Chewing the Fat

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat as they continue to travel the highways and byways of Arkansas in search of the best of Arkansas history, culture, and (most importantly) food.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on their latest adventure travelling and eating across the state of Arkansas.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on the morning after the third annual Arkansas Food Hall of Fame induction event. They carry on about how hard it is to be on the selection committee and all the wonderful food they get to eat and nice people they get to meet and try to make people feel sorry for them, contrast the red-carpet experience at the Food Hall of Fame event and the Academy Awards, describe the People's Choice winner and the full list of 2019 nominees and the winners in each juried category -- Gone but Not Forgotten, Food Festival, Proprietor, Restaurant (three inductees) -- talk a bit about old Orval Faubus, and set the record for the longest it ever took Paul to mention that he is from Imboden. That comes in at the 35-minute mark. Bonus: Rex does his impersonation, with sound effects, of the winner at the Hope Watermelon Festival watermelon-eating contest. Hint: It's part machine, part Sheriff.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the recently released list of the 2019 finalists for induction into the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame and talk about where to get great fried chicken, famous sons of Fordyce, how Rex certainly did not buy dirty books at a newsstand known for such, how classic restaurants and cafes got started, where to get the best fried pies in Arkansas, the joys of convenience-store livers and gizzards, the secret ingredient in the slaw at Craig's Bar-B-Q, the time Paul cried over homemade sausage, and his warning about watermelon festivals.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part two), starting up Rich Mountain on a cold afternoon. And being dazzled by the drive up the mountain and rapidly dropping temperatures, checking in at the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism's wonderful Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, admiring Lum and Abner at theDepot Museum in Mena, spending a little time with Y City, Waldron, Mansfield, Greenwood, and Hackett, and winding up at the spectacular Ed Walker's Drive In in Fort Smith.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their sojourn in western Arkansas (part one), starting at Texarkana and heading north. And admiring four beautiful lakes, checking out the museum at Ashdown, pondering the origins of the name De Queen and admiring cool things going on there, humoring Rex's sore feelings about a football state championship of long ago, looking for Tom Cruise around Mena, not finding him but finding Ouachita Baptist University people everywhere, considering the uniqueness of border towns, and—of course—finding some great places to eat all along the way, especially Cattleman's Steak House and Johnny B's Grill in Texarkana and Stillwell's Restaurant in De Queen.

