How sweet it is!

Ice Cream parlor making comeback on St. Clair’s main streets

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller and Carol Pappas
Photos by Carol Pappas and Wallace Bromberg Jr.

Ice cream dripping down your chin, blackberry cobbler stuck between your teeth. How sweet it is to enjoy these fruits of summer, especially at St. Clair County’s two new ice cream shops. Sweet Sue’s Ice Cream Shop in Pell City and Laster’s Sundries by The Farmhouse in Springville are providing summer treats year ‘round on each side of the mountain. How sweet is that?

Laster’s Sundries has been a fixture on Springville’s Main Street since 1927, when Lee and Otis (Ma) Laster opened it as a drug store, soda fountain, ice cream parlor and gift shop. It has gone through several owners in its 94-year history, and even sat empty for a few years, but it’s back in business now as Laster’s Sundries by the Farmhouse. Owners Bryan and Brandi Zargo also own The Farmhouse on nearby Purple Heart Boulevard. That’s where they do a lot of the prepping of the sandwiches they sell.

 My husband saw that the building was for rent, recognized an opportunity, and said, ‘Let’s do it!’” Brandi Zargo says. “The nostalgia was part of the appeal of the place.”

Laster’s is full of nostalgia, all right. The soda fountain was bought from Robert M. Green & Sons of Philadelphia, Penn., for $2,125. There are two hand-carved, walnut backbars and companion cabinets out of a Mississippi saloon. The old fountain is made of black and white marble with an elaborate mahogany shelf and mirror behind it. Two ionic columns flank the mirror, and egg and dart molding surround it.

Old-fashioned wire ice cream tables and chairs provide much of the seating, in front of antique mahogany floor-to-ceiling showcases that formerly housed a “wide range of gifts for every occasion,” including birthdays, weddings, baby showers, etc., according to a copy of an early menu that is now displayed in one of the cases. Collectibles, such as Fitz & Floyd, Boyd’s Bears, Harmony Kingdom, Dezine Fairies, Christmas collectibles and decorations, chess sets, Galileo thermometers and more were available at one time, and the original Laster’s even had a bridal registry.

Today, those gift items are gone, but there are many souvenirs left on display, including some old medicine bottles, newspaper clippings about the place and several photographs of smiling faces about to be smeared with ice cream. One shows a group of Little Leaguers lined up on the red-and-white Coca-Cola bar stools, while another shows a mixed group of girls and boys peering over the counter.

Charlotte and Juliette Steele enjoy an after school treat at Laster’s.

The Zargos hand-dip Blue Bell ice cream and serve it by the cone or by the cup. Sensitive to the needs of their customers, they started washing their ice cream scoops between servings when one customer with a peanut allergy pointed out that some of their frozen stuff contained nuts. “We hope to get some sugar-free and even dairy-free ice cream choices soon,” Brandi says. “Bryan likes to adapt to the season, too, the way we do at the Farmhouse, so we’ll be adding some soups for the fall. We’ll also be serving coffee soon.”

Laster’s has always served ice cream, and Zargo wanted to keep that aspect of the business. But he knew that ice cream wasn’t enough to keep him afloat, so to speak. He wanted to maintain consistent hours, too, so he decided to add sandwiches to the mix. “He put a question out on What’s Happening in Springville (Facebook page) that asked what people wanted for Springville,” Brandi says. “Many folks mentioned a sandwich shop.”

Laster’s serves almost a dozen different sandwiches, and Bryan seems to come up with a new one each week. The menu includes Laster’s Club (smoked turkey, ham, provolone and cheddar), Blackened Chicken Salad (a mixture of smokehouse chicken with chopped pecans, creole mayonnaise and red grapes on ciabatta bread), Zargo’s own take on the traditional tuna melt and BLT, as well as a Smokehouse Ruben and Grilled Pimento Cheese sandwich. Each can be accompanied by potato chips, broccoli slaw, pasta salad or a cup of fruit. Canned soft drinks, tea and lemonade make up the drink list. Bryan’s brownies and cookies are available, too. In the deli area, Laster’s sells their sides and Boar’s Head meats and cheeses by the pint, quart and pound.

A former minor-league baseball player and ex-Marine, Bryan went to culinary school at Virginia College and worked at the Fish Market in Birmingham and The Club, then became executive chef at Bellini’s in Shelby County before opening The Farmhouse and then Laster’s Sundries. The Farmhouse opened a year ago in the midst of the COVID pandemic, but has done well, according to Brandi.

