Tennessee Crossroads 3725

- [Announcer] "Tennessee Crossroads" is made possible in part by... - [Phil] I'm Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham.

Here in Cookeville, Tennessee's college town, we are bold, fearless, confident, and kind.

Tech prepares students for careers by making everyone's experience personal.

We call that living wings up.

Learn more at tntech.edu.

- [Announcer] Discover Tennessee trails and byways.

Discover Tennessee's adventure, cuisine, history, and more made-in-Tennessee experiences showcased among these 16 driving trails.

More at tntrailsandbyways.com.

- This time on "Tennessee Crossroads," we get a taste of Cajun country on the outskirts of Goodlettsville, then take a trip to Memphis at the Rock 'n' Soul Museum, and finally travel to Gatlinburg and a mecca of arts and crafts.

Hi, everybody.

That's our edition of "Tennessee Crossroads" for this time.

I'm Joe Elmore.

Welcome.

(gentle upbeat music) Finding authentic Cajun cuisine doesn't require a trip to the Louisiana Bayou.

Now you can get it right here in Middle Tennessee if you know where to look.

Well, recently a local chef turns his passion for Cajun food into a little gem of a diner in Goodlettsville.

- [Mike] Sometimes coming around a curve, may not see us the first time.

Might have to see us on the way back.

(festive music) - [Joe] And it's worth the effort.

It's a little restaurant off Springfield Highway called Lagniappe Bayou Kitchen.

If you're craving authentic Cajun cooking, well, this is the place, and owner Mike Crabtree is the man who makes it happen.

Mike honed his Cajun culinary skills while working as a traveling chef for a company called Aramark.

- So that was fun.

I got my first experience of true Cajun cuisine down there and the difference between Cajun and Creole cuisine, which was very, very different.

Creole cuisine is more of like refined.

I would say more like French cooking, and then your Cajun cuisine is more of your Lowcountry, you know what we consider country cooking in Tennessee.

You cook what you got around you and make something good out of it.

Right now we do traditional New Orleans style counter service where folks get to come in the door.

We greet 'em, give 'em a menu, and let 'em come up to the counter to order.

And then from there, we bring the food out and take care of 'em till they head on out for the day.

- [Joe] Making a choice can be challenging.

The menu includes the whole gamut of bayou favorites from etouffee to gumbo and even a few of Mike's own recipes.

Most ingredients are carefully sourced from Louisiana and the Gulf Coast.

- [Mike] We actually bring in traditional Leidenheimer bread.

Leidenheimer Bakery's been in New Orleans, God, for a long time, but it is the traditional authentic bread that you want to use for making a po' boy.

It has a different mouth feel, different taste, different texture than just your traditional French bread.

- [Mike] One of the favorite appetizers is Debris Fries, Mike's signature fries topped with cheese, then roast beef and debris gravy, a scoop of sour cream, and finally, some bacon.

Lagniappe's catfish is award-winning, and Mike puts his on a bed of dirty rice, tops it with crawfish etouffee, and calls it Catfish Atchafalaya.

What is the secret to cooking something like etouffee or, you know, gumbo and things like that?

- Low and slow, and quite honestly, you're starting with the roux.

The roux is what takes you the longest, and the roux is probably the most important thing to it all.

- [Joe] There are several versions of shrimp and grits.

I was especially taken by one called Kiss My Grits and Tell Me You Love Me.

- [Mike] Cajun-style pimento cheese and then a little bit of cream.

- [Joe] Then Mike tops that with a fried grit cake before adding about seven blackened shrimp.

He surrounds it with remoulade sauce and of course a little bacon.

Many of Mike's customers are regulars and already fans of Cajun cuisine.

- All right, anything else I can get for you?

- I don't think so.

- All right, y'all enjoy.

- Thank you.

- We'll have folks bring in their friends that maybe haven't tried Cajun before, and they'll be like, "You have to try this."

We'll give 'em like a little sampler of the gumbo and the red beans and stuff so they can kind of get an idea of what they would like.

And if they don't care for Cajun, then we've also got our American Wagyu burgers that we do, which are locally sourced an hour from here in Celina, Kentucky with Black Hawk Farms.