...in which Rex and Paul offer end-of-summer musings, describe their recent farm-to-table expeditions, and discuss Paul's award-winning pig from 4H days. Rex utters the oddest statement in the history of Chewing the Fat in reference to eating, "We had had enough,"" as the boys celebrate dining experiences at Greers Ferry Lake, Palestine, Des Arc, De Valls Bluff, Pine Bluff, Pickens, McGehee, and Lake Village. And they tell about a couple of Mississippi and Tennessee trips, to Civil War battlegrounds at Vicksburg and Shiloh, and related foody experiences. As Paul says, "There may have been salads." Paul's haunting harmonica playing at Shiloh has stayed with Rex. If you listen, you can just make it out.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's retirement and the rigorous schedule he keeps now that he doesn't have to bother with going to work, their World Tour of Arkansas, going around spreading glad tidings of Chewing the Fat at various civic organizations, universities, and other unsuspecting audiences, Rex's tips on how to avoid being asked to be the chairperson of the Political Animals Club (hint: Don't take a call from Shane Broadway), the further antics of Professor Tom DeBlack, Rex's dining tours, and Paul's hometown of Imboden, which didn't appear in the conversation till about the 30-minute mark, a new record.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the woes of trying to lose weight while upholding the finest traditions of Chewing the Fat, relive a great trip to Southeast Arkansas and Arkansas City with notorious history professor Tom DeBlack, report on Arkansas's rapid rise as a bicycling state of national importance, recall their latest terrifying nighttime/rainstorm apocalypse, which they experienced coming back from the state high school basketball championships in Hot Springs (note: wettest February in state history), praise the latest cool places to go in Hot Springs, which they have on good authority is the most important baseball city in the entire country, and recall great moments in barbershop visits.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about travelling Highway 7, the Hollis County Store, Blytheville barbecue, independent bookstores in Arkansas, the resurgence of Wilson, Arkansas, and more.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on an epic trek across Arkansas on State Highway 7. The only state-maintained roadway that runs completely across Arkansas, Highway 7 starts in the bottom lands on the Arkansas-Louisiana line and ends at Bull Shoals Lake, which sits astride the Arkansas-Missouri line, and cuts through four of the state's six distinct geographical regions. Rex and Paul's travelogue includes some stretches of commentary recorded while going down the road, their usual discourses on places to eat and the people who run them, and some wry observations about roadhouses and country stores along the way.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's funeral duty and the pleasures of Piggott, Arkansas.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's Rotary Club talk at the Church of Christ in Wynne and how he had to change his talk when he realized it was going to be at the church, Paul's mother's elderberry jelly, the difficulties of picking elderberries, the need to go to the Mayhaw Festival in El Dorado and Chocolate Roll Festival in Searcy County, the boys' upcoming State Highway 7 expedition, Rex's opinion that the Old South Restaurant in Russellville has the best chicken-fried steak in Arkansas, Rex and Paul's recent Civil War foray based on the Camden Expedition, the fascinating and often obscure terminology regarding Civil War fights, a weird helicopter sighting, Mark Christ's great work in preservation of Civil War battlefields, a great lunch in Camden, fried green beans at Woods Place in Camden, how Paul got street cred in Wynne for knowing about Cypress Corner Bar-B-Q in Lexa, Rex's theory that the best barbecue places usually have signs featuring rusty pigs, the Arkansas State University football stadium, the view that ASU should play football in Little Rock, the view that Arkansas State Park gift shops should sell Rex's book Southern Fried, crazy weather, Rex and Paul's idea for a hall of fame for restaurants where they get to pick the winners and put their motto "We can be bribed!" into practice, Jewish and Chinese heritage in Southeast Arkansas, Rex's urgent desire to get a spot on the Mississippi River Commission so he can go on their great riverboat tours, a tour of Arkansas City with Kane Webb, Paul's confusion about bird-watching, the Squirrel Cook-off in Bentonville, how having to eat 24 cornbread samples at a contest almost killed Paul, an invitation to go back to Piggott for another Hemingway event, gambling history in Hot Springs, great po-boys at Mr. Whiskers between Malvern and Hot Springs, how the old bath houses are getting new life, the good news that the Lyon College football team doesn't wear kilts during games but that there are plenty of bagpipes, how Rex went to four Arkansas college football games in eight days, Rex's and Paul's recent birthdays, and how 66 is the new 65.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the fact that Paul is from Imdoden, setting a new Chewing the Fat record—nine seconds—for earliest mention, the Hope Watermelon Festival, the Hempstead County sheriff's otherworldly victory in the watermelon-eating contest, how the boys turned down the offer of a free 150-pounder, despite the generous offer of a burlap sack to carry it with, about the biscuits at Keeney's in Malvern, how Historic Washington has as good a lunch as one could get at any state park in the United States, how Paul likes well-cooked vegetables -- no crispy green beans, please! -- the greatness of catalpa worms for fishing but the grossness of the green goo that comes out when you step on one, Paul's sneaky book-buying methods, discovering Glen Campbell's grave site three days after his funeral, Rex and Paul's funeral fixation, the death of Frank Broyles, how Broyles and Campbell and Johnny Cash gave Arkansas things to be proud of in the 1960s and helped the state live down some of the national embarrassment after the 1957 crisis, Nashville versus Crowley's Ridge peaches, the Fish Net at DeGray Lake, great Arkansas football stadiums, Jeff Root (the Football Doctor), how the reinstituted Lyon College football team uses the school's bagpipe band at games but does not play while wearing kilts, the Little Rock Touchdown Club, the Last Nutt Backer, OBU's streak of winning seasons in football, the Petit Jean plant at Morrilton, SAU and President Trey Berry, Backyard Barbeque in Magnolia, McClard's barbeque sauce, the "half-spread" gut bomb, fresh-cut French fries, Scott McClard's resistance to restoring goat to his menu, the Arlington Hotel in Hot Springs, Paul's need of a tattoo, the three great dairy bars in Hot Springs -- Bailey's, King Kone, and Kreme Kastle -- car-tag improvements, the boys' upcoming State Highway 7 trip, the Grady Fish Fry, the famous Grady hushpuppy machine and how it scares Paul, Rex's surprise for Dr. Tom DeBlack, the fact that the convicts at the fish fry all know Rex, how opening-day dove hunting is a social occasion in Arkansas, the great brunch at the Monroe dove hunt, the fact the Rex and Paul are not exactly crack shots, and how the 1992 Razorback loss to the Citadel and firing of Coach Jack Crowe squeezed Rex's coverage of Bill Clinton's upcoming election as President.

