Dolly Parton’s Dixie Stampede is surely the most unusual dinner experience I’ve ever had. Civil War? Yes. Silverware? Nope. With huge animals and constant audience participation, it’s an awful lot to wrap your head around. Still even someone like me, who is rarely willing to suspend his disbelief, was completely won over eventually. 

When I called the Dixie Stampede offices for dinner reservations, the woman found a good pair of tickets… but they were on the north side. Was that all right? ”I suppose that’s fine,” I said. “I’ve never been there.” She immediately perked up and told me about the plot – deciding who wins the Civil War, with unlimited Pepsi. In that case, OK!

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