people crazy enough, hearty enough, determined enough, or just plain mean and greedy enough to come here. julia reed: there s no way to make up for our bad racial past, but you do, you know, the sense of community that keeps people here is evidenced in this place. anthony: julia reed is greenville born and raised. the daughter of a political family. a writer, author, and as delta as it gets. how long you been in mississippi? john currence: 22 years. i came in 1992. anthony: john currence is a celebrated chef, who had left new orleans to come to mississippi. and opened first one, then many more restaurants and businesses in the town of oxford. john currence: i ve stayed busy. anthony: and this is doe s eat place in greenville. julia reed: this is the great florence signa. anthony: oh, it s so good to
gamblers. i mean, that that spirit still infuses the place. it s a little reckless. it s sophisticated cause they d all come from elsewhere. you know, i mean, you know, you go from the delta to the hills. i mean, we re totally snobbish up here, even when we didn t have the right to be. i mean, look at where you just came from, jackson. are you kiddin me? you d have to be paid money to go to jackson from greenville. anthony: do they feel the same way down there about you guys? julia reed: they don t get us cause they ain t got no sense of humor. [ laughs ] anthony: so what about the food? has this place changed at all? julia reed: no. john currence: it s it s been 20 years since i was here last. and literally exactly the same. anthony: not much in the way of capital improvements or time motion study. the system, such as it is, well, crazy. you eat right here in the kitchen. and the division of labor, the flow of work, well, i gave up trying to figure it out five minut
meet you. julia reed: florence is in charge of the salad bowl and has been for this is florence is doe senior s sister-in-law. uh, when did y all open up for us? 1930? florence signa: 1941. julia reed: 41. close enough. anthony: like a lot of folks around here, dominick big doe signa got his start selling hot tamales to go. in the beginning, the place catered to the black community. but after word got out how good the food was, white people started coming. which led to a kind of weird accommodation to the segregation of the day. blacks came in the front, white people snuck in the back. the menu expanded with the clientele. what human qualities are unique or marked in the native of mississippi? julia reed: i cannot address mississippi cause like i said, the delta is a whole nother planet. anthony: wow. okay, better question then. how does the lifelong delta resident differ from the other julia reed: you had to be a little crazy to wanna come in the first place,
From a starting field of 50, one dog is unfazed by the distractions all around and claims the title at the IGL Retriever Championship, says Ellena Swift