...in which Rex and Paul continue chewing the fat about the PurpleHull Pea Festival in Emerson and related fun with motorized tillers, Keeney's Food Market in Malvern and its legendary sausage biscuits, Rex's embarrassing hat, the nervous hospital, Esau's corn, the boys' disappointment at not being the grand marshals for the PurpleHull pea-rade, how they picked the Pea Goddess, Burge's in Lewisville and their fried pies, Rex's son Evan's first experience of turkey fries, how Paul discovered that 55 in a 35 is considered speeding in Stamps, the two great catfish places in Garland City (Doc's and West Shore), taking cheesy photos on either side of the state line in Texarkana, the wonderfully named Hotel Grim, the Cattleman's Steak House, and Rex's double-header of chicken-fried steak and quail.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the PurpleHull Pea Festival in Emerson and related fun with motorized tillers, Keeney's Food Market in Malvern and its legendary sausage biscuits, Rex's embarrassing hat, the nervous hospital, Esau's corn, the boys' disappointment at not being the grand marshals for the PurpleHull pea-rade, how they picked the Pea Goddess, Burge's in Lewisville and their fried pies, Rex's son Evan's first experience of turkey fries, how Paul discovered that 55 in a 35 is considered speeding in Stamps, the two great catfish places in Garland City (Doc's and West Shore), taking cheesy photos on either side of the state line in Texarkana, the wonderfully named Hotel Grim, the Cattleman's Steak House, and Rex's double-header of chicken-fried steak and quail.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their trip to the Delta Regional Council in Cleveland, Mississippi, about the fact that there's more Delta in Arkansas than there is in Mississippi, Sonny Perdue, Rex's troubling lack of seersucker and wholly inadequate headware, the Biscoe IGA and its famous sausage biscuits and meat counter, the charms of old U.S. Highway 70, the Cache and White rivers, the Grammy Museum, a cotton-based style show dominated by political dignitaries, how Paul got to go back to the Alluvian Hotel because he took Jan there, the Viking Range corporation, Lusco's restaurant in Greenwood, halving a pompano, Turnrow Book Company, sauce acquisition, the Alluvian's library bar -- it has real books -- the Oxford book-buying experience and cool new hotels that should come to Arkansas, hanging out at famed journalist Curtis Wilkie's house, his book "The Fall of the House of Zeus", the City Grocery restaurant and fried pickled okra, how Douglas Southall Freeman overcame Rex's willpower and made him buy four books, an Earl Long biography, the published correspondence of Eudora Welty and William Maxwell, John. T. Edge, and how Paul displayed his superior willpower and restraint by buying only seven books, but don't tell Jan.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Sam Houston's brother's grave, Calico Rock, the River View Hotel there, Angler's Resort near Mountain View, jam sessions in Mountain View, folk festivals in the area, the JFK Overlook at Heber Springs, Wilbur Mills, Fordyce and its great sports history, the Smithsonian's Hometown Teams traveling exhibition Paul and the Arkansas Humanities Council are working on, how auctioneers always seem to be called "Colonel," how Rex became a Kentucky Colonel, Paul's odd affection for the game of cricket, Rex's love of the old Iron Bowl games, his book Southern Fried, the Southern Foodways Alliance, how Paul fought the perception that he might be a food snob by making Sloppy Joes and eating a whole box of Little Debbie cakes, stopping at the Bulldog in Bald Knob for strawberry shortcake, how the boys need to get to some food festivals to replenish their supplies of various sauces, RIP: the footbridge at Oark that got washed away in the flood about the same time they talked about it on the last Chewing the Fat with Rex and Paul, the peach-picking paradise at Clarksville, Rex's suspicions about Paul's commitment to Rex's Burger Challenge, Mennonites selling jelly, wondering if Rex and Paul might get asked to be grand marshals at the PurpleHull Pea Festival, the passing of Congressman Jay Dickey—a true Arkansas character, and RIP: Bryce's Cafeteria, which died recently at 86.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Pocahontas, the oddly named Sanitary Barbershop, the Lesmeister Guest House, Ninth Street in Little Rock, the Olde Stonehouse B and B in Hardy, having three doctors at dinner who couldn't do anybody any good, the Biggers B and B and steak place in Hardy, the Eddie Mae Herron Center in Pocahontas, Ravenden, Williford, Ravenden Springs, Mammoth Spring, skipping the awards banquet at the Arkansas Historical Association because Chewing the Fat with Rex and Paul didn't get an award, La Pastorella Bistro in Mammoth Spring, Fred's Fish House, Rex's college buddies and their high-class taste in fish camps, Sportsman's in Flippin, Gaston's in Lakeview, the Jim Gaston Visitor Center in Bull Shoals, Harry Truman's 1952 visit, Bull Shoals controversies, Paul's Royal Ambassadors camping trip, his contention that he was not to blame for the fishing lure that got stuck in Phil Smith's head, rural electrification, the Norfork Dam, and the Jacob Wolf House in Baxter County.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's annual appearance at the Friends of the Library pancake breakfast in Imboden, the wonders of fried pies, Imboden war stories, how the traffic jam in front of the strawberry stand in Bald Knob thwarted Paul's best efforts, Slader's Alaskan Dumplings in Searcy, sad news about Bryce's Cafeteria in Texarkana, Rex's fears of a tomato aspic shortage, Paul's trip to Stamps and a side trip to Burge's in Lewisville and their legendary turkey salad, eating catfish in Garland City, calf fries, the need to get upcoming festivals nailed down on calendars, Paul's discovery that oysters in Georgia are no match for those in Arkansas, Rex and Paul's ideas about asphalt, how they've given up waiting for their historian friends to organize a trip to visit the Civil War battleground at Shiloh, Paul's possible status as the only person in Arkansas who's eaten German food at Hot Springs and Mammoth Spring in the same month, expansion plans for the store at Oark, good news about peaches, Paul's Cave City retirement plan, wood handles and bats in Batesville, and how Chewing the Fat with Rex and Paul may constitute the essence of the Arkansas experience.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Rex's recent Delta Food Tour, in which he samples the three Delta Food Groups -- barbecue, catfish, and tamales -- in the same trip.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Paul's recent visit to the Eddie Mae Herron Center's annual hog killing and auction in Pocahontas, how he made off with a fresh ham, a shoulder, some sausage, pork chops, and about a four-pound slab of pork belly, as well as the first Arkansas Food Hall of Fame induction ceremony, which turned out to be a very successful evening celebrating Arkansas food culture and a lot of fun for Miss Rhoda.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat cool things in Hot Springs and how people really are starting to see the importance of the city and park to the state and the nation, seeing about a hundred games at the Arkansas state high school basketball tournament and its fascinating mix of urban and rural Arkansas, how the old Baptist expression "Every head bowed/every eye closed" became a basketball benediction, Paul's latest distressing trend and Rex's deep sense of disappointment about it, travel tips on how to get to Hot Springs, and Paul's rant about the best way (his) to present the National Anthem before sporting events (hint: tell Aunt Martha to stay home that night).

