| Aunt Eunice's Country Kitchen |
It might not occur to you, but if you need a hug, you should head over to Eunice's Country Kitchen on Andrew Jackson Way in Huntsville. I'm not sure anyone has ever gotten out of there without a friendly greeting, a hug and a "y'all come back and see me" from Aunt Eunice, a local icon and one of the most influential women in Huntsville. Her restaurant isn't much to look at from the outside but inside it's pure Southern cooking and Southern hospitality through and through. As one of the regulars put it, "It's like being in your aunt's kitchen." Of course, that's supposing you were brought up in the South. If not, then you have to go to Eunice's--because you've been deprived!
Eunice's restaurant has become a popular stop on the tourist's must-see list. Her restaurant is written up in all the travel guides for north Alabama and the Huntsville Madison County Visitor's & Convention Center has her listed as one of the attractions for the Midwest Writers Conference, right along with the U. S. Space & Rocket Center, Cathedral Caverns, Unclaimed Baggage, and the Burritt Museum. When she was mugged several years ago, the local TV stations held a vigil outside her hospital room with hourly updates. She's also been the subject of CNN reports. She gets restaurant reviews from as far away as Japan.
Some local fans of Aunt Eunice started a campaign for her for major of Huntsville several years ago. She made money for the Arthritis Foundation by selling her campaign posters and bumper stickers, which are still seen around town. The news media came to her restaurant and held a press conference. She promised a coffee pot in every office and a "Liars' Table" in the City Council room. The people of Huntsville weren't sure if she was really running or not. She wasn't. But she raised over $3300 for the Arthritis Foundation in the process and everyone had a good laugh.
I had passed by Eunice's Country Kitchen many times, but hesitated to go in. I knew this woman was a legend in Huntsville and I wasn't sure I'd be welcome. The place looked small and I thought it would only hold the "in" crowd. I was scared. So I got my good friends, Tom & Cathey Carney of Old Huntsville magazine to meet me down there one morning and introduce me to the remarkable woman. The building sits across from Andrew Jackson Way Baptist Church; a gravel parking lot surrounds the small restaurant. Campaign signs are stuck in the ground around the big shade trees. When I got there, the lot was half full and so was the restaurant. When I left, there was standing room only for customers and the parking lot was jammed. This was on a holiday. Eunice's is open from 6 am to 1 pm every day but Tuesdays (Aunt Eunice gets her hair done that day).
Unlike a lot of things, everything I'd heard and read about Aunt Eunice turned out to be absolutely true. She was friendly and kindhearted. She treats everyone the same. Although the local politicians and bigwigs congregate down there, usually sitting at the famous "Liar's Table" (in the center of the restaurant with a wooden plaque hanging overhead and a big fish painted on it), Aunt Eunice is as sweet and friendly to the tourists and "common folks" of Huntsville as to her more famous guests. All four walls are plastered with pictures of the famous, infamous, friends, family, and celebrities. To Aunt Eunice, they are all one big happy family. She can point to each picture and tell you a story about it. If she notices one of the regulars hasn't been in for awhile, they'll receive a phone call from her asking if they are sick or if something is wrong.
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