We arrived in Charlotte, NC - the first stop on our road trip down south - late on Christmas day. We were pretty exhausted from the 10-hour drive, and since everything was closed for the holiday, we ended up having dinner at the hotel and going to bed early. The following day, we started out with breakfast at a cafe inside the 7th Street Public Market called Local Loaf. Here’s where we had the first biscuits and gravy experience of the trip - and there were many. If you’re not familiar with the concept, it’s a traditional Southern breakfast that consists of a buttery biscuit split lengthwise and smothered in creamy sausage gravy - a very Paula Deen sort of dish. (Apologies for the lack of photo)
The downtown area of Charlotte is relatively small and quiet (well, compared to NYC anyway). We strolled around for the rest of the morning before taking off to Charleston (more on that later).
We only got to spend one evening in Savannah, GA - having arrived mid-day after driving from Charleston and leaving early the next morning for New Orleans. The city is undeniably full of Southern charm, so it’s really a shame we didn’t have a chance to see more of it.
Since we had a dinner reservation at The Olde Pink House, we spent the evening in the downtown area by the river. It was very tourist-y but nice nonetheless. A fun aspect of Savannah is that there’s no open container law so all the bars sell “to-go” cocktails, and since the weather was perfectly spring-like, we certainly took advantage of that.
When asking around about what to do in Savannah prior to the trip, The Olde Pink House was aggressively recommended by all. Located in an 18th century mansion, it’s unsurprisingly Savannah’s most raved about dining experience. The restaurant consists of several ornate dining rooms, and the menu is focused on seafood. The whole place is orchestrated by dozens of courteous staff. Although the place is bustling and must get about a million covers each night, we did not feel rushed once seated, which was nice. Their food is classic and simple, albeit beautifully presented. If you are looking for innovation, The Olde Pink House is not for you. But it really is an interesting and beautiful Southern experience. Note: The restaurant also has a bar and live jazz cellar downstairs, with cozy fireplace and all. It’s a great place to hang out before or after dinner.
Photo from the restaurant’s website
On New Year’s Day, we were en route from Texas to Nashville, hungry and a bit hungover, and found the most awesome truck stop ever. The aptly named Czech Stop is located right off exit 353 off the I-35 in West, Texas. It’s a large Czech deli that specializes in kolaches - fruit- and often cheese-filled pastries similar to danishes. They also sell dozens of other sweet and savory baked goods, freshly baked breads, and sandwiches.
Still en route to Nashville, we spent one night in Memphis. We didn’t get to explore much, but our breakfast at Arcade Restaurant was awesome. Arcade is the oldest restaurant in the city (est. 1919!), and maintains its decor from circa 1950. Many movies have been filmed there, including favorites like Great Balls of Fire and Walk the Line.
Coffee!
They serve Southern diner classics, including, again, biscuits and gravy. This will go down in history as one of the most fatass breakfasts I’ve ever had.
Nashville was the last stop on our trip. We were on a tight schedule and only had one afternoon to spend in the city. It was a gray and rainy day so I decided not to take my camera out. We started out at some of the famous venues on Broadway to hear the live country music everyone told us we had to experience. Every bar in the five or so block radius featured live musicians. I’m not a huge fan of country music, but it was pretty amazing.
Realizing we couldn’t possibly eat any more fried, barbecued or sausage-gravied food, we headed to a farm-to-table cafe in East Nashville called Silly Goose. Their lunch menu consists of various cous-cous dishes and sandwiches, all featuring lots of vegetables - a rarity in Southern restaurants. The food was fresh, affordable and really delicious - I highly recommend this place.
Stay tuned for my final Road Trip Recap this Thursday!
[…] Rene and I were on our holiday road trip, biscuits and gravy was a breakfast dish we encountered in almost every city. I’d had this […]