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the annual Slovak Oyster Supper, visiting a duck club, participating in the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame, and more.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their epic trip to Piggott to participate in a quail hunt and dinner with the grandson of Ernest Hemingway and the granddaughter of Hemingway's legendary editor, Max Perkins, who hunted there in 1932 while Hemingway was married to Pauline Pfeiffer. The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum preserves much from the couple's time in Arkansas and the Pfeiffer family's remarkable business and farming activities in the area. Rex and Paul tell about a chance visit with a famous football hero, getting lost on Crowley's ridge, Paul's desire not to shoot Hemingway's grandson, concerns for the birddogs (given the poor shooting abilities of most in the party), and their general relief to have survived the trip and had a good time, finishing with rum. "No quail were harmed in the making of this podcast."

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat on holiday cooking, Paul's specialties, Rex's love of mincemeat pie, biscuits and country ham, Paul's problems with rodents, eggnog, oyster loaf and Richard Allen, the old Des Arc fish market, fiddlers, the Emerson Purple-hull Pea Festival, Mississippi roast, Gillette and Slovak festivals coming up, how a heated throw changed Paul's life, memories of Bibles, the King James Version, sword drills, the OBU-Henderson State rivalry, the Church of Shakespeare, Newton County, what's going on in the hills of Arkansas, how Pocahontas used to be wet, and the need to get to Blytheville and eat some barbecue.

... in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about their first year of Chewing the Fat, the NEA basketball tournament and small-town basketball fans, hill school teams versus Delta teams, tamales, how Paul broke a kid's arm and Paul's mother ran over the same family's dog on the same day, record-setting basketball performances, Cave City, squirrel dinners at Gene's Barbecue in Brinkley, Tommy Robinson, and having a pretty good Arkansas day.

A special end-of-the-year edition featuring some of our favorite Chewing the Fat segments with our old friends, Rex and Paul. And did we mention that Paul is from Imboden?

