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DOE'S EAT PLACE
Interviews and photographs by Amy Evans.
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Florence
Signa
Oh, [my husband, Frank Signa] loved [shucking oysters] 'cause he'd put two in the plate and one in his mouth. He'd always slip one and as a matter of fact, we still have people that were little bitty that come in now that are grown and married and tell that he started them eating oysters on the half shell when he--when they were real little. They'd go back on the back porch and watch him open those oysters. Yeah; those were the good old days.
--Florence Signa
Florence Signa was born in 1926 and grew up in the country just outside of Greenville. When she was a young girl, her family would travel to town, buy tamales from Doe’s, and eat them on the levee. Florence met her future husband, Frank “Jughead” Signa, Big Doe Signa’s brother, in 1947. After a few dates, she got a job frying potatoes at the restaurant, and for the next year, Frank courted her in the kitchen, through the open window that divided her potato-frying from his oyster shucking. In 1948, they married, and Florence has been a part of the place ever since. Frank passed away in 1988, just one year after his older brother Doe, but Aunt Florence is still at Doe’s Eat Place three nights a week, tossing salads and greeting the generations of customers who come for a steak and a hug from their Aunt.
• • • Listen to this 3-minute audio clip of Florence Signa talking about the early days of Doe’s Eat Place and the Signa family. [Windows Media Player required. Go here to download the player for free.]
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What follows is a portion of the original interview that has been edited for length. To download the entire transcript in PDF form, please click here.
SUBJECT: Florence Signa, matriarch
DATE: September 15, 2005
LOCATION: Doe’s Eat Place-Greenville, MS
INTERVIEWER: Amy Evans
Amy Evans: This is Amy Evans on Thursday, September 15, 2005. I'm in Greenville, Mississippi, at Doe's Eat Place, and I'm here to interview Aunt Florence. Aunt Florence would you mind saying your whole name and also your birthday, please ma'am?
Florence Signa: Florence Strazi Signa, March 10, 1926, or Mrs. Frank Signa. [Laughs]
So you married into the Signa family; what year did you get married?
Nineteen forty-eight; I married the most handsome man, Frank Signa, who is--who was--who was Doe Signa's [Senior] brother, youngest brother.
How did you meet Frank?
Well we went--some--from--some girls that we paled around
with went to the Shaw Catholic Parish Fair and we were sitting there doing
the usual, playing the games, and this good-looking man walks in and he
turned around and he said, “Where are you girls going?” And
I thought, “Who is this,” you know? So anyway we played around
and played around. So then the next day, I get a phone call and he said,
“I've got two tickets to the football game; would you like to go
to the Greenville High football game? Would you like to go?” And
I said, “When is that?” He said, “Friday.” And
I thought, “Check back with me later on in the week.” I was
playing hard to get. My girl--so I called my girlfriends and I told them,
“Guess what? You know that good-looking man we were looking at?
He called me and asked me to go to the ballgame.” “What did
you tell him?” I said, “I told him to call back later.”
They said, “What?” So anyway he did; he called back later.
We had our first date to the Greenville High football game. That's where
he played football--Greenville. We both went to Greenville High. 
But
since he was nine years older than I was, I really didn't know him, but
my brothers knew him. But--so that's how we met.
Well growing up in Greenville, what did you know about Doe's Eat Place before you met Frank?
Well I lived out in the country and my daddy would take us by here to pick up tamales, and we would drive up on the levy and eat them--but had no earthly idea that I would be this part of Doe's. But--but anyway, I--I came to work a year before we married. My boyfriend--husband-to-be said that they needed some help. So he would pick me up after work on Saturdays at the furniture store where I worked, and I would come here and just fry potatoes. But if I wanted to see him it was either come and fry potatoes or go home by myself. And he opened oysters on the back porch, which it was just a window between us. I would fry potatoes at the counter and look over and he was opening oysters. So we did that and we--like I said started going together and then we married a year later--October. I had my first date with him Halloween night.
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[S]o I want to ask you about the hot tamales since you say that you came to Doe's to get the hot tamales before you met--even met your husband.
Oh, way before; I was just a young girl.
Do you have an opinion about how tamales got to the Mississippi Delta or how they stayed?
Yes; this--Doe--this man gave Doe his recipe. They sold it--I remember--I don't remember whether they bought it or whether--whether it was just given to them and they kind of revised it a little bit and that's how--that's how he started. He started just selling tamales and--and the whites would come in the back door and the blacks would come in the front door and buy the tamales. And--and of course like the history tells this you know used to be a juke joint and--but--but that's how it all got started.
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When you first started working here and were frying the potatoes, can you tell me what business was like and what kind of people would come through?
