Thirteen states, 100 chefs and 134 recipes later, one thing is clear: the food of the American South tells a story that spans the distance from New Orleans to Louisville, Little Rock to Charleston, Nashville to Dallas, and every city in between. Meet the people keeping the tradition alive and reinventing the flavors of the South while exploring its evolution of the region’s best restaurants. Swing down to the Gulf Coast and wade into a chef’s wonderland of fresh seafood and spicy heat. Check out the culinary creativity in the Carolinas where you’ll find traditional smoked pork barbecue alongside Southern favorites made with fresh, local produce. Explore the restaurant kitchens of Atlanta and Nashville where the chefs aren’t shy about fusing comfort food standards with international flair and unexpected techniques. Join food and drink writer Chris Chamberlain for access to the South’s best recipes and the kitchens where they were developed. In The Southern Foodie, Chamberlain explores the South’s culinary culture with favorites such as: Jalapeño-and-Cheese-Stuffed Grit Cakes from Mason’s Grill, Baton Rouge, LA - Roasted Heirloom Pumpkin with Mulled Sorghum Glaze from Capitol Grille, Nashville, TN - Country Ham Fritters from Proof on Main, Louisville, KY - Blue Crab Cheesecake from Old Firehouse Restaurant, Hollywood, SC - Apricot Fried Pies from Penguin Ed’s Bar-B-Q, Fayetteville, AR The Southern Foodie you where the South eats and how to create those distinct flavors at home. You’re sure to rediscover old favorites and get a closer look at the delicious new traditions in Southern cuisine. Chris Chamberlain is a food and drink writer basedin Nashville, Tennessee, where he has lived his entire life except for four years in California where he studied liberal arts at Stanford University and learned how to manipulate chopsticks. He is a regular writer for the Nashville Scene and their "Bites" food blog. He has also contributed to the Nashville City Paper , Nashville Lifestyles magazine, 2001 Edgehill and atwww.geardiary.com. One of his favorite things in life to do is to put a shoulder on the smoker and watch SEC football all day long while waiting for his pork reach "pig-picking" temperature as slowly as possible. THE SOUTHERN FOODIE 100 Places to Eat in the South Before You Die (and the Recipes That Made Them Famous) By CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN Thomas Nelson Copyright © 2012 Chris Chamberlain and Bryan Curtis All right reserved. ISBN: 978-1-4016-0163-8 Contents Introduction.........................viiAlabama..............................1Arkansas.............................27Florida..............................43Georgia..............................57Kentucky.............................79Louisiana............................99Mississippi..........................127North Carolina.......................151South Carolina.......................181Tennessee............................209Texas................................239Virginia.............................249West Virginia........................263Acknowledgments......................274About the Author.....................276Index................................277 Chapter One ALABAMA Cotton Row 2 Fox Valley Restaurant 4 Garrett's—The Art of Food 6 Highlands Bar and Grill 9 Hot and Hot Fish Club 11 Irondale Café—The Original Whistle Stop Café 14 LuLu's at Homeport 16 Mountain Laurel Inn 20 The Waysider 23 Wintzell's Oyster House 25 COTTON ROW 100 Southside Square Huntsville, AL 38501 (256) 382-9500 www.cottonrowrestaurant.com Chef James Boyce's Cotton Row Restaurant is located in a charming three-story brick building right on the courthouse square of Huntsville, Alabama. The edifice dates back to 1821, when it was constructed alongside the old cotton exchange. The romantically rustic ambiance makes Cotton Row a favorite date night locale for Huntsville residents and visitors looking for a unique dining experience with an emphasis on the Southern hospitality of days gone by. No matter how spectacular the décor might be, it is overshadowed by what the kitchen puts on the plate. Trained at Le Cirque in New York City, Chef Boyce has created an upscale menu of seasonal regional specialties. The list of entrées emphasizes seafood and inventively prepared game and beef dishes. If your appetite or your wallet doesn't allow for that much food, Cotton Row is also open for lunch with smaller portions and creative sandwich options. In the nineteenth century a "ploughman's lunch" was a cold midday meal, usually consisting of a chunk of cheese, a pickle, and a piece of bread. At Cotton Row you can expect a lot more from the Ploughman's Specials, which are small plates that can be ordered as an appetizer or combined to create a tapas-like meal. They are also excellent for sharing if your dining companions are generous types. Desserts have a more international flavor than the rest of the menu, but you wo