In my Swainsboro years, the Dixie was our major place of entertainment. Seeing the movie was not the only attraction. After buying your ticket from Ada Walden, you walked into the most inviting smell. White puffed corn bubbling over from a hanging kettle filling the bottom to be scooped up and filled in the vintage cone-shaped bags of many colors. The cost was a dime. Munching popcorn as you watched a cowboy movie on Saturday is a tasty memory.
Another aroma brought you across the street after the movie. Bazemore’s Bakery introduced us to hot sugar-coated doughnuts. If you just had a dime, you could walk home trying your best to make your treat last as long as possible.
Around the corner from the Dixie, there was a small, wooden, former carnival wagon from which drifted the smell of what many declare as the best hamburger they have ever tasted. Only Lucille Lewis knew the secret recipe. The wagon was filled with diners on the six counter stools with others standing behind and a crowd waiting outside. This was not the “whopper” of today. A small fresh baked Bazemore bun that could fit into the palm of a child’s hand was filled with a fried patty of ground beef. No cheese—no lettuce and tomato, or mayonnaise. “All the way” meant a burger with finely chopped onion, and ketchup and mustard. It was handed to you wrapped in a paper napkin that quickly showed grease spots. If you had a nickel left after ordering your fill of burgers, you could add a bottled coke. Payments went into a cigar box and change returned from coins in the box. The price of a burger was fifteen cents. The total amount owed was determined when she asked you, “How many did you eat?” Lucille did not become wealthy, but she should be proud of the Tasty Memories that I share with my friends today.
PS…The only side offered was a nickel bag of potato chips. French fries had not reached Swainsboro at that time. Write to Shirley at sptwss@gmail.com.
