Velvet Cream

Velvet Cream
2290 Hwy 51
Hernando, MS 38632
(662) 429-6540

I'd heard talk of Velvet Cream, more commonly known as "The Dip," for some time. Over Memorial Day weekend, my friend Ashley and I went after a day trip to Sardis, MS. (We were practicing for the Dragonfly Triathlon that is held there every year.) Once I had finally found it, I knew I had to come back with the monkeys (Satchel, 10, and Jiro, 8.)

Last Friday, I took them and a friend to Sardis to hike and swim, and then we stopped for lunch on our way back to Memphis. As you can see, it's kind of like Jerry's Sno Cones. You order at the window and then are left to your own devices to find a spot to eat.



The menu is really insane. There's just So.MUCH.Stuff. to choose from. Just one example--the hamburger offerings:



Then there are signs like these everywhere with additional items to choose from.



Seriously, it's crazytown.

I gave the kids some time to read through the choices. Surprisingly they made up their minds pretty quickly. Basic burgers and shakes. Their friend, Theo, asked for a corn dog. They said they didn't want fries, but I ordered some anyway. (I got two for us to split because they are a hearty portion.) I went with a grilled chicken wrap and a shake.

The girl behind the window wrote our order on a big white bag (which was later filled with our food) and then rang us up. Our total was $31.50. She said we got a free pint (?) of ice cream for spending over $30 and asked us to choose a flavor. Of course we went with Girl Scout Samoas.



Then we waited patiently for them to get everything together. (Which really means we hovered by the window salivating.)



There was some discussion about the kids milkshakes. Theo and Satchel ordered "dirt" flavor, which is actually just a sundae flavor, so the girls made them Oreo shakes with chocolate ice cream. (Jiro ordered a Twix shake and I went with peanut Butter.)



Once everything was ready, we did like we do at Jerry's and commenced tailgating. I'm pretty sure the boys were starved from all of our swimming and hiking. The shakes totally hit the spot. Jiro said it was the best milkshake he'd ever had, and he's had plenty.



There wasn't enough room for me in the back, so I sat on the cooler next to the car and handed out the food.



As you can see, it's nothing special. The burgers are thin patties, most likely pre-shaped and frozen. The fries are good--thin and crispy. Theo took one bite of his corn dog and never took a second. I totally didn't blame him.



The hot dog was kind of grey/white and gross looking. Now maybe that's because it was made from turkey or some other meat that's better than usual hot dog meat, but it didn't look very appetizing. I told Theo, who's dad is in the restaurant business and who should know better, that it probably is a good policy to never order a corn dog.

My chicken wrap was pretty good. It needed some sauce though.



Satchel and Jiro liked their burgers just fine, but neither finished due to the amount of milkshake they ingested. It is really hard to eat a meal and a milkshake at The Dip. For that reason alone, I'd say go for the shakes and ice cream, and skip the food.

BUT! I do believe that somewhere hidden in their crazy menu is a real gem. If someone knows what it is, tell me and I will eat it.

What else should I say? We never did get our free pint of ice cream, but considering we had a long drive home, it was fine.

I don't think they have bathrooms, so people with small children be warned.

Oh, they stay open pretty late which is awesome. Look how cute it looks at night:



(Photo borrowed from their Facebook page.)

Check them out the next time you are near Hernando, or need an excuse to get out of Memphis.

Sweden Kream

Sweden Kream
1472 National Street
454-5882


Sweden Kream is one of those places that I've driven by and made a mental note to return to. To make sure I did actually go, I gave myself an assignment--to check out the milkshakes. Of course, I enlisted the monkeys' (Satchel, 8, and Jiro, 6) help.

We headed down National around 6pm on a Friday night. Surprisingly, Sweden Kream wasn't at all busy. (I pictured it with a line down the parking lot like Jerry's.) Rather than standing in the parking lot, we went inside. There's an extremely small dining room with three tables and a bench. Since we had it to ourselves, it wasn't too small. I quite liked the checkerboard floor and the striped walls. It was funky, in a cool way.


My first order of business was scanning the milkshake list:


Their 16 flavors all sounded good, but I pretty quickly decided on peanut butter banana. Satchel and Jiro went for their standby flavors--vanilla for Satchel and chocolate for Jiro.

