Southern Food Appreciation Thread

robertorex · Apr 1, 2009

Originally Posted by tdangio

QFT, and it would keep me in much better shape for mountaineering than sitting behind a desk staring at I-85/75 all day.

Yeah man, imagine that, years ago people would eat a shitton of fried and ***** food and get paid to work it off and keep themselves in shape. These days, the food is still fried and ***** and we have to pay gyms to work it off. Humanity made a mistake somewhere.

kakemono · Apr 1, 2009

Go to a big church that is having a potluck in the south... mmmmmmmm

Just don't worry about calories...

Liam · Apr 1, 2009

I've never been to the South or had real southern fried food. I'd be curious to try grits though, no idea if it is a pancake mixture or what the hell it is.

Grayland · Apr 1, 2009

Originally Posted by Liam

I've never been to the South or had real southern fried food. I'd be curious to try grits though, no idea if it is a pancake mixture or what the hell it is.

As a Southerner, I will tell you that what often passes for grits isn't very good. What you find in most grocery stores is usually made by Quaker and is usually instant. There is a place in South Carolina (Anson Mills) that will ship grits and cornmeal that are considered world-class by many chefs. I believe Thomas Keller from The French Laundry uses them.

Plain grits don't have a lot of flavor. It would similar to eating a plain bowl of Cream of Wheat except, of course, with a corn flavor. Not much to it. Grits are often fancied up with cream, cheese, and garlic and is a starchy base upon which to put full-flavored foods. Shrimp and Grits is a common breakfast dish in the Carolinas. Even if they are served plain, they are often topped with red-eye gravy or with some fried eggs so you can enrich them.

robertorex · Apr 1, 2009

Originally Posted by Grayland

As a Southerner, I will tell you that what often passes for grits isn't very good. What you find in most grocery stores is usually made by Quaker and is usually instant. There is a place in South Carolina (Anson Mills) that will ship grits and cornmeal that are considered world-class by many chefs. I believe Thomas Keller from The French Laundry uses them.

Plain grits don't have a lot of flavor. It would similar to eating a plain bowl of Cream of Wheat except, of course, with a corn flavor. Not much to it. Grits are often fancied up with cream, cheese, and garlic and is a starchy base upon which to put full-flavored foods. Shrimp and Grits is a common breakfast dish in the Carolinas. Even if they are served plain, they are often topped with red-eye gravy or with some fried eggs so you can enrich them.

I remember seeing a video of ronnie coleman having grits first thing in the morning up with a shake of extreme whey protein... kind of turned me off the instant grits before I could try it.

edinatlanta · Apr 1, 2009

Originally Posted by Liam

I've never been to the South or had real southern fried food. I'd be curious to try grits though, no idea if it is a pancake mixture or what the hell it is.

A vehicle for butter, gravy, or anything else.

I however, like them plain.

JayJay · Apr 1, 2009

Originally Posted by edinatlanta

A vehicle for butter, gravy, or anything else.

I however, like them plain.
I also like the plain with a single pat of butter. I'm not a fan of grits swimming in butter or cheese grits.

auto90403 · Apr 2, 2009

Originally Posted by cheessus

Possibly a bigot, but he does claim to come from/reside in McLean, VA and Santa Monica, CA, the douche capital of the East and West Coast respectively.
A bigot? Because I think Southern cooking is, as far as death food diets go, one of the worst? Oh - and people in Palo Alto shouldn't throw stones? Jesus Christ, I make a few nuanced observations the crap you banjo-pluckin', sister-******* hillbilly marsupials put in your mouths and what happens? You all go ape **** and start attacking me. Give a guy a break. I'm trying to help.

Tardek · Apr 2, 2009

Originally Posted by robertorex

Yeah man, imagine that, years ago people would eat a shitton of fried and ***** food and get paid to work it off and keep themselves in shape. These days, the food is still fried and ***** and we have to pay gyms to work it off. Humanity made a mistake somewhere.

I heard that licking her asshole can fix it.

MrG · Apr 2, 2009

Originally Posted by auto90403

Since when do poor white trash and blacks produce good food?

Take Washington, DC. Were it not for Asians and Hispanics and a few other ethnic groups, it would be a culinary wasteland. It used to be you had to go north -- Baltimore -- for decent food. Go south -- Richmond -- and everything's fried.

This thread is mind-boggling. There are normal people who like Southern cooking? Who knew?

Originally Posted by auto90403

A bigot?

Jesus Christ, I make a few nuanced observations the crap you banjo-pluckin', sister-******* hillbilly marsupials put in your mouths and what happens?