Sweet Sue’s

Jenny Alverson and husband Richard knew they wanted to open a business, but they weren’t quite sure what it would be.

But when they saw the historic building for rent on Pell City’s downtown main street, Cogswell Avenue, it sparked a nostalgic whim, and Sweet Sue’s Ice Cream Shop was born.

“We fell in love with the idea of ice cream – old-timey sundaes and banana splits – things you couldn’t find anymore,” Jenny says. The concept fit perfectly inside the historic 1890 structure thought to be Pell City’s first brick building.

The building was perfect, too, with its exposed brick walls, outdoor seating and plenty of room for colorfully painted booths and tables inside – just like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor.

And it certainly fit as an age-old tradition. When you think of celebrations and gatherings, she says, ice cream usually plays a starring role. “Ice cream just seems happy.”

She and Richard grew up in the smaller towns of Odenville and Ashville, so they knew Pell City well. “We went to Pell City for all the important stuff,” Jenny recalls. “St. Clair County feels like home.”

Since opening May 6, the Alversons, along with their children who help out – Shannon, Kaylan, Mayli and Thomas – have added to the menu.

Pimento cheese and chicken salad sandwiches, nachos, hotdogs, sausage dogs, barbecue salads and pork sliders offer fare for another eatery in downtown Pell City. “We haven’t made an actual menu yet,” she says. “We’re seeing what works.”

Coffee is coming later and probably old-fashioned lemonade. “We’re doing it slowly to see how it all goes,” she says.

So far, so good. The staple, of course, is ice cream with dozens of flavors – waffle cones, cups and even a “bubble waffle,” which is warm on the inside, crispy on the outside and tastes like a waffle with ice cream nestled inside. For a smaller sweet tooth, baby bubbles are available, too!

For Jenny, the ice cream shop brings back precious memories from childhood, when her grandmother used to take her for a treat. It also reminds her of being able to feed a family without breaking the pocketbook. With four children of her own, she knows the value of taking them somewhere special and still being able to treat them all for under $10 just like her father did with her and her four siblings.

Judging by the response as customers stream in and out, Sweet Sue’s is as popular as the Blue Bell ice cream it serves. “We couldn’t ask for a better community. The support the community has given us and the excitement they have shown that we’re open have been huge.

“We wanted to make people happy with something fun. No matter what kind of day they’re having, ice cream can just change everything.” l

Farm to Table

St. Clair County style food

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Susan Wall
Styling by Renee Lilly

Home-grown and home-cooked are as common as kudzu around St. Clair County. You don’t have to go far to pick blueberries, find fresh eggs, fresh produce or grass-fed beef and pork, or to satisfy your sweet tooth. When it comes to culinary delights, St. Clair can hold its own.

Drop by Wadsworth Blueberry Farm in Cropwell, owned and operated by Mike and Jeanette Wadsworth, and pick blueberries whenever you want them during berry season. That’s usually early June to mid-July, unless the rains wash away the crop like they did this year. “We closed earlier because there were no more blueberries,” Mike says. “You can check our Facebook page to know when we’ll be open for picking again.”

The farm operates on an honor system, with pickers filling their baskets and placing their money into a box provided. “It used to be a You-Pick or We-Pick place, but we’re phasing out the ‘We-Pick’ side of the business,” Mike says.

Wadsworth’s blueberries are the star of many a recipe Jeanette whips up for family and friends, such as her locally famous Very Berry Salad and Blueberry Bars. A new star has just debuted at Wadsworth Farm – Blueberry Bread Pudding with a blueberry cream sauce.

At Red Hill Farms, also in Cropwell, Vaughan and Christa Bryant sell their pasture-fed cows and free-range pigs by the half or whole, and their packaged ground beef, sausage, pork roasts and chops, as well as various cuts of beef roasts, cubed steaks and stew meat, from their garage on Saturday mornings.

Their beef by the half will be ready soon, and they may still have some half or whole pigs left. The prices for their packaged pork range from $5 per pound for sausage and $7.50 per pound for bacon to $9 per pound for chops. Their beef prices range from $5.50 per pound for ground beef to $12 per pound for London broil and flank steak.

If you’re hankering for fresh fruits and vegetables, look no farther than the Mater Shack on U.S. 231 North between Ashville and the I-59 exit. Owned by Greg and Brandy Weston, the Shack sells fresh produce from their own Weston Farm during the summer, and imports from other places the remainder of the year.