We couldn't help noticing that Sweden Kream had a lot of food on their menu too. Everything from burgers to PBJs, hot wings to fish filets. They even had a breakfast menu and kids' combos. The smells wafting out from the hot kitchen made it hard not to order ourselves some burgers and fries. The energetic and precise waitress behind the window asked if we wanted our shakes first and we wholeheartedly said yes.

Once Jiro put his order in, he went to sit down and play his DSi. (Despite many threats, I couldn't get him to stop playing and I was too tired to tackle him.) Satchel, for whatever reason, obeyed and left his in the car. That left him free to make annoying noises, punch me in the arm, wiggle endlessly, and squeeze various pressure points on my body. I was thrilled when the milkshakes came out.


They were smooth and creamy, perfectly cold, and they came right through the straw without too much effort. I tried all three flavors and they were all good, but mine was definitely the best. More peanut butter than banana.

I convinced Satchel to watch Jiro play his game so I could watch the girls in the kitchen and read the graffiti on the walls (Nay Nay -n- Main 4 Ever). Oh and Satchel somehow managed to drop his shake on the floor. Most of it was contained, but I needed another cup in order to salvage any of it. The other waitress gave me some paper towels when I asked, but didn't seem concerned about whether I cleaned the spill up or not. (There were plenty of old splashes against the walls.)

Customers steadily came up to the window, but it was never crowded. Despite this it took an eternity for our burgers and fries to come out. Of course this means they were made to order, but damn. It was a long wait. Thankfully, the burger proved to be absolutely delicious. Like in the ranks of the almighty Shirley burger at the Lamplighter. It was that kind of good. (And yes, better than Jerry's.)


Jiro, my burger connoisseur, described his as "GREAT!"


The fries on the other hand were a little disappointing. They were absolutely greasy as could be, yet they still managed to be crispy. It was weird--and not in a good way.

We left full and happy. I overlooked the dirty diaper in the parking lot and convinced the kids that we didn't need to take home the stray dog wandering in the parking lot. I was also very thankful that neither monkey had a bathroom emergency while we were there.

Caritas Village

Caritas Village
2509 Harvard Ave
(901) 327-5246

The monkeys (Satchel, 6, and Jiro, 4) and I were feeling antsy this afternoon and Warren was busy trying to study, so I instructed them to put their shoes on and join me for a walk. I decided we'd go by Caritas Village. Warren and I had lunch there last week, and loved it. They have food, games, meetings, activities, and great people. The monkeys had only been there to vote with us, and I wanted them to see it in its full glory. I thought we'd see if anything was going on, and at the very least, I'd get some coffee. I figured the boys could play with the toys and we might run into someone we know. (The monkeys went to school with the owner's grandson.)

The four block walk was fairly uneventful. We had a few safety lessons, spotted a turtle shell, and enjoyed the mild weather. As we approached Caritas, I wondered if it was actually open or not since there was only one car in the parking lot. I tentatively pulled the handle and was pleasantly surprised to have the door open.

Inside there was just one table full of people having a meeting of some sort and a small group of kids playing with the trains. The monkeys immediately ran over to the toys and began building Lego spaceships. I asked the woman behind the counter if they made iced coffee and she said, "I think so...let me try and remember. Just coffee and ice, right?"

I smiled and said, "Right."

"How about some flavoring?" she asked.

"Do you have vanilla?" I asked.

"Yes," she said as she got to work.

I looked at the menu, which changes daily, and asked the monkeys if they wanted anything. "What do they have?" asked Satchel.

"Vegetable soup, hamburgers..."

"I'll have a hamburger," he said. He hardly ever passes up an opportunity to have a hamburger.

Jiro came over and requested that I pick him up so he could see inside the pastry containers. "Can I have one of those?" he asked pointing to the cinnamon rolls.

"Sure," I said.

The woman behind the counter brought me my coffee and said, "I want you to taste it before I ring it up."

I took a sip and it was perfect. In fact, it was way better than any iced coffee I'd had in awhile.

"It's perfect," I said. "Thank you."

She smiled and then I ordered a hamburger (which came with the option of chips or soup as a side--I chose soup), a cinnamon roll, and two waters. "Do you want the roll heated?" she asked.

"Sure," I said.

"And do you want the waters with lids?" she asked showing me some coffee to-go cups she could use.

