May 15, 2024 • 10 mins
Visit iconic women-owned Tuscaloosa establishments for flaming cocktails and classic meat and three: City Cafe and Nicks in the Sticks. From home-style meals at City Cafe with Geanie Brown to legendary cocktails at Nicks in the Sticks with Carla Moltz, discover the light-your-drink-on-fire flavors and stories that define Tuscaloosa, Alabama's dining scene. Tune in for a taste of Southern hospitality and local charm with Darley Newman exploring the culinary gems loved by University of Alabama students and locals alike.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Do you try to find places where locals dine and drink on your travels?
(00:04):
Well, I've got two for you from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home to the University of Alabama,
Roll Tide, and lots of great dining options.
And these two long run establishments have food and drinks that are truly memorable.
With a hammer steak, gravy, cabbage, potato, greens, and cobbler,
we're heading to women-owned City Cafe in Northport,
(00:26):
It's been in our family since 1974.
And Nicks in the Sticks.
The Nicodemus is the zombie with the shot of 151 on the top.
Can you light that on fire?
You could light that on fire.
Where I tried one of the strongest drinks I've ever sipped, apart from moonshine.
We're going where the locals go, and meeting the owners who bring them in in Tuscaloosa.
(00:50):
You can't even taste the alcohol, I guess that's the danger of the 'Nicordemus'.
It's the Nicodemus.
[Laughter]
[Music]
Across the river from downtown Tuscaloosa in Western Alabama, I'm exploring quaint Northport.
This is this little picture postcard city, Northport, super charming, lots of individually
(01:15):
owned shops and art galleries.
There's a yearly arts festival in the fall.
And I'm heading here to a restaurant that's been around since the 1930s:
City Cafe. And it is your classic "meat and three".
In the south, if you go to a "meat and three", you'll have a choice of meats and three vegetables
for your meal.
(01:37):
And there are authentic places like City Cafe where some locals come for one or more meals
each week or day.
Alright, so we're going to try you out with a hamburger steak, with onions and gravy, cabbage, potato, greens and cobbler.
Sounds great.
We're going to try to lunch counter where owner Jeanie Brown introduces me to her history
in the restaurant business.
(01:57):
So this is your family's place.
You grew up here.
Yes, ma'am, I sure did.
My father bought it in 1974 and he actually worked here in high school before he bought it.
And he had to work two jobs when he first bought it.
And my mom also had to work two jobs.
But that's been in our family since 1974.
We definitely had a grow up here and we slept in a van in the alley in the back because my
(02:18):
mom and dad had to come in at 1 a.m.
So we came in with them and then somebody would hear us a school in the morning or we were
likely to go to,
So we knew we could walk to school which was safe back those days.
You could actually walk to school and you didn't have to worry.
What is this Northport area like?
This is Northport.
It's like a little enclave of Tuscaloosa.
Well, actually this is like the historic section of Northport.
(02:42):
There used to be a cotton gin on the end and I actually had a lady that was in the
other day and she was 85 and she said her greatest memory is being 7 years old and
her father and her lived on Rue Road and they would drive the wagon down to the cotton
gin and then they would come in here and eat at City Cafe and she said that was her memory
from being 7 years old.
We have a lot of customers like that.
(03:02):
The place hasn't changed.
It's the same bar, the same bar stores, the same pitcher.
Essentially the same.
So when people come back, they're looking for the food to taste the same.
They want the place to look the same.
It's like coming home.
It doesn't change here.
So that's been a plus for our business.
It's been actually open in 1926 as a drive-good store and then it became a cafe in 1931.
(03:29):
So it's been a long-horn restaurant in this area and then when it first opened, it was
just this one dining room, and then next to us was a gas station and you can actually see
in the windows we left the gas station, the tires for sale and stuff.
You can see the history of Northport.
Carla slides across the counter three different plates with hamburger steak, smothered in onions
(03:52):
and gravy, with mashed potatoes, collard greens and biscuits, and peach cobbler for dessert.
Of course, I've also got some super sweet tea.
So I've been to a couple of "meat and threes" so far.
This "meat and three" they have the hamburger steak with the onions and the gravy.
It's on the menu every day so I decided I would test that out.
(04:13):
I love when a burger is a little bit charred on the outside.
Nice and moist on the inside.
And that gravy is good.
Let's do a big ol' bite.
