It’s funny how sometimes you’re having a conversation with someone and an idea or prompt comes to your attention about that very conversation you thought you had in private but in some mysterious, unknown way the Universe overheard it and whispered it down through the grapevine.
Like this one:
What cities do you want to visit?
A few nights ago, I reminded Terri of the PBS show A Chef’s Life. I loved the show, because, as you know, I dabble in food. The show followed Southern cuisine ambassador Vivian Howard as she navigated the challenges of running the restaurant while exploring Southern food traditions. Vivian and her husband Ben Knight had opened a restaurant, Chef & the Farmer, in 2006. The farm-to-table restaurant became a culinary destination celebrated for its innovative take on Southern cuisine, highlighting seasonal and locally sourced ingredients from Eastern North Carolina farmers and producers. The restaurant closed in June 2022, but Howard recently reopened a reimagined version of Chef & the Farmer. While it’s not Paris or London, Kinston, North Carolina is a city I would love to visit with Terri.
Naturally, food plays a key role in all of our lives. It has certainly played a prominent role in mine, even in ministry. I got my first restaurant job waiting tables in a hotel at 16, and in relatively short order found myself managing a kitchen as an Assistant KM. That was also the first new restaurant opening I took part in. And ever since, love it or hate it, the food business has been an indelible part of my life. Perhaps that’s why places I would like to visit center around food?
Another place I would love to visit with Terri is Lockhart, Texas—the Barbecue Capital of Texas. In putting together our family Thanksgiving, I introduced Terri to the Lockhart Barbecue location in Downtown Plano. She had never been. Terri loves her some barbecue.
Established in 1838 and named after Byrd Lockhart one of the first Anglo settlers in the region and a surveyor for the Green DeWitt Colony, the small town grew as a key stop along the Chisholm Trail, a major cattle-driving route in the late 19th century. Naturally, the ranching and cattle culture contributed to the area’s deep connection to meat and renowned barbecue traditions.
What was the Green Dewitt Colony?
The Green DeWitt Colony was one of the early Anglo-American settlements in Texas during the Mexican period. Established in 1825 by Green DeWitt, it was part of the Mexican government’s empresario system, which granted land to settlers under the condition they bring families to colonize the area.
The colony covered parts of present-day Gonzales, Caldwell, Lavaca, and Guadalupe counties, with Gonzales as its capital.
Another place I’d like to visit are the Blue Bell Creameries in Brenham, Texas. First founded in 1907 as the Brenham Creamery Company, it initially produced butter. In 1911, they began making ice cream and changed their name to Blue Bell Creameries in 1930. Blue Bell is said to be named after the Texas bluebell wildflower.
Ecclesiastes 9:7 NIV
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
So there you have it…not exactly Rome, Tokyo, or the Great Wall of China, but three cities I believe Terri and I would enjoy visiting as lovers of all things food.
What cities do you want to visit?
I look forward to reading your responses in the “Comments.”
Until my next post…
Grace and peace,
Rainer Bantau—The Devotional Guy™
The Devotional Guy™ 