All of the above make you look like a stereotyping bigot. I won't be so presumptuous as to assume you actually are a bigot based upon two posts, but it's certainly tempting.

In those two quotes you stereotype: poor whites, southerners, blacks, Asians, and Hispanics. To be honest I couldn't care less if you hate me because of my taste in food, geographic origin, race, or other arbitrary distinction, but don't get all sanctimonious when people call you out on your flaming of various ethnic/racial/socioeconomic groups.

Oh, and for the record: I eat Southern food relatively often, and I'm quite healthy. It's called moderation.

Liam · Apr 5, 2009

Originally Posted by Grayland

As a Southerner, I will tell you that what often passes for grits isn't very good. What you find in most grocery stores is usually made by Quaker and is usually instant. There is a place in South Carolina (Anson Mills) that will ship grits and cornmeal that are considered world-class by many chefs. I believe Thomas Keller from The French Laundry uses them.

Plain grits don't have a lot of flavor. It would similar to eating a plain bowl of Cream of Wheat except, of course, with a corn flavor. Not much to it. Grits are often fancied up with cream, cheese, and garlic and is a starchy base upon which to put full-flavored foods. Shrimp and Grits is a common breakfast dish in the Carolinas. Even if they are served plain, they are often topped with red-eye gravy or with some fried eggs so you can enrich them.

Thanks for the reply on what I asked. So they sound really heavy to eat, are they? I'm thinking I'd want to try the fancied up version of grits you mentioned. The shrimp one sounds interesting.
Maybe one day I'll get to taste the real deal.

robbie · Apr 5, 2009

grits= buttery malt o meal.

vinouspleasure · Apr 5, 2009

Originally Posted by RLlikes

I travel the Carolinas for business, and seek out the best southern food, soul food, and BBQ restaurants for occasional cheat meals. Here is a short list of my favorites:

* Best fried chicken (by FAR) = Jestine's Kitchen, downtown Charleston, SC

* 2nd best fried chicken (recommend chicken tips dipped in Texas Pete) + awesome green bean casserole and field peas = Kinch's, downtown Rock Hill, SC

* Best soul food = tie between Gullah Cuisine in Mount Pleasant, SC, and Sarah's Kitchen in Greenville, SC

* Best barbecue = Lexington BBQ ("sliced brown" is so awesome, but it is not on the menu - special request only) in Lexington, NC, and B's Barbecue in Greenville, NC. B's also has amazing baked barbecue chicken... go for the combo plate. Sweatman's BBQ in Eutawville, SC, also has excellent mustard base Q, but it is only open 1 or 2 nights per week.

* Best shrimp and grits = Sidewheeler in Conway, SC - unfortunately, the restaurant was recently sold

* Best quail = Benton Lee's in Uvalda, GA - scary place and ugly people, but lip smacking good fried quail... also known for their massive steaks served on a TV tray, no plate. Listen for the dueling banjos.

* Honorable mention = Marina Variety Store Restaurant in Charleston, SC, for their beautiful harbor views, delicious okra soup, collard greens and smothered grilled pork chops... they also have a killer Sunday brunch menu and tasty bloody mary's

* Best not-really-southern-food in the Carolinas = Mama Kwan's Grill and Tiki Bar in Kill Devil Hills, NC, on the Outer Banks. I could eat there 3 times a day and never get tired of it.

As for iced tea, I go for unsweet or the Arnold Palmer with half unsweet tea + half lemonade

we travel from ny to kiawah just about every year for vacation and I've managed to try most of the bbq shrines on the way. Love sweatmans and lexington no 1. Had a great meal at wilburs and it would have to be in my top 5 in the east. Despite the (mostly true) adage that there's no good q north of North Carolina, another great stop is buzz and ned's in richmond va. I've also enjoyed the buffet at bessingers in charleston when they have ribs with mustard sauce and fried catfish on the buffet.

If you get a chance, try the oyster roast at kiawah in the summer. Its expensive ($30 or so) but its an ayce oyster and whole hog roast with great cobbler afterrwards. Haven't been in a couple of years but it was great last time we were there.

have been wanting to try this for many years:
http://www.hollyeats.com/Bowens.htm

but I haven't been able to convince my wife and kids.

gnatty8 · Apr 5, 2009

While I love BBQ, I have never been able to get into traditional southern cooking.. I have eaten at Mary Macs, as well as Pittypat's, but just could not get into the food at all.. Dreamland out on Alpharetta Parkway though?

forex · Apr 5, 2009

Nothing worse than Southern Food.

Southern Food Appreciation Thread

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