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Christmas, the smell of cedar trees, quail hunting and tree gathering, shooting mistletoe out of trees, the timing of gift opening, working on Christmas Eve, .22 rifles, weird plastic squirrel gifts, the ill effects of early discovery of gifts, stockings, Paul's conviction that Jesus wanted him to get a lot of gifts, Paul's uncle Conway and his status as a serious Baptist, The Black Stallion, the Lighthouse Bookstore in Jonesboro, Christmas cantatas, Paul's advancement through roles in the Christmas play at Imboden, Rex's church in Arkadelphia and some nerve-wracking performances, visits of random Methodists, Mrs. Shamburger: choir leader and sparkle specialist, Youth Sunday tensions, getting Santa's presents in the middle of the night, Santa's big mistake regarding Paul's son Josh's first set of golf clubs, stressful times trying to assemble presents, more weird presents, Rex's grandfather's toe problem and resulting stocking designs, yard sweeping, special Christmas food, fried quail and grits, peppermint cake, egg custard pie, Karo syrup uses, the shocking realization that Catholic Midnight Mass really starts at midnight, the earlier (wimpy) services Rex attends, and checking out the Pope.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about feeling the pressure to get home from church in time to see the Cowboys game, difficulties staying up till midnight on New Year's Eve, Rex's adventures doing press relations at the Cotton Bowl, his best Christmas stocking gift ever, the old Alps Restaurant, the old Baker Hotel in Dallas, former LSU coach Charlie McClendon and Rex's boyhood refusal to shake his hand, Rex's coverage of other bowl games, freezing at the Liberty Bowl, Paul's viewing of the second Ali-Frazier fight while AWOL from the Navy, Pete Fountain in New Orleans, legendary Forrest City sportswriter Raoul Carlisle at the Kentucky Derby with Red Smith, how Lou Holtz messed up E.J. Junior's name, Rex's near-death experience swallowing a bay leaf at a restaurant in the French Quarter, the need to go to Northeast Arkansas while the leaves are off the trees, George's Fish Market in Marvell, and getting caviar and tamales in Helena.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Thanksgiving in Imboden, Paul's famous three-turkey plan, the glories of fried turkey, oyster dressing, trmmings, pies, pecans, the Baucum Nut House in North Little Rock, Rex's mincemeat pie frenzy, hunting mince, Rex's wife Melissa's fruitcake pecan frenzy, Burge's in Little Rock, fruitcake sales in Arkadelphia, the Civitan Club and the hierarchy of civic club attendance, the absence of such clubs in Imboden, Paul's brief but exciting magazine-selling career, Rex's mania for magazine subscriptions, Argossy fantasies, Red's and Woody's News Stands in Arkadelphia, sales of questionable magazines, Pete's News Stand in Pocahontas, Rex's souvenir from Woody's last day in business, highway joys on the way to Imboden, Walnut Ridge, Amagon, Weiner, Brinkley, Cherry Valley, country ham, Paul's memories of food in Spain, Baptist prayer traditions and Paul's moment of panic, Rex's eccentric great aunts and their bad influences on him, Royal Ambassadors and the ban on reciting short passages of Scripture, naps, football, and why holidays are great.

...in which Rex is out of town, so Paul begins a conversation with Jan Austin, his patient spouse, whom Paul often mentions in the broadcast, as they talk about Helena, Jan's suspicions about Paul's admiration for vinegar pie, pecan pie, mincemeat, butter the secret to pecan pie and life, Paul's convenience-store chicken livers, Paul's decision to take Jan home to meet the folks, Paul's and Jan's accents, their competing theories about the relative virtues of Delta and hill folk, gun-toting mosquitos, Paul's uncle's farm, the disappearing art of making candy, Paul's aunt's remarkable diary, her staunch union loyalty, Lawrence County the "mother of counties," Paul's declaration of ASU as the Harvard of Arkansas, changes on campus, Imboden and its attractions for kids, church and school the source of social life in the town, the resultant scrutiny of teenage behavior, Paul's admirable seriousness as a student, fun at the races, Oaklawn burgers, corned beef, pizza, and Jan's expert theories about picking race horses.

