TrueSouth

TrueSouth explores the Whole Hog Triangle of Tennessee, where the old ways of cooking barbecue endure and two families work together to secure a future for this remnant of our rural past. Defined by Lexington to the west, Parsons to the east, and Jacks Creek to the south, the triangle is set below I-40, east of Jackson.

Narvaez welcomes the crew into his world, which revolves around Baseline Road, the Camino Real of Little Rock. He and his brother Raul Narvaez own four business in town, including El Super Pollo, a western wear store and two grocery stores. Cooks at El Super Pollo work beneath a tent, in front of the western wear store, turning out whole chickens, kissed by flames and brightened by a spice mix that carries flavor all the way to the bone and gives the birds a neon-orange color.

Johnson works downstate in Mobile, Ala. as a writer and teacher. His next novel, tentatively titled Lou, was inspired by recent research: sorting through old family photos, listening to old family stories, asking new questions. When Caleb was a boy, Ronnie shielded his son from talk of the mines. For this episode, Caleb and Ronnie sat down to talk about that work, what it made possible for their family and the price they paid across generations.

Justice Evans grew up in his father's welding shop on the edge of Jasper and the coal mines drove that business. Justice followed his father, Howard Evans, into said business. He also followed his father onto the track. His father raced a stock car at the nearby Sayre Speedway and by second grade, Justice was racing a souped-up go-cart. Now, he races his father's old Monte Carlo.

Singleton grew up in Greenwood, S.C. and now lives on the outskirts of Spartanburg with his partner Glenda Guion, a ceramicist. They make their living as artists, working in side-by-side backyard sheds, accompanied by their dog, Cleo.

Two restaurants anchor this story. Both serve chili-slaw dogs, born of the days when cotton mills were the primary employers here. Singleton's stories, which are sometimes sad and always funny, focus on what happened after the mills closed and people had to figure out new jobs and new ways to feed their families. Both spots make their own chili and slaw and serve dogs that are worth detours:

Holmes Hot Dogs – On the edge of Spartanburg, S.C., Holmes Hot Dogs is owned by Kyle "Cowboy" Childers.

Saxon's Hot Dogs – Set in a gravel lot in Abbeville, S.C., Saxon's Hot Dogs is run by Sue Beasley.

The seventh season of Emmy Award-winning TrueSouth Presented by YellaWood wraps up with the crew's annual behind-the-scenes episode – showcasing the 1,000-plus mile road trip across the SEC footprint, beginning in Oklahoma City, Okla. and ending in Spartanburg, S.C.

Traveling, the crew talked about what it means to live and work in the South and marked changes in TrueSouth restaurants they've come to know and love: Helen Turner (season three) of Brownsville, Tenn., the hardest working woman in barbecue, a veteran of four decades in the pits, put down her cleaver back in August. Hunter Evans (season five) from Elvie's in Jackson, Miss., renovated the Mayflower, the beloved Greek seafood restaurant downtown. We lost Carol McKinney (season four) of the Iowa Buffet in St. Louis this year. Ask the crew to name their favorite bar and no one will agree. Ask them to name their favorite barkeep, though, and it's unanimous.