"Lids would be great," I said.

The woman behind the counter rang me up (a mere $7.25!) and told me to help myself to soup, which is kept in a nice big pot to the left of the counter, and then offered to help me carry our drinks and cinnamon roll to the table.

I got some soup and picked a spot near where the monkeys were playing. They were too involved to join me, so I decided to enjoy my coffee and soup and let them play. After awhile I regretted not bringing a book or a magazine. The monkeys could have easily entertained themselves.

Once the hamburger came out I figured Satchel would rush over, but he wasn't finished with his ship. Jiro joined me at the table and ate almost all of his yummy cinnamon roll. I tried to talk him into a few sips of soup, but he refused. "I want a Sprite," he said. Since I was in a good mood, I obliged him. ($1 for a can that is kept in a "help yourself" refrigerator.)

Satchel came over to look at his hamburger and requested that I put ketchup and pickles on it. Both of these items were on the plate, so I obliged him too. Before I could finish, he went back to playing and Jiro joined him. So I decided to eat half of the hamburger myself. It was quite large and I could tell by Satchel's behavior that he wasn't too hungry.

The hamburger was quite yummy in my opinion. And did I mention that it was big?

Satchel must have sensed that his meal was in danger because he finally came over and started eating. Once he started he didn't stop until his burger was gone. "That was better than Daddy's hamburgers!" he declared. (This is Satchel's highest compliment.)

Then he asked for a sip of my coffee. I told him he could have a sip if he tried the soup. (I had gotten a second bowl for him.) He took a few sips and said he liked it, but he didn't have anymore room in his tummy. I let him taste my coffee and he said, "Ew. That's not as good as the coffee you had yesterday."

I tried to think of what he was referring to...oh yes, the Sonic mocha chiller. "Yes, the coffee I had yesterday had ice cream in it," I said happy to have this coffee all to myself.

Satchel went back to the toy section, looked around, and then happily came over with Connect Four. "Want to play?" he asked.

"Sure," I said. I watched as he got it ready, with Jiro's assistance of course, and noticed that there were only three red coins. "Honey, I don't think we can play Connect Four with only three red pieces."

He counted and recounted the pieces to make sure there were really only three and then sadly packed the game back up. He walked over to the shelf and came back with Chess.

"Do you even know how to play Chess?" I asked.

"No, but we can pretend it is Checkers," he said.

"Ok," I agreed.

Satchel and Jiro set up the board, and then reset it, and then I joined them on the floor. We used the pawn instead of Checkers and it soon became clear that neither one of us was too sure on the rules. However, we knew more than Jiro and were able to keep him in check when he took over my turn. Satchel ended up beating us, which nearly had Jiro in tears. I told him to buck up and pick a new game. He chose Sorry. Satchel opted to watch as Jiro and I played. I soon realized that I remembered even less about Sorry than I did about Checkers. I let Jiro take advantage of this and beat me, which made him very happy.

Everyone was ready to go, so we cleaned up all of the Legos, carried our remaining dishes to the counter, and said good-bye to Onie, the owner, who had come in while we were playing.

Caritas Village is a lovely place to spend a few hours either alone, or with your family. Now that we've finally found that out firsthand, I expect we'll make it one of our regular stops. (Caritas Village is open everyday except Sunday, and serve food and coffee from 10am-8pm.)

Hephzibah (Closed)

Ed note: Sadly, this restaurant has closed.

Hephzibah Restaurant
3627 Park Avenue
(901) 324-0606

Everytime we drive down Park Avenue (my sister lives nearby) Warren points to Hephzibah and says, "We should eat there sometime." I usually nod and think, yeah, sometime.

Well, tonight was the night.

We pulled into the gigantic (empty) parking lot at about 7:15pm. There's really no indication from the street that behind the fairly small black and red building is a huge parking lot and a second very long and skinny red and black building. From what I gathered, the second building is for take out orders. You just drive right up to a window and get whatever you want to go.

We paused for a moment and wondered if we should take the to go option. It was pretty late to be feeding the monkeys and they were restless. (They came dangerously close to not making it to the restaurant at all.) However, once we read the menu board and the monkeys (Satchel, 5, and Jiro 3) started requesting pizza, I had no interest in sitting in the car and waiting a long time. Besides, I wanted to see the inside of the place.