...in which Rex is out of town, so Paul begins a conversation with Jan Austin, his patient spouse, whom Paul often mentions in the broadcast, as they talk about Helena, Jan's suspicions about Paul's admiration for vinegar pie, pecan pie, mincemeat, butter the secret to pecan pie and life, Paul's convenience-store chicken livers, Paul's decision to take Jan home to meet the folks, Paul's and Jan's accents, their competing theories about the relative virtues of Delta and hill folk, gun-toting mosquitos, Paul's uncle's farm, the disappearing art of making candy, Paul's aunt's remarkable diary, her staunch union loyalty, Lawrence County the "mother of counties," Paul's declaration of ASU as the Harvard of Arkansas, changes on campus, Imboden and its attractions for kids, church and school the source of social life in the town, the resultant scrutiny of teenage behavior, Paul's admirable seriousness as a student, fun at the races, Oaklawn burgers, corned beef, pizza, and Jan's expert theories about picking race horses.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Thanksgiving, which Rex calls the ultimate men's holiday because of its lack of expectations on males, the love of leftovers, Paul's two-turkey philosophy, smoked turkey gumbo, turkey soup stock, dressing sandwiches, the critical role of side dishes at Thanksgiving, the prominence of pie, the impossibility of having too many potatoes, casseroles as the symbol of Southern Protestantism, Baptist camps, duck camps, shooting skeet, hunting rabbits, squirrel cook-offs, the loss of Thanksgiving Day football games, the Battle of the Ravine, a turkey snack Paul invented, the Wings over the Prairie Festival in Stuttgart, the Des Arc alumni reunion, Paul's mom's deck and his excellent contributions to its construction (mostly imaginary), how weird weather ruined Paul's plans for a toasty Thanksgiving Day fire, Razorback-LSU games, the Miracle on Markham, and juggling dove hunting and football.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about the Battle of the Ravine and Rex's continuing attempts to get ESPN's Game Day broadcast to come to Arkadelphia for the annual football class between Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist, how Rex talked essentially non-stop for seven and a half hours during a recent football Saturday, pleasant college campuses in Arkansas, old Arkansas college mascots, the rise of cricket teams at Southern Arkansas University, how there used to be polo matches at Wilson, how William O. Darby's knowledge of polo got him friendships with important military leaders, the Wilson Café and nice developments around town, the Delta School, the Southern Barbecue Trail, Dixie Pig sauce, the Cream Castle in Blytheville, the jumbo pig sandwich, Rex and Paul's unholy quest to consume five pig sandwiches in one day, Paul's visit with Sidney Moncrief, comparing notes on barbecue places with Sidney, improvements in U.S. Highway 67 on the way to Imboden, and the remarkable apparent confirmation of one of Paul's usually crackpot theories by an independent observer (Jim Shenup), this one having to do with the claim that Hall of Fame baseball player George Kell was really from Imboden, not Swifton, as often said.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about coaches and broadcasters of college and high school football and baseball, Bill Johnson, Bennie Ellender, Bill Burgey, the Slovak Oyster Supper, Freddie Lisko and his fame as a punt blocker, Clovis Swinney, the old ROTC requirement at ASU, President Reng's prediction that making it optional would not decrease the size of the ASU cadet corps (wrong), Rex's ROTC sharpshooter award at Ouachita, the gloriously named Sergeant Major Penanganang, Paul's plentiful Army ROTC demerits and dismal service in the Arkansas counter-guerilla unit, which contributed to his decision to join the Navy, Estes Stadium in Conway, the effects of 9/11 on college football, Rex's strenuous preparations to broadcast games, Jeff Root, Vin Scully and the L.A. Dodgers, the decreased celebrity of radio play-by-play announcers in college football, Paul's claim that Detroit Tigers great George Kell was really from Imboden, the 1968 World Series, the first time a Sloan-Hendrix High School basketball game was on the radio, the Witt brothers, the Memphis Chicks on WREC, announcers who recreated baseball games for radio broadcast, Jim Elder, and Paul and Rex's plan to attend the NEA basketball tournament, provided food can be worked into the trip.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about Halloween, especially how big a deal it was in Imboden, the Halloween carnival at Sloan-Hendrix High School, similar doings in Arkadelphia, the good trick-or-treat neighborhoods, the scary but fascinating Sturgis house in Arkadelphia, the beyond-creepy gym dressing room at Sloan-Hendrix, hijinks of older kids, water-balloon wars, running from the police, who only pretended to chase the kids, Imboden's car-less sheriff, how Arkadelphia's police chief got so excited about the opening of Interstate 30 that he drove the wrong way onto the freeway in an Arkadelphia police car, trick or treating at the museums and the zoo in Little Rock, Jan's Helen of Troy costume and Paul's unfortunate but prize-winning contest entry, the fuzzy monster Rex encountered in D.C., Jan and Paul's Top Gun-themed costumes, and Halloween movies.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about a new book on the Arkansas Grand Prairie, duck hunters, Craig's barbecue and Murray's catfish places in DeValls Bluff, master cook Stanley Young, the old Journey's End, Dondie's in Des Arc, the Tamale Factory in Gregory, the old Sportsman's One Stop in Des Arc, the old Rice Motel and the Paddy restaurant in Gillette, the old W.O.'s Riverfront in Brasfield, fresh-water caviar, the old Little Chef and Pam Pam Club (a class joint) in Stuttgart, Spradlin's Dairy Delight in England, rival claims of inventing the Frito chili pie, the Dairy Bar in Portia, the old Georgetown One Stop, Gene's in Brinkley and his 22-year streak of never closing, the Grasshopper in DeValls Bluff and its "Arrive grumpy and leave happy" sign, the old 11-70 Club in Hazen, KAAY, ASU's work on rockabilly music and U.S. Highway 67, Newport and Swifton music joints, the Silver Moon, Walnut Ridge's visit from the Beatles, the Parachute Inn, Williams Baptist College, Mena and the upcoming movie about Barry Seal, the Cave Court in Cave City, Airline Highway in Louisiana, the old Holidomes and Paul's crisis at a conference in New Orleans when they ran out of plates, fire ants floating around in the water, the old Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference, the University of the Ozarks, Coach Jack Holley and his cyclops interpretation of sports officials, UCA's surprise victory over ASU in football, the time Rex essentially abandoned Melissa (his brand-new wife) for six hours at a football game he had to broadcast at UCA, and Rex and Paul's amazement that she has stuck with him nonetheless.

