Dining Family-Style at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House

I'm visiting my friend Joy on Tybee Island and today we headed over to Savannah to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House.  Dining at Mrs. Wilkes is one of the top 10 things you must do when visiting Savannah!  Mrs. Wilkes operated the old time family-style dining establishment from 1943 until her death in 2002 at the age of 95.

Mrs. Wilkes

Crowds gather early to line up for the 11:00 a.m. opening of the boarding house dining.  Reservations are never accepted.  No ma'am!

Tables set for 12 are loaded with the most favorite of Southern dishes...fried chicken, cornbread dressing, sweet potato souffle, black-eyed peas, okra gumbo, corn muffins, and biscuits.

Family-Style Dining Etiquette Tip:  Of course, family-style dining is only appropriate in an informal setting.  The food is placed on the table in serving dishes and is passed around by each guest.  The table is usually very crowded and it's up to each guest to make sure all the dishes are passed...to the right. {If the guest to your left request a dish, you may pass that dish to them directly instead of going all the way around the table}.  It's considered proper etiquette to pass a serving dish with the serving utensil facing the receiver.  Always use the serving utensils provided, not your personal utensils!  Remember to pass the salt and pepper together...they are married.  Oh, and one more tip...don't try to grab food before it's passed to you!

If a blessing is said at your table, regardless of your beliefs, you should bow your head.

At the end of the meal at Mrs. Wilkes', the waitstaff announces that "it's a tradition in boarding house dining rooms to take your own plate, glass, and utensils out to the busboy waiting at the kitchen door."

There are Mrs. Wilkes' cookbooks containing the recipes for all that down-home Southern cooking available for purchase.

 

  
"Here's What I Wore"  The shorts are by Lilly Pulitzer in the 'Coralina' pattern and the cardi is also by Lilly P. 

 

The staff at Mrs. Wilkes could not have been friendlier and this young lady provided our table excellent customer service. 

 

Mrs. Wilkes' Boarding House is located at 107 West Jones Street in Savannah.  Be there early to get a place in the line.  The doors open at 11:00 a.m. and the meals are served until 2:00 p.m.  Call 912.232.5997 for more information. *Only cash is accepted*

I would have been very shocked if the food at Mrs. Wilkes wasn't the best Southern cooking ever.  I'm happy to say that it was every bit as good as I expected.  Mrs. Wilkes definitely receives my "FIVE SILVER SPOONS" award for keeping it homecooked and Southern!

Garden and Gun Recommened...Nu-Way Weiners

 

When I was looking over the Garden and Gun article regarding the "100 Foods You Absolutely, Positively Must Try Before You Die," I noticed one restaurant on the list was in Warner Robins, Georgia.  The Chili-Cheese Slaw Hotdog from Nu-WayWeiners made the list and since that restaurant is near Mama's house, I headed over there yesterday for lunch.   

The Nu-Way location on Watson Blvd. in Warner Robins is not a fancy restaurant...

There was only one other family dining there in addition to me, but they also have a drive-thru window and that seemed very busy.

In addition to their signature hot dogs, they offer many other fast-foods on the menu...breakfast foods, sandwiches, and their also popular MegAburger.

I admit that I have not had a hotdog in years...many, many years.  I was shocked at how red the hot dog was, but I can say that it was very tasty! 

Evidently, Oprah is huge fan of Nu-Way...

To address critics, the folks at Nu-Way are aware that they have been spelling wiener wrong for almost 100 years and they are mighty proud of it!

If you are ever in the Warner Robins/Fort Valley/Macon area of middle Georgia, stop in and check out the famous hot dog...before you die!  Be sure to order it "All the way!"

Grits Cafe

Way down yonder in the land of cotton...one of my favorite songs y'all!  When I'm driving to Mama's house in Georgia, I love looking out at the cotton fields, which are everywhere!  It always makes me feel so at-home.

Of course, I love grits too.  On my last visit, I read about the Grits Cafe in Forsyth, Georgia just up the road from Mama's, so I just knew I had to check it out.  If you are driving south from Atlanta on I-75, you will find the small Southern town of Forsyth, Georgia about 60 miles south of Atlanta and just north of Macon.  The courthouse is the first thing you notice when you arrive at the town square.  It was built in 1896 in the high Victorian Eclectic style.

Across the street from the courthouse is the Grits Cafe.


Lord have mercy...welcome to Southern cooking done right!


The original building was destroyed by a fire back in the spring of 2012.

Thank goodness the establishment was rebuilt after the fire!

Y'all, I could NOT decide what to order in this place.  They have a wide selection of "creatively fun Southern food!"  There was the Grits Martini--Grits, shrimp, bacon, and shitake mushroom cream.

The Fried Green Tomato Napolean--with the tomato, jumbo shrimp, and remoulade sauce.

The Charleston Shrimp and Grits--no explanation needed.

I decided on the BLFGT--Bacon, lettuce, and fried green tomato sandwich.  Everyone around me was eating one and let me tell you, this sandwich does not disappoint!  It was well worth the extra jogging I had to do later in the day.

