As some of you know, the O-A News has made the decision to no longer share my writing with you. They are going in a “new direction.” I do not know what that is. Maybe they will allow my editor, Tonya Reed, to again share her food adventures with us.

This is the first installment of a newsletter from In the Kitchen with Chef Jim. In this piece I will not be limited to the word count and subject restrictions of newspapers. My unvarnished opinions can be shared. Those of tasters too. I will continue to have tastings. As with everything I did for O-A News, all were at my own expense anyway.

Wild Flour Cafe and Bakery

Let me share a great experience with you. I glimpsed at a picture on Facebook. It was of some bread loaves – baguettes. Wow was my reaction.

My question – “Is that around here?”

To my surprise, I found out that it is. Sarah and Howard Jones opened a café and bakery in downtown Waverly. It’s located in part of the Standard Deluxe entertainment space.

In addition to all the super events during the first weekend of May, there was another flag waver in downtown Waverly. It was the Grand Opening of the Wild Flour Café and Bakery.  Sarah and Howard officially opened Wild Flour.

This venture is actually an addition to the Standard Deluxe in Waverly. Sarah and Howard are leasing space from SD. Sarah was baking in Tallassee last year. Doing well but wanted to expand. Along came this space in Waverly.

When I talked with Amy Miller, I got the details. Amy is quite versatile. Arts programmer, producer and consultant. She says she “loves dance and music. Writes, gardens and travels.” She’s a soon mother-to-be based in Waverly. Plus she’s a part of Standard Deluxe.

Amy gave me the details about Sarah’s background. And Howard, of course. Add Scott Peak from SD and that’s the big circle. Yes, it’s all sort of one family. Wild Flower came along and it was the perfect fit.

Sarah says about Wild Flour, “We are a family-owned bakery serving an assortment of fresh breads, thoughtfully crafted desserts, a light lunch and a traditional espresso menu.”

Right up front, I’m one of those people that when I hear bakery, I think of bread. Nothing sweet comes to mind up front. That’s what Sarah says about Wild Flower. The first thing is an assortment of fresh breads. That’s what got my attention. Still has it.

The thing that first attracted me and caused me to find out more about Wild Flour was a picture of some baguettes that Sarah made. They looked so good. The next thing was croissants. Gosh. Took my breath away.

It’s hard to find either of those real bakery items in our area. There they were in the same place. Then I saw big sour dough loaves. I wanted to go right then.

On our first trip to Wild Flower, we met Amy and Sarah. What a delight. Amy never stops. Sarah is all about what she does. By 9 in the morning, she’s been at work for 6 hours. We got goodies to take home. But she was out of baguettes. On other trips, we made sure to get there early to get two, in fact.

Some of those desserts Sarah talked about are panna cotta and chocolate-covered cannoli. Plus other assorted pastries that change on her whim. She’s always looking for variety. Don’t miss the giant cookie of the day. Might have an ice cream sandwich, too.

As to lunch, there could be chicken salad or sliced ham in a sandwich on some of that fresh bread. Light and tasty fare.

Sarah and Howard are open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:00 until 4:00. There is little real parking. Along the side of the road is fine. Also adjacent to Standard Deluxe. Currently no accessible parking is available.

I would add downtown Waverly to your spots to visit. When there’s an event, Standard Deluxe is rocking. Chef Christian Watson and The Waverly Local are established as a “go to” already. Now we have Wild Flour. It’s worth the short drive to Waverly to be a part of what’s happening.

Stephanie’s in Lafayette

Recently, Aimee and I made a lunchtime trip to Lafayette. Since we had the time to look around, we chose a less direct route. We took Cusseta Road and passed Storybook Farms along the way. In Cusseta, we took Chambers 84 into Lafayette.

It was fun seeing some farm country I hadn’t been around in years. Jimmy Collins of Collins Family Farms is a long-time friend. His son, Jim, now raises some of the best beef in this area. After 84 merges into US 431, it’s a short drive into downtown Lafayette.

This little drive brought back lots of good memories. Roads learned with my parents and grandparents. There was the familiar Courthouse square. First Baptist Church was where I spent many hours when in school at Auburn. Friends Pastor Robert and Sue Edge.

Just off the square is Stephanie’s. The building is a former drive-in. Also, an old garage next door. Stephanie now owns the properties. Her restaurant occupies the drive-in with an attached dining room seating over 20. There’s outside seating, too.

Next door, Stephanie has her plant sales. Plenty of blooms and greenery available to all. Plus, lots of garden statuary and bird baths.

She was out there working with the stock while we were eating. Of course, she was in the restaurant as well. We had a server plus Stephanie came to see us. Making sure we had what we needed.

The core menu here stays the same during the week. The specials change as do some sides.  We’ve had some tasty fare at Stephanie’s. True Southern speckled butterbeans. Told me she cooks them overnight in a crockpot. Dark, tender and rich. Bring me a bowl.

There’s a side listed as chicken dressing. I thought, a small wedge of Southern dressing and a spoon of gravy to wet it. I missed it. There was lots of chicken in there and plenty of dressing and gravy. Pretty close to a main course. It was spot on.   

Staples like crisp, hot fries, and sweet onion rings. Fried okra. All in large portions. Cornbread and real yeast rolls. We’ve had all of them.

None better than a real cheeseburger though. All-American. Thick, fresh ground beef patty. Full-size slice of ripe, cold tomato. Crisp lettuce. Hot melty American cheese. Mustard & ketchup. Mayo on the other side. No dry bread. It was tender yet lasted till I finished. When asked if I wanted it “all the way” (a blast from the past), I declined the onion.

This is one fine sandwich. “Worth the drive.”

Stephanie’s has BBQ. Yes, they make it themselves. There’s smoke.  An old-fashioned steak sandwich. Pork chop and chicken too. And hot dogs. Wow.

These meats can be part of a plate. Catfish and fried chicken as well. Might be lucky to find meatloaf or country-fried steak.

There are lots of sides. Some just that day. Mac & cheese, black-eyed peas, collard greens, mashed potatoes, squash casserole and fried green tomatoes. Plus lots more. A 4-veg plate is a full meal.

One of the sides is often a dessert. Might be a cobbler like blackberry, peach, or pecan. Desserts stand alone like cheesecake. Caramel cake! Lots of ice cream.   

Stephanie’s official address is 204 South Lafayette Street. Look for their daily menu on Facebook or give them a call at 334 459-0040. Weekdays only and open until 7:00.

Look for me too. I’m headed back that way soon.