Carol’s Comfort Foods

In early March on our way to Orlando Florida to see an NBA game, we detoured around to Savannah, GA for an overnight stop.  Since we had very little time, we spent most of the day at the Savannah River riverfront, watching the boats, enjoying the nice warm weather and browsing in all the little shops.  It was an impromptu journey, so going to Paula Deen’s Lady & Sons restaurant was out of the question, as were the quaint carriage rides through the various squares.  However, my son insisted that we look up the Savannah Candy Kitchen over on the riverfront.  He had fond memories of grazing through this candy store while on a class trip to Savannah two years ago.  I honestly thought it would be a candy store, full of sugary, hard candies, the type that you see in many tourist destinations around the country.  We located the shop, just about where he thought it would be and reluctantly, I agreed to go in and look around.  What a surprise! 

The Savannah Candy Kitchen is an old fashioned candy shop that makes much of its delectable candies right on premise.  Display case after display case featured interesting candies, with a window where you could watch the signature pecan pralines being made and snack on warm samples.   

Yes, around the perimeter, there were the requisite hard candies that you can find most anywhere, but the focus of the shop was the wonderful homemade pecan pralines.  Now, as you have probably experienced, in many shops, pecan pralines can be an overly sweet candy with a somewhat “grainy” texture.  I could never understand why Southerners thought these were so great.  Well, after tasting (and of course buying) some of the pecan pralines from the Savannah Candy store, I can understand why Southerners love their pecan praline candy!  Warm, or not so warm, these beauties are light, smooth and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness and of course, chock full of Georgia pecans.  They are delicious and utterly addictive.  Not a hint of the “grainy” sugar taste that I had experienced with all the other pralines I had sampled elsewhere. 

Another favorite are called “Gophers” and resemble what are also called “Turtles” in most parts of the country.  Again, they were chock full of pecans and creamy caramel and topped with milk chocolate.  They, too, were fresh and delicious.  However, for my money the pecan pralines are the star of the store.  Luckily, the Savannah Candy store has an online store where you can order the pecan pralines and many of their other candies and have them delivered to your doorstep or to a fellow praline lover as a gift.  

Although our trip to Savannah was short and certainly warrants another trip back to really explore the city fully, I left there with a new found respect for the Southern pecan praline and a “to go” box of them tucked in my suitcase.

On your way to Asheville, North Carolina from Atlanta, you’ll come across the small town of Waynesville, North Carolina.  Snuggled in the Smoky Mountains, Waynesville lies within a few miles of some of Western Carolinas favorite tourist spots like Maggie Valley and Cherokee.  In response to the active tourist population, Waynesville has developed a wonderful Main Street shopping area where you can stroll up and down and visit many art galleries, specialty shops and of course, The Mast General Store.  Mast General Store truly has something of interest for most everyone.  It’s brimming with three full floors of clothing, shoes, small kitchen wares, housewares, regional foods (jams, jellies and syrups) and furniture.  It really does have the feel of an “old time” general store with it’s “creaky” hardwood floors and wooden display cases and shelves.  Founded in the late 1800’s the store has maintained it’s presence in Waynesville and expanded to other mountain areas like Knoxville, Tennessee.  Once you’ve finished browsing, head down Main Street to Miller Street and make a left, where you’ll find “The Sweet Onion” restaurant.  It’s a casual, but upscale restaurant tucked away on Miller Street, about a block off Main.  I’ve had dinner there several times and each time, have been pleased with the food and service.  The menu is varied and has lots of “comfort foods”, like macaroni & cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, but also has an ample variety of steaks, seafood, salads and sandwiches.     

On a recent visit, we started off with the Black Bean Cakes, that are corn meal crusted cakes gently fried and topped off with a sweet corn and avocado salsa and dollops of ancho chili lime cream.  For entrees, our vegetarian group opted for the Peanut Pad Thai which was a sauté of bok choy, green onions and peppers with rice noodles, tossed in a Thai peanut sauce.  On the menu there were other pasta dishes like Ranch Fettuccine Alfredo or Pasta Sienna with artichoke hearts, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and basil that will satisfy the vegetarians in your group. 

