- Those southerners can and will deep fry anything except sweet tea (and they'll find a way to fry that soon, I'm sure)
- I really missed fresh vegetables -- and I mean fresh like the way they are served fresh in California (barely cooked so you can actually taste the flavor of the vegetable)
- I also really missed good coffee (yes, I realize that "good" when it comes to coffee varys wildly from region to region, but is it really that difficult to make a strongly flavored coffee that is not burned and not bitter? They do it in Seattle all the time.)
- Almost all portions served in restaurants (even the fancy ones) are huge and would be adequate for at least two people if not more (An entree consisting of half a chicken plus two or three large biscuits all covered in at least two large ladle-fulls of sausage gravy plus a bunch of other side dishes is rather overkill in my book, no matter how good it tastes.)
- January and February are the ideal months to travel in the south -- it is not hot and the tourist numbers are down, which means that you have a chance to actually see the attractions
- Texas has the best crazy place names -- don't know why
- Savannah was my favorite place to visit, by far -- well, if you don't count the bourbon distilleries. Everyone there was remarkably friendly and the food was magical.
- If you go on a road trip with friends, be sure to drive a large vehicle. There were three of us and we rented a soccer-mom van, which was a really good thing because the back was completely stuffed with luggage and the non-passenger half of the middle was piled with coats, cameras, shopping bags, and the ever-important road-snack bag. OK, for the curious among you, the road-snack bag had potato chips, Cheetos, Freetos, mixed nuts, and some chocolates. Oh, and also a case of bottled water and some soda, not to mention handbags.
- Concierges can be really helpful and can greatly enhance your trip. They are the ones that volunteer information and also volunteer to make reservations for you. Mediocre concierges are a waste of time. We found that the good ones smile more. (And be sure to tip them if they do a bunch of stuff for you.)
- Talking about tipping, hotel housekeeping staff in most southern towns make very (very!) low wages, so leaving a tip each day makes a huge difference. I got to chatting with a manager in one hotel and learned that a couple of the housekeeping staff lived on Raman noodles for most meals. If I have enough money to travel, thenit stand to reason that I have enough money to leave $5 a day for housekeeping.
APPETIZERS
- Fried pickles (Pirate House, Savannah)
- Fried green tomatoes (Chart House, Savannah)
- Fried corn fritters (Chart House, Savannah)
- She-crab soup (82 Queen, Charleston)
- Pork belly duck confit (The Pink House, Savannah)
- Fried chicken with biscuits & sausage gravy (Annie O's, Hilton Head)
- Pecan-crusted fried chicken (Pirate House, Savannah)
- Ribeye steak ( (Chart House, Savannah AND The Rickhouse, Bardston)
- BBQ chicken (The Rickhouse, Bardston)
- Salmon (82 Queen, Charleston)
- Biscuits (Pirate House, Savannah)
- Cornbread (Kentucky Bourbon House, Bardstown)
- Mac 'n cheese (The Pink House, Savannah)
- Coleslaw (Kentucky Bourbon House, Bardstown)
- Smoked bacon & garlic grits (Chart House, Savannah)
- Cheesy grits with lump crab (82 Queen, Charleston)
- Pimiento cheese grits (The Pink House, Savannah)
- Lima beans with bacon (Any Cracker Barrel)
COCKTAILS
- Manhattans (The Rickhouse, Bardston)
- Skullcrusher (just for the name) (Pirate House, Savannah)
- Old fashioneds (The Rickhouse, Bardston)
And there you have it. Go see the south and eat!
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