A Message from Chef Regina Charboneau, Culinary Ambassador
I leave my home in Natchez to get some rest. It is the most social place I have ever lived, and there is truly something to do every night of the week. Before leaving for this latest trip on the American Countess®, I had a dinner invitation or hosted a dinner party six out of seven nights during the week. The only night there was not a dinner party; there was an art opening, followed by a detour to Magnolia Bluffs Casino for dinner. After dinner, we ended up sipping on late-night cocktails at The Kitchen on Main Street. I get on the road to rest!
Now, I am off again on the American Countess! This time, from Nashville to St. Louis. It has been a great year of travel for me with American Queen Voyages™.
Thankfully, my sweet husband, Doug, never seems to mind driving me wherever and whenever I need to go. I love a road trip, especially when combined with river travel. The bonus for this trip was having my son Martin fly in from New York to join me on this adventure. The other pleasure of being on the American Countess is to experience what a great job the culinary team is doing. The entire staff is hospitable, warm, and genuinely want to provide everything you need to have the best experience possible. Follow along my journey starting on July 2!
Saturday, July 2, Sunday, July 3
Birmingham, Alabama – Nashville, Tennessee
When time allows, I visit chef friends and other favorite friends, too, as we drive to meet the boat. We made it to Birmingham in time for lunch at Bottega, Frank Stitt’s restaurant in Birmingham. I met Frank Stitt several years ago at the Monterey Bay Aquarium during the Cooking for Solutions event. He has always been a chef that I admire. I never miss an opportunity to have a meal at one of his restaurants when I’m in Birmingham. His wife, Parsdis, working alongside him, has helped him create a covey of great restaurants— Highlands Bar & Grill, Bottega, and Chez Fonfon. They served us delicious, charred okra with tzatziki, the best carpaccio, and white pizza topped with caramelized onions and fennel sausage with provolone and fresh ricotta. Yum!
Birmingham is a great food city; Chef Chris Hastings is another notable Birmingham chef and owns the popular Hot Fish Club. They are only open for dinner, so I had to miss it, but I look forward to the next trip.
Upon our arrival in Nashville, we looked for something close to our hotel for a light bite and drink. We happened upon a casual bar called The Greenhouse, which serves creative drinks and small plates. It was great, but we didn’t stay long since being in an actual greenhouse in humid 95-degree weather (even with a perfect jalapeno-pineapple margarita) was a bit much. We went back the following morning while it was cooler, and had a great breakfast bowl with tortillas, chorizo, black beans, salsa, feta, fried egg, and crema, along with a great BLT with avocado and a fried egg. It was larger portions than we could finish but more than delicious enough to sustain us until dinner.
My son Martin landed in Nashville, and we drove him directly to Martin’s BBQ joint downtown for a pulled pork sandwich. That night I cooked dinner at my friend’s home. When we travel by car, I love to bring a stuffed ice chest to cook for my friends wherever they are. That night we ate my chicken pot pie with a biscuit crust and another favorite, pork belly pot pie with roasted yams and mustard greens in rich veal stock. I made a salad with roasted carrots and soft-boiled eggs topped with mixed greens with mustard vinaigrette. My friend Callie made her wonderful flourless chocolate cake and a perfect sabayon with fresh fruit. There is nothing I love more than being at the dinner table with friends. It was one of those nights you hate to end because the company was so good. The best thing about true friendship is you pick up where you left off.
Nashville to St. Louis on the American Countess
Monday, July 4 Clarksville, Tennessee
Fun fact: Clarksville was founded in 1784 near the confluence of the Cumberland River and Red River. The city was named after General George Rogers Clark, brother of William Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
We arrived at the American Countess, at her scenic docking place, McGregor River Park. There is no way to choose a favorite boat when it comes to the American Queen Voyage boats on the rivers. Each has her own unique look and personality. The American Countess is just exquisite and embodies simple elegance. My cabin was on the Cumberland riverside, and the view was peaceful and lovely. Martin and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner in the main dining room on board overlooking the river with its floor-to-ceiling windows. The fresh tuna poke with avocado was the perfect summer starter for dinner. I will warn you the most challenging thing on board is making choices off the menu. It is nice to travel with someone who will share so you can try more of the menu items!