“We start picking in July and go through mid-October,” says Brandy Weston. “We grow green beans, tomatoes, squash, okra, cantaloupes, watermelons, a big variety of peppers and zucchini.”

They also grow pears, which are available for about a month beginning late August or early September, and a variety of pumpkins. “Our fresh peaches and corn (at the Mater Shack) are local but come from Allman Farms, which is near ours,” Brandy says. “Our eggs come from Clarence Harris and Eddie McElroy, who also live in St. Clair County.”

Dayspring Dairy in Gallant, Alabama’s only sheep dairy, produces cheeses, dips and caramel spreads sold at farmers’ markets in Birmingham (Pepper Place), Atlanta (Piedmont Park) and Huntsville (Madison City). They also have a small farm store on their property.

Their products include aged cheeses such as gouda and manchego, fresh cheeses such as feta, halloumi and ricotta, a variety of cheese spreads, and a caramel sauce. Their Basil Peppercorn Fresca cheese spread makes a great base for a BLT or tomato sandwich. You can pour their caramel sauces (vanilla bean or bourbon flavored) over brownies and ice cream, or dip apple slices into them.

When you’re ready for dessert, try the Pecan-Pie Bars at Canoe Creek Coffee on US 231 South, also between downtown Ashville and I-59. It’s just one of their many fresh-baked pastry items. They have branched out into breakfast and lunch panini sandwiches, too. “The most popular is our turkey sandwich, and second would be our BLT, followed by our homemade pimento cheese with bacon and tomato on it,” says Sara Jane Bailey, daughter of owners Mike and Alison Bailey. The shop is noted for its coffees, smoothies, tea and bottled soft drinks, too.

“Come in every Saturday mornings from 9am-11am and hear piano hymns, Celtic, classic and bluegrass by Matthew Bailey,” Sarah Jane says, speaking about her brother. “If you would like to bring an instrument, we would love to have them. All musicians get a free breakfast sandwich and coffee.”

When it comes to a dessert that gets rave reviews and a spotless plate when dessert is done, check out the Pell City Steakhouse. The local fixture famous for its steaks is just as well known for its pies, which are baked by Shirley Posey and Peggy Reynolds. “They bake sweet potato, pumpkin when people want it, pecan, apple, old-fashioned chocolate and, of course, lemon icebox pie,” says owner Joe Wheeler. “People can buy it by the slice or they can get a whole pie to go.”

They don’t have every variety every day, Wheeler says, and he suggests calling ahead (205-338-7714) if you want a whole pie.

Still haven’t satisfied that craving for something sweet? Try Frankie’s Fried Pies or Al Strickland’s fudge.

For 22 years, Pell City’s Frankie Underwood has been making fried pies for friends and former co-workers at two local banks. “I was working at Colonial Bank, and that’s when I started doing some, and all of a sudden, it just exploded,” she says. “I don’t know why I keep doing it.” But she does, at the rate of about 150 per week. She makes lemon, chocolate, apple and cherry pies in her home kitchen.

Al Strickland is known around Springville as The Fudge Man. He makes 14 varieties of the candy that people buy for gifts or for themselves. Although his cottage industry helps support the Christian mission work he does through OneEighty Church, he gives away as much as he sells. “My fudge is my ministry,” he says. Al makes fudge all year round, but his busy season is the fall. “I make 36 pounds a week then,” he says. “At Christmas, I sell some good-sized orders that people box up and give away.”

He prices his fudge for $10-$14 per pound, depending upon the variety and amount ordered. He keeps four or five pounds in his refrigerator all year, and delivers if the customer wants several pounds. He also ships some to people in other states whom he has met during his mission trips. To place an order, call Al at 205-999-5508.

Honey can be used to sweeten any recipe, and Jimmy Carmack of Odenville has been making some of the sweetest honey in the state since 1973. He has about 200 colonies of bees spread between Mobile and Huntsville, and primarily produces wildflower honey, cotton honey and occasionally kudzu honey. His honeys have won numerous local, state and national ribbons. In 2007, Whole Foods Market, a national grocery chain, opened their first store in Alabama and contacted Carmack to be their local honey supplier after sampling a variety of honeys from this area. His honey is now in all their locations throughout the state.

