Muskrat love

"Muskrat Suzie, Muskrat Sam
Do the jitterbug at a Muskrat Land"

- Muskrat Love

You need to have an open mind and mouth when you're a food writer.

And I considered it taking one for the team when I sampled the soaked and fried muskrat - an old-school, regional dish - served several years ago at the Wagon Wheel restaurant in Smyrna.

This dark, stringy, marshy-tasting meat has its fans, but I'm not one of them.

I still get chill bumps thinking about it.

Well, the 'rat dinners are back. Muskrat will be served at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant, 110 S. DuPont Highway, in Smyrna; 653-1457; starting Tuesday, Jan 13, and will continue every Tuesday night from 4 to 9 p.m. until the season ends sometime in March.