Dinner with Alton Brown

I have to say the best part of last weekend's Southern Food and Wine Festival wasn't Alton Brown's fabulous fish demo, although it was the best of the three Opryland shows I've witnessed. The highlight of the weekend for me was the dinner on Friday night. While the meet and greet was equally fantastic, it just couldn't compete with the dinner.

The evening started with a little mingling of the attendees at the Old Hickory Steakhouse. Out on balcony we had some wine. I'm not much of a connoisseur so I can't remember the type. AB appeared and talked with a few people, I tried to hang back and talk with him, but I never caught him. In the room, I sat with one of the blog readers, Elizabeth and her hubby. That was totally cool to met someone who reads the blog! :) We had talked before heading into the steakhouse when she gave me that awesome fez monkey towel.

Alton started talking with the people at the other end of the room, so it was a while before he got to our table. But when he did, for some reason I began to giggle. I don't remember what he said or why I started, but I did. He looked at me and said to stop doing that. He kept messing with me and I kept giggling. He said, we'll have none of that, in a joking tone. The more he talked the worse I got. I finally gained my composure and was able to talk with him. I still can't believe I was a giggling mess.

With each course, AB floated around the room chatting with everyone. When the main course was served, Alton even played waiter.


At the desert course, AB came over to our table and asked me how I liked it. I told him the when the waiter cleared the last course, he took my silverware. Alton told me he would get some silverware. He promptly went over to the extra table next to ours and grabbed all of the silverware on the table, then plopped it down in front of me and announced to the room, that I needed silverware. I probably turned red from that.


When Alton approached at the desert course, before I commented on the silverware, he had grabbed my camera from the table. I suspected he thought I would want a photo with him. But after the silverware incident, he made the rounds for the rest of the room.

I picked up my camera and summoned Alton to come back over. He did. And immediately took the camera from my hand. He was playing with it and snapped this:


Then he came close to me to pose for a photo. I remember Elizabeth offering to take our photo and Alton saying he wanted to do it. It was kind of a blur when it happened. AB leaned over me and I saw the flash. But I have proof it happened. ;)


After that, I asked about the shoes.

Yep, this was the highlight of the weekend.