In St. Clair County, you can buy his Pure Alabama Honey at C & R Feed Supply and Piggly Wiggly on U.S. 411 in Odenville, at BJ Produce on U.S. 231 in Pell City, at Moody Produce on U.S. 411 in Moody (behind the Chevron station), at Pioneer Hardware on Thornton Avenue in Leeds and at C & R Feed on U.S. 231 in Ragland and Piggly Wiggly in Ashville.

Nearby Birmingham may be growing a reputation as a “foodie” capital, but when it comes to setting that perfect farm to table fare, it’s hard to beat St. Clair County’s style. 

Editor’s Note: To learn more about these locally grown, locally made products, check them out on Facebook for Red Hill Farms, Wadsworth Blueberry Farm, Dayspring Dairy and Canoe Creek Coffee.

For recipes, check out the print or full digital edition of Discover The Essence of St. Clair

Alabama Barbecue

When it comes to ‘cue, St. Clair joints are smoking hot

Story by Elaine Hobson Miller
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

It was the Year of Alabama Barbecue, a year that had the state’s Tourism Department asking, “Whose ‘cue is best?” Its online contest pitted barbecue joints from across the state against each other in five categories. When the smoke finally cleared, two St. Clair-area restaurants were among the victors. Charlie’s BBQ of Odenville won in The Dives division, and Rusty’s Bar-B-Q in Leeds came out on top of The Mom and Pops category.

Alabama has more barbecue joints per capita than any other state, according to the tourism department’s web site. Everyone has his favorite, and the contest proved to be a competition between the fans of each hickory-sweet restaurant.

“Three years ago, we invited barbecue fans to post on our website their favorite barbecue place,” says Lee Sentell, director of the Alabama Department of Tourism, explaining how they came up with the contest and categories. “We got about 300 suggestions. This past year, we decided to level the playing field between the different types of places so as not to have the single locations at a disadvantage versus the ones with multiple locations. We came up with five categories that ranged from Mom-and-Pops to the big boys, like Full Moon and Jim ’n Nick’s, and encouraged people to vote in each division. We were blown away with the number of fans who became engaged in the voting.”

Sentell says the competition demonstrated the depth of loyalty that each restaurant has. “Customers are so proud of their favorites and voted as often as allowed to show their support.”

Charlies-barbecueCharlie’s a fan favorite

Scott Holmes didn’t even know Charlie’s was in the contest for several days. “We have a big Facebook and Twitter following,” he says. “The fans stepped up.” Charlie’s beat out nine other barbecue joints with 12,867 votes. The second-place winner had 9,644 votes, and the remaining eight garnered less than 4,500 each.

Holmes thinks his location at the corner of US 411 and Alabama 174 South, in front of the Piggly Wiggly grocery store and adjacent to a service station, probably placed him in the right category. “If you’re a barbecue place in Alabama attached to a service station, you’re probably a dive,” he says.

Charlie’s opened in November of 2008. Scott ate there twice a week, and tried to talk the original owner, Charlie Wiles, into teaming up for a barbecue venture in Moody. But Charlie was ready to retire. Both parties prayed about the situation, then Holmes bought the place and switched from painting buildings to cooking ‘cue.

“I like food,” he says, explaining why he made the move. “I was a commercial painting contractor, but when the economy tanked a few years ago, I wanted to open a barbecue joint.” Although Charlie taught him how to smoke ribs, he’s mostly a trial-and-error, self-taught chef who says he was fortunate to find an established restaurant with recipes, personnel and products already in place. The secret to his success, he says, is in the way he prepares his ‘cue. “We smoke our meats. Not everyone does. Others grill them. We don’t use rubs or injections on our pork butts.”

His biggest seller is the pork sandwich combo, which features meat, bread and two sides. Chicken tenders are a big deal, too. “Odenville is not big enough to support a barbecue restaurant,” he says. “So we also do ‘burgers and tenders. Thirty percent of our sales are in chicken tenders. We also do hamburger steaks and fried catfish. We have something for everybody, but we pour our heart and soul into barbecue.”

He features off-the-menu specials, too, such as briskets on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and the Saint Burger, a nine-ounce, hand-formed, greasy ground beef patty named for the county’s high school football team, on Thursdays. “Briskets are our signature dish,” he says. “We smoke six a week. A brisket is the chest muscle of a cow, and it’s hard to do. We cook them up to 16 hours to get them tender.” There’s a different special every Monday, such as the popular Soul Bowl, consisting of a bed of garlic cheese grits layered with turnip greens, pork and a cornbread muffin on top.

