Hello, Sweetie Pie!

When I think about pie, I think about home. There's just something about a freshly baked pie that warms my heart and makes me feel better about the world.

So naturally, I immediately warmed up to the pecan pie from WildFlour Pastry on the cover of the October/November issue of Garden & Gun. It's one of the featured desserts in the magazine's list of 50 Best Southern Foods: Sweets. I found myself salivating over the pie line-up in particular.

Garden & Gun gives kudos to key lime pie from Bob Roth's New River Groves in Davie, Fla., chocolate peanut butter pie from Hunka Pie in Little Rock, Ark., and strawberry pie from Jim's Steak & Spaghetti House in my hometown of Huntington, W.Va.

Assembling a Gift Basket of Southern Food

Have you ever wanted to send a gift basket of Southern delicacies to someone in a foreign country (like Wisconsin or Massachusetts) but weren't sure what to include? No? That's just me? That's OK. I'll share these details with you anyway because I know you'll want to do this. I'm thinking that maybe after reading this post you, too, will become inspired to share your culture via U.S. Postal Service.

Anyway ...

I recently took this task upon myself so that I could surprise a friend up North (who hopefully isn't reading this). First, I searched for pre-assembled gift baskets ... because I'm lazy. I knew that North Carolina magazine, Our State, sells gift baskets of N.C. food. And while their BBQ Battle Box does appeal to me, I wanted a greater diversity of food types ... because I'm picky. I also didn't want to pay a lot ... because I'm cheap.

So, as I continued to look around, it became obvious that I wasn't going to find exactly what I was looking for and should just make my own gift basket.

I decided from the get-go not to select anything immediately perishable. As much as I'd like to ship pulled pork or livermush, I decided against getting dry ice involved. I also didn't want the products to all come from my home state (N.C.) or all come from the grocery store (although some came from each/both). So, here's what I came up with:

• Duke's Mayonnaise 
• Cheerwine
• Mrs. Campbell's Chow-Chow
• Smokehouse Barbecue Sauce (can't be purchased retail; can only be bought at Lexington Barbecue)
• Charleston Market Benne Wafers
• Guilford Mills Hushpuppy Mix
• Anson Mills Yellow Grits
• Salem Bakery Moravian Cookies
• Salem Bakery Pimento Cheese Straws

So ... a mix of condiments, snacks, cooking products and beverage. Am I missing anything crucial? Y'all have a couple of days to let me know if there's something else I should add to this package of yum. Send me a note or comment to let me know. I look forward to your suggestions ... really.

Look What Came in the Mail Today!

When I was last in Charleston, I got some Anson Mills grits for a family member. She loved them, so I wanted to get more for her. I set out to order them from the Anson Mills website, but then realized they require a minimum order of four bags. That means I got to do some shopping. Yay!  So in addition to the grits, I bought some Carolina Gold rice, pizza maker's flour and farro.

I don't think I've ever had farro, but I look forward to coming up with a recipe for it. I'm thinking maybe a risotto with okra and roasted cherry tomatoes. Hmmm ... Any other thoughts? Have any of you tried farro?

Hyman's: Tourist Trap or Treasure?

"Pat Conroy Ate At This Table" announced the brass plaque before me. Now who wouldn't want to eat at a restaurant where a famous Southern author like Pat Conroy once dined? Shoot, I'd just read South of Broad last year, and I'd always been a fan of The Prince of Tides.



A collection of celebrity patrons running the gamut from Jimmy Buffet to Oprah Winfrey was a delightful discovery at Hyman's Seafood in Charleston, S.C., one of my recent vacation stops. Celebrity photos lined the walls, and every table was plastered with little plaques recording famous patrons. It was enough to make any tourist get excited. See how they line up for dinner nearly every night?




Although the tourist in me enjoyed seeing the march of celebrities on the tables and walls, it was a mixed bag when it came to Hyman's food. Boiled peanuts, crab dip and cole slaw were served up while my fellow diners and I perused the menu. The crab dip and cole slaw were average quality, and the peanuts were just plain cold.
I ordered the fried trout, hush puppies and sweet potato as my side. The hush puppies were hot and crispy with just the right touch of sweetness, and the trout had a nice buttery flavor.

After our meal, my friends and I dropped into the restaurant's General Store to pick up souvenirs. But nothing said "tourist" on my visit as much as the neon green plastic bag I was given to carry my purchase. I stepped out on Meeting Street as a walking billboard for Hyman's. No use pretending I was a local, at least not today!

To Beef or Not to Beef

This past weekend was the Texas Pete Twin City Ribfest in Winston-Salem, N.C. I had a real bee in my bonnet to go ... so I did. As it turns out, it wasn't the greatest experience. This was due mainly to the high price of admission, lack of proper organization and absence of secondary vendors. The food, however, was quite good. And, I got to sample beef ribs for the first time (as opposed to pork), so I'll consider it a win.

