| Aunt Eunice--The Legend: Part 4 | |
Aunt
Eunice Has Some Unwritten Rules
A devout Christian, Aunt Eunice has made
it a practice to treat everyone the same-- a fact that Congressman Bud Cramer
can testify to. Shortly after being
elected to his first term, Bud walked in one morning and started to sit down
when Aunt Eunice stopped him.
"Don't sit down yet," said Aunt
Eunice. "Help clear the table
off first!"
Jeff Enfmger recalls ordering breakfast one
morning, only to have Aunt Eunice tell him that if he's going to be a politician
he needs to learn how to pour coffee. With
that, she thrust a coffee pot in his hand and told him to go wait on the tables.
Being well known can also have its pitfalls; a
fact Aunt Eunice discovered in the predawn hours of October 19, 1995, when she
was brutally attacked and robbed. Though
left for dead, she managed to attract the attention of a next-door neighbor who
immediately summoned help. Within
minutes she was transported to Huntsville Hospital where doctors worked to
stabilize her condition.
As Huntsville begin to wake up to a new day, the
news of the brutal assault on Aunt Eunice was greeted by an incredulous mixture
of outrage and disbelief. The
district attorney's office and the police department were besieged by phone
calls from citizens demanding swift justice.
Television crews did live updates from the hospital and newspapers across
the country headlined the phenomenon of a woman whom a whole city claimed as
their Aunt.
Aunt Eunice recovered from the attack and within
days was back at the restaurant, once again greeting visitors with a smile and a
hug.
Arthritis
Doesn't Keep Her Down
As Aunt Eunice has grown older, she has fallen
victim to the crippling disease of arthritis.
Partly because of it and partly because of a desire to help others, she
has became involved with the local Arthritis Foundation.
"I'm too old for them to help me," she said with an impish
smile on her face. But after a
moment's serious reflection, she added, "Though I pray they might be able
to help someone else."
Probably more so than anyone else in Huntsville,
Aunt Eunice has become the symbol of goodwill for people visiting our city.
Hardly a week goes by that she doesn't get a letter from someone who has
visited her restaurant. Often times
they are addressed simply "Aunt Eunice, Huntsville, Alabama."
Driving down Andrew Jackson Way today you almost
have to know what you are looking for to find Eunice's Country Kitchen.
Surrounded on three sides by a gravel parking lot, the little brick
budding is almost nondescript in appearance.
If pressed, Aunt Eunice will proudly tell you that she purchased all the
gravel herself, a reference to some politician who years ago offered a
"favor" in return for her support.
It’s only when you walk inside and sit down
that you begin to discover the uniqueness that has made it a Huntsville
attraction. The chairs are
mismatched. You can still get
sorghum syrup if you ask for it and if you have been there at least one time
before, you are expected to help pour coffee.
The walls are still covered with autographed pictures of the famous and infamous
and there's always a group of people sitting at the Liar's Table.
And, I'll bet you a cup of coffee that you see
Aunt Eunice hug someone before you leave.
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Related
Topics
Eunice's
Country Kitchen
Read review of Aunt Eunice's Country Kitchen in Huntsville on Andrew
Jackson Way.
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Reviews
Check out the opinions of others on some of the popular restaurants in
town before going out to eat in Huntsville.