Part of his chef’s education was a trip to Texas he took four years ago, when he tasted at least a dozen different briskets from Houston to San Antonio. “We’re unique at Charlie’s, because we have a little bit of every style of barbecue,” he says. “We have Texas brisket, Kansas City burnt ends (from a brisket) and Memphis-style barbecue, which uses a dry rub and no sauce.”

Another specialty is the St. Clair Cyclone, a soft-serve ice cream treat with chopped Reese’s Cup, Oreos or Butterfinger candies. “Our Otis Burger has a huge following, too,” he says. It’s a double cheeseburger with sautéed onions and Otis Sauce, the latter being a gravy sauce.

A person’s taste preference for barbecue styles and sauce flavors depends on what he grew up eating, Holmes believes. He makes five different sauces: hot, medium, sweet, vinegar-based and a white sauce. His primary barbecue sauce is made with both vinegar and ketchup. He makes all sauces in-house. He does his major smoking during the night, removing the pork butts and briskets each morning and throwing on chicken and ribs.

Charlie’s is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 8 p.m., and does catering as far away as Pelham to the south and Anniston to the north. Originally open weekdays only, he added Saturdays about three months after he took over, and now that’s his biggest day. “Iron Bowl Saturday we sold 120 pounds of chicken wings, which we marinate, smoke, then fry to order,” he says. “They were mostly to go.”

rustys-barbecueRusty’s builds barbecue following

Rusty’s Bar-B-Q gathered 28,637 votes to second-place’s 21,369 votes to win The Mom and Pops category in the Alabama Barbecue Battle. The remaining eight contestants had less than 3,000 votes each.

Rusty Tucker started his restaurant seven years ago in a 1970s Jack’s Hamburgers location on US 78 in Leeds. His decor, which could best be described as “continuing customer donations” because that’s what they are, includes concert posters for Hank Williams and the Drifting Cowboys, the Blues Brothers, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Elvis and the Allman Brothers Band. Vintage metal signs proclaim, “Fresh Eggs 10 cents” and “El Rancho Motel,” while others display a pin-up girl beside a bottle of Pepsi or advertise Mobilgas. Thermometers take their places on Barq’s Root Beer, Royal Crown Cola and Buffalo Rock signs, and an American League World Series poster from October 1903 has a place of prominence.

An autographed photo of professional race car driver Ryan Hunter-Reay, whom Rusty calls a good friend, and his pit crew, dominates one wall, while other walls display road signs advertising 7-Up, Nichol Kola and Uncle Sam. A trombone and trumpet flank the top of the doorway leading to a hallway and restrooms, while his most recent “gifts,” Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki motorcycle gas cans, take up a countertop next to that doorway. “People bring them to me,” he says of all the vintage finds. He feels obliged to display them.

Tucker grew up cooking barbecue with his dad. He went to Johnson & Wales University’s College of Culinary Arts at its former Charleston, SC, campus, and gravitated toward fine dining in places like the Charleston Grill. Working his way back to down-home cooking, he was at Satterfield’s in Cahaba Heights before returning to his roots. “I love it,” he says of running his own business. He’s open from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays,10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, serving lunch and dinner only. He does lots of catering as well, particularly for nearby Barber Motorsports Park events, UAB basketball and Regions Bank’s Traditions golf tournaments.

His most popular menu item, and his signature dish, is his ribs. He also does a lot of pulled pork and hamburgers, plus smoked chicken, turkey, briskets and sausage. “We do a more traditional style barbecue — open-brick pit instead of a smoker. We make four kinds of sauces, including a tangy vinegar that’s a variation of my granddad’s recipe, a sweet barbecue sauce, spicy and white barbecue sauces.” The white sauce is a mayonnaise and vinegar mixture that goes well with the turkey and chicken. “It’s a North Alabama specialty,” he says.

He also does chicken tenders, hamburger steaks and barbecue-topped baked potatoes.

“People come in and say they found us due to publicity from the tourism department contest,” Rusty says. “We were featured in its Delicious Road Trips documentary, and we’ve participated in events like the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival that promote Alabama tourism.”

He gets a lot of repeat customers, many of them in town for the annual Barber’s Vintage Festival, plus Indy car drivers. He has developed relationships with people from coast to coast, keeping up with them on social media. “There’s a group of about 10 guys from Japan that comes into town for Barber motorsports events,” he says. “I can’t talk to them, but they’re nice guys.” When he first opened seven years ago, he had a group of 25 guys from France, all Mustang enthusiasts.

