Gustav doesn’t dampen annual Lewis catfish fry
Posted on Sunday, September 7, 2008
FAYETTEVILLE — Gustav be damned, Bev and Harley Lewis’ annual fall fish fry went off as planned.
As the last of the tropical storm moved across the area Tuesday, Lady Razorback Foundation friends and supporters joined University of Arkansas coaches and administrators for heaping plates of Southern-fried, farm-raised catfish under tents and in the dry confines of the Lewises’ garage. Bev Lewis is associate vice chancellor and executive associate athletic director at the UA.
Guests sipped beer and wine and mingled among Harley Lewis’ woodworking equipment — saws, vises and the like — much of which was used to create trim, cabinets and furniture in the couple’s home on Fairway Lane and at their cabin on the White River.
Even in the tightest of back-toschool schedules, the party is a gig few would miss. As in years past, Carter Harrison, owner of King Kat Inc., made the four-hour trek from Carlisle, bringing his mobile kitchen and 120 pounds of catfish with him.
The menu also included chicken tenders, french fries, coleslaw, baked beans, hush puppies and cookies. Harrison cooks it all in a big white trailer he parks on the premises and serves it buffet-style. He has catered events all over the state and beyond — “from the outhouse to the White House” (his cooking expertise was requested in Washington in 1993, during former President Clinton’s first year in office ).
“It’s something I enjoy doing. It’s pleasing people,” Harrison says.
He says he started as a catfish supplier, then moved into the realm of cooking. He “turned pro” with a chamber of commerce event for farmers in Pine Bluff in 1980 and became a staple at Razorback-related events for coaches, players and fans during the Frank Broyles era of football.
Despite the rain, the night was said to be one of the most jovial in its 13-year history.
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