I'm a big fan of this "meat and three".
It's that feel-good cooking that you want to have when you miss your mom or miss your home.
This is a place to come.
Not far from City Cafe, I'm heading over to Nicks in the Sticks for a cocktail.
(04:38):
It's the end of a long day of filming in Tuscaloosa so I'm heading for a very strong drink
at Nicks in the Sticks.
It became popular with college students for its inexpensive steaks and strong drinks.
The generations on many college students now bring their kids and grandkids to Nicks in
the Sticks.
The one story brick building is painted crimson tide red with an American flag in one window.
(05:02):
Inside, white holiday lights line the ceiling along with US currency.
Guests leave their mark by writing on bills.
And owner Carla Moltz adds them to the ceiling.
Carla's wearing a yellow Nicks in the Sticks t-shirt and looks like she could be related to me.
Her strawberry blonde hair is tied back in a black clip and she's got on gold hoop earrings.
(05:24):
She and I belly up to the end of the bar where she's going to introduce me to a must-sip,
strong cocktail.
So Carla, tell me what is in these drinks?
If you've never been here, you have to have the Nicodemus.
There came mix with 80 proof rum in it.
That's our zombie.
The Nicodemus is the zombie with the shot of 151 on the top.
(05:49):
Can you light that on fire?
You could light that on fire.
It's Nicks in the Sticks.
So this is the place to get lost,
have a zombie,
have a Nicodemus, and
have a good time.
Absolutely.
We have a lot of people that just come out here to have a good time.
And who has been coming here for years?
(06:11):
Because you have had people that come generation after generation to Nicks in the Sticks?
We do have a lot of regulars that come every night
we're open that have a beer on the way home.
And then we have a lot of people that come out every Tuesday to eat, every Wednesday to
eat, every Thursday to eat.
It's been here since 1952.
(06:32):
So it is a special place for a lot of people.
And a lot of university students come because your prices are pretty good.
Was that a zombie $5, $6, and $6 for the Nicodemus?
Yes.
Wow.
So maybe you just need one!
How did you get the name Nicks in the Sticks?
(06:54):
Nick Delgado opened it,
started it in Knoxville.
And he opened it here in 1952.
And his son started one downtown.
So this became Nicks in the Sticks and Nicks Downtown.
And you've had a lot of the same folks that have been working here.
(07:16):
A lot of the same people have been working here for many years.
Absolutely.
The waiter I've had the longest is Terrence Witherspoon.
He's been here for 26 years.
Carla, how much money do you have on the ceiling here?
We figure there's about $5,500 up there.
We have dollars, we have fives, there's tens.
There's a few people that put $100 up there and twenties.
(07:40):
So we figure there's about $5,500 up there.
It's a lot of drinks.
It's a lot of drinks.
It's been going on since about 1952.
And we still have a lot of people that like to do that from day to day.
I love it.
Well maybe after I have a Nicodemus, I'll try to do it too.
If you did your own,
we have the sharpies.
You can create your own dollar.
(08:02):
I'll give an SOS sign.
Start it off strong and ended.
There you go.
As long as you're not driving, it's okay.
Let's try these.
I'm prepared. Cheers.
What do you think?
I think it's kind of tasty.
I mean that's a danger of these.
It is.
(08:23):
It is.
That's the danger of the hurricane.
Hurricanes has come in and you know they're coming.
But the Nicodemus,
You do not taste the alcohol.
You don't taste it.
You don't know this is coming.
This is the silent hurricane.
It's sweet, It's tasty.
It's very sweet.
[Laughter]
Alright.
I'm going to keep sipping this in.
I want to add a dollar here.
(08:43):
Oh, there you go.
Make me more.
Thanks Carla.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it.
You're so fun.
Yeah, this is awesome.
I can see what people will come here again and again.
You guys make it fun.
I'm going to try.
Yeah.
(09:04):
So I decide to leave my mark at Nicks in the sticks, like so many have done in the past.
Between Carla's no-frills steak and drinks, and Jeanie's City Cafe, you'll definitely meet
locals on your travels to Tuscaloosa and support women who are working hard to make food and drinks
meaningful for generations in Tuscaloosa.
(09:26):
Thanks for listening to travel stories that feature local communities like Tuscaloosa
on the Travels with Darley podcast.
Because when we travel and meet the locals, we learn from each other.
And that's a beautiful thing.