What’s Rusty’s secret to attracting a following from across the globe to just around the corner? “We try to treat everyone like family.”

The Kitchen

pell-city-the-kitchen

Good food, good friends and The Kitchen, a winning trio

Story by Carol Pappas
Photos by Wallace Bromberg Jr.

It’s Thursday morning in Pell City, the sun barely peeking over the horizon to usher in another day. Inside the restaurant just off Alabama 34, Kat Tucker scurries in and out of the tiny kitchen, making sure everything is just right. It has to be, Kat insists. After all, it’s breakfast time at The Kitchen, and she won’t have it any other way.

Step inside, where they not only know your name, your order already could be on the grill.

“Want some more, Mr. Bob?” server Deb Horn asks a customer at a nearby table, as she pours another cup of some of the richest coffee around.

Conversations abound, whether its server to customer, table to table or Kat just sharing an anecdote to which the entire restaurant is privy.

pell-city-the-kitchen-2“Here you go, honey,” Kat says as she sets a picture perfect plate of scrambled eggs, crispy bacon and toast in front of a regular at another table.

Her daughter, Sara Tucker, and Sara’s fiancée, Justin Peacock, who help out, add to the family atmosphere that defines The Kitchen.

There’s no white tablecloth at this restaurant, but be assured that the Eggs Benedict at The Kitchen rivals any at fancier establishments – even with stars following their name.

Quality is her specialty, whether it’s the name-brand products she uses or the fresh produce she selects herself. “Kerry Joe (Foster) knows how particular I am about my tomatoes,” she says, referring to the fresh produce stand he runs just up the road. “I want you to have the very best I can give you. I search out quality.”

In Pell City, a stone’s throw from Logan Martin Lake, you’ll find Kat and her crew serving up that quality with some of the best breakfasts (and lunches) Tuesday through Sunday, a tradition that started 15 years ago this month. She even has special dinners featuring steaks fresh from an outdoor grill on selected Saturday nights during warmer weather, which draw crowds from near and far.

A storied history

Her foray into the restaurant business was quite by accident. Her sister and her sister’s husband were interested in buying the popular Pine Harbor community eatery from Rita Engelbrecht, when it was known as Rita’s Kitchen. Before that, the late Pop Wyatt had a successful run there as Pop’s Barbecue.

Turns out, her sister really didn’t want the restaurant, and the option fell to Kat, who had been helping “Miss Rita.” The late Ray Cox, who was president of Metro Bank, was eating in the restaurant one morning, and Kat asked him about the prospect of her buying the restaurant. “From a business standpoint, you tell me,” she recalls her request of his expertise.

“ ‘I think you can do this,’ ” Cox told her. He cited her military background – 11 years of it – as a plus. And, she took to heart this bit of sage advice from him: ‘Whether it’s a good day or not, give it 110 percent. As long as you can do that, you’ll keep it viable.’

There’s no mistaking the extra percentage of effort on her part, no matter any day you walk in the door. And the viability part? Well, 15 years should put an exclamation point on that goal.

“If I feed you more than one time a week, you’re a regular,” she proclaims. “It’s not just about people walking through the door. I know their family, significant others and friends. They’re like family. Everybody knows everybody.”

Newcomers? Not for long. “By the time they leave, we will know their name. They will feel comfortable, like sitting down at the table at their house. They’ll talk just like we’ve know them all their lives.”

That concept is key not only to the restaurant’s success story but its name as well, Kat explains. “If you’re going to someone’s house, people always migrate to the kitchen. That’s the atmosphere I wanted to create.” Hence, the name: The Kitchen.

Perhaps that’s why you’ll see a coffee mug tree attached to a wall with her regulars’ own coffee cups hanging nearby. It’s a symbol of the ‘make yourself at home’ atmosphere that abounds in this place. Her customers seem to have a sense of ownership, even if their investment is only the price of a meal. A table in the corner is evidence of that. It sports a napkin holder with a photo of a group of men, who grab a seat there every Thursday morning to share laughs, swap stories and, of course, dine on ‘the usual’ at where else, ‘our table.’

And ‘the usual’ even extends to Amber, the Labradoodle that sits in a truck outside, not so much awaiting the return of her owner as the treat Kat takes to her every Thursday. “Today is bacon day,” Kat says, as she heads out to the truck, Amber’s aromatic treasure in her hand.

