Episode 4006

- [Narrator 1] "Tennessee Crossroads" is brought to you in part by...

- [Narrator 2] Some of our biggest checks have also made the biggest difference. The Tennessee Lottery. Proud to have raised more than $7.5 billion for education. Now, that's some game-changing, life-changing fun.

- [Narrator 3] Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways, where adventure, cuisine, and history come together. With 16 scenic driving trails, you can discover why Tennessee sounds perfect. Trips can be planned at tnvacation.com.

- [Narrator 4] Middle Tennessee State University College of Liberal Arts helps students explore the world, engage minds, enrich lives, and earn a living. More at mtsu.edu/cla.

- This week on "Tennessee Crossroads," we'll check out a ridgetop getaway in Grundy County, get the story behind all these coffee beans, find some of the best soul food in Memphis, and catch a glimpse of a special breed of South American horses here in Tennessee. It's time to hit the road. Thanks for coming with us. I'm Ketch Secor. Let's get going. Well, folks, we all need a weekend every once in a while to get off the grid and reconnect with our people. The "Crossroads" crew visited a most fantastic place, way up high at 2,000 feet elevation, perched on a ridge in Grundy County, where you can do just that. And from what Laura Faber tells me, they didn't want to leave.

- So we are in Beersheba Springs, Tennessee, which is in Grundy County, which is on the Cumberland Plateau. About an hour and a half from Nashville. About an hour from Chattanooga. And it's where the Appalachia Mountains turn into the Cumberland Plateau. And it runs through Tennessee and Alabama. And we're at about 2,000 feet right here. And it is just glorious. And it is the largest wooded plateau in the world.

- [Laura] This place is called The Tree Lofts, owned and created by Cullen Douglass. He loves this part of Tennessee, as he remembers coming here with a friend as a boy, and it reminded him of summer camps he attended as a child.

- There are about seven million people in Tennessee. And they're not here.

- [Laura] What started as five acres and a desire to build a one-bedroom cabin for himself and his family eventually grew to a 650-acre retreat and seven family and pet-friendly cabins anyone can rent.

- I remember. He called me up. He said, "Hey, I've got this piece of property. It's on this mountainside. It's really cool piece of property. I think you're really going to like it. And I'm thinking about putting a little, just a very modest little cabin on it. And I wonder if you could help me out." And then he text me a picture of the view that you might see behind me here. And we said, "Okay, we can't do this anymore."

- [Laura] Architect Chad Polk of CDP Architecture in Nashville designed each cabin. And both men shared the same goal. Bringing nature inside.

- [Cullen] The name of this house is Top of the Rock. Because we're on a big continuous rock right here.

- [Laura] It is a stunning four-bedroom loft with incredible natural light and a gorgeous copper-surround fireplace, patinaed to perfection. Cullen's favorite room?

- [Cullen] He's out there at the fire pit. Building a fire. I mean, fires are magical. You look in the fire and, you know, time sort of falls apart. And you can just chill.

- [Laura] Cullen and Chad use locally sourced rock and lumber as much as possible. You'll find hemlock, a native tree, used a lot here. Both men had this view top of mind while designing and building.

- [Chad] I mean, it's the whole reason for being here, right? And so the majority of the window wall is on that side. But there are other large format windows around too that sort of take in different snapshots and views. We see those window frames as like a picture frame of, you know, framing certain areas and aspects of the site. I mean, this whole place is just gorgeous.

- [Laura] One loft called The Rock House is actually built into the bluff wall itself. Yep, you literally can touch boulder.

- And so originally though, we were thinking, okay, if we do that, how do we keep the water out? And how do we keep the bugs out? All that kind of stuff. And those are challenges, as architects, we're trying to figure out most of the time. In this case, Cullen's like, "We just need to keep this thing natural. The water's going to come through anyway. We weren't going to be able to keep it out." And so, in terms of like the vegetation that's on it, you know, the question was, do we clean that up and make it more pristine? And he said, "Just let it grow." And when you look out the side windows, you actually see, you know, how it's living and growing out each side. So it's literally a continuation of that bluff face.

- [Laura] Bringing nature inside wasn't the only goal though.

- [Cullen] The three goals of The Tree Lofts are, one, to help people get off the grid. And I mean that figuratively. We have 5G if you need it. Two, to, once you get off the grid, connect with your people. Your family and friends. And then the third is help the community.

- [Laura] While building, Cullen employed a local construction crew. He employs a half dozen locals as a regular cleaning crew. The cabins have names like The Stone Door, a loft that cantilevers out over the bluff with a unique exterior.

- There's a technique. It's an old Japanese technique for curing wood where they torch the outside of the wood. And it seals in the material and basically creates kind of a natural preservative on the wood and also an insect propellant as well. So it kind of protects the wood for long term.

- There is also The Greeter Loft, The Lookout, The Perch, and more. Each features different and special touches, like an enormous garage door window wall that opens up wide, soaring ceilings, hot tubs, decks, fire pits, and all with amazing 180 degree views. Obviously, you can hang out at The Tree Lofts and enjoy the view. But there is so much to do on the 650-acre property. There's six miles of trails you can hike. You could go into town and see a show at the Caverns, hike to a waterfall, or explore a cave. For the physically able, you can venture down deep and eventually find a waterfall and running water within. The trails are quiet, and green, and peaceful, and worth exploring. Plus, Savage Gulf State Natural Area is just 15 minutes away. The reviews left in guestbooks have been gratifying for Cullen.

- "This was the perfect place for a mini family reunion. We love sitting at the fire with the fantastic views. Thank you for being pet friendly. We couldn't have elope without our kids." And then they signed.

- [Laura] Oh, nice. Cullen plans to build more so more people can experience The Tree Lofts of Grundy County. A perfect place to slow down, get recharged, and reset.

- Now, doesn't that look like a great place to build a campfire and look up at the stars? Thank you, Laura. Well, next. Most of us need a little jolt of caffeine in one form or another to start the day. Miranda Cohen is no different. So she traveled to the perfect street in the perfect county where they're brewing up the perfect blend to start your day. I'll let her explain.

- On "Tennessee Crossroads," we are always taking you to interesting places with interesting names. And, often, the location becomes part of the story itself. So you can guess, on the corner of Atlantic and Coffee here in Tullahoma, what they are doing really well.

- We are actually on Coffee Street in Coffee County, roasting coffee. And we just figured that's something that nobody else can say.

- [Miranda] Mike Arnold is the president of Raphael's Roastery. Raphael's started brewing back in 1993 in Lynchburg. And, as date would have it, they found this location here on Coffee Street in Coffee County in the year 2000.

- [Mike] We import coffee from around the world in green bean form. And we warehouse it until we receive an order. We pull those specific coffee beans, roast them to order, package them, and ship them out.

- [Miranda] By the time these little green beans get here, they have had quite a journey. According to Mike Arnold, the very best coffee is grown 20 degrees north and 20 degrees south of the equator, and require a certain elevation, and a precise amount of rainfall and sunshine. It is all a very delicate process to get those delicate blends. And the growers, farmers, and harvesters play a crucial role.

- [Mike] Arabica coffee is primarily harvested by hand. And so you can pick just the ripe red cherries as you go through. And so we get really high quality coffee from the highest quality farms across the world.

- [Miranda] Once the beans arrive on Tennessee soil, Mike Arnold, his daughter Olivia, and a master roaster named, what else, Joe, will prep them for the next step. Then the real workhorses take over. The pride of Raphael's. Two vintage roasting machines named the Black Knight and Misty Blue will start working their magic.

- We can roast 25 pounds at a time. Takes about 14 minutes for a complete roast cycle. So you can do about 100 pounds an hour. And the key to roasting is transferring the heat in a controlled fashion to the bean so that you are roasting the beans all the way through. Interior and exterior. And so having a consistent roaster is really important.

