The Fairhope Tire Company GRITS.
This is a story I just have to tell.
Once in a while Miz t. and I take a 2-3 hour culinary course offered at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear Alabama.
We took one about breakfast.
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/culinary-academy-breakfast-and-brunch-tickets-53567015385
The executive chef made grits.
He cooked them in milk.
Never heard of that. I always cooked grits in water.
He put LOTS of butter in the cooking grits.
These were not instant grits.
These were long cooking grits.
30-45 minutes. Stirring almost constantly.
We each got a sample when they were done.
I never had grits like this.
I'm 77, and I've been eating grits for probably 75 years.
They weren't like a cereal.
They were coarser that store bought (Jim Dandy) grits, chewy and very corn flavorful and had some 'heft'.
They. Were. FANTASTIC!
"Where did you get the grits?"
"We get our grits from the Fairhope Tire Company. We use about 200 pounds a week."
"Hold it. Fairhope Tire Company? Seriously?"
"Yep. It's a place where they sell tires, but the founder started making grits in a back room back in the 1940s. When he died his son took over the business and continued making the grits."
Of course I had to get some.
We went to the tire store and parked in back where the grist mill was located in a small room. There was corn dust everywhere. The propriotor was there and gave us a tour.
He told us that commercially produced grits are microwaved to kill vermin eggs, etc.
He said that affects the taste and texture.
He doesn't microwave his, but keeps them in a freezer.
We keep them in the freezer too. I guess cooking kills any buggy stuff.
Anyway, these are the best grits I've ever had. We bought some of his cornmeal too.
Best cornbread ever.
If you like grits, and you're ever in Fairhope, Alabama...
= new reply since forum marked as read
The grits sold now, called "quick", "instant", "5 minute", etc. are NOTHING like the grits I used to cook that took about 30 minutes. They are tasteless. But I didn't buy mine from the Fairhope Tire Company! just the grocery 
Surely there are other sources, still, hopefully for that type of grits! Would they be called "stone-ground"???
my southern roots didn't bring grits, though we had hominy and of course cornbread, but I don't know from grits...however, I do keep my cornmeal and masa harina in the freezer. 