“It belongs more to my customers than to me,” Kat says. “Without them, I don’t need to be here.”

“It mirrors the lake community,” said Dr. Randal Robertson, noting the diverse backgrounds that come together there for a morning of fellowship, good food and outstanding service.

Ed Tyler, whose ham radio group meets, eats and greets there weekly, calls it “a neighborhood restaurant, where they not only know my name, my coffee is here before I ever get into the chair. When you think of a restaurant, you think of a building. It’s the people, the owner and the staff that make it what it is.”

And that’s what makes this kitchen, “The Kitchen.”.

Laster Sundries

Laster-Sundries

Memory-filled soda fountain reopens in Springville

Story by Tina Tidmore
Photos by Mike Callahan

On a 48-degree Friday afternoon in December, eight-year-old Clara Hughes sits at a small round table at Laster Sundries. Despite the temperature outside, Clara enjoys licking her multi-colored sherbet. In doing so, she is following the tradition of her mother and grandfather, going back to the 1960s.

Many in Springville fondly remember after-school walks down Springville’s Main Street to the combination soda fountain/gift shop. Yet, for at least a year and a half, Laster Sundries was closed. It reopened in December under new ownership.

“I came here when I was 12 years old,” said Sandra Tucker, a former owner of the business and current chairman of the St. Clair County Historical Development Commission. “That was the place to go for ice cream, candy, school books and school supplies.” Now that it has reopened, Tucker said she hopes local people will remember it’s there and support it.

“Everyone in Springville has a story to tell of the place,” said new owner Amy Harris. “I wanted to bring back a place for families to make memories. It tugs at my heart strings.”

The long-time Springville resident quit her 19-year nursing career in October to revive the landmark business. Even though her son Taylor questioned whether she’s going through a midlife crisis in making such a drastic career change, Harris is receiving much support from her husband, mother, son, brother and nephews. Usually, one or more family members can be found serving customers in the shop, including a young man wearing a period-style white plaid shirt with a red bowtie.

Harris’ mother, Dean Franklin, can be found there regularly. She is retired and also has lived in Springville for many years. As any good mother would, she’s helping her daughter’s dream come true and is a co-owner.

“I always loved cooking and baking,” Harris said. “I always dreamed of owning a business like this.” After the previous owners closed it, Harris said she just kept looking at the building, and the desire to act continued to build. “I loved the history,” she said of the building and the business.

Much of that “history” is in the mahogany, floor-to-ceiling display cases, along with a marble counter purchased in 1930 and a soda fountain purchased many decades ago from Pennsylvania. The building itself is included in the Springville Historic District, which is on the U.S. National Park Service list of historic sites. Harris did some painting and wiring work in the building and is keeping the dark green and white, checkerboard-style floor.

Original-Laster-SundriesWhile reviving history, Harris is also looking forward to the future, hoping to create a viable business by making the right choices and offering food and gifts that her customers want. On top of the Laster Sundries ice cream case are bananas, just waiting to be sliced and put in a bowl with mint chocolate chip, butter pecan or one of the other cold and creamy delights.

In addition to the Blue Bell ice cream and cherry or vanilla cokes, the menu includes made-from-scratch soups and sandwiches. “I’ve been overwhelmed with how busy it’s been,” Harris said just two months after it reopened. “Most of the business has been the food.”

It’s no wonder. Their Facebook page has soup-of-the-day announcements that include hearty winter flavors, such as potato soup, tomato basil soup and wild rice soup. The sandwiches include Mama’s Favorite Chicken Salad, Triple Grill Cheese and traditional choices. The menu offers a Brown Cow, Black Cow, Purple Cow and Orange Cow; all float flavors.

One holdover from the previous owners is the Egg Cream Soda. Harris said she’s not sure why it’s called that because it doesn’t have any egg in it.

Harris is considering adding free Wi-Fi service to attract students to do their studying at the shop. The gifts, said her husband Brian Harris, will be trendy and for showers or birthdays. They plan to make the building available for after-hours events by appointment. As the temperatures warm up, customers can look for the shop to offer picnic lunches that can be taken to the neighboring public park. They have also been approached to do some catering for weddings.

This is not the first time the business has been resurrected. According to an excerpt from Heritage of St. Clair County, the Lasters started the business in 1927. It remained in the Laster family for years. But at one point, it stopped operating and the building ended up in disrepair. Then Gerald and Sandra Tucker, along with Lillian and Frank Buckner, did the repairs and opened it back up, still as Laster Sundries. Amy Harris said the Tuckers and Buckners owned it for 16 years.