Unfortunately, I only had ribs from one of the pit masters. The festival sells "sampler" tickets, which allow you to taste a rib sample from each booth, but apparently they ran out on the first day of the festival. And since ribs are expensive and I'm not a Rockefeller, I couldn't afford to buy 10 half racks of ribs. So, I ended up at this stop:

You gotta love their sign: "I'm from Texas. What country are y'all from?" Anyway, Texas Thunder appealed to me because, as I mentioned, they had beef ribs, which I've wanted to try. (Texans have very peculiar ideas about barbecue and ribs being beef rather than pork, which challenge my North Carolina sensibilities.) And I have to say, beef is very good. I still prefer pork, but beef will do in a pinch.

The particular beef I had from Texas Thunder was very good. It was a little fattier than I'm used to in ribs. But, frankly, the fat adds to the flavor, so I'm not complaining too much. I also thought there was a hint of an excellent rub or sauce that I felt they could have been heavier with. My taste buds wanted a little more. Overall, though, still quite good.

A few other stops I wanted to make were Carolina Rib King (Spartanburg, S.C.):

Porky Chicks (Fayeteville, Ark.):

And Big Boned BBQ (Hixson, Tenn):

Check out those trophies!

This year's winner, however, (because the ribfest is also a competition) was the local Bib's Downtown. I look forward to trying them out soon--and without having to pay an admission price!

For a more comprehensive rundown of each pit master at this year's festival/competition, check out The "Q" Review. And I'm not sure if the BBQ Jew will have a review up this year or not, but he was a judge at last year's ribfest and wrote about it here.

So, would I recommend Twin City Ribfest? No, not until they can get better organized and offer more for admission. Would I recommend beef ribs? That's a firm "yes." They're different, but they're still very good. At least Texas Thunder's were.

I Believe in Peace, Love and Hominy

Many times, I've tried to like grits. But I could never get past the bland taste and grainy texture. In the South, eating grits is pretty much a religion, and I have to say the Hominy Grill has finally made me a believer.

My brother Matt, sister-in-law Teresa and I recently visited this downtown Charleston, S.C., establishment for breakfast. I took one bite of Matt's plate of shrimp and grits and thought, "That's what I should've ordered!" I had buckwheat pancakes that were mighty tasty, but nothing akin to the savory goodness of shrimp sauteed with mushrooms, scallions and bacon atop a creamy "sauce" of cheese grits.

No wonder it was so good. Turns out that Hominy Grill's Chef Robert Stehling won the James Beard Best Chef Southeast award in 2008.

I did a little research and found out that grits--or hominy--was first introduced to colonists in Jamestown, Va., by Native Americans as bowls of boiled corn. The Indians called it "rockahomine," and colonists shortened the word to "hominy."

Today, shrimp and grits is a quintessential Southern dish that's graduated from breakfast into dinner menus of swanky restaurants across the South. Readers of Garden & Gun magazine recently named shrimp and grits the winner over (gasp!) pulled pork barbecue in a Southern Food Championship.

Of course, Jenn would probably disagree. She's a lover of Lexington-style BBQ, and who can blame her? I may believe in hominy, but I don't believe in comparisons when it comes to picking a favorite Southern food. It's just too hard to do!

As for the rest of you out there who aren't exactly singing the praises of grits, check out the other delectable dishes on the breakfast menu for Hominy Grill, like the high-rise biscuit smothered in sausage gravy. It's all good!

I Just Can't Get Them off My My Mind

And by "them," I mean hamburgers. First, I read a story about this past month being National Hamburger Month. Then there was Michelle's tale (or, should I say "tell-tale") of gourmet burgers on Sullivan's Island. And the final straw, the one that led to excruciatingly strong cravings, was this cover of Our State magazine staring at me from the checkout stand at the grocery store:

This issue celebrates hamburgers by highlighting the specialties of five Carolina dives:

• Second Street Lunch (Roanoke Rapids)
• Wimpy's Grill (Durham)
• South 21 (Charlotte)
• Art's Place (Kitty Hawk)
• Jimmy Mac's (Bryson City)

These articles bring up a few questions for me, though: How far is it acceptable to drive for a good hamburger? And, is it normal to have a burger bucket list?

Perhaps I should just find a good burger locally. I mean REALLY good. I know plenty of acceptable burger joints, but I'm looking for a mecca. In the meantime, I'm not going to be happy until I have the chili and slaw of a Carolina-style burger running down my chin. 

I love burgers of many different kinds, but there's something about a sloppy Carolina creation, like the one pictured above, that really sets my cravings in gear. The main components of such a burger, by the way, are chili, coleslaw, mustard and onions (the ingredients Carolinians often like on their hot dogs as well). Oh yum!

Gold Bug at the Beach

Since Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, what better way to start the season than with fish tacos and juicy hamburgers fresh off the grill?

After a swim in the ocean and sunbathing on the beach, my travel companions and I headed to Poe's Tavern on Sullivan's Island, S.C., last week. The tavern is named after Edgar Allan Poe, one of my favorite authors. In 1827, Poe joined the U.S. Army under an assumed name, Edgar Allan Perry, and was stationed at Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island for 13 months.

