Food

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

Far East Restaurant is a bit of a local legend. The Asian eatery has stood for decades on East Main Street in Murfreesboro, just off of the MTSU campus.

After changes, both in ownership and in name, the establishment is now back to Far East, and the Chinese favorites remain— chow mein, lo mein, General Tsu’s favorite chicken, pepper steak, egg rolls and fried rice.

The delicious beef lo mein has a lot of flavors going on—lots of mushroom pieces along with carrots, cabbage, broccoli, ginger and sauce, accented with a strong basil flavor.

A recent diner also had high praise for the shrimp lo mein, and for the speedy service.

Far East offers a very extensive menu of tasty Asian dishes. So, you just want some chicken and rice? Well, do you want kung pao chicken, pineapple chicken, cashew chicken, sesame chicken or lemon chicken?

The General Tsu’s favorite chicken in a sweet sauce was just spicy enough. Very tasty.

And the roast pork has earned lots of positive comments.

“Their General Tsu’s chicken is phenomenal, as is the roasted pork. The pork is slow-roasted in a Thai sauce,” said a Far East patron, Ron.

Oran Snelling also recommended the roasted pork, along with pepper steak and General Tsu’s. Most Far East dishes are in the $10–$13 range; get an order of four egg rolls for only $3.50. In addition to all of the Chinese selections, Far East now boasts a full Thai menu as well, with curries,

The Dish larb, pad see ew, pad Thai and pho. “They have the best RESTAURANT red curry I’ve ever had,” Far East another Far East fan, LOCATION 1529 E. Main St., Murfreesboro Nicki, reported earlier in 2022, going as far PHONE 615-890-1413 as calling the establishment “my favorite restaurant in MurfreesHOURS Monday–Thursday: 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m.; Friday 10:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.; boro. The ladies who work there are so sweet! The food is great and

Saturday: 11:30 a.m.– comes out fast, and it is 8:30 p.m. extremely low-priced. PRICES Tofu is not on the menu,

Chicken pad Thai: $12.25; but you can substitute Beef lo mein: $11.95; it for any meat, which I

Cashew chicken: $10.95; like to do. However, the 4 chicken or pork egg roll: $3.50; Small order of General Tsu’s favorite chicken: $6.75; pork is awesome.” Another recent diner

Shrimp fried rice: $12.50; said the green curry Roast pork: $11.95 was a must-try. ONLINE For lunch, Far East fareastrestaurant.org offers a steam bar with ready-made dishes. No, it’s not an all-you-can-eat buffet, but rather a hot-and-ready cafeteria style section where customers can obtain a quick lunch. Walk right in, pick out a few items from the hot bar and you are eating your lunch. One lunch customer was quite pleased he could try the roast pork, General’s chicken, mixed vegetables, rice, noodles, egg roll, spring roll and sweet and sour chicken off of the bar. “Food was hot and fresh,” he reported. Though another diner observed that “dependent on how busy they are as to how fresh your food will be.” Though many like the speediness of the bar, others suggest ordering from the menu for a slightly more elegant sit-down experience. The Far East dining room is comfortable and welcoming, certainly not what one would call new, fancy or modern; a “quaint” interior, as another customer said. Chan Plaengnam founded Far East and ran it for many years. After the spot had a

very brief stint as “Bangkokville,” Dr. Xai and Panola Saenphansiri obtained ownership of the restaurant, now back under the Far East banner.

Xai also owns and operates Xai Family Medical Clinic in Murfreesboro.

Local diners know the Asian restaurant scene in Murfreesboro remains quite competitive and active. Some may have their favorite Chinese, Thai or Lao spots other than Far East, preferring a spicier dish, perhaps, or a certain type of curry. It may not offer truly authentic and traditional East Asian food and experience, according to some of Asian descent.

One diner did not find the texture of the Far East fried rice very appealing; another requested the restaurant to “Bring back the curly noodles and get rid of them spaghetti looking noodles.”

But for a warm and flavorful meal in a quick and relaxed eatery near a college campus—one that has long filled the bellies of MTSU students and professors, a place where many long-time residents have made memories over the years—give Far East a shot.