- You know, part of the fun of eating out is the adventure, you know, trying something new.

Well, nothing fits the bill like this, Louisiana gator, better known as swamp chicken.

(crunching) Mm.

Tastes like chicken.

- [Mike] It's usually the gator or the frog legs that they'll try.

But it's kind of funny 'cause both of those taste very similar to chicken.

One will eat like a breast, but it'll bite like a thigh, and the other will eat like a thigh, but bite like a breast.

- [Joe] You'd think Mike would have his hands full serving as manager and chief chef, but he frequently wears yet another hat.

- [Mike] My wife likes to tease me that I opened a bakery when I took over Lagniappe because I'd do all the cakes and pastries, always have creme brulee.

We always have banana pudding, and we've always got beignets that we do fresh out of the back.

But we'll have other types of cakes.

Like today we've got a German chocolate up there mixed with pecan cake.

We've got an orange dreamsicle cake that we made from scratch there.

And we've even got our play on a Boston cream pie, but it's a Boston cream cake.

- [Joe] Ah, but wait, there's more.

Mike even adds his talents to some of the items in the gift shop.

- [Mike] I do some woodwork and stuff mainly for family and friends right now, but the goal is to sell more of it down the road too, so I just can't sit still.

- [Joe] Well, that's obvious, but when you love what you're doing, it's more of a passion than hard work, and the real payoff is meeting and pleasing the customers who pass through your doors.

- If I'm not stuck on the stove cooking for that shift, then I'll make it a point to go to each table to try to say hi and, you know, answer any questions folks may have.

So that's part of the fun for me, getting to meet the new folks that come in.

- Folks, I'm joined by fellow "Crossroads" producer and dear friend Miranda Cohen here in the NPT studio to remind you that stories like the one you just saw are only possible with your support.

- Joe, you are so right about that.

We are three weeks into our campaign to keep "Crossroads" traveling in 2024, but we need your help to make it across the finish line.

If we can get to 450 donations at any level, we can keep "Crossroads" on the air during NPT's March membership drive.

- We're off to a good start with 158 donations, but we still have a ways to go to hit that goal.

- That's a lot of donations, but we still need your help.

Thank you so much to everyone who has given already, and we know we can get to our goal with your support.

Now, we know how much "Tennessee Crossroads" means to you.

It means so much to us as well, and it is because of loyal viewers like you who watch each week and make "Tennessee Crossroads" one of the most watched locally produced public television shows in the country.

We are very proud of our show, and we take our commitment to the community very seriously.

Now, while not everyone may be able to contribute, the folks that do make this show possible for everyone, so make your gift to the community by supporting the work of NPT, Joe, and all of the "Crossroads" crew members that keep these shows coming into your home.

Just call the number on your screen or pledge anytime at tennesseecrossroads.org/donate to help us reach our goal.

We also want to tell you about a very exciting event coming up on February the 24th right here at NPT.

(upbeat music) - [Announcer] You are invited to Tennessee Crossroads annual whiskey tasting Saturday, February 24th, 2024, showcasing some of the best whiskey producers from Tennessee.

Each distillery will feature two to three products, with many of them hard to find.

For tickets, use your phone to scan the QR code on your screen or go to wnpt.org/event.

- You know, I'm really looking forward to seeing all of you there.

We have the best fans, and we're proud to bring you "Tennessee Crossroads" each week.

"Crossroads" has been, well, the flagship show at Nashville Public Television for 37 years.

I have no doubt we can get to that goal of 450 contributions, but you know what?

We need to hear from you.

Call the number on your screen or visit us online at tennesseecrossroads.org/donate to pitch in.

And while you're there, check out the ways we have to say thank you for your pledge of support.

- [Announcer] You can help keep "Crossroads" traveling with a financial gift that's just right for you.

At $60 a year or $5 a month, we'll thank you with this "Tennessee Crossroads" trucker hat or beanie.

At the $72 level or $6 a month, you can show your support with this polyester-blend, short-sleeved T-shirt.

