If you are a watcher of television shows such as Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives or Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, then you may have dreamed about taking a food tour of your own. While you might not be able to jet off to Asia, Europe or Africa in order to taste the local cuisine, you can integrate some food-sampling into your next domestic vacation. If you are heading to the South, here are some places to visit where you can get some genuine down-home Southern food:
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Mert’s Heart and Soul, Charlotte, North Carolina One of the most popular restaurants in the uptown Charlotte area, Mert’s Heart and Soul offers a variety of Southern dishes that will leave you wanting to taste more of what this region has to offer. From appetizer to dessert, you’ll find plenty of what you’re looking for. Start off with the fried green tomatoes or the “soul rolls,” which are eggrolls stuffed with black-eyed peas, collard greens, seasoned rice and chicken breast. For dinner, enjoy the fried catfish, Southern fried chicken or the restaurants famous salmon cakes. Make sure you leave room for sweet potato cake, banana pudding or an assortment of cobblers.
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Maritza’s and Frank’s Southern Cooking, McDonough, Georgia Visitors to Maritza’s and Frank’s rave about the cooking, the portion sizes and the price, which is why this eatery is so popular. The focus of the restaurant is to provide food just like your Southern mama used to make, if you’re from the South, or to show you how good down-home Southern cooking can be. It will be difficult to choose between the chicken and dumplings, collard greens, pork chops, meat loaf, and the daily specials. Make sure to try the cornbread, too.
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Nikki’s Place, Orlando, Florida This restaurant aims to serve up “Southern cuisine the way it used to be.” Located two minutes from downtown Orlando, Nikki’s Place will show you what old-fashioned soul food tastes like. Between the generous portion sizes and the down-home delicacies provided, you’ll leave Nikki’s satisfied. Enjoy specialties like homemade macaroni and cheese, smothered pork chops, ox tail, meatloaf and cornbread dressing.
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Charleston Cooks! Charleston, South Carolina If you want to not only sample great Southern fare, but also learn to cook it yourself, consider signing up for a Taste of the Lowcountry class at Charleston Cooks! The instructors will cook in front of you, showing you how to make a traditional Southern meal, while you relax and sip a glass of wine. The recipes vary by season and what’s available; recent offerings have included shrimp and grits, pulled bourbon chicken thighs with peach BBQ sauce, chocolate pecan pie, and Coca-Cola cake with vanilla whipped cream.
If these descriptions have your mouth watering, then you’ll want to arrange your trip to the South, where you can enjoy some down-home comfort food and great Southern cooking. Do you have any tried-and-true restaurants in this region where you would send friends and family members who want to sample Southern fare? Share them with our readers!
