Alton Brown signed my salt cellar

At the Opryland event this year, I brought my salt cellar for Alton Brown to sign. It is one I bought several years ago from his website, not the one I use on a regular basis. That one is like AB's but wasn't from his site. Anyway, I figured it was a good time to bring it along since I have so many different things with Alton's signature on them the salt cellar was a no-brainer.

And of course, I have a little story that now goes along with getting it signed :)

When I came up to Alton at the meet and greet, he didn't give me the traditional "Hi, I'm Alton" greeting. Instead he just said hi. Its not like he had to say this name and after the weekend's events he should've remembered me for a little while, at least, because, only hours before, at the demo, he embarrassed me in front of the whole audience.

I just had to ask about the smoker and its size in relation to other smokers AB had made. And Alton just had to unleash his sardonic wit on me by replying, "what's with women and the size of your smoker."

Paint me stop sign red.

In my attempt at making a recovery, I mentioned the bowl smoked shrimp from the South Beach All Star grilling show. Then AB asked his assistant, "when did I smoke in a bowl?" The crowd busted out laughing about the unintentional bong joke.

He certainly should've remembered me at the meet and greet for that, if nothing else. ;)

Anyway when I got to see him and talked with him, Alton asked who the salt cellar was for. I told him it was mine. He quipped, "you've been to so many of these, I thought it might be for someone else."

We chatted some more and as we did, AB put the glass part of the salt cellar back into the bubble wrap. I hated to tell him it hadn't been in the bubble wrap since I bought it becase I've had it out with my other items in the collection. But, he was concerned for it making the journey back home. He told me to be careful with it because its glass. He even put it back in the box and closed it up for me. I told him I would take good care of it.