Entertainment on our river boats is such a part of the experience. So, it’s always special when there is a surprise step-on-guest. Lee Greenwood came aboard and was the perfect entertainer for the Fourth of July. We had a brief visit before his packed show in the Grand Ballroom. Since we were not cruising until the next day, we snuck across the street to play pool with some of the crew. I realized pool is best played quite sober or quite drunk. I was terrible being neither but loved the time with my son.
Tuesday, July 5 Clarksville, Tennessee – Wednesday, July 6 Clarksville, Tennessee
For me, a little relaxation goes a long way. In search of something to do, the operations manager Connor Murphy and I cooked up an impromptu cocktail class, which we did in the more casual dining area on the boat, The River Grill. How can you not be inspired to mix a few drinks when you are in Bourbon country? I also made one of my favorites, quick snacks, Cocktail Party crackers with pimento cheese. My dinner entrée choice that evening was the perfect Braised Lamb Shanks over seasoned polenta. The Seared Seabass with Crawfish Sauce was a hit around the dining room.
The show that evening was a tribute to Bob Fosse. It wonderfully showcased the true talent of our singers on board, Ian Benjamin, his lovely wife Eva Santiago, and Shaun Samaro. It is amazing, too, what our quartet, under the direction of Devin Eddleman, can produce with these three talented performers.
Thursday, July 7 Dover, Kentucky.
Dover is on the Cumberland River. This was a short stop, so I spent the afternoon doing what I love best, creating food and fun. For my cooking demo, I made Nashville Hot Tacos with Countess Margaritas. I set the mood for a fun time by showing Joe York’s short film about the Nashville staple, Prince’s Hot Chicken. It’s a hysterical look at this iconic “hot chicken” restaurant. After my cooking demo, our amazing musicians on board did a set of Nashville-inspired tunes while everyone sipped their margaritas, nibbled on tacos, and sailed away from Dover towards Paducah, Kentucky. I started with one of my favorites, Roasted Diced Beets, Cashew Cream, and Truffle Chips. The shrimp linguine with champagne cream sauce was perfect as well.
Friday, July 8 Paducah, Kentucky
Paducah sits at the confluence of the Ohio and Tennessee Rivers. In Paducah, I enjoyed the morning on board the American Countess with a group of women who seem to run the city. It was great to see how all the different organizations— Chamber of Commerce, CVB, and City work so closely together. I was especially happy to connect with local chef and restaurant owner Sara Bradley. I’m coming back to Paducah at least two more times this year, and I look forward to the food tour she promised to take me on during my next trip, mutton BBQ in the parking lot of a liquor store! Right up my alley. For lunch, Martin and I walked up the hill to Paducah’s welcoming downtown and found Doe’s Lunch Place (a Mississippi stalwart). We had their famous Delta tamales and split a delicious steak sandwich. The highlight of dinner was the lamb chops served with tomato mint marmalade. It reminded me I need to make my tomato mint marmalade and bottle it while we are in peak tomato season) That night, the entertainment was a history of Jazz with our bandleader, Devin Eddleman, who is stellar on the saxophone or any woodwind he picks up. Quinn Sengupta is magical on the grand piano, Cole Baker amazing drummer, and Landon Rolfe is soulful on the bass. Devin curated a perfect walk through the history of jazz. It was spellbinding, truly. If you like jazz or food…you might enjoy this one of many articles I wrote for the Atlantic several years ago: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2011/03/restraint-what-cooks-can-learn-from-miles-davis/72017/
Saturday, July 9 Cape Girardeau, Missouri, on the Mississippi River
Cape Girardeau is one of my favorite stops, with tons of great food and beverage stops on Spain Street. I could not complete this trip without sharing my “everything you need to know about my Biscuits” class. It was, as always, great fun for me. The minute I finished punching out biscuits, Martin and I hurried off the boat to visit the Cape Girardeau farmers market before they closed at noon. Then we went to lunch at the Farmacy restaurant, where we had the tastiest banh mi burger (I’m still craving another one!). Everything at the Farmacy is homemade and grown locally. This amazing family with ten children, ranging from 10 to 24 years old, has a farm and works with local producers to deliver a genuine farm-to-table experience. It is a must-stop. That night we listened to the band play a great selection of hits from the 60s-80s for the ‘Dancing through the Decades’ party. We all needed the exercise after a few days of such wonderful food. For dinner, a salad and perfectly cooked lobster tail were nice and light. It was also great having Martin, my dinner companion, so I could taste his crawfish bisque which was as good as it gets! Chef Alice has done a fantastic job on this trip and leads a great team in the kitchen.
