From Kathleen Purvis’ blog I’ll Bite, at obsbite.blogspot.com:
When the cookbook “Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream Desserts,” the second by ice cream maker Jeni Britton Bauer, arrived on my desk, I had to crack the cover and smile. While touring with my books “Pecans” and “Bourbon” in the Savor the South cookbook series, I had the chance to make two fall trips to Nashville, for the Southern Festival of Books put on by Vanderbilt University. And Jeni’s, based in Ohio, has a major presence in Nashville.
On the first trip, I spotted a Jeni’s ice cream truck and used both brambleberry and bourbon butter pecan flavors to quench the fire from the famous Nashville hot chicken, served from a Bolton’s Hot Chicken truck. On the second trip, I had a car, which let me travel to the original Prince’s Hot Chicken. That night, I drove a group of cookbook authors and editors to dinner at Silly Goose in East Nashville. What a surprise: Silly Goose turned out to be right next door to a Jeni’s Scoop Shop. With six of us, we could sample and share a ridiculous amount of Jeni’s, including her “gravel” toppings.
Look for Jeni’s locations if you happen to be in Charleston, Atlanta (and Nashville, of course). If you aren’t, try her cookie-like Salty Graham Gravel. It’s the perfect thing to sprinkle on ice cream, homemade or store-bought. You can also sprinkle it anywhere else you need a salty/sweet crunch.