Thanks for listening.
And stay tuned for next week's podcast on Tuscaloosa taking you to the campus of the University
of Alabama for more good food and worthwhile stories.
(09:49):
I'm Darley Newman,
And if you like this podcast, look for the Travels with Darley series on PBS and streaming.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Do you try to find places where locals dine and drink on your travels?
(00:04):
Well, I've got two for you from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, home to the University of Alabama,
Roll Tide, and lots of great dining options.
And these two long run establishments have food and drinks that are truly memorable.
With a hammer steak, gravy, cabbage, potato, greens, and cobbler,
we're heading to women-owned City Cafe in Northport,
(00:26):
It's been in our family since 1974.
And Nicks in the Sticks.
The Nicodemus is the zombie with the shot of 151 on the top.
Can you light that on fire?
You could light that on fire.
Where I tried one of the strongest drinks I've ever sipped, apart from moonshine.
We're going where the locals go, and meeting the owners who bring them in in Tuscaloosa.
(00:50):
You can't even taste the alcohol, I guess that's the danger of the 'Nicordemus'.
It's the Nicodemus.
[Laughter]
[Music]
Across the river from downtown Tuscaloosa in Western Alabama, I'm exploring quaint Northport.
This is this little picture postcard city, Northport, super charming, lots of individually
(01:15):
owned shops and art galleries.
There's a yearly arts festival in the fall.
And I'm heading here to a restaurant that's been around since the 1930s:
City Cafe. And it is your classic "meat and three".
In the south, if you go to a "meat and three", you'll have a choice of meats and three vegetables
for your meal.
(01:37):
And there are authentic places like City Cafe where some locals come for one or more meals
each week or day.
Alright, so we're going to try you out with a hamburger steak, with onions and gravy, cabbage, potato, greens and cobbler.
Sounds great.
We're going to try to lunch counter where owner Jeanie Brown introduces me to her history
in the restaurant business.
(01:57):
So this is your family's place.
You grew up here.
Yes, ma'am, I sure did.
My father bought it in 1974 and he actually worked here in high school before he bought it.
And he had to work two jobs when he first bought it.
And my mom also had to work two jobs.
But that's been in our family since 1974.
We definitely had a grow up here and we slept in a van in the alley in the back because my
(02:18):
mom and dad had to come in at 1 a.m.
So we came in with them and then somebody would hear us a school in the morning or we were
likely to go to,
So we knew we could walk to school which was safe back those days.
You could actually walk to school and you didn't have to worry.
What is this Northport area like?
This is Northport.
It's like a little enclave of Tuscaloosa.
Well, actually this is like the historic section of Northport.
(02:42):
There used to be a cotton gin on the end and I actually had a lady that was in the
other day and she was 85 and she said her greatest memory is being 7 years old and
her father and her lived on Rue Road and they would drive the wagon down to the cotton
gin and then they would come in here and eat at City Cafe and she said that was her memory
from being 7 years old.
We have a lot of customers like that.
(03:02):
The place hasn't changed.
It's the same bar, the same bar stores, the same pitcher.
Essentially the same.
So when people come back, they're looking for the food to taste the same.
They want the place to look the same.
It's like coming home.
It doesn't change here.
So that's been a plus for our business.
It's been actually open in 1926 as a drive-good store and then it became a cafe in 1931.
(03:29):
So it's been a long-horn restaurant in this area and then when it first opened, it was
just this one dining room, and then next to us was a gas station and you can actually see
in the windows we left the gas station, the tires for sale and stuff.
You can see the history of Northport.
Carla slides across the counter three different plates with hamburger steak, smothered in onions
(03:52):
and gravy, with mashed potatoes, collard greens and biscuits, and peach cobbler for dessert.
Of course, I've also got some super sweet tea.
So I've been to a couple of "meat and threes" so far.
This "meat and three" they have the hamburger steak with the onions and the gravy.
It's on the menu every day so I decided I would test that out.
(04:13):
I love when a burger is a little bit charred on the outside.
Nice and moist on the inside.
And that gravy is good.
Let's do a big ol' bite.
I'm a big fan of this "meat and three".
It's that feel-good cooking that you want to have when you miss your mom or miss your home.
This is a place to come.
Not far from City Cafe, I'm heading over to Nicks in the Sticks for a cocktail.
