Goomba38 wrote:
> I was in Savannah on business and a group of us (four women) wanted to
> go out to eat before having to report for duty at midnight. One woman
> seriously wanted to go to Chick-Fillet (the fast food place!) as she
> LOVES that place. I'm still in shock that it was even a discussion!? LOL
> Another wanted to go to some place called Carey Hilliard's. I finally
> convinced them to go to someplace we couldn't just eat at home and we
> agreed to try Paula Deen's restaurant "The Lady and Sons."
>
> We arrive in a drizzle of rain and early, about 5:30 PM and were told to
> return at 7:30 PM. Walking the streets I suggested popping into one of
> the local bars for a drink and munchie to hold us over? Nooooo..they
> don't "drink"..

And God knows they couldn't order a non-alcoholic beverage!

>but they wanted to go to a particular candy store and
> get the pralines and a big diet coke to carry around with them as they
> strolled the area. The pralines could hold a certain attraction, but not
> something I want to eat before a meal to come? We trudge on and all the
> while we're being rained on (without umbrellas or caps darn it)

You're obviously not from Portland, LOL...(inside joke)

>so look
> a bit shaggy by the time we return to The Lady and Sons earlier than the
> 7:30 reservation time. They bring us right in anyway and we're seated at
> what must be the worst table in the place. Right next to the "souvenir"
> shop on one side and right next to "the buffet" area on the other. I had
> NO idea her restaurant would be just a higher price cafeteria!! And
> worse yet my cow-orkers were thrilled to be sitting closer to the trough!

Oh God. The more and more you post, the more I am having flashbacks of
traveling in groups for work...

>
> The waiter took almost 10 minutes to come to us, and he did make
> apologies for his delay. Everyone ordered iced tea, and I ordered a
> glass of red wine (Coperridge Merlot, $6.00/glass). They inform the
> waiter that they just wanted to get the buffet, but I wanted to eat off
> the menu hoping it would be a bit nicer? I ordered the fried green
> tomatoes as a starter, and the steak with tomato pie for my entree. I
> assume the starter will arrive before the meal. Silly me.
>
> Someone came around with a basket of johnny cakes (a bit greasy, not
> very corny although they are proudly declared to have fresh corn in the
> batter) and a very large biscuit. The bread server lays one of each on
> our individual small bread plates and points out some syrup on the table
> which he says is good with the breads. I miss hearing the type of syrup
> it is? One woman at my table takes her bread plate and moves it front
> and center to her and pours enough syrup on it to make any pancake syrup
> commercial proud and she spreads thickly with her knife. She then
> precedes to eat the biscuit by hand and johnny cake with her fork and
> knife just like a pancake. I guess pouring a smidgeon of syrup on the
> side of her bread plate and dipping small bites into it as she ate
> wasn't considered an option? I was just thinking that if she'd put her
> napkin on her lap, and perhaps used her fork and knife in a bit nicer
> way, she'd have less dribbles on her shirt? Just me being bitchy.. I
> know.

LOL...Meerrrrow!

> The johnny cake would have been improved if it hadn't been quite
> so greasy, and perhaps some seasoning like cayenne added? They didn't
> have a particularly "corny" flavor. Three bites was enough for me. I
> didn't bother trying the generously sized biscuit and no one commented
> on them while eating so I don't know if it was particularly noteworthy?
>
> The waiter has been gone a while and then returns with the iced teas,
> but no wine. I ask him about my wine and he states he'll get it. I sit
> and wait. It isn't a priority I guess.

Ugh. I hate shitty service!

>
> My cow-orkers descend on the buffet and returned singing the praises of
> the offerings. Fried chicken, sweet potatoes, cooked cabbage, black eyed
> peas, gravy over pork...to me this is school or cafeteria food, whatever
> you call it, it just wasn't something I'd go out of my way to eat when
> in a city with many renowned restaurants. They are chowing down...
> literally. One sings the praises of "good southern cooking" and says I
> just don't recognize "delicious homestyle cooking" although I note that
> the majority of patrons at the buffet were middle aged obese women. Any
> defense of preferring to eat foods that aren't a

Good Southern food doesn't have to be greasy or overcooked. My MIL
makes some awesome traditional Black Southern dishes.

>
> Neither my wine, starter nor my entree have arrived by the time my table
> mates have consumed half their meals. Eventually my starter and my
> entree all arrived at the same time. I guess calling something on the
> menu here an appetizer or starter is just a tease? I had ordered the
> fried green tomatoes in part because I like them but also because one of
> the women had never tried them before and I wanted to introduce her to
> them. About 8 of them arrive on a plate. They weren't fried as I've ever
> had or made myself before. These were more in a tempura like coating? On
> top of each was some minced pimento (very slightly pickled in flavor
> like the jarred ones)and while not quite the flavor of roasted peppers I
> was expecting it was truth in advertising eh? In the middle was a small
> dish of Vidalia onion relish, which was very tasty. I couldn't taste any
> tomato itself because of the "fried" coating flavor. Such a shame.

Ugh. Nasty.

>
> The beef with tomato pie was billed as "beef tenderloin and mushroom
> ragout surrounding our famous tomato pie". The beef chunks were tender
> and in a brown gravy that might have been improved with wine or herbs.
> Perhaps de-glazing the roasting pan with wine before proceeding with the
> gravy? It just didn't have much flavor. The mushroom ragout was chopped
> cooked mushrooms with a nice strong mushroom flavor itself but a huge
> wallop of salt! Perhaps someone seasoned the dish immediately after
> plating it up and sending it out but it was wayyyyyy too heavy on salt
> in areas. The salt was off putting, and the dish as a whole
> disappointing. My tablemates were being offered a desserts while I was
> still eating my meal. I ate about a quarter of the meal and just had
> enough. The waiter came around and noticed my untouched food and asked
> if anything were wrong? I told him about the salt, but not that I was
> just disappointed in the food on the whole. He apologized and left, soon
> to return with one of the Deen boys (I don't know which one,very tall
> and lanky) who again apologized and asked if there was anything else he
> could get me. I explained that I was fine, and how my food had arrived
> so much after everyone had starting eating so I didn't want anything
> else at that point. He stated he would remove the charge from my bill.
> So I was happy with this arrangement.

Well Bravo for them!

>
> I can see how this restaurant serves the tourist crowd well, in fact we
> saw bus tours dropping off here, but I was not impressed. These folks I
> was with are not terribly sophisticated nor adventurous eaters. They
> want their fish fried, their veggies soft, three starches per meal and
> the same "comfort food" they've always eaten in mom's kitchen and little
> more. They value quantity over quality. It was very discouraging.

Well that's disappointing. Much of the food Paula makes on TV looks
delicious albeit very high in fat and salt, IMO. It doesn't surprise
me too much that the attraction there was the buffet - people who like
to eat like that usually also like to eat a lot of food - regardless of
quality.

-L.