Far East has “been a favorite since I was in a high-chair!” Alicia Hill commented.

Susan Jacobus, another Murfreesboro resident, is equally as excited about the newest incarnation of Far East.

“It was as delicious as it was in 1985,” she said. “Food was on point! We are so happy the food is back to original recipes.”

EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2022 RED BICYCLE MURFREESBORO WILL BE

Same Great Coffee, Same Great Food Same Great Service, Same Owner, New Name 2 LOCATIONS 13 S. Public Square • 1733 St. Andrews Dr.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR MORE INFO @RedBicycleBoro

Come Eat Barbecue and Beans . . . And Get Gas. Weekly Specials

MONDAY — Smoked Meatloaf TUESDAY — BBQ Potato or BBQ Sundae WEDNESDAY — Burnt Ends THURSDAY— Cowboy Nachos FRIDAY — Fried Catfish on Red Beans & Rice SIDES: FatGuy Beans, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Cornbread, Mac & Cheese, Texas Taters, Turnip Greens

6 a.m.–6 p.m. Monday–Friday (food) 904 NW Broad St., 6 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Friday (store) 7 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday (food and store) ( Murfreesboro KWIK SAK between Toot’s and Hardee’s) 615-318-6602

Contemporary American Dining

STORY BY BRACKEN MAYO PHOTOS BY SARAH MAYO

For the waterfall fan looking for some beautiful features contained within a short distance, Tennessee’s Greeter Falls Loop trail leads to multiple scenic falls while covering a variety of terrain.

Near the small mountain town of Altamont (elevation 1,854 feet), not too far outside of Manchester, the Greeter site, once home to a family bearing that name, has now become part of the massive South Cumberland State Park.

Two sections make up Greeter Falls, one just upstream from the other. Upper Greeter Falls, a very neat and striking feature of its own, plunges 15 feet. A huge boulder sits in Firescald Creek at the base of this waterfall, and hikers can walk, with caution, right up to the top, or bottom, of the Upper Falls.

Nearby, the even taller and more impressively picturesque Lower Greeter Falls sends the Tennessee creek down 50 feet into a stunningly beautiful plunge pool below.

How blue the water in the pool at the base of Lower Greeter Falls appeared on a breezy, mild winter day!

During hotter months, this area should make a fantastic swimming hole.

To get to these features, a trailhead begins just off the Greeter Falls parking lot, a roomy, paved parking area a couple of miles from downtown Altamont.

At the trailhead, a trail option to go right leads four-tenths of a mile to an area called Blue Hole a bit farther upstream Firescald, which according to reports is a suitable swimming area as well.

But going left at the trail’s beginning takes a hiking party on the Greeter Falls Loop.

The trail is very level as it begins, covered in sand in some sections, and not too diffi cult at all.

Just a short distance from the parking area, a very short offshoot trail leads to the site of the old Greeter homeplace. A large well and the foundation of a cabin remain at this site, where the Greeter family constructed a home in the 1880s. John W. Greeter, the grandson of original settler John G. Greeter, sold the property to the State of Tennessee in 1980. John W. actually lived in this cabin in his youth.

Back to the loop, the primary trail covers lots of various, interesting terrain as it travels to the waterfalls. A hiker shouldn’t get bored on this trail, which is fl at in some areas, steep in others, heavily wooded with towering old pine trees and other forestry, and featuring lots of rock face. Pay attention. It goes from fl at to steep, uphill, downhill, along massive rock walls to creekside, rocky, rooty, and from leafy to sandy. In short order, one can walk right up to an overlook above Upper Greeter Falls. Whoa! It’s straight down. Use caution if you stray off of the trail to get a view of the falls from above. After visiting Upper Greeter and getting back to the loop trail, a big, metal (sometimes slightly slippery) spiral staircase installed in the woods leads down to Lower Greeter Falls, allowing walkers to descend down a vertical rocky section to access the main waterfall. Another wooden staircase leads almost all the way to the pool below Lower Greeter. A large slanted rock can make the last few steps a bit treacherous for those distracted by the impressive falls, but here you have made it and can take in the blue water, blue sky and tranquil sound of perpetually rushing water in the isolated wooded hills of Tennessee. Visitors can then continue on the loop trail, which leads to even more waterfalls, though not quite as

