by Malcolm Butler
The older I get, the more I appreciate things that I took for granted in the past.
It’s human nature.
Songs bring back memories of the far-too-distant past, especially the 1980s (when music was music). Sights can do the same.
I drove through downtown Arcadia this past weekend, and one of those flashes from times gone by came back to me as I saw the old Luigi’s sign.
Located on North Railroad Avenue across from the old train depot, Luigi’s is a simple, quaint little restaurant that used to have all-you-can-eat spaghetti nights (they still may, but it’s been a while since I darkened their doors). They also serve lunch. Nice little menu. My favorite menu item was the fried ribeye.
You can find Luigi’s on Facebook if you are interested in seeing more.
Although it has been a number of years since I ate there, it used to be on the lunch rotation when the late Wiley Hilburn, Jim Oakes, Teddy Allen, and I wanted to get away from Ruston.
It was my own version of the Three Wise Men, each with their own unique gifts to conversation. Man, I wish we had done this more.
During my first 15 years working at Louisiana Tech, the legendary, lovable Wiley was a sounding board for me. Although we would usually depart Luigi’s with the remnants of Wiley’s lunch still on the front of his shirt, we always left satisfied and content with our meal, but most of all, our conversation.
Jim Oakes, who gave me my start at Louisiana Tech in 1999 when he was the athletic director, was always a calming voice who provided a different perspective on topics. I was in my 30s and still had a tendency to be hyper-quick with my reactions. He taught me to slow down and breathe before reacting, even to stupidity.
And then there was Teddy Allen. One of a kind, TA. If he hadn’t made such a career as a scribe with a unique style, he could have been a comedian. If I needed a laugh, I called Teddy; a man with a golden pen and silver tongue.
Those lunches were so therapeutic. It was more about the company than the location, but trust me, we found some great places to hold these sessions.
Another one of our favorite out-of-parish haunts was a place called Moon’s Grocery in Claiborne Parish. The proprietor was a man named Jerry Bailey.
It was a country store, gas station, deli and restaurant all rolled into one. It was far more than just a gas station. It was a true community gathering place.
Located on Highway 9 in Homer, it was a classic. It was the definition of a hole-in-the-wall. One of the great ones.
Anyone who ate at Moon’s (lunch or dinner) knows about the uniqueness of that experience. Former Louisiana Tech AD Jim Oakes introduced me to Moon’s many moons ago.
One time and I was hooked.
We would jump in Jim’s vehicle (the usual suspects of Wiley, Jim, Teddy Allen and me) and head west through the back roads of north Louisiana. We called in advance to place our order as soon as we hit the road. You had two choices: steak or ribs.
Moon’s was an old rundown gas station; sometimes I wasn’t sure how the walls were still standing. You walked in and it looked like any other old convenience store/gas station, except there were a few tables in the middle for the lunch and dinner patrons.
I can still smell the aroma of the steaks and ribs on the grill. I always chose the steak, and it was always really, really good.
A baked potato came with it. And baked beans. And if you wanted bread, simply go to the shelf and grab a loaf of bread for the table. It was a one-of-a-kind, backwoods, north Louisiana dining experience.
I remember Wiley telling a story about how he wrote a column about Moon’s. He boasted about the experience and the food, encouraging folks to try it out. The week the column ran, he said he received a call from Jerry Bailey, who was not happy about the result of the additional publicity.
Evidently, neither Moon’s nor the staff was quite ready to handle the crowds that took Wiley up on his advice. The price of fame.
The folks were always friendly, and the food was always delicious.
The original Moon’s is no longer open, although some of the late Jerry Bailey’s family still cook steaks on certain Thursday nights at a location in Athens.
We lost Wiley about 12 years ago. And although Jim, Teddy and I still will grab lunch, those won’t quite ever be the same without Wiley’s part in the equation.
Moon’s. Luigi’s. Wiley, Jim and TA.
Man, I miss those days.
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