It really is that exciting.

Last week, a couple in their early twenties arrived at the museum, jovially arguing about who would pay for the other's admission.  Apparently, they'd spent a successful morning at the casino and had decided to celebrate by...wait...can you guess?  Visiting the Southern Food and Beverage Museum.  Instead of a nice lunch, or a cold beer, they headed straight to the museum.

To me, this illustrates the excitement people feel about the museum.  And the excitement really is warranted.  Last week, we hosted a culinary camp for kids.  Every morning, children were walking through the museum with dough-covered hands, discussing the merits of a good, home-made root beer.  We also added a couple new things to the museum experience.  There is now a place to taste and vote for sweetened or unsweetened tea.  (I voted unsweetened.)  There is also a place to do the same with pure coffee and coffee with chicory.  (Chicory, definitely.) Besides the camp and all the things that are changing in the museum, there are also the events that happen outside the museum.

Last week, there was a dinner at the Ritz Carlton with Jacques Puisais, called "The Philosophy of Taste."  During the dinner, diners were challenged to treat the three courses as a play in three acts, with the actors being the food and wine.  The action of the play was the way all of these "actors" interacted with each other.  For example, my wine thought she was happy, until she met my beef.  Then she discovered real happiness.  My lobster claw was charmed to meet my citrus beurre blanc, but when Louis XV met my tiny glass of grappa, a little war ensued.  (Perhaps you had to be there.)

At any rate, if I did not work at the museum, and ended up with about ten extra dollars in my pocket, from gambling or whatever, I would totally celebrate at the museum.  It really is that exciting.