If You Go striking, or accessible. Sometimes Broadtree Falls can be

GREETER FALLS only a trickle during Greeter Falls Road, Altamont, TN dry periods, nowhere (off of Tennessee Highway 56) nearly as impressive 931-924-2980 as Greeter, but it provides another element of the Tennessee forest to view in the area. “The waterfalls were beautiful and totally worth the climb,” one recent visitor said. “The trail may be diffi cult for smaller children and a little nerve-wracking for parents at the places where there are bluffs, but allin-all a fabulous hike!” The Greeter Falls area could also be a possible rock climbing paradise for the experienced outdoor climber. Greeter Falls Loop may not be a trail for the complete beginner, with some steep portions, slippery rocks and bluffs very near the trail at some parts, but it’s not overwhelmingly diffi cult either. Tennessee State Park literature calls the trail, a journey of just over a mile which leads to multiple waterfalls, numerous bluffs, swimming areas and a historic homeplace site, “one of the best short waterfall hikes on the plateau.” And if a hiking party needs some more adventure, take the small swinging bridge near Broadtree Falls to access the 90-plus miles of additional trails and attractive features South Cumberland State Park offers.

STORY BY LAURA LINDSAY | PHOTOS BY ASHLEIGH NEWNES

MIDDLE POINT LANDFILL, located in Rutherford County near Walter Hill, currently takes in about 3,700 tons of waste each day, and the company that owns the landfill wants to expand.

The landfill, at 750 E. Jefferson Pike, takes in household trash from 34 Tennessee counties. It is operated by BFI Waste Systems of Tennessee, owned by Phoenixbased Republic Services.

People who live nearby talk about the smell, noticeable to varying degrees, peaking at certain times depending perhaps on the weather or maybe when trash is uncovered in order to bury more.

“For me, when we moved in, there was no disclosure that this was a problem,” said Shelly Mullins, who lives near the landfill. “When we bought the house and did the walk-through and everything, there was no smell.

“The smell is very intermittent. We were there maybe a week, and we were like, ‘What on earth is that smell? It’s god-awful.’ It’s like the smell at the bottom of your dumpster and permeates everything.”

And now, to Mullins’ discouragement, the landfill is considering a 95-acre expansion.

Republic Services wants to expand the existing 207-acre landfill by nearly 100 acres. Former Tennessee State Rep. Joe Carr, who is running for Rutherford County mayor, said this will prolong its approximate 7 years of remaining use to about 25 years.

On its website, middlepointlandfill.com, Republic Services said “Landfills are an essential part of the infrastructure necessary for a community to function, and their role is increasingly vital as our population grows and the number of active, permitted landfills decline.

“Republic is committed to operating landfills with environmental practices and policies that are good for our customers, local businesses and residents. Equipped with a team of professional landfill experts, including more than 160 environmental managers, engineers and scientists across the U.S., we work to ensure that the longterm management of the country’s waste materials is regenerative to the planet.”

In March 2021, a class action lawsuit was brought by Justin Burriss against BFI Waste Systems seeking property damages based on the allegation that noxious odors emitted from the landfill invaded nearby properties and to force them to mitigate the smell.

But Carr said the landfill can’t actually be shut down based on its smell alone.

“The reason we have a massive smell problem is because we’ve gone from 3,000 tons to 4,500 tons a day, and they do not have the technologies in place to remedy the smell caused by the increase in volume,” he said. “And they don’t compost, they don’t recycle, they don’t incinerate— they aren’t into any of that—it’s not how they make money.

“Republic Services is in the business of doing one thing—they bury trash. That’s it. Every ton of trash they bury—it doesn’t matter where it comes from—is a ton of trash they make money on.”

Carr said in 1987, when the landfill first opened, Republic quickly determined that it could not make money on burying only Rutherford County trash.

“They decided to accept trash from outside the county,” he said. “So the deal they cut was they will not charge Rutherford County pickup for the convenience centers—a tipping fee—and when trash is dropped off, Republic Services will pay Rutherford County $1.20 per ton for all trash buried at the landfill that comes from outside the county.

