Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic began, my travels have, with good reason, been much more limited. The only exceptions I made in 2020 were to places near and familiar, and even then trips were made with an acute awareness of local health protocols. In a roundabout way, this provides a reason for why Punky and I found ourselves in Tupelo, Miss., one night last November. We were returning home from New Orleans, and I had insisted on driving back the “old way” my grandmother used to take (she was never fond of the four-lane highway). Tupelo seems like a logical place to stay for a night to break up the trip.
While in Tupelo, I had every intention of finding a fun local barbecue or soul food restaurant for dinner. But the one I had in mind was surprisingly closed by the time we got there. Fortunately, Punky has become an expert at advance scouting travel destinations in her own right and suggested the Neon Pig Cafe. It turned out to be a great call in every way.