As I was eyeing the plates the waitstaff were delivering to other diners, I got the feeling bacon is their "garnish of choice" at the Grits Cafe...and I'm okay with that!

I am definitely going back to the Grits Cafe when I visit Mama again.  I also want to award them my "FIVE SILVER SPOONS" award for their friendly service, nice decor, and ambience.

  If you are traveling I-75 between Macon and Atlanta, Georgia, the Grits Cafe is located at 17 West Johnson Street in Forsyth, exit #187 off I-75.  You can contact them at 478.994.8324.  

Thank You Sale!

Now is a great time to start thinking about stocking your Entertaining Pantry and your Gifting Arsenal!  ALL of my Taste of Gourmet products are 15% off now through November 1, 2012.  Everything.  15% off!  Just use the code THANK YOU.

Taste of Gourmet products are the perfect "under $10.00" gift for friends and business associates.  All the products are packed and ready for gifting...just add a ribbon and gift tag!

  The Mississippi Delta Fudge Pie...perfect for your hostess or co-worker!

The Mississippi Delta Fudge Pie is a Southern favorite!

The Creole File Gumbo mix...add a wooden soup spoon and a ribbon and this makes a great gift!

Creole File Gumbo...an easy meal to prepare in the crockpot during autumn and winter and a must-eat during Mardi Gras season!

Jezebel Sauce and Sassy Seasoning...both are staples in my kitchen!

Bayou Beer Bread...add this to a bowl of our chilis and soups, and voila...Gameday food!!!!

If you are invited to a potluck meal, this Apple Cake is easy to prepare and will be the "Belle of the Buffet"!!

Apple Cake...always a favorite dessert!

Take advantage of this fabulous offer for 15% off on ALL my products and be sure to use the code Thank You when checking out!  Have a great weekend!

TEAM PAULA DEEN!

That's right y'all, I'm on Miss Paula's side. Bless her heart, she's been in all the media this week 'cuz she revealed that she's got Diabetes 2! I feel for Paula...cooking her down-home Southern Style dishes is now a threat to her life. Of course, she went on the Today Show and revealed her diagnosis to the world and that she has partnered with Novo Nordisk in a campaign to promote their drug Victoza. Now people are criticizing her for continuing to pedal her fat-laden recipes to the world even though she knew that she had the disease.

Last night I hit the kitchen...wearing my Paula Deen "Hey Y'all" apron, my stretchy pants, some cute polka dot mitts, and baked up a Paula Deen classic recipe in my red Paula Deen casserole dish. TEAM PAULA DEEN.

Which team are you on? Team Anthony Bourdain or Team Paula Deen?

Anthony Bourdain, Chef & Author. On his Travel Network Channel show "No Reservations," Bourdain travels the world seeking the ultimate dining experience. He's also a long-time critic of chefs on the Food Network. He has said "Paula Deen should feel bad before telling an already obese nation that it is okay to eat food that is killing us!" Excuse me, but this man eat snakes! Who is he to judge? He also criticizes Rachel Ray for using pre-chopped onions. Lord have mercy! Not on my radar anymore...

Paula Deen, The Queen of Southern Cuisine and Food Network star is now the spokesperson for "Diabetes in a New Light" a site run by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Y'all know I'm a long-time support of Miss Paula...I buy her books, magazines, kitchen ware, aprons, foods, et cetera. But even I don't eat the calorie-laden, delicious foods all the time! In Paula's words to Oprah, "I'm your cook, not your Doctor!" Moderation y'all. Moderation. Team Paula Deen. Winning. None of us are perfect y'all and we all make mistakes. She doesn't eat snakes...

BUT, even though I love Paula and LOVE Southern foods, even I wouldn't eat this Krispy Kreme Doughnut Bread Pudding...One of Paula's Top 10 High-Calorie Foods.

Never even tried Paula's Twinkie Pie...another dish on the TOP 10 list...my LAWD!

This is one of her most high-calorie, artery clogging recipes...The Lady's Brunch Burger! LOL {Bacon-doughnut-egg-burger} Please people!

I am excited about the new "Light Dishes" Paula will be creating from her vault of "Best Dishes" recipes! You can tell she has already lightened up some of her recipes in the Jan/Feb issue of "Cooking with Paula Deen." However, I cannot help wondering what will become of the foods she serves at her restaurants...Will they remain the same? 'Cuz let's face it folks, when Southerners go out to eat Southern food, they want the REAL thing. We want our macaroni tres cheesy and our chicken fried just right. I cannot imagine visiting Paula's restaurant at Harrah's in Tunica and going through the buffet line of "Light Dishes." I'm stumped.

When I visited her new site HERE,I was happy to see that he has created a lighter version of "The Lady & Sons Lasagna." Of course, I had to go to the store for the ingredients and made it last night. Her new recipe calls for a LOT LESS ground beef {which I substituted with ground turkey} and all the cheeses I used were no-fat. I LOVED the lasagna!
The Jan/Feb issue of "Cooking with Paula Deen" already includes some "no-guilt" recipes!

I wish Paula the best with her new life and look forward to what she brings to the table next!!!

OH, and HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAULA DEEN!