Leon County Cook: Marie Moore

Salads at The Hopewell Store are full of tasty, healthy veggies. Sherry’s Shots For those of us local natives who love country life there are few things that suit our fancy like an old country store that has converted to an eating establishment. Having tried this adventure once upon a time, I can relate to the challenges one encounters when trying to keep the doors open and the customers happy.

This week’s cook is Marie Moore for Lansing, Michigan who came to Texas nineteen years ago. She was a nurse’s aide and was caring for the mother of the person who owned the Hopewell Store when that person decided to sell. Marie had always wanted to own a business, so she thought “why not” and set out to make it work.

The Hopewell Store is located on Highway 7 and FM 1511 in the Hopewell Community. The store carries “convenience store” items to save folks from driving all the way into Centerville for that one object they need. But the big draw is the restaurant and especially the mouth watering catfish.

Marie Moore works long hours and enjoys her little slice of Leon County at the Hopewell Store. Sherry’s Shots Moore’s restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, 5 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a surprisingly wide variety of dishes. Steaks and seafood are offered on the weekends. She opens on Friday and Saturday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. (According to Moore the best rib eyes around.) The salads are full of goodies and the baked potatoes are fresh and hot.

As a personal testimony to the graciousness of the staff, a couple years ago my son brought some friends to visit from Scottsdale, AZ. Of course, they wanted to eat in an “authentic” Leon County establishment and they just happened to love fried catfish. Our party of eighteen or so hungry people barely made it to The Hopewell Store before closing time.

Nonetheless, we were greeted, seated, and served just as graciously as if we had arrived at 6:00 p.m. The catfish was a great hit and, according to my son, is often discussed in Scottsdale conversations today.

Moore points to pictures hanging on the restaurant walls and says “See, I love to hang customers on my wall. I want them to have a place to come and relax and not have to worry about what they are wearing.”

Not wanting to ask Marie to share her secrets, we do not have any recipes from her but below are a couple of soup recipes that might be just what you are looking for.
Taco Soup
2 lb. hamburger meat
1 medium onion, grated
2 cans tomatoes
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Ranch Style beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can hominy
1 can green chilies
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 envelope Ranch dressing
1 ½ cup water
Brown meat with onion, then add remaining ingredients, one at a time, stirring after each. Bring to a boil, turn to low and simmer slowly for 30 minutes.
Corn Chowder
1 inch thick cube of salt pork
1 medium onion, sliced or

chopped
4 to 5 potatoes (sliced or
cubed)
2 packages frozen Niblets
corn

1 packages frozen lima beans
2 cups water
4 cups milk
2 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Dice and cook salt pork in a large iron pot until the fat is melted. Remove bits of rind. Add onions and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Add water and potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes are tender. Add remaining ingredients and heat slowly until done to taste.