2022 and the ABCs of the Tri-Cities

Well, here we are in 2022. Congratulations on making it here. Maybe you entered the new year with the hope of renewal, goals and aspirations. Or maybe the clock struck midnight on December 31 without any fanfare.

Nonetheless, I did take a few moments to do my traditional selection of a word of the year and a saint of the year picked me. But in a moment of Facebook scrolling, I came across something a friend (Thanks, Jo!) posted which inspired me: She is eating through the alphabet in her home town, and I've decided to do the same.

The name of this blog is titled "Flower in the Desert," and I usually post about finding life in unexpected places. While I've been told that I live on the boring side of Washington, I've found much to love about the Mid-Columbia desert. Among these things is the plethora of small town, mom and pop type restaurants that show us that the American Dream, despite many arguments to the contrary, is still very much alive.

Over the course of 2022, I hope to review local restaurants in my hometown, beginning with one that starts with the letter "A" and then working my way to "Z." I'm prioritizing restaurants that only have one location, but multiple locations in the region would also be acceptable. Is it even possible? I must say I've already started a list of potential locations and it's coming together nicely. (But I am also open to suggestions!)

And so I begin with the letter A with my friends at Ann's Best Creole and Soul Food (and no, that doesn't count for A, B, and C), which is tucked away in a little corner by the Richland Airport. I never would have found this place had it not been for a friend of mine who is originally from Louisiana and first came in contact with the owners at their food truck in Kennewick. It has become my go-to for when I miss southern cooking.

As a girl who was born in the Tri-Cities but raised in Georgia, I will always say there's something special about the south that just can't be replicated anywhere else. This feeling resonated on January 10, 2022. You know what I'm talking about...the big National College Football Championship between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs. For four quarters, the best two teams battled it out and in the end, my beloved Bulldogs, for the first time in 41 years, came out on top. What ensued was a celebration that has continued to this day, nearly a month after the big win. When I try to explain the feeling to others, I can only sum it up in four words, which the Southeastern Conference has taken as its motto: "It just means more."

These four words can be applied not just to the football season but also to the reason why southerners will greet strangers on the street as if they're longtime friends. Hospitality just means more. And it can certainly be used to explain why Ann's Best serves up dishes made with the kind of love you get from a southern grandma serving up lunch after church on Sunday: Meals just mean more.

The atmosphere behind Ann's Best can be captured by a saying that greets you once you enter the restaurant: The best memories are made when gathered around the table. Food was an important part of my childhood growing up and remains important to me today. There's nothing quite like watching a meal being made from start to finish, and some of my favorite memories from my childhood involve sitting in the kitchen learning how to cook from my mom.

Something tells me that the owners of Anns Best must have also attended the school of home cooking. As a southern transplant to the Pacific Northwest, it's been a challenge finding anyone who knows how to fry food like a southerner, but Ann's Best does it just right...perfectly seasoned and crispy but not overly breaded. Their catfish reminds me of childhood trips to the Gulf and catfish nuggets on Fish Fridays.

During my latest trip to this special café, I ordered the crawfish etouffee, fries, and collard greens. The etouffee is true comfort food that can melt my heart on even the most frostiest days. This tasty specialty makes my heart flutter and my mouth water! The flavors make you realize the owners of Ann's Best don't mess around! I have no doubt that they're using real butter and bacon grease in their recipes! As a self-proclaimed french fry connoisseur, I appreciate how even when you call in an order, they wait to fry the fries so they're hot and crispy when you arrive (no one likes a soggy french fry!) And the collard greens are cooked in a way that only a southerner can appreciate. The PNW has taught me the value of eating fresh produce straight from the earth, but this region will never convert the part of me that believes in cooking veggies in broth and spices until they're nice and tender.

I highly recommend coming out to this Tri-Cities gem. Just be aware that they're only open for lunch and are closed on weekends. The limited hours can be a bummer when I get out of work and am craving a catfish po'boy, but my hope is that the employees are spending time around their own tables making memories with their own loved ones...because family just means more.