Oh, it was easy. Too easy. The only thing easier would have been to gain 10 lbs., but I exercised a little self-control. That WASN’T easy.
I blame Cahawba House. We went there and dived right into all the southern goodies one would expect at breakfast: flaky biscuits with homemade strawberry jam, ham, bacon, and then — a plate of the most fabulous beignets in the world! Even though the plate was set in front of ME, I grudgingly shared them with the rest of our group, and my kindness was rewarded: they brought out more! And the weight gain began.
And I blame her! Janett of D’Road Cafe. We went to this Venezuelan restaurant where Janett brought out plate after plate of traditional Latin foods. We ate until we couldn’t eat any more and were so foolishly full that we could barely eat lunch a few hours later. I gained at least one pound here.
Mayor Todd Strange met us for lunch at Central. It was a fantastic restaurant that puts a modern twist on southern favorites. I tried chicken gizzards that were out of this world! And topped that off with pimento cheese with flat bread. Definitely worth another pound.
Vintage Year in Cloverdale didn’t make it easy, either. This fine dining establishment boasts steaks, seafood, cocktails and desserts, and I enjoyed them all. Add another pound.
Wagyu Flat Iron Steak
But I think the Capitol Oyster Bar is what pushed the scale over the top. I cannot resist fried oysters. Especially when you eat them outside next to a river as you listen to great live music. I ate more oysters than anyone has a right to.
But really, who I should blame is E.A.T South (Educate. Act. Transform.). This community garden project on donated land near an old train yard grows many of the ingredients found at each of these restaurants. They’ve made the farm-to-table experience too good to pass up.
Southern cooking is too good to resist. I’ll consider myself lucky that I escaped Alabama with only five extra pounds. It could’ve been worse.
Do you have a favorite southern dish?
Browsing The Atlas 
Haha! This was too good. It’s definitely way too easy to put on the pounds in Montgomery!
I think you fared much better than I did. Self control is not my forte. 🙂
That’s really cruel, Juliann, since I have been out backpacking and living on freeze dried food/instant foods. Just add boiling water! If you want a solution to your weight gain, I have one. 🙂 –Curt
Sorry, Curt. But thanks for coming up with a solution.
🙂
Fried green tomatoes. Fried okra. Fried zucchini/squash. Fried, fried, fried! LOL Zucchini bread. (Some of these may not be southern, but we ate them all the time as kids.) Grits drowning in sugar and butter.
LOL. Fried is right, though I managed to escape most of the fried food. But I love fried green tomatoes. I’d never forgo that!
Oh, and the pimento cheese sandwiches with sweet pickles, of course!
OMG I can’t even handle how good those beignets LOOK. Gimme. Looks like a great experience.
Haha. But now I’m wondering if they’d ship some???
Ha! I’ve easily done the same! I love Southern food hard to nail down just one item, but I love fried chicken.
I do, too, but didn’t have any on this trip! I should probably be thankful. Because fried chicken usually comes with a lot of delectable side dishes, too.
I grew up in Auburn Alabama before moving to Columbus Ohio. We had all kind of good southern cooking (and some not so good). Fried chicken gizzards, hearts, okra, zucchini, basically anything deep fried was good. I am a sucker for a good bowl of grits. Pimento Cheese was a favorite too. I never was a fan of pork brains and milk gravy but mom would have to cook it every now and then.
I think I’m glad I wasn’t served pork brains and milk gravy. The pimento cheese was great! My mom makes that every year. My brother practically salivates just hearing the words.
It’s easy to see how you put that weight on in just a few days — looking at the food, it would have been almost impossible to say no!
Yes. WAY too easy. 😦
You had me at beignets. I also love a good biscuit but unfortunately (or fortunately?), it’s difficult to find a really good one in Southern California. All that fantastic food is definitely worth the five pounds I’d say. 😉
Very true. The beignets were out of this world! I usually gravitate toward more savory things, but I ate three or four beignets at Cahawba House and didn’t think twice about it. They were fantastic.
I never thought I’d see “chicken gizzards” and “out of this world” on the same sentence haha. I am so glad you are well in Montgomery! That’s what vacations are for 🙂
I never thought I’d write them in the same sentence, either! But at Central, it was the honest truth.
With so much good food, I would have easily gained 5 pounds as well! I have never tried Venezuelan before so I am really interested in knowing what you’ve tried!
Just enjoy the food first when travelling and think about exercise later 😀
You are so wise. I like the way you think. 😀
I love Southern food! Biscuits are my jam, haha. I think I gained 5 pounds eating my way around Savannah and South Carolina a few years ago. 🙂 Those beignets look delicious!
I’ve actually never had Southern food but I’ve only heard good things about it so I don’t blame ya! I would’ve easily put on not 5 but 10 pounds haha I have no self control when it comes to delicious food.
Never had oysters fried, only fresh. Other than all of Route 66 the only other bit of the US I’d want to visit is the Deep South for its culture, music and food.
Definitely explore the Deep South if you can, Roy. So much history and culture!
Oh man, that all sounds so good! I’ve never had fried oysters but would love to try them. And the beignets. Yum!
Whenever I see fried oysters on a menu, I don’t need to look any further. I love them! I’m actually not a fan of raw oysters, but fried… yum!!!
The community garden on the old train yard looks wonderful – I have little finds like that!
It was so interesting. The people involved with maintaining it are so passionate about the farm-to-table movement.
You should try Martin’s restaurant there, The Butterscotch pie is divine!!
Thanks, Jessica! One more reason to go back. 🙂
Favorite sourthern food(s)? – gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, shrimp & grits, she-crab chowder, any kind of stewed greens . . . . . so much good food to choose from! You did well only putting on 5 lbs!
I know! I used every bit of restraint I could. The beignets were my biggest downfall, but the fried oysters were a close second.