...in which Rex and Paul Rex and Paul tell about how olive loaf lost its charms for Rex, Vienna sausage, fried bologna, the old Po Boy Supper at Coy, Chicken Jeans, the wrong (Yankee) pronunciations of Southern foods, Spam, dangers of slicing things, kinfolks from off, Rex's Kansas cousins and their confusing drink requests, the bourbon in Rex's grandmother's pantry, Paul's dad's World War II buddy, "nickel-beer" joints, wet-dry elections, blue laws, Altus wineries, Grape Fest at Tontitown, Wiederhehr, grape stomping, how the New York Times ran a story on fried chicken gizzards at the convenience store at Marvel, calf liver, wild "goat," barbecued goat, McClard's in Hot Springs, Craig's in De Valls Bluff, and the shocking revelation that Rex and Paul can be bribed with food.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about the new Arkansas Food Hall of Fame and describe their expert status in helping select inductees, the Lassis Inn in Little Rock, buffalo ribs, Elihu Washington, the Southern Foodways Alliance, Sam Walton's desire to keep his kids down to earth, Alice Walton fishing at Beaver Lake, Gene's at Brinkley, fiddlers, Doc's at Garland City, how Paul wimped out - again - and got the small order of catfish, burgers at Oark, how Rex shamed Paul, the store at Oark, Catalpa, their nominees for the quintessential Arkansas food, Imboden, when going out to eat catfish was a special treat, Rex's definition of "cuisine," "light" bread, sausage sandwiches, having game-day meals at Gable's in Arkadelphia, anti-bug strategies in old restaurants, cutting meat, and the miraculous nature and odd shapes of Paul's mother's fried potatoes.

...in which Rex is out of town, so Paul begins a conversation with Jan Austin, his patient spouse, whom Paul often mentions in the broadcast, usually about how he was supposed to bring her a fried pie but ate it on the way home, as they talk about Rex, about going on some of Rex and Paul's adventures, getting to know each other's families in Helena and in Imboden, how she once picked out her own present, how Paul got his first television when he got out of the Navy and the smelly box it sat on, the window-rattling train that goes right by Paul's family home in Imboden, how some friends there helped build a deck for Paul's mother and the pressure they felt to get it square and level, the flood of 1982, Paul's father's scary but award-winning beard, charming Jan's Yankee relatives, and meeting her favorite teacher.

...in which Rex and Paul chew the fat about Hope, Pop Cola, Mr. Cola, Nesbit, Sundrop, Pepsi a Yankee drink, scary gyms, Shirley, Emmett, Emerson, Clover Bend, unusual home-field advantages, Ashdown, Camden, paper mills, fighting mosquitos, concrete gym floors, aborted plans to dam the Eleven Point and Strawberry rivers, and highlights of the summer, including the fact that the Butler Center needs to field a team in next year's motorized tillar race at Emerson.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about the Arlington Hotel, development in downtown Hot Springs, the Medical Arts Building, the Park Hotel, bath houses, Central Avenue real estate, outdoor thermal pools and visitor expectations, Lewis Grizzard's formulation on the word "naked," Major League spring training in Hot Springs, Larry Foley's film, the end of summer and the transition from baseball to football, Paul's basketball career at Sloan-Hendrix High School in Imboden, Dyess, the Clover Bend and the New Deal settlement community there, and the Sloan-Hendrix rivalry with Black Rock.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about how Paul wimped out on going to the Hope Watermelon Festival because of a little rain, the growing watermelon rivalry between Hope and Cave City, Hope watermelon promoter Pod Rogers, getting the attention of Today Show weatherman Willard Scott with a 200-pound watermelon, the Smothers Brothers, Glen Campbell, the Bright family, "black diamond" melons at Cave City, the old Fourth of July picnic at Portia, melon-protection measures, Rex's Delta barbecue tour and seven stops in one day (Mack's IGA in Biscoe, Jones's in Marianna, Cyprus Corner near Lexa, Larry's and Abe's in Clarksdale, Lena's and Craig's at De Valls Bluff), Tums, pecan pies, sweet-potato pies, tamales, soul food, duck-camp adventures, Beulah, sauces, and Paul's ideas about vinegar.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about the Grady Fish Fry, the fact that Rex couldn't make it this year, Paul's sub-standard traveling companion who took Rex's place, the famous Grady Hushpuppy Making Machine, Cool Hand Luke images, Mockie and Raymond Abramson, Holly Grove and its record-setting trees, Pine City, the red-cockaded woodpecker, the possibility that Rex might have run into the last ivory-billed woodpecker with his car, the Cache River, Gene's Restaurant in Brinkley, fiddlers (the fish), and catfish steaks and places that sell them .