Well now Doe's sister would--Doe and Mamie would be here and then when Doe's sister, Jay Signa got--when she finished work at this department store downtown, she would come and relieve Doe and Mamie, and she would cook steaks. Of course on that small grill, which--of course Doe cooks on a big grill and the small grill now when they're busy--but I don't hardly remember--well Bill Clinton came as Governor when he was Governor--not after he was President, and of course we've had Willie Nelson and Judy Garland's daughter. I can't think of her name--what's her name? Liza Minnelli came in and--and we've had the Ambassador to Great Britain; I've got pictures of him and of course the Governors have been here, and--and Julia Reed. She's very famous, our Greenville girl; oh, Willie Morris, okay. You know when you get past 39 you kind of have a tendency to forget. But we--we've had quite a few, probably and some that we didn't--didn't even know you know that they were here. We just have people from all over the world come and eat here.
When did that--Doe's reputation start really gaining momentum? Do you have an idea?
Well it's--it's been famous from the word go, especially for the steaks. But like you say word of mouth, you know. We've had people say they got on the plane in London and they've asked them, “Where's Doe's eat place? I'm going to Mississippi.” So it's really world-known; it really is.
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And then when you married your husband how did your responsibilities here at the restaurant change?
Well, I had our first child five years after I married him,
and--no, I take it back--three years after I married him. I was 25. And
well, then you stay at home. Well then--then we would have a--a maid to
come in and--and take care of Mary Francis and then I would come and--come
and--and work when they didn't have any--you know when they needed help.
But then when Mary Francis was three years old, my husband was electrocuted.
He got his head in a 13,000 volt line and he was in and out of the hospital
all the time, which he survived, and--and then we had Frankie five years
after Mary Francis. And like I say in between children I've been working
here this long. So after my husband died 17 years ago, I--well I had been
working, but then--but then I stopped working. So then I thought well
what would 
I--what
will I do at home by myself all this time? So Doe asked me if I'd come
work a few nights a week. So I'm here working Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
and Saturday and then Doe's wife, Shug works Monday and Tuesday. And then
if I have something to do like with--to see the grandchildren or play
ball or homecoming or something like that then we swap. So it's--it's
real--it makes it real nice.
And so what do you--what do you do here when you come to work? Do you greet people and what else do you do?
I--I--well I answer the phone, take reservations, make salads, take orders to--to go out, like you say seat people, greet people and then after they're seated then I check on them and make sure everything is all right, and then--and then I cashier. So--but mostly mine is salad and cashier and answering the phone. [Laughs]
That's a good amount of stuff to be responsible for.
It keeps--keeps me busy but I love it.
What do you love about it?
I love it because I love people and I get to see people. I'm on my third--and almost fourth generation, and it's--it's just so rewarding to see all the people--all the people when they come in and of course I hug everybody that comes in and--and it's Aunt Florence, because they'll come in the front and they'll say, “Go back there and talk to my Aunt Florence.” So they'll come in, “Hey, Aunt Florence,” and I thought--I don't think he's my niece and nephew, you know. [Laughs] But anyway I love it; I do and--and I work hard now, because when I go home I take me a good hot bath and nobody has to sing me a lullaby for me to go to sleep. [Laughs]
Do you intend to stay working here as long as you can?
Well I'll be 80 in March, and I'll see. As long as I guess
this--this head can still add one and one and my legs are still holding
me up and I please my boss--that first; I should put that first--well
then I--I'm sure I'll be--I might have to cut down on my nights, you know
if I see I can't make it. But I know how to pace myself when I have to
work. I try to do all my work Monday and Tuesday at home--washing and
doing all those kind of--do cooking and all and then when I know I have
to work well then I'll rest more. So I'll be ready for the night.
Well can you talk a little bit more about when your husband was alive
and Doe, Sr. was alive and what the restaurant was like back in the day?
Well
Doe and Mamie, who is Doe (Junior) and Charles' mother and daddy, they--they--they--they
would be here in the daytime getting ready for the night and they lived--they
lived in this--this part of the restaurant and then when the--the family
got larger and the business got larger, well then they built a house on
Cedar Street. But it was--and this is the family home back here next door.
And Doe, my husband's brother, would come over and run errands for Doe
and--and Mamie and--and then Doe's sister would come over in the daytime
and help. And when we first started it was all--it was Doe's sister and
sister-in-laws that was working here. Well then they got older and so
then they had to start hiring some outsiders. But--but it was--it was
just a fun place--just a fun place. People would go and come and--and
customers would come for hot tamales to take out and if Mamie was cooking--frying
chicken or something, the customer would come by and get a piece of chicken
and just home-like, you know--just everybody came here. It just made you
feel at home. We liked everybody that come here just feel like they at
home. As a matter of fact, when they come in and they'll say--I ask them,
“Is this table all right? If it's not move it around, move the furniture
around; make yourself at home.” [Laughs] But we do--we--we like
to make everybody that comes in here feel at home.
Well do I remember correctly that the family would have Sunday supper here in the restaurant and cook a big--cook a big meal?