I ordered the Country Fried Steak, a hand-cut and pounded sirloin steak that’s breaded and fried to perfection.  They top it off with a cracked black pepper gravy.  It was delicious and you could really tell that this was an actual steak that had been pounded down and breaded, as opposed to the “mystery” meat that you often get when you order a country fried steak in a restaurant.  All these entrees come with garlic cheddar biscuits and a choice of two side items, like garlic mashed potatoes, broccoli salad, Gouda scalloped potatoes, grits, mixed sautéed vegetables or macaroni & cheese.  You can substitute a house salad for one of the sides, for an additional cost.  Of the sides, I particularly liked the Gouda scalloped potatoes, they were nice and creamy, with just a hint of the Gouda cheese.  The portions are ample and there always seems to be a need for a “to go box”.        

To end the meal, we shared several of the desserts including: Southern Pecan Crème Brulee, Dutch Chocolate Cake, and Caramel Apple Crisp.  All were good, but I think the favorite was the pecan crème brulee.  The custard was smooth and creamy and contrasted well with the topping of candied pecans and caramelized sugar.  It added just the right amount of crunch to the otherwise smooth custard base.   

Overall, I would recommend that if you’re traveling near Waynesville, North Carolina, stop in and enjoy this charming little town and the great food at The Sweet Onion.

Entrees average - $12.00-14.00

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Snuggled in the Smoky Mountains is the beautiful city of Asheville, North Carolina.  Probably most famous for the Biltmore Estate, the city of Asheville offers an eclectic mix of fine arts, crafts and the home base to a myriad of outdoor activities like kayaking, rafting, golf, hiking and boating.  If you haven’t included Asheville on your list of future travel destinations, you really should, as it offers lots of entertainment options for the entire family, all year round.

There are a number of dining spots in Asheville and on a recent trip I discovered the Stone Ridge Tavern on Brevard Road, off Interstate #26 – Exit 33.  Stone Ridge Tavern is a family owned restaurant, with a nice, comfortable atmosphere.  The main dining room is anchored by a huge stone fireplace that I imagine is very inviting during the winter months.  The menu is varied, with a focus on entrée salads, seafood, pasta, steaks, burgers and chops, all at very reasonable prices. 

I visited several times during my stay and was not disappointed.  The food was delicious and the portions ample.  Service was also friendly and attentive.  During my first visit, I tried their Calabash Chicken Tenders with honey mustard dipping sauce.  The tenders were huge, perfectly fried and moist.  The homemade dipping sauce was excellent.  The sides included a baked potato which could have been my meal; chock full of bacon, cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives.  In addition, each entrée comes with a choice of salad and a basket of the most scrumptious hot rolls and cinnamon butter. 

The second visit, I decided to carryout to my hotel room and stay with something simple.  I ordered their Chicken Caesar Salad.  It consisted of crunchy romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, parmesan cheese, homemade croutons and house Caesar dressing.  Again, it was tasty and delicious and accompanied by those hot rolls and cinnamon butter.    

During my visits, I didn’t succumb to the dessert menu, however, it looked interesting with homemade Baklava, Tiramisu, as well as an assortment of cheesecakes and pies.  Overall, I would recommend that if you are in Asheville visiting or passing through on Interstate 26, you try the Stone Ridge Tavern.  I think you’ll find that you will get a delicious meal at a reasonable price, with excellent service. 

$$ - Entrees between $10-$20   

Comfort foods are not all about cooking at home. When I’m traveling, often times, my first inclination going into a restaurant is to look on the menu for the same type of foods that I enjoy at home. Recently, we took a family trip to Raleigh, North Carolina and stumbled across a wonderful restaurant, Bogart’s American Grill located in downtown Raleigh.

From what I learned, Bogart’s American Grill is part of a consortium of seven restaurants in the Raleigh area under the ownership of RockyTopHospitality. Bogart’s has a very sleek, upscale look to it, yet the menu was varied and included sandwiches and wraps, all at very reasonable prices.

I noticed that they had a “classic section” on the menu and quickly noted that meatloaf and mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie and macaroni and cheese were staples in the classic section. How good is that!

It was a hard choice, but I opted for the meatloaf with mushroom gravy with sour cream and chive mashed potatoes. I was not disappointed. The meatloaf was cut into large pieces and then seared on the grill, the gravy was smooth, with just a hint of the mushroom and the potatoes were creamy with a slight tang from the sour cream.

My husband raved about the Shrimp and Grits which was prepared with onions, mushrooms and shrimp in a spicy tasso sauce. When I checked out the restaurant group’s website, to my surprise, I found a number of recipes from their restaurants, including the outstanding Shrimp and Grits.

We finished the meal by sharing desserts; a pumpkin cheesecake and hot chocolate cake, filled with a chocolate ganache. Both were excellent. All in all, it was perfectly comforting for an uncharacteristically cold night in North Carolina.