Page 84 of Made to Love Ya

“Talia?”

“What?”

“You nasty, baby.”

I smacked his thigh, and we laughed as he pulled me tighter in his embrace. He turned my head sideways, kissed my lips, and pressed my mouth until I opened for him. Our kiss was passionate, warm, and slow, much like the day had been.

When we finished kissing, I replied, “And you love every little nasty part of me.”

“Damn right, I do.”

TALIA

ONE YEAR LATER

From the redbrick building to its emerald-green French doors, the restaurant is quaint and charming. Planters hang outside of the building in front of every picture window. Step inside and be greeted by lovely hosts and hostesses who instantly equip you with a colorful 11x17 tabloid map of the restaurant. You start at Welcome Way and maneuver through the restaurant based on your table selection or your use of the clean, well-lit bathroom facilities.

Pastel-colored street signs are posted at every corner to guide you to your destination. Gas lamps hanging beside each table provide enough lighting to see your menu and food selection, but it is just dim enough to give that cozy ambiance you’re looking for. It’s perfect for date night or an evening with the girls. During an overcast day, the lamps are turned up to bring more light to your dining experience, and on sunny days, the large picture windows allow the sun to radiate through.

Attentive, well-trained servers are available and ready to serve your needs from the moment that you are seated. While all of this is lovely and impacts the dining experience, I was more focused on the menu selections.

I visited the restaurant with a group of five friends. We ordered a smorgasbord of food and sampled from one another’s plates. Y’all know that I’m a Georgia girl, and we don’t play about our Southern sweet tea. I’ve always said that my mommy makes the best Southern sweet tea. Well…shhh…y’all don’t tell her that I said this, but she’s got serious competition. Their sweet tea has enough sugar to put you into a diabetic coma while still preserving the balance of the black tea. It was refreshing as was their lemonade and strawberry lemonade, both of which were freshly squeezed.

Fried chicken and waffles, chicken wings, fried green tomatoes, biscuits and gravy, shrimp and grits, Brunswick stew, barbeque ribs, catfish, macaroni and cheese, collard greens, black-eyed peas, hoe cakes, fried okra, pimento cheese corn, green beans, garlic mashed potatoes, pecan pie, and peach cobbler. I bet you thought I was lying when I said a smorgasbord of foods. I wasn’t lying, y’all.

Yes, your girl sampled some of everything until I had to release the button on my pants. Honey, I pulled out a chair and propped my feet up on it to relax. Since their greeting is “Come in, relax, and stay for a while,” that’s exactly what we did.

I was ready to be picked up off the floor, y’all. The food was lip-smacking delicious, and I gave my compliments to Chef Adler. I literally asked for him to be brought out, and when he was, I gave him the chef’s kiss and then kissed him on his cheek.

Under the tutelage of Chef Caesar of Pearls & Swine in Atlanta, not just Chef Adler but the entire kitchen staff and team at River & 3rdgot it right this time. There was a complete overhaul of their practices and menu, and I’m here for it. Special kudos to the owners of River & 3rd, Izael Ellis and Jaylen Simmons, for not giving up but taking the time to take the necessary steps to make their restaurant deserving of the James Beard Award nomination and…

Five silver chef spoons.

Chef’s Kiss,

T.

* * *

I stared into the audience,mesmerized by how far I had come in a little over a year and a half since I’d left Atlanta and returned home. I tuned back into what was happening around me and caught the tail end of a statement.

“…and they are passionate about what they do. For outstanding restaurateur, the nominees are…”

I stood next to comedian Adrian Rutherford, the emcee for tonight’s award show. I listened as she announced the nominees. I was proud to hear my baby’s name listed.

When Adrienne finished, I pulled the envelope that I held open. I looked out into the crowd and wiggled my eyebrows before I read the statement from the teleprompter.

“For two seconds, I’ll have a secret that the rest of you wish you knew.”

The audience laughed.

“And the winner for the outstanding restaurateur is…Izael Ellis and Jaylen Simmons!” I screeched into the microphone.

People clapped and cheered. I watched as Jaylen and Izael made their way to the front of the opera house.

As they made their way to the stage, I began to share the story about River & 3rdand how it came to be. I shared how his aunt died in the accident and that she left the restaurant to Izael because of her love for him. He told me that she’d left her house and car to Rashad who had always admired them. Rashad still lived in her house. As I shared the story about the restaurant, I swear there wasn’t a dry eye in the opera house.

After I passed the award to Izael, Jaylen spoke a few brief words about his gratitude to the James Beard Foundation, the restaurant staff, the community, and its patrons. He thanked Izael for allowing him to become an investor in the restaurant and being part of seeing the dream come to fruition. Then he turned the mic over to Izael. He held the round medallion up so that everyone could see it, and the crowd cheered. Adrian and I stood between Jaylen and Izael.

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