Poe's menu brings me back to junior high English Lit. Half-pound hamburgers sport names like Gold Bug, Pit & Pendulum, Amontillado and Tell-Tale Heart. We tried the Raven, and it was a juicy burger bursting with all the flavor you'd get from a backyard grill.

The mahi mahi fish tacos were the perfect beach food. They're wrapped in flour tortillas and prepared with freshly shredded cabbage, pico de gallo and chipotle sour cream.

Feeling refreshed after our meal, we headed to Charleston for the next leg of our trip.

Is Mexican Cuisine Considered Southern Food?

Happy Cinco de Mayo, y'all.

Really, the holiday means nothing more here than a chance to overdose on margaritas and chimichangas. But it has me thinking ... Is Mexican food becoming a part of Southern cuisine?

I'd say yes. It has been for a long time, actually. In the decidedly Southern (and Southwestern) state of Texas, Mexican-style cooking merged with local fare to create what we know and love as Tex-Mex. And while Tex-Mex has been around in some form or another for almost a century, the popularity of traditional Mexican food (both authentic and Americanized) has been growing in Southern states where the Mexican populations are also booming--namely, Georgia and the Carolinas.

So, will tortillas one day be considered as Southern as cornbread? I doubt it. Besides, it's not like Mexican restaurants are absent in other regions of the U.S. Still, the idea of Mexican food working its way onto the Southern menu is comida for thought, isn't it?

A Taste of The Big Easy in South Carolina

Greetings from the Seafood Capital of South Carolina!

For those of you not familiar with that moniker, I’m talking about Murrells Inlet, S.C. From its humble beginnings as a fishing village in the early 1900s, the cozy community located south of glitzy Myrtle Beach is now known for its many seafood and barbecue establishments. And it’s been a favorite getaway place for me for several years.

On my visit this week, I decided to have lunch at a restaurant I’ve passed by many times but in which I had never taken time to dine: Flo’s Place, locally owned and with a lively New Orleans theme.

Because it was a perfectly beautiful, sunny day with mild temperatures (low 70s), we sat outside on the deck, with a view of Garden City across the inlet.

With zydeco music filling the air, I perused the menu, which was full of tasty bayou dishes. I chose the simple Crab Cake PoBoy, which came with fried onions and Flo’s homemade potato salad. (If you’re not familiar with the po-boy, go here.)

Why I waited so long to have a meal at Flo’s, I cannot tell you. What I can tell you, though, is that that sandwich was so delectable it’d make you want to slap your mama.

I love crab cakes. I love just about anything that can be turned into a “cake” of any sort: salmon, shrimp, potatoes, beans … if it can be mixed with bread crumbs and eggs and fried, I’ll eat it. And the crab cakes gracing this po-boy were some of the best I’ve ever had.

So tender, seasoned just right … they were as close to perfect, in my opinion, as they come.

Friendly service, delicious food, great view, perfect weather … what more could you ask for while on vacation?

Meet South Carolina's Super Chefs

Discover South Carolina's dining site has a list of the Palmetto State's notable chefs here. I have to say, it does include some of my favorites, including adorable Food Network celeb Tyler Florence, who probably has the best name recognition of the chefs on the list.

My friend Cathryn, a Gaffney native who is now living in Cambridge, Mass., (a town that couldn't be more culturally opposite than the peach capital of South Carolina) says she must tune in to some Tyler-related programming at least once a week to help keep her homesickness at bay.

Also on the list are Chef Donald Barickman, founder of Magnolias in Charleston, and Chef Anthony Gray, the executive chef of High Cotton in Charleston. 

Magnolias is a Chucktown staple that has delicious menu items like "Fried Chicken Cordon Bleu" and "Banana Pudding Napoleon." Great stuff. And Chef Barickman is also the author of my favorite restaurant cookbook, Magnolias Authentic Southern Cuisine. 

Shamefully, I've found some of the book's recipes to be above my skill level. This isn't because they're difficult, exactly. It's just that some are quite involved, and I can be quite lazy. Many of them, though, are right up my alley and surprisingly basic, like the pan-fried catfish with collards and black rice, the chocolate chip bourbon pecan pie and the tasso gravy.

While I don't have a cookbook for High Cotton (and I'm not sure there is one), I will say this: Hands down, it is my favorite restaurant in Charleston and one of my favorites on the planet. And I think that's saying something since Charleston is teeming with superb dining establishments. 

Speaking of which, the majority of chefs on the list are associated with Charleston restaurants. Not surprising since that fair city is a culinary hot spot. It does, however, make me wonder how other Southern states stack up against South Carolina in the department of acclaimed chefs. Surely Louisiana, Florida and Georgia have more than their fair share. And I'm aware of several here in my home state of North Carolina, including Chef Marvin Woods (I have his cookbook too!). But I've found that whether an establishment has a world-class chef or just a grandma-trained cook, Southern restaurants get it right more often than not. 

Side note: I couldn't mention Gaffney without including a gratuitous picture of the town's famous peachoid. Here you go: