I hadn’t been in Columbia long when I was introduced to the wonderful array of food at The Back Door downtown.
Last Saturday, I reflected on my nearly eight years in Columbia and times I’d joined Fran Ginn for lunch or a special dinner. As a matter of fact, Fran, and her husband, Mike, were among some of the first people I met in Columbia. We’re now neighbors up in the historic Keys Hill section of the city.
You see, Saturday marked a time passage in the City of Columbia. The Back Door closed on Aug. 16, 2015, and on Saturday, many items from the longtime restaurant were sold. The building will soon become part of The Church on Main, which is expanding from its location next door.
I watched as my friends and neighbors sifted through the familiar décor of the downtown icon. Husbands dutifully carried out boxes of plates, knickknacks and even a Christmas tree or two as their wives paid Fran and hugged her.
I spoke to so many friends, hugged and reminisced of lunches, dinners and special occasions at The Back Door.
“Let’s go see Auntie,” my wife, Amelia, would say. Some of our first dates and major milestones were marked with one of Fran’s signature dishes. Amelia and her family have always been close to the Ginns, so we had many a Sunday lunch or Friday night dinner there.
My Facebook page recently reminded me of a date night spent at The Back Door. I ate a dish called “Shrimp Mimi,” and I remember it was wonderful. Everyone at the Back Door Saturday had their own memories. Things I’ll never forget are the chicken salad, pimiento cheese or, of course, the signature caramel cake. Add a fresh glass of lemonade to any meal or dessert and I was a happy camper.
Fran Ginn spoke about the bittersweet moments in a post on The Back Door’s Facebook page recently.
“I’m touched and honored by the wonderful comments of so many customers remembering happy delicious times,” she said. “Although this phase of The Back Door is over, the friendships made and recipes developed will live on for a long time.”
Fran told me Saturday that in the future, a cookbook may be in the works.
“I have always believed that when God got ready for me to write a cookbook, He would let me know the right time,” she said. “As poet Brian Andres said so beautifully, ‘There are things we do because they are right; they make no sense and they may make no money, and they may be the real reason we are here … to eat each other’s cooking and say it was good.’”
Luckily, readers of The Columbian-Progress have the chance to share recipes with Fran. She writes a weekly column on our Saturday living page. Each week, she reflects on a memory or tells a story behind a certain food or dish and shares a recipe with our readers.
As I was writing this column, I was reminded of several memories that I’ll never forget. One of my favorites involves Mardi Gras. Each year, for several years in a row, Amelia and I celebrated Fat Tuesday with The Back Door’s Mardi Gras lunch. I even dressed up in a colorful vest and was covered in beads.
So as you look at the pictures accompanying this column, I hope you are filled with happy memories of Columbia’s past. As I finish writing, I think I’m hungry for some caramel cake. Maybe I’ll have to look for that cookbook when it comes out. n
Mark Rogers is managing editor for The Columbian-Progress. He can be reached at (601) 736-2611 or by email at news@columbianprogress.com
Pictured Above: The Back Door was full of memories for many of those who shopped last Saturday for mementos of the iconic Columbia eatery. | Photo by Mark Rogers
