Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe

• Who can find a virtuous woman? her price is far above rubies
• She eateth not the bread of idleness

It's been a really bad week around here for everyone in the family. It's been extremely hot outside; we're still having air-conditioning issues so it's been hot inside, as well; hubby is stressed from work; son is stressed about college; I'm stressed about our upcoming move and relocation; all together it was tense and just Not Fun.

There was one ray of brightness in a rough week, though, and was the road trip I took to Juliette, Georgia, to visit the Whistle Stop Cafe', famous from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes , based on the Fannie Flagg book Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe'.

The movie is set in fictional small town of Whistle Stop, Alabama, but the real-life cafe and downtown is found at Juliette, Georgia.

The cafe' building was built in 1927 and was operated as a general store until 1972. After that it was used for several different purposes until it was Juliette was chosen as the site for most of the filming of the movie.

Afterwards, it was opened as a real cafe', and remains open today. You can check out their menu and hours of operation at the Whistle Stop Cafe website.

I felt like I was walking into the story as soon as I spotted this familiar window.

The interior is filled with vintage and antique items...

...as well as furnishings familiar from the movie.

Some of the fixtures are from the building's general store days.


..and some are strictly restaurant operational.

It was fun to look around and spot the different items

Pictures from the past...


...and this old butcher block and scale.

Look, it's Ruth and Idgie!


The spillway--and yes, it was hot inside and out that day!



How neat is this shoe shine stand?


Or this coal heater?


From the scene at end of the movie, when the cafe had been closed for years

And then of course there's the food--good old Southern fare...




starting with fried green tomatoes--of course!


yummy fried chicken, mashed potatoes, cornbread, and fried okra

followed by hot deep dish pecan cobbler and ice cream!


And outside, planters full of tomato plants...

and the infamous barbeque pit.

I think this is an old smokehouse...

...it's out behind this train depot turned gift shop. It's for rent--anyone interested?


They have a sense of humor in Juliette...


...don't you think?

The Opry House


The block-long "down-town" is mostly gift and tourist-y shops


Click on the pictures to see them up close--this signs says "If the door is unlocked, we're open"



I had gotten lost on my way and we got there a little later than I had planned...



...so I didn't have time to go inside these cute little shops...


although this thrift store was tempting...but it was getting time to try to follow the bread crumb trail back home, so I had to pass.





I did take the time for quick trip across the tracks to see the spillway, first from the park at the top level...



...and then from around the side by the old mill...

... and of course a drive past the cemetery that was filmed for the final scenes of the movie.

My son went with me, and was tolerably patient with me as I oohh'd and aahh'd over everything I saw--as well as the several wrong turns I made along the way. Let's just say that I saw a bit more of the Georgia countryside than even I had intended!

I had such fun on my "road trip". It was certainly a lot better than sitting around stewing about the heat, and the air conditioner problems, or worrying about the future. Our time in Georgia is getting shorter and shorter, so I'm doing my best to enjoy every minute of it!

This post is linked to:

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Vintage Thingie Thursday at Coloradolady

Until next time...