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Allman Brothers, and others, love Mama Louise and her cooking
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Allman Brothers split "meat and threes" at H&H Restaurant. (H&H Photo)
Meet Mama Louise, the queen of soul food in Macon, Ga.
At the heart of her H&H Restaurant is musical history as rich as the gravy that smothers her slow-simmered chicken. The hunger that brings people here sometimes has little to do with food, although portions are generous and agreeably seasoned – especially the barbecue ribs and collard greens.
Music lovers come to the H&H to relive their youth, to envision the famous as the ordinary, to gaze at the dozens of posters and photos that fill the restaurant walls. Louise Hudson – Mama Louise – has own her favorite: A black-and-white snapshot from the 1960s shows six young men with two plates of food, hunched around her tables.
Nice boys, those Allman Brothers – but kind of skinny and pretty poor. They’d sing, change band names and players, buy a couple of “meat and threes” – that’s one entrée and three side dishes – and split the food.
They had risked ridicule, or worse, by patronizing this black-neighborhood restaurant and including an African American (drummer Jaimoe Johanson) on stage. Just one parking lot away from the H&H is First Baptist Church, established by the black community more than 25 years before slavery became illegal.
“They always wanted something to eat before going on a tour,” Mama Louise said, of the Allman Brothers Band. “Sometimes they’d pay, and sometimes they wouldn’t. I wasn’t gonna worry about it.”
She started feeding them for free, and had no idea that these scruffy boys would make her famous.
“People come from all over the world to meet Mama Louise,” says Kirsten West, who with husband Kirk is restoring/revamping the Big House band hangout in Macon as the Allman Brothers Museum (tentatively set to open in late 2009).
Oprah has visited Mama Louise. President Obama has not, but his photo hangs here anyway. Numerous musicians have left autographs, some scattered behind the counter, out of view of the average diner.
Don’t expect low-calorie fare, although Mama Louise admits to adding more vegetable side dishes during recent years, because customers have asked for them. Good taste likely means simmered in ham or pork fat.
The veggie list includes mac and cheese. I liked the extra-creamy corn and buttery cornbread.
Mama Louise, apparently is in her 80s, plays coy when discussing her age. Others seem to have stopped counting. I’ve seen her washing the dishes, cooking and patiently telling her story to curious strangers, again and again.
Ordering a “meat and three” is not unusual in the Deep South, especially rural areas. Add a tall tumbler of sweet tea or lemonade, then peach cobbler for dessert before sloshing on to your next destination.
What else will foodies love in Macon? Check out the Nu-Way hot dogs, sold downtown since 1916.
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