- [Miranda] Then when the beans have been carefully roasted and cooled, they are one step closer to becoming your morning latte, espresso, or cappuccino. Once the moisture is baked out, the bean will actively soak in any natural or exotic added flavors.

- [Mike] Coffee bean just absorbs the flavoring deep into the beans so that when you grind it, you still get those flavors.

- [Miranda] Lots of aromatic options. Raphael's boasts and roast more than 80 bold and exotic flavors. Everything from their most popular, the Southern Pecan, to the tropical Jamaican Me Crazy, with notes of caramel, vanilla, and rum.

- We've got coffees that have those flavors. And lots of fruit. Blackberry Cobbler, Blueberry Crisp, Blueberry Pancake. When you buy a Blueberry Pancake Coffee, you taste the blueberry. Tastes like fresh blueberries. You taste the pancake and the syrup. It's really nice. We change the grind size to accommodate what brewing method you're going to use so that you get the proper extraction so that you can really enjoy all the flavors of the coffee.

- [Miranda] Whether a morning ritual, or an afternoon pick-me-up, made in a percolator, or a French press, it is all part of the experience.

- I encourage people to grind their coffee right before they brew it because you engage all the sensories of your body. And you can smell that coffee when it's grinding. And that's a different smell than when it's brewing. And so your mind starts to anticipate the taste that's coming soon.

- [Miranda] Raphael's Roastery ships all over the US and is proudly served all over Tennessee. You may have tasted their coffee locally at places like the Celtic Cup, Luna's Cafe, or Liberty Station. No matter how far these little beans travel, you will always know where they got their start. Right here on Coffee Street in Coffee County. Handcrafted by a team of true coffee connoisseurs.

- What we have found is when you treat people like family and you provide a good quality product, they tend to come back again and again.

- Thanks, Miranda. I hope you're able to keep it to just one or two cups of Java there. Most of you probably know Joe Elmore spent the early days of his career in Memphis. So he had the inside track on some of the best places to eat in the Bluff City. And when the conversation turned to Memphis soul food, Alcenia's was the name you always heard.

- When you think of Memphis, you might think of the Mississippi River, the downtown entertainment district, or even soul food. Well, here at Alcenia's, you can not only get that, but also a hefty serving of love and hugs.

- [Chester] Hey, baby.

- [Customer] Hey, how you doing?

- I tell people you come in as a stranger. But when you leave, you part of the Alcenia's family. And I feed the heart, the head, then the stomach. If I get your heart and head, oh, baby, I got your stomach. Ain't no doubt about it. Boom.

- [Joe] If there ever should be a queen of soul food, well, B.J. Chester-Tamayo might wear the crown. Her colorful cheery restaurant north of downtown Memphis is a haven for lovers of good old Southern cooking. Add a helping of B.J.'s exuberance and you've got a dining experience you won't soon forget.

- [Chester] Hi. How you doing, baby? I hug every single person come in this store. But that was in my family. My mom, you know, we always hug. We never hang up the phone without saying, "I love you." So that's just the way I was raised.

- [Joe] B.J. was raised on great country cooking, soul food, or whatever you want to call it, all thanks to her late mother, the restaurant's namesake, Alcenia.

- [Chester] My mom was such a fantastic cook. And her home, our home was always open. And people would always find a way to come around dinnertime, needing something.

- [Joe] Opening a restaurant was far from B.J.'s mind until a tragedy struck her life in 1996.

- I lost my only child, Will A. Tamayo III, we called him Go-Go, in a motorcycle accident August 3rd when he was 22 years old. 1996. I talked to him one minute. The next minute, he was gone.

- [Joe] So after years of depression and searching for a way to fill the void in her life.