The inside was much like the outside--red and black. Walls, tables, chairs, lights, everything. Had it been red, green, and black it would have had rastafarian written all over it. Hephzibah, from what I gleaned after reading a few framed clippings and airbrushed bible verses on the wall, is a little bit Bob Marley and a little bit Kletzmer. The owner claimed to be a Jew, like right out of the Old Testament, rather than Jewish. That's cool.

The restaurant does not serve pork and is closed during the sabbath--sundown Friday to Sunday morning. There are small 5x7 pictures framed and hung all over the walls. Most of them depicting customers posing next to the bad ass mural that is a larger more colorful version of this image I found on their website:



Sadly, I did not have my camera and could not get the monkeys in front of it. Next time!

The menu was quite appealing. Despite having several fine looking pizzas on it, I opted to go with the Boomerwangs. (Both Satchel and Jiro wanted personal pan pizza kids' meals--$3.50 with a drink--so I knew I'd get a taste.) Warren went for a half a chicken and a side of fries. Realizing that even though we were in a place that "follows a policy of greaseless cooking for healthy eating," we needed to get something green. I ordered a side of broccoli and a side of green beans. (They also offered kids' meals with hot legs and a side for under $4.00.)

We were the only people in the restaurant for most of the time we were there. And there was only one person working--the owner, I presume. (There was one other guy, but he was in the "take out" building.) I worried this meant that our food would take a really long time and that the monkeys would destroy the place before we could eat.

We occupied ourselves with "I spy" for a while, but really when everything is either red or black, it isn't that much fun! Jiro required a trip to the bathroom (which was thankfully not red or black). Satchel played with his straw and managed to spill water in his lap a few times before the grand finale when he spilled water all over the floor. I went in search of the waiter/cook/owner to get some towels, but he was sequestered in the kitchen.

When he brought out Warren's salad--mesculin mix with cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and cheese--he very thoroughly cleaned up the water despite my insistence that he let me do it. Warren was thrilled with his salad. It was definitely far superior to the bowl of iceberg lettuce you too often see in restaurants. Satchel ate the accompanying crackers and Jiro ate the cheese that Warren placed on a napkin for him. Then he used his finger to eat the remaining ranch dressing out of a small plastic container.

I'd say the monkeys were a little hungry.

Next we received the Boomerwangs and the half a chicken. Satchel started panting and licking his fingers. Warren gave him a giant chunk of meat to prevent him from foaming at the mouth. Jiro grabbed a piece of the toast that came with mine and began dipping it into my cup of blue cheese dressing. He didn't like that at all and then opted to squirt ketchup on the toast and eat it. (Ew.) I tried to get him to eat one of my accompanying carrots or celery, but he wasn't interested. It was only a few seconds before both the monkeys were grabbing at Warren's fries with both hands.

Luckily the pizzas came out so that Warren and I could turn our attention back to our own dinners. My Boomerwangs were quite yummy. Not greasy at all. They were obviously smoked and the meat just fell off the bone. The sauce was spicy, but not too spicy. (I needed to actually eat the carrots and bread, but not blow my nose or anything like that.) The sides of broccoli and green beans were huge. The broccoli was bright green and steamed, just the way we like it. The green beans were slow cooked with something resembling bacon--turkey neck, I think.

Satchel claimed his pizza was too hot and went back to helping Warren with his half a chicken. Jiro sat quietly and ate his pizza like it was the most delicious thing he had ever tasted. I asked for a bite and he pointed for me to get my own piece. I found it hard to take just one bite. Reluctantly, I let Warren have a taste before finishing it off. The sauce was tangy just how I like it and despite being covered in cheese, the pizza wasn't greasy at all. (Still trying to figure that one out.)

Jiro made a happy plate, but the remaining three of us each had enough food leftover for a whole other meal. Our total bill was $30, which seemed high, but actually wasn't considering we had a ton leftover. Next time (and there will definitely be a next time), we'll just let Satchel eat off of our plates and I'll order something that comes with sides rather than getting an appetizer and two extra sides. I definitely want to try Hephzibah's hamburgers and full size pizzas.

They actually deliver with a $25 minimum and $5 charge. So next time you pick up the phone to call Domino's for pizza and wings, immediately hang up and call Hephzibah. You won't regret it!