Georgia Magazine - August 2017 - 32
A full plate Georgians get their fill at meat-and-threes statewide BY H.M. CAULEY DAN COSTIN H At Mrs. Wilkes Dining Room in Savannah, diners pass bowls of food family-style. The aromas will pull you in and banish those hunger pangs. At Goldens on the Square in downtown Newnan, the allure of Southern-style comfort food is so strong that many customers come in every day for fried chicken, green beans and strawberry shortcake. Owner Maridee Wise took over the operation in 1996 and has maintained the menu created by the original owners, Randall and Diane Golden, that keeps locals coming back. "People love our fried okra, fried green tomatoes and the one thing Goldens would not be Goldens without: our homemade banana pudding," Wise says. JENNIFER J. HEWETT ave a hankerin' for home cookin'? Despite the popularity of gourmet-chef-driven TV shows and contests that have cooks create dishes from exotic ingredients, plenty of hungry folks find the most satisfying platter is one laden with a meat and three sides like Mama used to make. What goes better with fried chicken, potpie, country fried steak or meatloaf than summer squash casserole, black-eyed peas and creamed corn? Diners will find an array of restaurants statewide that specialize in those long-loved comfort foods. Some are tucked into the ends of shopping centers or gas stations; others take up downtown storefronts and historic homes. No matter where they're located, one thing is for sure: It's not just fried foods that are favorites. Locals love the salad bar, laden with from-scratch carrot, potato and cucumber salads; the oven-baked and smothered pork tenderloin and chicken; and the prime rib served every Friday. All the veggies on the extensive side menu are prepared without meat and are steamed to lock in flavor. Not only is Goldens' food a draw but also the 100-year-old building it occupies has caught the eye of local filmmakers, who recently rented out the entire space for a movie shoot. "And when they're not on set, a lot of people from the movie business eat with us," Wise says. Visitors to the Little White House in Warm Springs often discover Southern-inspired dishes at Bulloch House Restaurant, named for the old house it occupied until a fire burned it down two years ago. The restaurant now fills a former mercantile store built in the 1870s. "We're definitely a destination location," says manager Greg Bran- JENNIFER J. HEWETT Visitors can spot Minnie's Uptown Restaurant in Columbus by the colorful artwork on the windows. It's a popular place among locals. In recommending the restaurant for this story, Rachel Sapp of Columbus wrote, "Minnie's Uptown in Columbus is always hopping and always delicious!" 32 More online at www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE