FOOD- THE DISH- Baggby's & Moore's Creek: Names change, spirits endure
Amy Bishop (left), husband Lee, and mom Vicky Branham recently took over the Baggby's Forest Lakes spot and renamed it Café LaJoi.
PHOTO BY WILL WALKER
Two longtime favorites have kept their phone numbers but changed their names. Call Baggby's Gourmet Sandwiches in Forest Lakes and you'll get Café LaJoi. Call Moore's Creek Restaurant on Monticello Road and you'll get the County Line Family Restaurant. What's going on?
"So many people thought it was still owned by one of the previous owners, who was apparently real mean and scared people away," says Cindy Herring, who recently took over Moore's Creek from her father (who was not the mean previous owner) and renamed it. "I figured if we changed the name people would think, hey, new name, new people."
Of course, having the same name as the Moore's Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, which has stunk up the nearby Woolen Mills neighborhood for years, couldn't have helped either.
Still, the name change comes as something close to momentous, considering the cozy spot has been called Moore's Creek for around 40 years.
"It used to be called Tony's Chuck Wagon before that," Herring says. "In fact, the old owner, Tony Harvey, who's like 75 years old now, works for me in the kitchen."
As for the food, Herring says she hasn't changed that much, including breakfast served all day, and daily specials.
"For the money, you can't get a bigger, better breakfast anywhere else in town," she says. "You definitely get more bang for the buck here."
While Herring admits the restaurant's surroundings need to be cleaned up, especially the parking lot, she says it's what's inside that counts.
"Don't let the outside fool ya'," she says. "Come on in and let us serve you... you'll see."
And take it from Dish... if it's a hearty burger you're looking for, ask for the Double Trouble.
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Over on the other end of town, Baggby's Gourmet Sandwiches in Forest Lakes closed its doors on September 13 to make way for Amy Bishop's new venture, Café LaJoi, which opened Monday, September 24.
As readers may recall, Bishop helped open the coffee and ice cream place Hoo's Brew– next door to Dürty Nelly's on JPA– in February with her husband and several family members. Out in the county, however, it's Bishop and her mom, Vicky Branham, who will be running the show– although with considerable help from the rest of the family, especially husband Lee Bishop.
Although Café LaJoi sounds like some kind of new French restaurant, Bishop explains that it's simply a name she made up by combining the names of her children, Lauren and Josh, and adding an "i" to "give it some flair."
Because Baggby's has been such a success, Bishop says they've decided to follow in the footsteps of the popular sandwich place.
"We've changed some sandwiches, added a few new salads, and dropped the prices a little," she says. "Of course, we won't be Baggby's by any means, but their business was doing so well that we decided to fashion ourselves after them."
And don't worry... Baggby's on the Downtown Mall isn't going anywhere. According to Bishop, the owners decided that running two shops was just getting to be too much.
Go medieval
Okay, this may not be an evening out at Ten or the X-Lounge, but doesn't everyone need a little break from trying to act cool?
On October 27, the Hill Top Berry Farm and Winery invites sippers to return to the 13th century as the winery hosts its third annual Medieval Dinner Theater.
Attendees can enjoy a medieval-style banquet complete with medieval music, costumes, and entertainment, and some Anglo Saxon-style apple mead wine! Medieval costumes are encouraged, but not required– but there will be costume prizes! And jousting and merry-making talents won't be for nought: a portion of the evening's proceeds benefit the Nelson County High School Future Farmers of America.
Call 434-361-1266 for more information or visit the website at hilltopberrywine.com
Hot Dish Tip
Yes, Christian's Pizza now takes debit and credit cards!
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