We've had--we've had lots of reunions here, the family; all the family gets together and of course Doe's mother and daddy really could cook. Oh, they could--they were real good cooks and they really could--really could. Yeah; they--they all gone now; I'm the only aunt that Doe has left. My husband was from a family of 12 and I was from a family of six, and I'm the only one left in my family and the only one left in the Signa family.
I'd say. So tell me a little bit about your husband. What was he like?
He was a jolly man. He loved to joke. He loved to dance, loved music, loved people and we--we had a wonderful life. We traveled; we used to go to his Army reunions. They'd have them every--every other year and we'd travel all over the United States to go to his Army reunions. And--and we--they would have the big bands--Tommy Dorsey out at the American Legion and we'd always--and when the music started he was ready to go; he was ready to dance. As a matter of fact, the ladies would line up and want him to dance with them. He was a wonderful dancer. He loved music. And even after his accident when he lost half of a foot, you'd never know it. He'd still get out there and just dance away. He just loved dancing and of course, I loved dancing, too. But--but I haven't danced since he died. I can't find a partner to dance like he did. [Laughs]
Do I understand that he had a nickname also?
Jughead.
Uh-huh; can you tell me about that?
He got that in high school playing football and so that's--that's how he got that--that name. As a matter of fact, people would call him Jug or Jughead and--and but he--he liked--he liked that name; he sure did. He loved that name.
So he shucked the oysters here for Doe's?
Yeah; he sure did…Oh, he loved it 'cause he'd put two in the plate and one in his mouth. He'd always slip one and as a matter of fact, we still have people that were little bitty that come in now that are grown and married and tell that he started them eating oysters on the half shell when he--when they were real little. They'd go back on the back porch and watch him open those oysters. Yeah; those were the good old days. I love to talk about them. They really were.
Tell me some more stories. What else do you remember from the good old days?
Well on--on Sundays right after my husband and I married, we didn't--we didn't own a car. So Doe would come pick us up. Well I'd--I'd go home after--we'd go home after--we were walking distance from the church. So we'd walk to church and walk back to our little apartment right on Broadway and I'd start lunch and Mamie would call, “What you doing?” “Fixing lunch.” “Turn everything off. Doe will be by to pick you up; you're going to have lunch with us.” So I'd come and I'd help her cook and I'd--I'd sit right at this table and make her favorite pies. I haven't made one since, but I--one of these days I'm going to make it. It's fruit cream cheese pie, but I'd make the pies and…we would go and come over here and we'd eat right here, because this is where they lived. And--and then Doe would take us home, take us back to our apartment. We ate--we ate too much to walk back; so. But we--we--we just had--the Signa family just took me in and I loved every one of them. They--they--I have never had a misunderstanding with them. They were all--they were just--they were every one of them--all 12 of them were just as nice to me as they could be. I couldn't have married into a more wonderful family--sure did.
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Can you talk about how you construct a Doe's salad?
Our salad is lettuce, onion, and tomatoes. We rub the bowl
with garlic and when it's--and--and the dressing is fresh-squeezed lemon
juice--not that bottled stuff, fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil,
and you just toss it good. You've got to toss it real good for that oil
and 
lemon
to mix in with that garlic, and salt and everybody loves it. We sell a--we
make a many a bowl of salad here at night. We really do.
Is there a certain ratio of lemon juice to oil that you use or do you just eyeball it?
Yeah; no, this--this we've got a measuring cup that we measure. It's three-fourths cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a cup and a half of olive oil. And I'm sure they don't mind me telling our secret. It's no secret 'cause I tell customers that come in and they'll say, “I've tried that but mine didn't taste like that.” And I tell them, “Don't feel bad; mine didn't taste like that at home either.”
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So what's it like when it gets really busy in here?
Oh, Lord. It's people standing out front. Doe has got lawn chairs out front for them to sit in and they'll come in and get a beer, or maybe Doe might put some tamales out there for them to much on to wait while they're waiting. And I'll go out there and tell them, “Y'all are having such a good time out here, I don't think y'all want to come in and sit down and eat,” and they--they do. And it's people--and they meet different people. Like one night I had two groups of fours and--and conversation--one was way up the country and one was somewhere in Mississippi. They got to talking and they said, “Can we sit together? We've become such good friends.” That's how it is here at Doe's. They--they--they make more friends here; they really do. They really do.
But you know Charles and Doe are like my sons. Their mother died when Doe was just a small child. And I really see them more than I see my own children. And I love them and their wives just like they belong to me. They really do. They're two wonderful boys.
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What would your husband and your brother-in-law, Doe, what would they think about this today?
Oh, they would just be beaming. I'm sure they're up there looking down on us guiding us right and--and I'm sure they're both talking and--and just discussing--there might be some things they might see up--from up there that they don't approve of, but anyway I'm sure they would be well-pleased. I'm sure they would be well-pleased.
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To download the entire transcript in PDF form, please click here.
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