's....."Off the Beaten Path" places that are some of our favorites!  These suggestions are just that....personal favorites....but you'll find the heart of the Mississippi Delta on these back roads! 

And THIS year there is cotton planted everywhere......the bolls are opening and Fall is in the air....ya'll come to the Delta!

 

 

Mississippi Delta Culinary Trail......yum!

What an exciting meeting we had in Indianola on Wednesday....talking food and tourism all day!  My two favorite topics!  People from across the Delta talking about the restaurants in their areas....what the Delta Foods are....and so much enthusiasm.   People in Mississippi are all about sharing ......food especially...and it was so much fun to hear all the great ideas and things already going on to share even MORE with the tourists who are flocking to the Delta because of our Blues and our Hot Tamales!

I've just spent an hour just  "browsing" Southern Foodways Alliance's wonderful website...Amy Evans Streeter (also at the meeting) did the Hot Tamale Trail years ago and you will love spending HOURS on the SFA site!    There's BBQ and Boudin trails and the oral histories are a treasure!  If you love food....you need to join the SFA and get their newsletters....John T. Edge and everyone in the Oxford office are working hard to preserve Southern traditions! 

Lots of great information on the Mississippi Tourism Site as well with Culinary Trails all over Mississippi.....is there anything more fun than taking a road trip to EAT?

Ya'll come to the Mississippi Delta  and The Crown and we'll make sure you don't go away hungry or wondering where to go (after you've seen the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola) where you can hear the Blues and where to eat of course! 

B.B. King Homecoming this Saturday.....

Saturday in Indianola will be fantastic.....For the first time the Homecoming Festival will be at the Museum!  B.B. King will actually be here playing his music on the lawn of the Museum that evening!   The festival starts at 9:00 with music all day, Art at B.B.'s, The Children's Zone, Festival food, BBQ Contest in B.B.'s Backyard and the Concert stage wil open at 2:00 with Honey Boy Edwards and a great line up of blues artists before B.B. takes the stage!

9:00 am is the opening of Art at B.B.'s  featuring over 40 artists from the mid-south showing their work and selling to very happy customers!  Huge variety...from funky folk art - stained glass - pottery - paintings (some great ones of B.B. too) - jewelry of all sorts - Cotton Picker People ( made from old pieces of cotton pickers) wood work - bottle trees - embroidered children's quilts - wooden crosses - award winning photography - even a caricature artist -  just so many talented people you will want to meet!   PLUS Antique Dealers with one of a kind pieces to take home!

I'm so excited about the weekend.....and of course.....we want to invite you all to "visit the King and eat at The Crown!"  We'll be serving Lunch from 11 to 3:00 on Saturday and you can listen in comfort to "Howling Madd" Bill Perry playing the blues in the dining room!  Ya'll come to Indianola this Saturday....June 11th.....it's gonna be a great day!  For more information go to www.bbkingmuseum.org.  Or call us at The Crown 662-887-4522 - we'll help you any way that we can!  Ya'll come!

 

 

B.B. King Homecoming Festival....lots happening

Saturday, June 11th in Indianola, Mississippi will be FUN!  Indianola Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce are combining Blues, Bikes and BBQ with the Homecoming Festival to make this year's festival the Best EVER!   Here's an update on all the activities at the B.B. King Museum in Indianola -  the heart of the Mississippi Delta!

The tents  "open" at 9 a.m. June 11 for Art at BB's!  More than 40 artists (including a caricature artist) will be selling their wares. Including: corrugated tin crosses painted in a variety of styles, Indianola's own stained glass artists, hand crafted jewelry, cotton picker art, lots of paintings of B.B., handmade furniture, woodworking, Hair feathering, handmade pottery, paintings, iron work...these are just some of the items available in the museum parking lot and surrounding green spaces. Come have your "funny" portrait done by the caricature artist, get your hair "feathered" and take home some original art for your home.
 
A new event for the festival is "Antiques at BB's." The dealers will have antique linens, glassware, candlesticks, furniture, and lots more to choose from. Come early because these are one of a kind items from yesteryear and once they are gone, they're gone.
 
In addition to Art and Antiques the Open Air Market will open at 9:00. The market is in place every Saturday and will be especially busy on festival day with fresh, homegrown vegetables, plants, jams, jellies, and baked goods.
 
The KID ZONE is across the street with a petting zoo, bicycle parade, pet show, and car painting. Lots of Fun Festival Food including snow cones and corn dogs as well as catfish and funnel cakes will be available.

The gate for the BB King Concert will open at 2P.M. on the west side of the museum. BB King will be there, of course, as well as Willie Clayton and others..... What a wonderful day in Indianola. Fun for all and music all day long.
 
For more information and to buy tickets on line go to www.bbkingmuseum.org or call the Chamber of Commerce at 662-887-4454 or Main Street at 662-299-0018 or call Jennifer or Evelyn at The Crown Restaurant...662-887-4522.  We'll be open for lunch that day and you can make reservations!  See you in Indianola on Saturday June 11th!  Ya'll come!

B.B. King Homecoming June 11th

Indianola, Mississippi is the place to be on Saturday, June 11th.....all day!  The B.B. King Museum is the center of the activities starting at 9:00 and going into the evening!  The Museum will be open all day for touring and if you HAVE NOT seen it yet!  This will be the day to do it!   And B.B. King will be in the town he calls home....all day!

9:00 am - Art at B.B.'s opens in the Museum Parking lot and adjacent green spaces!  Over 40 artists will be exhibiting and selling - everything beautiful in pottery, paintings, iron work, wood work, jewelry, furniture, stained glass, the list goes on!  We even have a Caricature Artist from Memphis who will be doing "fun portraits!"    

9:00 am - Antiques at B.B.'s Opens! so get ready to shop!  Antique linens, furniture, glassware, candlesticks, china, and lots of by-gones from the Delta....One of a kind items that you will want to take home with you!

9:00 am - Open Air Market Opens!  Fresh vegetables, cinnamon rolls, plants, jams and jellies - our weekly farmer's market includes a big variety of Delta grown produce and fruits!  Don't miss the Market this week and on Saturday mornings all summer! 

The Homecoming festivities include
Live Music all day with the big stage to the west of the Museum starting at 2:00 pm

Patio BBQ Contest in B.B.'s Backyard - behind the Museum!  Call 662-299-0018 for an application!

Kids Zone across from the Museum with a petting zoo, story times, face painting, Pet Parade, Bicycle Parade...lots of fun things to do!

Festival Food Court with snow cones, corn dogs, fried catfish, Funnel Cakes...all that good fun food starting at 9:00 and serving until the music ends!

On the West Stage....will be Willie Clayton and other great blues groups finishing the evening with B.B. King himself on the stage at his Museum!  What a day to remember!
Bring your lawn chairs and enjoy the day in Indianola!

For more information go to the Museum's website - www.bbkingmuseum.org
call the Chamber of Commerce at 662-887-4454 or Main Street at 662-299-0018
Or call us at The Crown Restaurant....662-887-4522 - of course we'll be serving lunch that day at The Crown....and we'll fill you in on all the details about the festival!
Ya'll come to Indianola for the Festival!

 

 

 

The Tour group today....

We had the nicest group from the Chicago area for lunch at The Crown today!  They have seen SOME of the best of Mississippi this week!  Many of them had never been in the South and they were all raving about the food they have been enjoying!  And our weather And the azaleas and flowering trees!  It's grand to have such enthusiastic guests!   They really enjoyed their lunches too.....no one went away hungry from The Crown and everyone really enjoyed our Dessert Table!!

The B.B. King Museum was a highlight of their trip and our Mayor, Steven Rosenthal, welcomed them to Indianola and gave a little talk about the history of our little town!  I sent the bus down the Bayou so everyone could enjoy the Cypress trees and knees!  Several people  told me that they want to come back to the Delta again...there is so much more for them to enjoy! 

People like this friendly group....make our business a JOY!  And we are so blessed to have the B.B. King Museum to "bring" people to Indianola!  Have YOU visited the Museum yet?