Our limited edition T-shirt featuring the art of Steven Sloan can be yours for $8 a month, or choose the limited edition hoodie for $13 a month.

Finally, we'd love to see you at our annual whiskey tasting on Saturday, February 24th at NPT.

Tickets are $65 or 125 for the VIP package, which includes special tastings, parking, and an extra hour of fun.

Visit wnpt.org/events for details, and thank you for helping to keep "Crossroads" traveling.

- Those are some fantastic "Crossroads" gifts that you can get with your pledge of support.

Now I have to tell you about an incredible design on the limited-edition T-shirt and hoodie that is only available through March 31st.

It's the work of talented Nashville mural artist Steven Sloan, who is featured in a story we did a while back on "Tennessee Crossroads."

We couldn't have done that segment or any others that you enjoy every week without your support.

It certainly takes a team to keep "Crossroads" traveling, and there is no team member that is more important than you.

- I hope you'll take this moment to make a pledge, help us reach that mark of 450 donations to keep "Crossroads" traveling throughout the year.

Just call the number on your screen or pledge online at tennesseecrossroads.org/donate.

- "Tennessee Crossroads" is such a wonderful show, Joe, and I feel so lucky to be a part of it.

I've been here for four years.

I've been a part of the member, crew member for four years, and we've met so many amazing people and gone to some really incredible places.

But really, you are the heart and soul of the show.

- Oh, you're kind.

- Every time we pull up, people come over to the car and wanna know if Joe Elmore's with us.

(laughs) Its just you have such a following and such a fan base.

- Oh, you're kind.

- You are the heart and soul of the show.

So how long have you been the host of "Tennessee Crossroads"?

- How about 37 years since day one?

You know, to tell the story of how we got our start at "Tennessee Crossroads," here's a little clip from NPT's 60th anniversary special.

Hello, everyone, I'm Joe Elmore.

And I heard from a friend that WDCN was starting a magazine show and made a phone call or two.

And when they offered me the job, I thought about it for about 15 seconds and said yes.

I remember when we were sitting around, Al Voecks, Jerry Thompson and myself, Susan Thomas as well, talking about what the show was gonna be about.

We didn't really know.

We thought we might do some kind of more serious stories, but it turned out the viewers dictated what our show was gonna be about.

We kind of found our footing after about a year and realized that, well, people wanna know what's going on in Tennessee and the people, the places and so forth.

And that has sort of led to what we are today.

Well, they say ratings aren't everything, but you do want people to watch what you do.

And the fact that this show is so highly rated is really gratifying, and that makes it all worthwhile.

And I think it's because even with so many channels and so many options out there, that people love to know what's going on in their backyard that's good and positive.

It's all about everything that's good about Tennessee, and it's always gonna be that way.

- Joe, it's so much fun to hear about the early days of "Tennessee Crossroads," and I'm excited to see where "Crossroads" is gonna take us in 2024 with your support.

Speaking of which, where are we going right now?

- Well, Miranda, I'm gonna tell you.

We're headed to the home of the blues.

That's where you'll find the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum.

Danielle Allen is our tour guide, and she's gonna show us how musicians in the Bluff City have made an impact around the world.

- [Danielle] These are the songs we know and love.

(upbeat music) ♪ Duh, duh, duh, duh, duh, duh ♪ - [Danielle] Performed by the artists we'll never forget.

And their music lives on right here at the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum.

Located on the legendary Beale Street, this museum takes you on a journey spanning decades, from sharecroppers singing their troubles away to the undeniable sounds of Stax Records.

This place covers it all.

- Everybody knows Memphis because of music, and it's such a diverse city from a musical standpoint, blues, rock and roll, soul, R&B, gospel, opera.

It's really part of the whole fabric of the city, of what we are and how we are and how the music came together and how it exploded here in Memphis.

- [Danielle] John Doyle is the executive director of the museum.

For the past 20 years, his mission has been simple, make sure no one forgets the rich musical history of the Bluff City.

And there are a lot of stories to tell, like the legend of Robert Johnson.

- This is one of the coolest things of the museum.