(04:38):
It's the end of a long day of filming in Tuscaloosa so I'm heading for a very strong drink
at Nicks in the Sticks.
It became popular with college students for its inexpensive steaks and strong drinks.
The generations on many college students now bring their kids and grandkids to Nicks in
the Sticks.
The one story brick building is painted crimson tide red with an American flag in one window.
(05:02):
Inside, white holiday lights line the ceiling along with US currency.
Guests leave their mark by writing on bills.
And owner Carla Moltz adds them to the ceiling.
Carla's wearing a yellow Nicks in the Sticks t-shirt and looks like she could be related to me.
Her strawberry blonde hair is tied back in a black clip and she's got on gold hoop earrings.
(05:24):
She and I belly up to the end of the bar where she's going to introduce me to a must-sip,
strong cocktail.
So Carla, tell me what is in these drinks?
If you've never been here, you have to have the Nicodemus.
There came mix with 80 proof rum in it.
That's our zombie.
The Nicodemus is the zombie with the shot of 151 on the top.
(05:49):
Can you light that on fire?
You could light that on fire.
It's Nicks in the Sticks.
So this is the place to get lost,
have a zombie,
have a Nicodemus, and
have a good time.
Absolutely.
We have a lot of people that just come out here to have a good time.
And who has been coming here for years?
(06:11):
Because you have had people that come generation after generation to Nicks in the Sticks?
We do have a lot of regulars that come every night
we're open that have a beer on the way home.
And then we have a lot of people that come out every Tuesday to eat, every Wednesday to
eat, every Thursday to eat.
It's been here since 1952.
(06:32):
So it is a special place for a lot of people.
And a lot of university students come because your prices are pretty good.
Was that a zombie $5, $6, and $6 for the Nicodemus?
Yes.
Wow.
So maybe you just need one!
How did you get the name Nicks in the Sticks?
(06:54):
Nick Delgado opened it,
started it in Knoxville.
And he opened it here in 1952.
And his son started one downtown.
So this became Nicks in the Sticks and Nicks Downtown.
And you've had a lot of the same folks that have been working here.
(07:16):
A lot of the same people have been working here for many years.
Absolutely.
The waiter I've had the longest is Terrence Witherspoon.
He's been here for 26 years.
Carla, how much money do you have on the ceiling here?
We figure there's about $5,500 up there.
We have dollars, we have fives, there's tens.
There's a few people that put $100 up there and twenties.
(07:40):
So we figure there's about $5,500 up there.
It's a lot of drinks.
It's a lot of drinks.
It's been going on since about 1952.
And we still have a lot of people that like to do that from day to day.
I love it.
Well maybe after I have a Nicodemus, I'll try to do it too.
If you did your own,
we have the sharpies.
You can create your own dollar.
(08:02):
I'll give an SOS sign.
Start it off strong and ended.
There you go.
As long as you're not driving, it's okay.
Let's try these.
I'm prepared. Cheers.
What do you think?
I think it's kind of tasty.
I mean that's a danger of these.
It is.
(08:23):
It is.
That's the danger of the hurricane.
Hurricanes has come in and you know they're coming.
But the Nicodemus,
You do not taste the alcohol.
You don't taste it.
You don't know this is coming.
This is the silent hurricane.
It's sweet, It's tasty.
It's very sweet.
[Laughter]
Alright.
I'm going to keep sipping this in.
I want to add a dollar here.
(08:43):
Oh, there you go.
Make me more.
Thanks Carla.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed it.
You're so fun.
Yeah, this is awesome.
I can see what people will come here again and again.
You guys make it fun.
I'm going to try.
Yeah.
(09:04):
So I decide to leave my mark at Nicks in the sticks, like so many have done in the past.
Between Carla's no-frills steak and drinks, and Jeanie's City Cafe, you'll definitely meet
locals on your travels to Tuscaloosa and support women who are working hard to make food and drinks
meaningful for generations in Tuscaloosa.
(09:26):
Thanks for listening to travel stories that feature local communities like Tuscaloosa
on the Travels with Darley podcast.
Because when we travel and meet the locals, we learn from each other.
And that's a beautiful thing.
Thanks for listening.
And stay tuned for next week's podcast on Tuscaloosa taking you to the campus of the University
of Alabama for more good food and worthwhile stories.
(09:49):
I'm Darley Newman,
And if you like this podcast, look for the Travels with Darley series on PBS and streaming.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
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