Henry Barbour

Watch the latest episode of The Other Side, Mississippi Today's political podcast: ow.ly/KCpI50ZBAuq

youtube.com/playlist?list=PL… FOLKS… The texts, emails and calls come regularly. At least once a week. Sometimes more. “Jmart, I’m going to [fill-in-the-blank city], where should I eat?” friends, colleagues and sometimes folks I barely know at all will ask. Often, the question in reference is about New Orleans, America’s greatest city and the town my wife, Betsy, and I call home. But just as frequently, it’s about somewhere else, where there’s a conference or wedding or news event. I’ve yet to meet the person who doesn’t want to find a good meal on the road. Which is why this week I’m starting “On the Road with Jonathan Martin.” After over 20 years of covering politics and visiting all 50 states along the way, I’ve eaten a lot of meals with politicians and those around them. Now I want to take you with me, have you watch and listen as I sit down and (quite literally) break bread at local joints with Democrats and Republicans alike. My vision: Anthony Bourdain meets “Lunch with the FT” meets the Almanac of American Politics. We’ll talk food, politics and place, delving into yesterday and tomorrow. It’s the great question at the heart of every political story, and it couldn’t be more relevant in America’s 250th year: How did we get here, and where are we going? We begin at Wright’s BBQ in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I had the ribs (great rub), brisket and mac and cheese last week with Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders. More on that below. I’m headed to California next, where I’ll dip into some Dungeness crab with California Gov. Gavin Newsom.