TENNESSEE
“WE HAVE SEATING TO ACCOMMODATE 10,000,”
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Andy Garner says with a sly smile. Katy just rolls her eyes. She’s heard that one a time or two.
Theirs is a living, breathing contradiction: an unassuming take-out window off a screened-in porch with two large picnic tables, sharing a parking lot with, of all places, the McDonalds next door.
“It works out real good for both of us,” Katy says. “The kids get their Happy Meals™, and the parents come over here and get a sandwich.” (Image 136)
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But what really makes this location special is that just across the street is the Parthenon at Centennial Park.
Andy and Katy bought their little slice of heaven in 1989, from the guy who beat them to it a few months earlier. “He called us to ask if we still wanted it. We ended up being the fourth owners in three years,” Andy says. “It was just meant to be,” Katy adds. (Image 137)
Image 137: Hog Heaven 115 27th Avenue N • Nashville, TN 37203 • (615)329-1234
Andy and Katy met a few years earlier when they were both students at Middle Tennessee State University. Katy was a broadcast journalism major and Andy majored in, as he puts it, “partying.” When you think about it, that is the perfect prerequisite for owning a barbecue joint.
Prior to acquiring Hog Heaven, Andy had worked at a string of jobs, often a couple at a time. He worked in and managed restaurants. Helped out his brother in the printing business. He even sold cars for a while, then quit because, as he puts it, “It was like stealing from the poor and giving to the rich.”
When they got that call, Katy was pregnant with their first child, Richard. She kept her job as a makeup artist at a local department store. “We kept the job. We needed the insurance. Our second, Christopher, was on the credit card.
“We used to put Richard in a box,” Andy chuckles. “People would hear rumbling coming from the box. They thought there was a puppy rumbling around in there, and when they asked to take a look, we’d oblige them and lift little Richard up. It would really freak them out.”
Today, Richard and Christopher have grown into strapping lads, and can often be found helping out their parents at the joint. Just grab a bag full, park yourself under a big shady tree, and find out for yourself what they mean by “Hog Heaven.” (Image 138)
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KATY GARNER’S HOG HEAVEN FRUIT COBBLER
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Weigh 1-1/2 pounds frozen peaches, blackberries or any other fruit you desire into container. You can use fresh fruit if you can get it. Pour 1/2 cup sugar over fruit, thaw in microwave or overnight in refrigerator. Mix dry ingredients with 1 cup sugar. Add melted butter and milk; blend well. Butter an 8x8-inch metal pan and pour in batter; cover with fruit. Sprinkle remaining sugar over fruit and dot with additional butter. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and firm. Makes about 12 servings.