Happy February! As Cooper had a doggie play date today with a neighbor’s canine, we took the opportunity to go to the nearby town of Shelby, North Carolina, to try the Shelby Cafe, recommended by our homeowner, and to tour the Don Gibson Theater, a former movie theater and now a small concert venue.
The Shelby Cafe has been operating since 1922 and is a local institution. It had two dining areas and had the feel of a large diner. Bob was really excited to eat here, as he had seen the menu had livermush, which is defined by Wikipedia as a food product prepared using pig liver, parts of pig heads, cornmeal, and spices that is common in Western North Carolina. Who wouldn’t be excited by that description?! It first caught our eye when we saw a package of it in the grocery store and wondered about the marketing decision in using the word mush in the product name, but truth in advertising in this case.
But Bob loves to try unique, regional foods, so he ordered the livermush omelette at the cafe (all-day breakfast) and thought it was good, very similar to a pork sausage, though much more finely minced. I had some good southern veggies.
I went Southern — steamed cabbage, turnip greens, and fried okra.
The cabbage and turnip greens were my favorite.
After lunch, we grabbed some gifts in the town square for our neighbor who was hosting the doggy play date and then went to the Don Gibson Theater. Beth had read that they offered free tours and called last week to learn that the free tours were on Wednesday afternoons. The manager of the theater walked us around and gave us the history of the building, recent renovations, and took us backstage and even on stage.
Don Gibson is nationally-known songwriter and country musician from Shelby. Two of his top hits were, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Oh, Lonesome Me, ” which we learned he wrote on the same day! They were released as the a and b sides of the same 45. The theater was opened as the Don Gibson Theater in 2009 in a space that was originally a movie theater and then an antique shop.
The digital sign is a recent replacement for a manual marquee
where you had to put the letters up by hand (though likely aided with a pole).
and photos of some of the over 700 artists who have recorded that song.
The photo in the back is of him and Patsy Cline.
He wrote the last song she recorded before she was killed in a plane crash.
Bobbi is still alive and attends all of the concerts at the theater.
It’s also used for pre-concert acoustic performances.
has signed their name on the backstage walls.
Peckish Travels 