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Foley Eats is Born
Posted August 13, 2018 by Stephanie Donald
It’s Alabama Restaurant Week and Foley has so much to offer the visitors who attend our events. This is our chance to share our amazing restaurants with them. Anyone can say that food is a big part of their life. I mean let’s face it, everyone’s got to eat. But for some, like me, food is so much more than that.
Food is a chance to create memories. I can vividly recall one of the last times I was with my grandmother we made Polish dumplings, called pierogis. My grandmother was not Polish herself but married into it when she met my grandfather, a second-generation Polish immigrant. She had a gift. She could make the most amazing food. One time she went to the post office to mail all her grandchildren fresh chocolate chip cookies because grandma’s were the best. When the guy working the counter asked her why she was going to spend so much shipping cookies why not just send the kids money so they could buy their own, my grandmother looked at him aghast. She was an amazing woman and I feel closer to her when I’m making something she made. I feel like she’s still there next to me.
Food is also a chance to recall memories. I’ve recently had my first child, a beautiful baby girl. I wish so much that she could have met her great-grandmother, learned our family history and all the ridiculous stories that entails. My family is spread across the globe. A brother, sister-in-law and niece in Austria, a sister in California, and extended family from coast to coast. When we get together around a table a share a meal, we are there long after the plates are cleared telling stories. It’s my favorite time to get my parents, aunts, and uncles telling tales of their own youth. I’ve even taken to recording these sessions on my phone, so no matter what happens, my daughter will know their stories.
Food is an opportunity to travel and expand your horizons. I’ve been blessed to have lived all over the world. In each place, I try and learn a new recipe, something that will help me go back when I miss it. I love to travel back to Guam with lumpia, a Filipino-style egg roll, or a big bowl of Spam fried rice. I know what you’re thinking, don’t knock it ‘til you try it, breakfast will never be the same. There’s pavlova from Australia that is sugary deliciousness. If you can’t get there, let the food take you.
Food is also an inspiration. I married the next Iron Chef. My incredible husband is a huge fan of the Food Network and the Travel Channel. But my favorite moments are watching him get inspired when we go out to eat. He will fall in love with something- like bourbon mashed sweet potatoes, or barbeque, well, anything and soon he’s in the kitchen experimenting and whipping up the most delicious meals.
I’ve been all over the world, but finally have a place to call home, in Foley, Alabama. I’m so happy to have found a place where my food habit can flourish. My family and I are regularly going out for dinner, whether it be to create memories, recall them, travel through taste buds, or gain a bit of inspiration. The more than 85 restaurants here are each an opportunity. This blog is my chance to share with you all that Foley dining has to offer. Join me as I learn more about myself and my coworkers through the flavors of Foley.I’ll be kicking things off with a full week of dining-related posts in honor of Alabama Restaurant Week. I hope it inspires you to get out and #EatFoley. You can check out our dining page for all the ways you can do just that!