At this time, Harris is using a Facebook page, Laster Sundries on Main, to communicate with the community.

Crazy Horse

Becoming an Argo eatery icon

Story by Elaine Miller
Photos by Jerry Martin

Butch Evans and his wife, Karen, were sitting in their den one evening, bored out of their minds, when the idea of starting a restaurant was born.

“My wife said, ‘Are we gonna sit sit here like this until we’re 80, falling asleep in the recliners?’ “I said, ‘I can fix that.’”

And that’s how Crazy Horse Restaurant was born.

“I had been in the food business all my life,” says Evans, who owns Evans Steaks and Seafood, a wholesale company, on Birmingham’s Finley Avenue. “I called on restaurants. I didn’t know whether people would accept fine dining in Argo, though.”

Apparently, he had no cause for worry. Since opening in the former Denise’s Country Diner location in October 2011, business has been steadily increasing. Hungry patrons looking for something besides meatloaf and mashed potatoes come from St. Clair, Etowah, Jefferson and Shelby Counties to sample the steak and seafood menu.

“The locals support breakfast and lunch, the dinner crowd comes from Trussville and beyond,” says Evans.

Trying to make a unique place in the middle of nowhere, Evans didn’t want a typical meat-and-three kind of place. “Anybody can slap a hamburger steak or beef tips and rice on a plate, but to have a good piece of meat is totally different,” says restaurant manager Tony Green. “Quality is the key, along with freshness.” Gulf Coast seafood is delivered daily and all steaks are cut fresh daily. “Nothing is frozen,” says Green, who is Evans’ brother-in-law.

Fried Large Buttermilk Breaded Shrimp and New Orleans-Style Shrimp & Grits are served daily, but the Catch of the Day, usually grouper, is served only on Thursday nights. Customers can get it blackened with lemon butter sauce or potato crusted. Also featured are grouper fingers. Seafood Saturday offers platters of fried oysters, grilled shrimp pasta with creme sauce and sautéed Gulf scallops in butter sauce.

On the menu Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights are the chargrilled steaks, with the 8-oz filet mignon being the most popular. It’s served with a baked sweet potato and fresh asparagus.

Dessert choices are simple. Strawberry cake (a local woman bakes and delivers) and bread pudding with whiskey sauce are the only meal-ender items on the menu. The popular orange rolls aren’t made on the premises, but customers buy them by the dozen to take home. Soup of the Day is either Beer Cheese (see recipe) or Seafood Chowder, each made fresh daily.

Breakfast consists of “just about anything a customer wants,” according to Evans. Favorites are the Crazy Horse Special and the Stable Hand Special. The former consists of two eggs, any style, with grits or gravy, hash browns or home fries, and a sampling of smoked sausage, ham and bacon, along with biscuits. The latter starts with two eggs, adding pancakes, grits and bacon or sausage. Denise Sims, former owner of Denise’s Country Diner, and Dustin Nelson prepare the breakfasts.

“Saturday morning breakfasts are packed to capacity,” says Green. Capacity is 104 seats, including the 24 on the screened-in patio added in February. Head chef Andrea Peagler, the Regions Bank chef in downtown Birmingham by day, oversees the kitchen at the Crazy Horse on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.

Lunch offerings include sandwiches filled with chargrilled burgers, chicken breasts and New York strip steaks, plus chicken salad, hot dogs and fried chicken tenders.

As for the name of the restaurant, that came from two sources: The Birmingham club where Butch and Karen had their first date in 1974, and the fact that Karen has horses. “I came home from work one day, and Karen said, ‘I thought of a name,’” Butch explains. “It seemed like a fit.”

Green grew up working in fast-food restaurants, but in his day job is advertising products manager at Progressive Farmer. When he started at the Crazy Horse, he was only going to be there Thursday nights, which quickly turned into a three-day weekend. “It’s tiring, but fun,” he says. “When it stops being fun, I’ll quit.”

The Crazy Horse Restaurant, located at 281 US Highway 11 in the Argo Village shopping strip, is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. On Thursdays and Fridays, it’s open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 6 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Reservations are taken only for Thursday nights. The Crazy Horse is closed Sundays and Mondays.

• For one of Crazy Horse’s recipes for their famous Beer Cheese Soup, check out the print or digital edition of the June 2013 edition of Discover The Essence of St. Clair