Best Southern Meal?

[ugadevil]

This past week, I was fortunate enough to have dinner at the Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, GA. Social Circle is a few miles off I-20 between Atlanta and Augusta and I highly recommend it if you ever get a chance to stop by.

The menu is southern cooking to the core. A buffet of fried chicken, fried pork chops, ham, and a variety of vegetables that are either fried or cooked in a pan full of butter. Also, wonderful soups, cornbread and an entire plate full of desserts. And to drink, Sweet Tea that probably makes you 10x more likely to become diabetic.

The meal there made me wonder what everyone would consider their favorite "southern meal". I almost feel like some sort of deep fried item should be a requirement for it to qualify as southern but I think anyone can make a case for a good southern meal.

So I pose my question, what is/are your favorite "southern" foods or meals?

[Lavabe]

This past week, I was fortunate enough to have dinner at the Blue Willow Inn in Social Circle, GA. Social Circle is a few miles off I-20 between Atlanta and Augusta and I highly recommend it if you ever get a chance to stop by.

The menu is southern cooking to the core. A buffet of fried chicken, fried pork chops, ham, and a variety of vegetables that are either fried or cooked in a pan full of butter. Also, wonderful soups, cornbread and an entire plate full of desserts. And to drink, Sweet Tea that probably makes you 10x more likely to become diabetic.

The meal there made me wonder what everyone would consider their favorite "southern meal". I almost feel like some sort of deep fried item should be a requirement for it to qualify as southern but I think anyone can make a case for a good southern meal.

So I pose my question, what is/are your favorite "southern" foods or meals?

What, no hushpuppies? [Obligate reference to another thread]
What, no 'cue? [Obligate reference to another thread]

Without straying into other threads, a good shrimp 'n' grits is hard to beat.

Blue Willow IS good food!

Technically, the Brunswick Stew and a good Belgian Ale are dandy at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[allenmurray]

Country Ham (sliced pretty thick and very salty)
Fried Eggs (that you can smush up in your . . . )
Grits (the real kind that take about 45 minutes to cook)
Biscuits (w/ blackberry jam)
Sliced tomatoes in season (plop one down right in the middle of your grits)

[TillyGalore]

Without straying into other threads, a good shrimp 'n' grits is hard to beat.

Cheers,
Lavabe

I'm a big fan of shrimp 'n' grits and cheddar cheese.

I even made it one time using Crook's Corner's recipe. It pained me knowing I was making a dish from a place located in the dump on the hump.

[wilson]

I too am a big fan of shrimp and grits. I also really like a good pot roast or a giant plate of fried chicken livers. They have really good ones at the Colonnade in Atlanta.

[captmojo]

Potted Meat, Saltine Crackers, RC Cola, Moon Pie

[rthomas]

Southern New Years Day:
Hoppin John
Roast pork
Collard greens
Cornbread
Watermelon rind pickles

[BlueDevilBaby]

Fried catfish
hushpuppies
any veggie will do
pecan pie

[Tommac]

Fried Chicken
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pecan Pie

[Channing]

as a somewhat observant Jew i am precluded from enjoying many Southern Delicacies . . .

But my favorite is the classic:

Large Buttermilk Biscuits
Scrambled Eggs
Slow Cooked Gritz

[ugadevil]

What, no hushpuppies? [Obligate reference to another thread]
What, no 'cue? [Obligate reference to another thread]

Cheers,
Lavabe

Fear not! On the weekends, Blue Willow features their seafood along with the tradiitonal southern stuff. Fried catfish, fried shrimp, multiple kinds of crab, and hushpuppies are all included on the menu. I think they bring out the BBQ too!


I've never had Shrimp n Grits but I might try it tomorrow night at a great local place here in Athens. Just curious, how is the shrimp prepared when they do it? Fried?

[devildeac]

What, no hushpuppies? [Obligate reference to another thread]
What, no 'cue? [Obligate reference to another thread]

Without straying into other threads, a good shrimp 'n' grits is hard to beat.

Blue Willow IS good food!

Technically, the Brunswick Stew and a good Belgian Ale are dandy at the Brickstore Pub in Decatur!

Cheers,
Lavabe

WHAT, no collards?????????????

[Lavabe]

WHAT, no collards?????????????

You are mean!

ugadevil: Not sure if the Willow does the shrimp & grits, but Athens has a few places that do it. I've had shrimp 'n' grits different ways; fried shrimp, shrimp w/cajun spices, shrimp broiled, shrimp boiled, shrimp sauteed, barbecued shrimp, shrimp w/jalapenos, ... [obligate Forrest Gump reference]. Here in Atlanta, the Buckhead Bakery has some of the tastiest shrimp 'n' grits I've ever had. Gladys & Ron's does a good version too.

Which Athens place? My one semester teaching there was a lot of fun!

Cheers,
Lavabe

[ugadevil]

You are mean!

Which Athens place? My one semester teaching there was a lot of fun!

Well we're going with some friends from Auburn to Last Resort because they've heard all about it and wanted to try it. I thought they had Shrimp n Grits but after checking the menu, it's salmon n grits they serve, not shrimp.

Any places you ate at in Athens that you'd recommend? I'm always looking try new ones.

[shereec]

things not yet mentioned for breakfast:
red-eye gravy on those grits.
take one of those homemade biscuits, poke a hole in the side with your finger and pour molasses in.

lunch - thick slices of super ripe tomato on white bread with lots of mayo, salt & pepper

dinner - I am happy with a veggie plate - just about any kind of vegetable, but it should include fried okra

[micah75]

calzone with real ricotta cheese
fresh corn on the cob with buttah
whole wheat buttah rolls
fresh garden spinach--sauteed
tossed lettuce/tomato/avacado salad w/blue cheese dressing
broccoli/cheese casserole
eggplant parmesan

rhubarb pie

[Channing]

Well we're going with some friends from Auburn to Last Resort because they've heard all about it and wanted to try it. I thought they had Shrimp n Grits but after checking the menu, it's salmon n grits they serve, not shrimp.

Any places you ate at in Athens that you'd recommend? I'm always looking try new ones.

Make sure someone orders the red velvet cake . . . its other-worldly.

[wilson]

Six Feet Under across the street from Oakland Cemetery in Atlanta also has fantastic shrimp & grits, but that's far from the only fantastic thing they have...one of my favorite places in town.

[ArnieMc]

In 1976, South Carolina declared grits the official state food:

Whereas, throughout its history, the South has relished its grits, making them a symbol of its diet, its customs, its humor, and its hospitality, and whereas, every community in the State of south Carolina used to be the site of a grist mill and every local economy in the State used to be dependent on its product; and whereas, grits has been a part of the life of every South Carolinian of whatever race, background, gender, and income; and whereas, grits could very well play a vital role in the future of not only this State, but also the world, if as The Charleston News and Courier proclaimed in 1952: 'An inexpensive, simple, and thoroughly digestible food, [grits] should be made popular throughout the world. given enough of it, the inhabitants of planet Earth would have nothing to fight about. A man full of [grits] is a man of peace.'

[ugadevil]

i'll nominate what i had for lunch today as one of the best southern meals.

fried catfish
green beans
macaroni & cheese
hushpuppies
cornbread
sweet tea

lavabe - did you ever eat at plantation buffet while you were in athens? catfish friday is truly an experience.