Sunday, July 10 Kimmswick, MO
I got off here to make sure Martin could make his flight on Monday and so we could get an early start for home. I leave again soon from Memphis all the way to Louisville. But several guests went to the Blue Owl for their amazing “Bluff High” pies.
Regina’s restaurant and bar suggestions from this trip and a few cocktail party recipes!
Birmingham, Alabama
Bottega – 2240 Highland Avenue South (205) 939-1000
Chez Fonfon – 2007 11th Avenue South (205) 939-3221
Hot and Hot Fish Club – 2901 2nd Avenue South (205) 933-5474
Nashville, Tennessee
The Green House Brunch! – 2211 Brandywood Drive (615) 385-4311
Martin’s BBQ Joint – 410 4th Avenue South (615) 288-0880
The Red Headed Stranger Taco’s – 305 Arrington, Street (615) 544-8226
Restoration Hardware – Courtyard Restaurant 2102 Green Hills Village Drive (615) 209-7644
Paducah, Kentucky
Freight House – 330 South 3rd Street
Dinner only. Sara Bradley opened in 2015, sharing her passion for Paducah and farm-to-table Kentucky cuisine. You may know her ‘from Bravo’s Top Chef season 16.
Doe’s Eat Place – 136 Broadway (270) 443-9006
Knowing Doe’s Eat Place Greenville, Mississippi, I had no idea there was one here. The tamales were totally Mississippi River Delta. It is the type of lunch you would expect on the river, everything from Spaghetti to Steak. The steak sandwich was amazing.
The perfect thing to do on Saturday morning in Cape Girardeau, if you don’t come in on a Saturday, you can do 2 out of the 3.
Farmers market – 35 S Spanish Street (Saturday mornings)
Ebb & Flow Fermentations – 11 S Spanish Street (573) 803-1611
Spanish Street Farmacy, 36 Spanish Street (573) 381-2702
https://www.spanishstreetfarmacy.com/why-local-food
Kimmswick, Missouri
The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery – 6116 2nd (636) 464-3128
The owner, Mary Hostetter, makes the most amazing pies! A must-stop!
COCKTAIL PARTY RECIPES FROM THE AMERICAN COUNTESS!
Old Fashion
2 ounces bourbon
2 sugar cubes
4 dashes of angostura bitters
Try replacing the sugar cubes with flavored syrup made from apple-cinnamon or chai tea bags boiled with sugar. Or replace sugar cubes with 2 teaspoons of syrup. In a mixing glass, add sugar cubes and bitters, muddle, add Whiskey and Ice, Stir, and Strain into the glass. Add a Large Ice Cube, Garnish with an Orange Twist, and Maraschino Cherry.
Manhattan
1.5 ounces of bourbon or rye
.5 oz good red vermouth (Carpano Antica is my choice)
A dash of bitters
Garnish with Luxardo cherry.
For a twist- Add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup, then place 2 drops of Orange Blossom Water onto a cedar plank, torch, place glass over fire, add ingredients to mixing glass, stir with ice, strain into smoked Coupe Glass.
Boulevardier
2 ounces of bourbon
1 ounce of sweet vermouth
1 ounce of Campari
For a twist, I like to substitute the Campari with Aperol. Stir ingredients with ice in a mixing glass, strain into glass, garnish with an Orange Twist.
COCKTAIL HOUR CRACKERS
1 16-ounce box saltine crackers
1 cup butter, melted
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Prep two baking sheets by placing a wire rack on the baking sheet. Place the crackers in a 9×13 inch baking dish so they are against each other just as they are out of the packaging and lined them up in the dish (you may need to do two batches). You want to apply marinade evenly over crackers for the best flavor. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in the sugar, garlic powder, smoked paprika, pepper flakes, oregano, salt, and pepper until combined. Pour the mixture over top of the crackers (again, you may need to do two batches!), trying to get in between each cracker. Use a spoon to drizzle any extra butter on the crackers and spread it around the butter so it covers the crackers evenly. Place the crackers in a single layer on the wire rack. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for 15 minutes more. Let cool completely before serving. Keep in an airtight container. They are great with Pimento Cheese!
New Orleans