“The county then agreed—and, it is in the contract—that they will not limit or restrict in any manner any waste delivered to the landfill, regardless of whether it is generated within or outside of the county.

This is why we can’t shut it down or make it county-owned,” Carr said. “It’s the contract. It’s a rotten contract, and it is what controls everything about the landfill. It is going to be very difficult—but not impossible—for us to keep them from expanding because they are abiding by the rules and regulations, and the trash has to go somewhere.”

As far as the proposed expansion, under state law, the Regional Planning Board is required to consider and either approve or deny Republic’s application before the Tennessee Department of Environmental Conservation can commence its own review, according to a statement the City of Murfreesboro issued. “By law, TDEC is precluded from reviewing Republic’s proposal if the City rejects Republic’s application.”

In July 2021, the Central Tennessee Regional Solid Waste Planning Board voted unanimously to reject the application, upon a finding that Republic’s proposal was incompatible and inconsistent with Rutherford County’s 10-year solid waste plan. Local residents spoke in opposition to the proposed landfill, citing the strong, noxious odors emitted from the current landfill and concerns about impacts on health and quality of life.

BFI filed suit, and a Chancery Court Judge ordered the matter returned to the

“The reason we have a massive smell problem is because we’ve gone from 3,000 tons to 4,500 tons a day, and they do not have the technologies in place to remedy the smell caused by the increase in volume. And they don’t compost, they don’t recycle, they don’t incinerate—they aren’t into any of that—it’s not how they make money.”

Solid Waste Planning Board so it can consider additional evidence.

The board reopened public hearings; part of the additional evidence the City of Murfreesboro pieced together from records at TDEC included information on tons of aluminum dross that has been dumped at the landfill.

On Feb. 24, 2022, the Solid Waste Planning Board again voted unanimously in denying the application to expand.

“It will still go before a judge and eventually to TDEC,” said local resident Edward Phillips. “This isn’t completely over yet.”

Current Tennessee State Rep. Bryan Terry, of the 48th district, serving Rutherford County, acknowledged the landfill is a very complex situation.

In the past, Terry said, those seeking to limit or shut down the landfill have tried to work on what can be brought to the landfill and who can bring it there.

“But even if I can prohibit other counties in the state of Tennessee from bringing their trash to Rutherford County, I can’t block Middle Point from bringing trash in from outside of the state,” Terry said. “So even if we were able to block Davidson County from dumping their trash here, that doesn’t stop Republic from contracting with Birmingham or even New York.

“With the amount of growth that we are getting, I don’t think it is proper for this area in Tennessee to be dumped on. The Jackson Law [in Tennessee Code] allows a county or municipality to get local input for a new landfill to be built or an existing landfill to be expanded. Unfortunately,” Terry said, “it appears as that if a landfill was permitted prior to that date in 1989 that the locals do not have that privilege, and Middle Point was permitted prior to 1989.”

Terry said, the Jackson Law and the contract are two huge hurdles. The first hurdle is at the state and local level, and the contract is at the county level.

“The question now is whether or not there are things that we can do that could allow a challenge to that contract,” he said.

Carr said his solution is for the county to take control of the contract through Tennessee law and renegotiate it.

“We need some authority and oversight,” he said. “Republic isn’t a bad operator, Rutherford County has just grown a lot.”

“And then we need to recycle and compost our trash without other people’s trash coming in there.

Carr said he does applaud the legislature for trying to find solutions, but until the parties agree to alter the binding contract between Rutherford County and Republic Services, “nothing will happen.”

Terry said he has asked constituents, the city, the county and anybody for ideas on any legislative solutions or anything they think can be done at a state level.

“Lawsuits may be filed, but still there has to be solutions,” Terry said. “If anyone at all has any ideas of solutions, I hope they share them with me.”

Reach State Rep. Bryan Terry at rep.bryan. terry@capitol.tn.gov. Reach Joe Carr at joecarr48@gmail.com. View the Municipal Solid Waste Landfills: National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants and other relevant environmental regulations at epa.gov.