The Back Porch

 

Located      on First Avenue in Bessemer, Alabama is The Back Porch restaurant. 

My first time there this past Sunday gave me a nostalgic feeling of the 80's Sunday brunches  once sponsored by Mom & Pop establishments.  This one had home cooking, was clean, had congenial servers who greeted me with a smile when I placed my order at the steam table. Seeing customers waving and talking with friends added to the warmness . The dulcet singing voice of Jolanda Green ( see below) was icing on the cake.

I'm glad the  Pandemic policy has been somewhat relaxed. There's no way you can remain six feet  apart in this small establishment.

Some of the historic photos  from when the Muscoda Mines operated.

Jolanda Green music

                                                                 Here's a sample↓↓↓

A great Sunday!😄

ETCetera

Lincoln Theater June 2021

Just next door to The Back Porch is the Lincoln Theatre. This was a theater for African Americans to attend during the segregation era. 

Built in 1910, Sam Raine bought the building in 1942. In 1947 Raine had the building redesigned. In 1948 the theater opened to movie patrons.

" In 1950 the Lincoln was scheduled to screen the 1949 feature "Lost Boundaries", about the family of Dr Albert Johnson who passed for white while living in New England in the 1930s and 1940s. As in Atlanta, Memphis and Birmingham, Bessemer's censors banned the screening. The board's opinion, reported byBessemer Police chief Lacey Alexander, was that, "We didn't want it shown in Bessemer. We didn't like the looks of it.  "(copied from Bham Wiki)

 Raine put the theater up for sale in 1961 for $40,000. After going through a succession of owners the building was closed as a  theater in 1981.  

In 2017, actor, Andre Holland , who grew up in Bessemer purchased the theater with the support of his family as local managers. Naming it the Holland Project and given a grant of $21,000 by the Alabama State Council on the Arts they began restoration of  the building to benefit the community. 

Lincoln Theater in its early days.  1948 (copied from Bham Now

That's it***

 

 

Z's RESTAURANT

I try to patronize small businesses as much as possible. I travel  down First Avenue  frequently on my way to the opposite side of town since I avoid freeways. Z's Restaurant is located on the 17th Street side. If I'm not mistaken they recently took on unused space next to their restaurant and added it to their own.

This photo taken from my car as I was leaving. You may or may not notice my radio antenna

The room below is what I continued to catch glimpses of as I  drove down 1st Avenue.  The sophisticated furniture and window treatments caught my eye and made me want to go inside and get a better look.



I sat by the window to eat and watch the foot and motor traffic



I placed my order at the steam table located  just past the entrance.  The serving person as well as the owner were cordial, friendly and behaved in the way I expected to be treated. It is the reason I prefer to  shop at privately owned businesses. Since it is their livelihood and not a chain store, they are more apt to treat customers in an appreciable way than  a franchised chain.

In another nook of the restaurant was this dining area. The table was set with chargers, plates, napkins inside napkin rings and a general appearance of elegance. Various ethnic art prints and sculptures were displayed throughout the establishment. The soft music in the background added to the ambiance.



Condiment Station



After placing my meal on the table the server  indicated the condiment station where I could get anything  I might need to enhance the flavor of my meal.



This looks yummy



ON the takeout menu  was written:
"Z'S is proud of a healthy, pork-free menu for health-conscience eaters while creating a great gathering place for everyday people, meetings, parties and celebrations!"

Z's lists it's desserts as AWARD WINNING. Among the homemade sweetness is Vanilla Bean Pie, Sweet Potato Pie, Pound Cake, Banana Pudding, Peach Cobbler and Z's Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream. I opted not to order dessert.

My meal consisted of steamed cabbage, green beans with white potatoes, stuffing w/ cranberry sauce (I'd been wanting stuffing for a long time) 2 small cornbread muffins and water to drink.  The food was not overly seasoned and consisted of generous portions. So generous were the portions that I didn't finish it all and made me glad I hadn't ordered a dessert.

Z's offers call in and pick up service 205-250-6288 and also serves breakfast.

I've kept my take out menu so that I can place a take out of collard greens, field peas and candied yams on one of those days I have a hankering for some home cooked food.

THAT'S IT***