Dining the Way the South Intended

South City Kitchen
Midtown Atlanta, Georgia

In a city as large as Atlanta, Georgia choosing a place to dine is like being on a weight-loss plan and trying to fill your plate with only your favorite dishes on Thanksgiving. That was the situation last Saturday as we drove aroundΒ the A-T-LΒ in search of the perfect brunch spot. It was South City Kitchen thatΒ won me over–theΒ lively patio full of happyΒ customers drew me in andΒ as soon as I laid eyes on the menu, I knew we’d made the right choice.

We wereΒ greeted politely, then led through the cool, sophisticated dining room outΒ onto the more relaxed patio. We took a seat in the wicker chairs andΒ soon after, our well-dressed waiter delivered a bread basket and poured us up aΒ cold glass of purified water.Β It’s the little detailsΒ that really take a dining experience up a notch, like watchingΒ your server pourΒ water into a clean drinking glass while sitting outside in theΒ June humidity.Β Β Filled with warm, soft biscuits and golden corn muffins, the basket also sported softened butter and cold apple butter for spreading. One bite of that biscuit and it was circa 1991 and I was in myΒ Grandma’s kitchen without a care in the world.

On the menu, you’ll find many southern classics like Buttermilk Fried Chicken,Β BBQ Pork Sandwiches, She-Crab Soup and Grits & Grillades. Unpredictable side options like corn and tomato, kale salad and fingerlings are a nice surprise. The prices ranged anywhere fromΒ $5.95 for theirΒ House Made Granola to $19 for the Shrimp & Red Mule Grits- stone ground from Athens, Georgia.

The atmosphere isΒ settling like a slower paceΒ from a previousΒ time. As a customer, you get the feelingΒ you’re a respected guest. The restaurant’s most popular menu item is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Shrimp & Red Mule Grits takes second place.

I decided on the Buttermilk Fried Chicken and Waffle with pure maple syrup for $17. I must admit, I’ve always been curious of the combination. Crazy as it seems, it works. The crunchy fried chicken with theΒ buttery waffle…now I know why it’s a Snoop DoggΒ favorite. Right on Snoop Doggy Dog!

We finished the meal with a sweet and fruity Watermelon Sorbet, available by oneΒ scoopΒ or two, with coffee.

Finding parking was the only challenge to eating here, but after the chicken & waffle dish, it sureΒ didn’t hurt me to walk a few blocks. Open since 1993, South City KitchenΒ lives up to its motto…dining the way the South intended.

South City Kitchen Midtown on Urbanspoon