Southern
on location: south ❖
randy mink
Culinary Delights
Dining at High Point, an upscale restaurant in a converted stone mansion, is worth the trip to Monteagle, Tennessee.
n the South, travelers naturally expect fluffy homemade biscuits and melt-in-your-mouth cornbread, sweet potatoes and fried green tomatoes, big breaded catfish fillets, fried chicken and the best barbecue on the planet. The traditional Southern table is all about comfort food, the kind that reminds you of Sunday dinner at grandma’s house. I have to admit I like heavy foods— the more grease, butter or bacon the better. Fry up anything and, like magic, it turns into an irresistible treat. Right? But all food in the South is not fried. In fact, a new culinary scene is taking hold, one with healthy recipes, farm-totable philosophies and trend-setting chefs who are reinventing American cuisine—or at least putting new twists on old favorites. The following state-by-state smor-
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22 April 2010
gasbord highlights regional specialties, culinary tours, cooking classes, farmers markets, food festivals and groupfriendly restaurants that will add flavor and fun to your next itinerary.
Highlands Bar and Grill is one of Birmingham’s top restaurants.
ALABAMA For ideas on places to take groups in Alabama, see the third edition of the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die brochure just published by the state’s tourism department. “It has by far been the most popular brochure that we have produced to date,” said tourism director Lee Sentell. From BBQ to fresh Gulf seafood, the brochure lists dozens of restaurants in small towns and downtowns across the state. Dishes include scallops at the Battle House Hotel in Mobile, fried chicken at Maggie’s Diner in Tuscaloosa, and a peanut butter and jelly pastry at the Cotton Row in Huntsville. Also on the list: Royal Red Shrimp at Old Bay Steamer and King Neptune’s on the Gulf Coast, the catfish and cheese grits at Radley’s Fountain Grill in Monroeville, baked LeisureGroupTravel.com
Tennessee Department of Tourist Development
Adventures in eating await tour groups from the mountains to the sea