Southern Meat 'n' 3 Meals

[Varmint]

I love southern "meat 'n' 3" restaurants. These are the places where you choose from a variety of meats and then 3 different "vegetables." I use the quotes around vegetables simply because it's more appropriate to call them sides, particularly when there's deviled eggs and macaroni and cheese on the list.

Perhaps my favorite meat 'n' 3 meal consists of pork chops smothered in onion gravy, black eyed peas slow cooked in fat back, collard greens, and fried okra. However, in the middle of the summer, I'll get some nice, juicy sliced tomatoes instead of the okra or black eyed peas (collards pretty much always make the final cut). This makes for a fairly colorful plate, too -- something that isn't all that common here.

At some places, they'll have really good candied sweet potatoes, which effectively serves as a colorful dessert. At the best places, they'll have awesome squash casserole, filled with cheese and some type of crunchy topping.

What does your favorite meat 'n' 3 meal consist of?

[NewYorkTexan]

Is the meat and three usually severed in cafeteria style restaurants? That is the only way I have seen it.

We have one local place that is very good, although it is meat and two (kinda feel ripped-off now). My personal favorite is their meatloaf with sweat potatoes and green beans. Gotta have a yeast roll and if I want to be bad, a piece of pie like buttermilk pie.

Is it bad that I am now craving lunch at 9:00 in the morning?

[Varmint]

Is the meat and three usually severed in cafeteria style restaurants?  That is the only way I have seen it.

No, I can think of at least 6 restaurants in Raleigh alone where it's a traditional, sit down type of place, and that's not counting the barbecue joints. Of course, I'm sure most of the veggies are in steam tables in the back, but because they're cooked to complete "doneness", the steam tables don't hurt.

[pogophiles]

Here in Nashville, the "Meat & Three Capital of the World", you find both kinds -- most are sit-down table service, but a few are cafeteria-style. It's really hard to pick a favorite, but I tend toward fried chicken, a mixture of turnip & mustard greens, squash casserole, and purple-hull peas. At the peak of summer, though, I tend toward all veggies: fried corn, lima beans, fresh sliced tomatoes and okra...

[Varmint]

At the peak of summer, though, I tend toward all veggies:  fried corn, lima beans, fresh sliced tomatoes and okra...

The vegetable plate. Damn, I'm hungry!

[pogophiles]

Me too. And July is rapidly approaching!!

[joler]

I tend toward the Pogophiles with the veggie plate, however there is nothing like a really good piece of fried chicken. Macaroni and Cheese is a must, butter beans, tomatoes only if they are really good, greens, fried okra also a favorite.

Varmint, if you are ever headed West, you should try to stop at Hillbilly Hideaway, 4365 Pine Hall Rd, Walnut Cove, NC. It is a "Family Style" restaurant that has been around for ages. It's in an old log cabin with a couple of plastic pigs on the roof and everyone carves their names on the walls (even Billy Ray Cyrus)

Anyway, the food is awesome. For lunch they come with a cart loaded with bowls of creamed potatoes, collard greens, fried chicken, meatloaf, pinto beans, tomatoes, and country ham. Breakfast is great too, biscuits and gravy, fried apples, pork tenderloin, etc., etc.

[pogophiles]

I adore the combination of fried apples and smoked sausage at breakfast...

[ruthcooks]

Since Southerners call mashed potatoes "creamed potatoes" I've always wondered what in the hell they call creamed potatoes?

[WHT]

Brisket, corn bread, greens and macaroni and cheese.

[joler]

Since Southerners call mashed potatoes "creamed potatoes" I've always wondered what in the hell they call creamed potatoes?

Well actually, when I said "creamed potatoes" I meant "creamed potatoes". The potatoes they serve at Hillbilly Hideaway are small, new potatoes with the skins on that are boiled and then served in a butter and cream sauce with lots of black pepper (and salt of course, everything has lots of salt). They are delicious.

[mcdowell]

Lizard's Thicket in South Carolina.

Meatloaf, fried okra, cornbread, & green beans.

Edited June 5, 2003 by mcdowell (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

For lunch they come with a cart loaded with bowls of ...

Southern dim sum?

[joler]

Southern dim sum?

Sort of! Only Jethro-sized portions.

[pogophiles]

Actually, dim sum originated in the South. The linguistic roots derived from the phrase uttered by first-time diners, as follows: {pointing at cart} "Dim sum big ole bowls!"

[scottie]

Cafe Atchafalaya down here in New Orleans has great sides. I like the veggie plate with blackeye peas, smothered turnip greens, corn fritters and fried okra. The fried green tomatoes are the most boring in town, though.

Voodoo BBQ over on St. Charles has good sides, too: blackeye peas, mac and cheese, awesome corn pudding.

Ugly Dog Saloon has great Memphis-style BBQ that comes with two sides, the best are the loaded baked potato and the coleslaw that seems to be in some kind of peanut butter-molasses dressing. The au gratin potatoes are really good, too.

Couldn't tell ya about the meat, as I don't really eat it. Don't worry, though- I am in the process of recovering from years of vegetarianism. Next stop- pork!

[Varmint]

Couldn't tell ya about the meat, as I don't really eat it. Don't worry, though- I am in the process of recovering from years of vegetarianism. Next stop- pork!

I love recovering vegetarians. They're so easy to corrupt!!

[browniebaker]

Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, butter beans, biscuits, and a slice of chess pie.

[pogophiles]

Dang, I forgot the pie. Buttermilk, pecan or chocolate meringue for me...

[scbuzz]

Meat loaf or Fried chicken, macaroni and cheese (with an almost burned cheese crust), greens, butter beans with corn bread.

favorite pie ..... PECAN PIE RULES !!!

[Varmint]

favorite pie ..... PECAN PIE RULES !!!

I agree, as long as you include any chess pie and any sweet potato pie