The South is like no other place. Its unique and turbulent history set it apart from other regions. It is a place of complexities and contradictions, of myths and stereotypes. It is rich and poor, black and white, rural and urban. This paradoxical place has witnessed remarkable growth in the years following World War II, responding to Franklin D. Roosevelt's description as "the nation's number one economic problem." The South sought prosperity largely by marketing itself and its distinctiveness in its attempt to lure industry and money. The North-South federal highways provided some opportunity, while the construction of the interstate system in the 1950s put the South within easy reach for motoring tourists headed to Florida. Within this framework, Stuckey's emerged as the preeminent roadside haven whose own growth paralleled that of the New South.

Stuckey's success was largely due to the humble pecan, and the willingness of founder William Stuckey to exploit a stereotypical image of the South to the fascination of Northerners headed to Florida. Before World War II, Mr. Stuckey was already selling pecans in Georgia. In his hometown of Eastman, he opened the first roadside stand in 1936, selling pecans and pecan candy to motoring tourists. His wife Ethel concocted the recipe for the company's famous Pecan Log Roll, their No. 1 seller even today. Soon they added Texaco gasoline to their store, added two more locations, and a Southern icon was made. Mr. Stuckey himself once remarked, "Thank God the North won the War. It would have been awful if there hadn't been any Yankees to sell to."

Over the years the chain expanded, selling an unbeatable combination of food, candy, gas, and trinkets. Stuckey quickly capitalized on the advent of the automobile age advertising in The New Yorker and the Saturday Evening Post. His ads touted the "exotic taste thrills of the Deep South," and that only "Southern Experts" prepared the spiced pecans. Stuckey's became known as the place to "refresh, refuel, and relax." His billboards dotted the highways throughout the south, and new stores cropped up everywhere. Most remarkable was that during the turbulent Civil Rights era, his was the only place that allowed integrated restrooms.

The South has continued to maintain its distinctiveness, while progressing under the New South banner. Its history, architecture, and cuisine set it apart from the rest of America. Though Americanization has homogenized the region to some degree, Stuckey's continues to sell its famous Pecan Log Roll, and the humble pecan will forever remain our own southern nut.

Review of New Orleans Neighborhood Restaurant Guide by Kevin R. Roberts.

This guidebook, written from the idiosyncratic perspective of one person, is a great read and a good guide. Rather than a book that is neutral or one written by committee, the reader knows just what Kevin Roberts thinks. Nor is it a comprehensive guide. It does not contain reviews of every restaurant, not even the one's that the reader might expect to find included.

Having established what it is not, the reader looking for one person's earnest opinion about eating out in New Orleans will not be disappointed with the Guide. How the food is served, the best time of day to visit, how one should pay, whether to expect a line and whether it is worth it to wait, these are all questions that are directly addressed. The Guide also reflects a New Orleanean's attitude about the city and its food. And all too often that is something that guides do not do.

This book is not written for the mass audience, but to those who are looking for a window, a local window, on the habits and opinions of one person in New Orleans. This book is that window.

-- By Elizabeth Williams