When you come in, this you can see through the front window, but Robert Johnson, one of the greatest blues musicians of all time, started out as a poor blues musician.

And so it created one of music's greatest legends of how he was here around Memphis, disappeared for a year, came back, and when he came back, he was truly one of the greatest blues musicians of all time.

Eric Clapton has recorded an entire LP about him.

Everybody knows Robert Johnson who admires the blues, and so it created the whole legend that he sold his soul to the Devil at the crossroads of Highway 61, which runs by the museum, and Highway 49 in the Mississippi Delta because his talent just changed exponentially.

- [Danielle] After learning about Robert Johnson, the audio guide takes you through 300 minutes' worth of history, with over 100 songs, and yes, people dance their way through the museum, especially when they reach this section.

- [John] We protect some famous things here.

We've had the original console from Sun Studios here.

We have the guitar that Elvis serenaded Priscilla when he was in the Armed Forces in Germany that's on display here.

We actually have Ike Turner's piano that he recorded "Rocket 88" here.

We've got the microphone from Carl Perkins, where he recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" here.

But more importantly, we have that storyline that the Smithsonian put together.

- [Danielle] That storyline from the Smithsonian started as a simple exhibition in the late 1900s.

After extensive research, including interviews with legends like BB King, the Smithsonian turned their hard work into a museum, but they made sure it covered more than just music.

- [John] At the same time, Dr. King was leading the civil rights movement socially across our country and really throughout the whole world, influencing folks like Mandela, et cetera, our Memphis musicians were carrying forth a civil rights movement in the studios like High Records and Stax Records and even at Sun and more contemporary studios like Ardent, where it was just what they did.

It's how we create music.

- [Danielle] People travel from all over the world to visit the Memphis Rock 'n' Soul Museum.

In fact, 40% of their daily visitors are from overseas, including Australia, China, and Brazil, proving that music has the power to speak to people of all ages, whether they're walking in Memphis in their blue suede shoes or just a pair of sneakers.

- [John] And this is a lifestyle museum.

Whether you are 64 like me, or whether you're 24, this museum and Memphis music is gonna touch you on some aspect.

So you're coming through in your experience in life.

Folks do not leave here disappointed.

They don't leave here with bad comments on our comment sheets because "My grandfather had a jukebox just like that when he ran a store in whatever city," or, "I remember growing up, and my grandmother played Al Green in the kitchen when she was preparing Sunday dinner."

It's lifestyle all the way through the museum.

- Thanks a lot, Danielle.

The search for locally created art is a passion for many folks, and one of the best places to find it is Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Actually, it's an area just beyond the city, and as Laura Faber shows us, it's a step back in time where everything is handcrafted.

- [Laura] There is a lot of history in the dark blue and green hills of the Smoky Mountains, history that has migrated down the mountain.

Nestled on an eight-mile loop at the base of the park outside Gatlinburg is a community that draws visitors from all over the world.

Shop after shop, you'll find artists, some of whom come from families who have lived in these parts for generations.

The early artists came from the mountains, moved into Gatlinburg to make money from their handcrafted items, but settled just outside the city in an area known as the Glades.

It's here that you can find the Great Smoky arts and crafts community, the largest artisan center in the country.

- When they had the World's Fair in Knoxville, that brought a lot of visitors to East Tennessee.

I think that more prominently pushed a spotlight on the mountains and Gatlinburg in general.

They actually had millions of visitors come into the area from the World's Fair.

I mean, that would've pushed the artisan idea a little bit more, this quiet side that you could kind of get away from the hustle and bustle of everything downtown.

- [Laura] Now 80 years old, the community has grown to more than 100 artists and craftsmen who have shops along the loop.

Woods Hippensteal is a ninth-generation artist here.

He paints, as does his dad, Verne, whose work has been collected here since the '60s.

- This community represents the cultural side of Gatlinburg.

The National Park Service does do a fair job of teaching people about the people that actually, you know, are from this area, the first established people in this area.

But the fact that Gatlinburg, you know, it doesn't represent the people of Gatlinburg as much as the arts and crafts community does.

This represents what the people were like before modernization, the people that used their hands to make a living.

