Anne Vidal Willett

PROPRIETOR, THE PIG OUT INN BARBEQUE

“People like to talk to visitors in Natchez. You’ll probably hear more than you ever wanted to know.”

First, order the ribs. By the time you tear into them, you’ll spot Anne. She’ll be darting around Canal Street’s Pig Out Inn, her eye shadow likely chosen to match her shirt. Everyone digs her ’cue, so she keeps track of the town’s goings-on. Anne inherited that from her dad, who followed local politics and worked as a circuit clerk. Her family tree supports gilded branches, including Don Jose Vidal, the 18th-century Spanish governor of this territory. (Vidalia, Louisiana, sitting on the oppo¬site side of the river, owes its name to him.)

Ask about: Her ancestors’ connection to Louise The Unfortunate.

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