When patron saint of Appalachia Dolly Parton recently passed away, the nation collectively decided that 9/25 would be the perfect day to celebrate her legacy. The City of Charleston in partnership with the Office of Public Art, Arts Amplified, FestivALL and Folklore Music Exchange created Dolly Day 9.25: A Tribute To Dolly Parton at City Center at Slack Plaza, featuring Crawford & Ashby, Holly Forbes, Brittany, Brenna & Justin, Unmanned and Emmy Davis. There was a Dolly Parton lookalike contest. Fife Street Brewing served their “Brawley Parton” Belgian Blonde Ale. FestivALL sponsored a free screening at Park Place Cinemas of The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. And, a portion of proceeds benefitted Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of West Virginia. But I was most excited about The Hideaway, which is an ever-changing pop-up restaurant and bar operated by MMDI — Morgan’s Million Dollar Ideas — the event production company founded by Morgan Morrison. The space rotates through immersive themes, with décor, food and drinks changing along with each concept. Over the course of just a couple days, the space went from green paint & pickles to sparkly pink walls & butterflies to launch The 9-to-5 Lounge. On Friday and Saturday, the lounge featured karaoke and Dolly-inspired drinks and Southern bites: PIMENTO PARTON -
Homestyle Pimento Cheese Dip & Crackers SMOKY MOUNTAIN CHEESESTICKS -
Deep Fried Mozz Cheesesticks TENNESSEE TATOR FRIES -
Bacon Cheese Fries BETTER GET TO CHICKIN -
Fried Chicken Bites & Fries The 9 to 5 Mocktail -
Pineapple, Lime, Sprite & Grenadine The Dolly celebration continued Sunday at The Hideaway for a special singalong brunch, which featured recipes from Dolly herself. Dolly’s Favorite Chess Pie — A classic Southern custard pie made with sugar, butter, eggs, milk, cornmeal, flour, vanilla and a little vinegar. It bakes into a rich, very sweet filling with a lightly browned top and tender, almost gooey center. Dolly has publicly named chess pie as her favorite pie. Dollywood Broccoli Supreme — A creamy broccoli casserole combining broccoli with cream of chicken soup, sour cream, grated carrot and onion, then topped with buttery herb-seasoned stuffing. It’s a very traditional Southern potluck-style side dish with a creamy interior and crisp topping. Dollywood’s Famous Cinnamon Bread — The signature treat associated with Dollywood’s Grist Mill: soft yeast bread coated with butter and corn syrup, packed with cinnamon sugar and finished with a sweet glaze. The deep cuts in the loaf allow the cinnamon mixture to work its way inside, creating the bread’s characteristic pull-apart sections. Dolly’s Miracle Madness Salad — A decidedly retro salad of crisp iceberg lettuce and fresh tomato tossed in a creamy dressing made from Miracle Whip, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. The sugar gives the tangy dressing a noticeable sweetness. Dollywood Macaroni Salad — A creamy cold pasta salad with macaroni, cucumber, green bell pepper, onion, sweet pickle relish and chopped hard-boiled eggs. The dressing uses equal parts mayonnaise and sour cream with a little milk, making it especially rich and creamy; it’s best chilled overnight. Dolly’s Southern Corn Pudding — A soft, buttery corn casserole made with Dolly Parton’s sweet cornbread mix, whole-kernel corn, creamed corn, eggs, sour cream and melted butter. It lands somewhere between cornbread and spoonbread, with a tender center and lightly caramelized edges. Dolly’s 5-Ingredient Chicken Casserole — A straightforward comfort-food casserole of shredded chicken, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and cheddar cheese topped with crushed buttery crackers. It bakes until creamy and bubbling underneath with a crisp, golden cracker topping. Dolly & Rachel’s Mac & Cheese — A particularly rich baked macaroni and cheese from Dolly Parton and her sister Rachel Parton George. It combines cheddar, Monterey Jack and Velveeta with eggs, whole milk and sour cream rather than making a traditional stovetop cheese sauce, resulting in a thick, creamy baked casserole. Dolly Parton’s Banana Pudding — A classic Southern banana pudding made by layering sliced bananas and vanilla wafers with a rich, homemade vanilla custard. It’s topped with fluffy meringue and baked briefly until golden. This version was published in Cooking with Country Music Stars in 1988 and was served at Aunt Granny’s restaurant at Dollywood. Dolly’s Jalapeño Cheddar Cornbread — A sweet-and-savory cornbread made with Dolly Parton’s sweet cornbread mix, plenty of shredded cheddar and finely chopped fresh jalapeño. Butter and milk keep it rich and tender, while the jalapeño adds a little heat to balance the sweetness. Dolly Parton’s Stampede Soup — A copycat of the creamy soup served as the first course at Dolly Parton’s Stampede dinner attraction. It’s a velvety cream-of-vegetable soup made with chicken broth, finely chopped mixed vegetables and half-and-half, lightly seasoned with onion, garlic and white pepper. Dolly’s Cowboy Pork & Beans — A heartier take on baked beans that combines pork and beans with ground beef, onion and bell pepper. Ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard create a sweet, tangy sauce, turning the traditional side dish into something closer to a cowboy-style supper.