- Somebody said, "Have you ever thought about opening a restaurant?" No. I didn't cook, growing up. I had never been a waitress. Done any of that. So I said, "Okay." So my mom, who is Alcenia, trained me. Alcenia Clark Chester trained me, from being in Meridian, Mississippi, on the phone, and by coming to Memphis. That's how I learned how to cook. She didn't measure anything. So I would say, "Mom, you got to tell me." She said, "You know I don't measure." So I just had to keep playing with it till I could get it. You know, like, and I would never be as good as her. But if I can get 75%, I'd be batting 100. Yeah. How you doing, baby?

- [Joe] Now, 25 years later, Alcenia's is not only a local Memphis favorite, well, it's caught the attention of major food magazines, along with network news and food shows. She's even produced a couple of cookbooks and streaming videos, changing her trademark wigs with every episode.

- [Chester] I need somebody to taste the greens and see if they seasoned enough.

- [Joe] But her heart belongs in the restaurant where she consistently turns out people-pleasing favorites.

- Mac and cheese. You know, that's not one of my favorites. But I cook it every day, except Saturday, because that is a Southern tradition. Everybody loves mac and cheese. And so I cook that all the time. I did some greens for you. Some cabbage I'm doing today. Smothered pork chop, fried chicken, meatloaf. We do baked tilapias. And my vegetables. I don't put meat in them. So if you're a vegetarian, you still can eat, you know, my black eyed peas, my pinto beans, my cabbage.

- [Joe] By the way, no matter what you order, it all comes with a serving of Alcenia's signature hot water cornbread. And the owner promises every dish will have the same consistent quality every time you get it.

- [Chester] You have to make sure it has the same taste. So, I mean, I would throw away something. I'll come out here and tell my customer. Just like the other day. The grease wasn't right. I came out and told my customer, "I got to redo this. I'm not getting ready to give you anything that's not right." You would never in your life see another restaurant like Alcenia's.

- [Joe] To B.J. Chester-Tamayo, Alcenia's represents more than another cool Memphis diner. More than a haven for honest to goodness soul food. It's a symbol of what loving family roots and a passion for food can rightfully realize.

- You know what the best part is though, Joe? It's the people. I mean, when people come in, I say, "Have you ever had soul food?" And most of them haven't. And then they'll say, "Well, I saw you, you know, on the UK because it came on a certain channel. A certain show came on in the UK." So when you have people from all over the world, I mean, it's amazing. It's amazing.

- Looks like some good food. Thanks to the late great Joe Elmore for that tip. Well, now, it's time to dive back into the "Tennessee Crossroads" vault for our weekly retro crossroads segment. Now, in the sixth season of the show, Producer Susan Allen, now Susan Watson, visited a farm in Thompson Station, where they were training a special breed of horses. Peruvian Paso horses.

- When you are close to a Peruvian Paso, you're listening. Paca, paca, paca, paca, paca.

- They're very elegant horses. And they're very people oriented. And when you ride them, it's just different from any horse that I've ever ridden before.

- This is a Caballo peruano de paso. A Peruvian Paso horse. The Peruvian government jealously guards this rare breed's bloodline. So much so that it's considered a national treasure. They're also considered treasures here at the Little Peruvian Farm in Thompson Station.

- The first one I saw was actually a half-breed. It was a walking horse that had been accidentally bred to a Peruvian in Texas that my next door neighbor had brought to Tennessee.

- [Susan] Vicky Little-Sandstad has been fascinated by Peruvian Paso horses since that introduction to the breed eight years ago. But they've been prized by Peruvians for over 400 years. They were brought into Peru by the conquering Spaniards, who, at that time, were the foremost horse breeders in the world. Today, the Peruvian Paso is the only horse in the world with what is called Termino. That refers to the dramatic four-beat gait, where the four legs swing out in an arc like the arms of a swimmer. This gait is completely natural and is passed on to every purebred Peruvian Paso foal.

- [Vicky] It's fascinating to me to watch the babies. And then see how they relate. And then watch them as they grow.

- [Susan] Vicky's babies have some pretty big hoof prints to follow in. Her horses have garnered countless awards and ribbons in the past few years. And her prized stallion, Solemente, is a multi-champion of champions.

