Stomach Nostalgia

As vile as that sounds (kind of like what happens after eating mayonnaise-laced egg salad that has been left in the sun in July in Texas), I actually mean it in a positive sense. Sort of positive.

Here's the thing of it: my husband is a Tarheel (from North Carolina for y'all out there not well-versed in Southernese), and I hail from a long line of skillet-wielding, sweet tea drinking, biscuit-making Texans and Tennesseans, for all that I was born in Canada. Even my Canadian dad appreciates these things, so I think he won't mind if I focus on the magnolia side. Our little family, however (husband, Bean and I) live in northern California...an admirable area, rich in diversity and fluctuating dot-coms, but sadly lacking in barbecue and decent pie. Now, before anyone starts hollering, yes, I know that there are a scattered assortment of BBQ joints in San Francisco and Oakland, but that's at least a twenty-five minute drive for us, and when you need pulled pork, you need it NOW.

So here's my cyberspace wide request (if anyone actually reads this blog and knows of such things): soul food. Southern food. Barbecue. Sweet tea. Restaurants. Take-out. Online ordering. Mail order. Phone it in, whatever...I have searched online and come up with a handful of possibilites, but I wouldn't mind some reviews. What is out there for the languishing Southern palate?

I think I'm going to go rustle up a pitcher of sweet tea. It's not quite the same thing, but it'll hold us.

Well, I know it won't help too much, but if you come visit me sometime (grin, nudge-nudge), there's a really good place just down the road called Theo's that has incredible Southern BBQ ('cause I know it's different from Midwestern BBQ), Black Eye Peas & Rice, Pecan Pie and Peach Cobbler. I even hear their sweet tea is good ... if you like that kind of thing. :) Heh, but that's about all this area has to offer. :P

Jenn

Maurice's Piggy Park. Ridiculously un-PC, but tasty Q. mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

http://www.mauricesbbq.com/

Good NC/SC style BBQ can't even be found in Charlotte, so forgetaboutit in California! :-(

I've had good results with House Of Soul Food.

http://www.houseofsoulfood.com

Of course, it's not exactly convenient to you mid-peninsula types. :) But if you're down our way and have that hankering, this place gets my recommendation. The collards are great.

Also, there are some other hole-in-the-wall type places in and around San Jose that don't have websites.

--Azar