Leaving the south now and moving west. Way out West.

But before saying goodbye to the gentility of Vivian Leigh (in A Streetcar Named Desire)  and hello to the generosity of Elizabeth Taylor (in Giant), I would be remiss if I failed to publicly acknowledge just how much I enjoyed both southern cooking and southern manners.

So here’s a raised glass to a couple of excellent (in spite of being so darn inexpensive) dining establishments in the South where I really enjoyed both the food and service — and the friendliness of the folks I shared it with:

• Brother Juniper’s (for breakfast) in Memphis, Tennessee, where some food reviewer named Rachel Ray really loved the open-faced omelets — but I was just as appreciative of the homemade bisquets & preserves, cheese grits, country sausage and delicious deep-roast coffee.

and …

• Boudreau and Thibodeau’s Cajun Cookin’, in Houma, Louisiana (for lunch or dinner), where I tried — and loved — the catfish, jambalaya, red beans with rice — and a glass of the local ale. All while joining the locals watch their beloved LSU Tigers beat the daylights out of the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Adieu, Gulf Coast. Adieu.