- [Vicky] That's been kind of exciting. That the horses that we actually bred ourselves are beginning to do well in the show ring. So it's kind of nice when you go to a show and you end up with a top mare and a top stallion. And it's ones that you produce yourself.

- [Susan] In the show ring, all riders wear long ponchos and flat hats.

- [Vicky] The reason that we do that is that everybody looks the same. So when you go in a show, you don't look at the rider. You just look at the horse.

- [Susan] Riders strive to retain as much of the rich Paso heritage as possible. The tack dates back to a time when necessity dictated that a saddle do more than just keep the rider in place.

- [Vicky] It's all traditional. The saddle. We've tried to keep as much of the tradition as we can. The stirrups are a wooden stirrup. And it's a triangular shape. And this was used either as a weapon, because it has a buckle on it so it comes off very easily, or you could use it to tether the horse in the desert by burying the triangle in the dirt. You know, in the sand.

- [Susan] The eye cover, or tapaojos, was part of the bridle and could be pulled down to restrict vision and prevent the horse from wandering off. The tailpiece, or guarnicion, helped to protect the rear of the horse in battle. Since the Paso's gait is natural, no artificial devices are ever used in training. They're not even introduced to a bid until they're thoroughly trained on the halter-like bossal. Manager and trainer, Marcos Berodi, left his native Peru to promote the breed and their time-honored way of training.

- [Marcos] For us, it's important because it's the tradition. I learned some from my father. And, also, I learned from asking other people who know.

- [Susan] Do you have someone in your family you're teaching this art to?

- Not now. But I hope I can teach to my son and other people who has the wish to learn this particular way of training.

- [Susan] I was curious to find out for myself if that unique gait really does make the Paso the smoothest riding horse in the world. My mount certainly lived up to that reputation. Unfortunately, I didn't fare quite as well in the smooth rider category.

- With the mare, it's to lose the rein. Yes. And, that way, you push a little more, you collect more of the horse.

- Okay.

- Yeah? Yeah. Don't do like this. Straight.

- [Susan] Oh, I'm leaning? Okay.

- Yeah.

- [Susan] This is hard work.

- Yeah.

- Y'all look so elegant when you ride. I guess just keeping the back straight and-

- [Marcos] Yes.

- All part of good horsemanship.

- [Marcos] Yeah, well that and a lot of time in the South.

- [Susan] For a true horse lover, any horse can cast a magic spell. But it seems especially easy for the Paso.

- Most of the people that have gotten horses from me really like the horses. And they get all excited about them. And they write you letters. And they come to shows and bring their horse. And so that there's really a lot of follow through. I don't have anybody that's just bought a horse that I don't hear from anymore. So it's very nice because you can sort of become a family.

- [Susan] Perhaps that's why the Peruvians say, "The Paso walks like a conqueror."

- Wow, beautiful horses. Thanks, Susan. Well, folks, that's all the time we have for today. But visit our website, tennesseecrossroads.org, to see more of your favorite segments. And, while you're there, be sure to leave us a video message for our 40th season. We'd love to see you on the air. Well, thanks again. We'll see y'all next time.

- Hi, I'm Dr. Eiman Jahangir. And I wanted to say happy 40th anniversary to "Tennessee Crossroads."

- What's going on, everybody? I'm Jerome Moore. And I want to say happy 40th to one of my favorite shows here at Nashville PBS, "Tennessee Crossroads."

- [Narrator 1] "Tennessee Crossroads" is brought to you in part by...

- [Narrator 2] Students across Tennessee have benefited from over $7.5 billion dollars we've raised for education, providing more than two million scholarships and grants. The Tennessee Lottery. Game-changing, life-changing fun.

- [Narrator 3] Discover Tennessee Trails & Byways, where adventure, cuisine, and history come together. With 16 scenic driving trails, you can discover why Tennessee sounds perfect. Trips can be planned at tnvacation.com.