- [Laura] Since 1976, Otto Preske has been making his living with his hands here on the Great Smoky Arts and Crafts loop.

- This is a mountain man mantel.

This is basswood, and it's just a different mantel because he's hanging down from from the mantel part instead of being above it.

- [Laura] At 79 years old, he uses tools to shape and carve incredible pieces of woodwork.

- I got started carving when I was a Boy Scout, and I did study art a little bit.

I met a wood carver from Europe, from Portugal, that showed me how to use the tools.

I was a commercial artist for about 13 years and ended up working at one of the larger advertising agencies in Evansville, Indiana where I'm from.

And then we came down here on vacation several times and saw the craft community out here.

- [Laura] Otto and his wife live upstairs above the shop.

He loves the comradery of the community and has no plans to stop working with wood.

- It's one thing neat about having a shop like this.

I have literally met people from all over the world in here.

It's amazing.

(gentle upbeat music) - Probably one of the most special things about this arts loop is its diversity.

You can find anything here from concrete works of art to stuffed bears, dulcimers, ceramics, paintings, glass.

You name it, it's here.

A little further up the loop, class is in session.

- Good morning, guys.

I hear you want to create something in glass.

- [Laura] Nancy Hoff is an artist who specializes in fused glass.

- [Nancy] Glass that's been melted in a kiln at about 1,400 degrees or higher made into different projects.

- [Laura] Nancy creates her pieces by carefully placing bits of glass onto a base piece and using heat to fuse it together.

Vases, jewelry, nightlights, dishes, sun catchers, the work is gorgeous.

Originally from Gatlinburg, Nancy's dad grew up in the house that is now her Firefly Glass Studio and Gallery.

After a 25-year career elsewhere as a mortgage loan officer, the lure of the arts community and home drew her back.

- I think it's just special because we're kind of all concentrated.

It's a simple eight-mile loop, and people can go from place to place, and they can find literally any form of art in this one eight-mile loop.

(upbeat music) - [Laura] Not only can you find and buy art, but you can actually make your own, like the Helsinger family from Ohio.

The whole create your own experience is fairly new to the loop.

Nancy was one of the first to offer it, but now many other artists offer a chance to experience what they do.

- [Nancy] I started it back in the spring of 2017.

After our fires that previous November, it got really slow.

Social media kind of told people Gatlinburg burnt to the ground.

I was like, "Well, I don't wanna go back into the workforce, so what can I do?"

And I had a actual lean-to building out with two picnic tables underneath it and started taking some of my scrap glass out there and asking people if they wanted to make their own item.

And it has just exploded.

Last year alone, 600 pieces went outta here.

- [Laura] Whether you choose to let your own creative juices flow or just browse and buy, spending a day on this eight-mile loop is a perfect way to see a different side of Gatlinburg.

- I have people that have visited this area their entire lives, and they didn't know that the arts and crafts community existed.

So it's important not only to educate people that we exist, but also to show them, you know, there is something outside of Gatlinburg that represents this very beautiful, idealistic version of what Gatlinburg used to be.

We're not just a tourism town with flashing lights.

We have some incredibly handmade items.

Even to see the arts and crafts loop, the beauty, the natural beauty of this area, hopefully people will come and visit us just as much as they want to come and visit the mountains.

- Well, I'm afraid it's time for us to pack it up and go but only after I remind you of our website, tennesseecrossroads.org, a place where you can download that PBS app.

Meanwhile, we'll see you next week, and don't forget to keep "Crossroads" traveling.

(upbeat music) (upbeat music continues) (gentle music) - [Announcer] "Tennessee Crossroads" is made possible in part by... - [Phil] I'm Tennessee Tech President Phil Oldham.

Here in Cookeville, Tennessee's college town, we are bold, fearless, confident, and kind.

Tech prepares students for careers by making everyone's experience personal.

We call that living wings up.

Learn more at tntech.edu.

- [Announcer] Discover Tennessee trails and byways.

Discover Tennessee's adventure, cuisine, history, and more made-in-Tennessee experiences showcased among these 16 driving trails.

More at tntrailsandbyways.com.