...in which Rex and Paul talk about St. Mary's Catholic Church above Altus, the Coal Miners Memorial, the museum in Altus, German and Swiss immigrants, the Catfish Inn at Dardanelle, the Council Oaks, Pottsville, Russellville, Paul's visit to the Goodwin family reunion, his Uncle Ozro, the Black River, Lawrence County migration to Illinois after World War I, Paul's fractured sense of privilege and rediscovery (invention?) of his French ancestry and resultant special abilities, the Dry Creek Missionary Baptist Church, Paul's Grandma Goody, Highway 25 between Strawberry and Batesville, Cave City watermelons and tourist courts, "marker tree" legends, Diaz vs. Dyess, the transition from Delta to uplands, the ingredients for vinegar pie (it's better than it sounds), blackberry cobbler, Rex's life as a chigger and tick magnet, crabapple jelly, Cracker Barrel, and how Rex and Paul and Paul's son, Josh, decided not to joke around on the swinging bridge between Oark and Catalpa.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about going to Oark on State Highway 103, visiting the Oark store, Horsehead Creek, Catalpa, a half-pound hamburger, the Juicy Lucy hamburger, eggs Benedict, motorcycle riders, Paul's wimp-out moment, the beauty of the drive on State Highway 215 from Oark to Cass along the Mulberry River, music festivals at Byrd's Adventure Center, the Turner Bend Store, the Pig Trail, Arkansas wines, wine-tasting at Chateau Aux Arc, Wiederkehr Village, and the Winekeller Restaurant near Altus.

...in which Rex and Paul discuss Arkansas's great visitors centers, historical tourism, Murry's on old U.S. 70 near Hazen, the concerningly low supply of crappie, Mack's in Stuttgart, Pasquale's tamales in Helena, Rex's Delta food tour, the three Delta food groups, onion rings, the Johnson County Peach Festival, Peach Pickin' Paradise near Clarksville, fried peach pies, how Paul's wife Jan only got half of one, the Pig Pit in Arkadelphia, the turtle race at the peach festival and the possibility that one of the turtles was using a performance-enhancing drug, Rex's earlier visit to the festival with State Trooper Bubba Stotts, and why you sometimes have to administer lie detector tests at bass fishing contests.

...in which Rex and Paul discuss the 100th birthday party of attorney David Solomon in Helena (not forgetting to mention the lunch they enjoyed at Craig's Bar-B-Que in DeValls Bluff before the party), houseboats on the White River, former U.S. congressman Ed Bethune's latest book and Bethune's special relationship with Pocahontas, the button industry of yore and the mounds of stamped out mussel shells left behind, Biscuit Row, new restaurants and other improvements in Helena, the remarkable Solomon family, notable guests of David Solomon's birthday party including Dick Hatfield, other famous people from Helena including seven Civil War generals, the beautiful historical interpretation at Battery C in Helena, the surprising nature of Crowley's Ridge geography, and much more.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about their visit to the Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race in Emerson, Arkansas, and discuss their trip home, including information on the geography of Garland, Arkansas, (hint: it looks like Crowley's Ridge), the Four States Fairgrounds in Texarkana, the desire to get home before dark, the rough appearance of stateline beer joints, Paul's memory of a humanities trip to Oklahoma and his attempts to blend in at the Idabel Country Club, Rex and Paul's shared appreciation for the Idabel Comfort Inn and its Italian restaurant, ideas for a movie to preserve unique Arkansas culture, the remarkable basketball traditions of Magnolia and surrounding towns, notable writers and an opera singer from Emerson, the surprising information that Geoffrey Beene is from Haynesville, Louisiana, the proper pronunciation of Paul's hometown, Imboden (emphasis on the "Im-"), the unfortunate closing of Maxine's in Prescott, the sad fact that Rex and Paul ate only four meals during their daytrip home from Emerson, their plans for eating many more meals on Radio CALS' tab, the indescribable nature of the World Championship Rotary Tiller Race, the competitive scheduling of Hope and Cave City's watermelon festivals (on the same day!), and much more.

...in which Rex and Paul talk about their visit to the Purple Hull Pea Festival and World Championship Rotary Tiller Race in Emerson, including an out of control tiller, the "Till-Billies," a potentially lethal tiller wreck and an announcer who didn't bat an eye, rumored controversy as to the actual winner of this year's race, the interminable heat that Rex and Paul faced, their side trip to charming Haynesville, Louisiana (where they were invited to view a stranger's plentiful catch of the day), their return to Arkansas and their drive west on US-82 through south Arkansas, the proper pronunciation of Lafayette County, Paul's first meal at the original Burge's in Lewisville (where Paul purchased six fried pies to take home, only one of which made it to Paul's wife Jan), Rex's history of working up an appetite to take advantage of his trips past Burge's when he was a sportswriter, the truly red hue of the Red River, Garland "City" which boasts 300 residents and two beloved catfish restuarants (Doc's and Westshore), Rex's memories of the old Haley's Fish Market in Des Arc and its "fiddlers" (small catfish that are cooked whole), and Rex and Paul's inability to eat anything else after this leg of their journey.