Southern Cuisine

The restaurant in Pigeon Forge. 7/12/23 dwm

  During our trip south, I did my best to sample southern cooking.  

 A good portion of was eating bar-b-que and smoker-prepared food.  I had brisket at Buc-ee's and other spots.  I passed on whiskey in Gatlinburg.  We ate breakfast in the hotel, which meant I didn't get a chance at grits; I certainly would have enjoyed them.

 The one we couldn't miss was five miles up the road in Pigeon Forge, Paula Deen's Family Kitchen.

 Paula Deen was a popular host on the Food Network from 1999 to 2013 when she was dropped by the network and a number of sponsors after admitting using racial slurs.  She apologized and has been out of the limelight since; former President Jimmy Carter in 2013 urged people to forgive her. You can read more about her on Wikipedia.

 

The dining room is large with lots of natural light.

The store is in The Island, a retail and entertainment district not far from Dollywood.  It's so large, trolleys pick up people at stops around a gigantic parking lot.  

If you can see out the windows from Paula Deen's there is entertainment at the top and bottom of every hour when a choreographed water fountain puts on a show.

The primary entertainment, however, is the food.  It's served family style with choices including two, three, or four entrees per table served with four sides and a dessert for everyone at the table.

The dinner for two is $19.99/person. $21.99/person if serving three entrees; and $23.99/person with four.  We went with two entrees. 

 

I decided to indulge with a full glass of sweet tea (if you are a mid-westerner, it's important to know southern sweet tea is made with a sugary syrup which is poured hot into a glass filled with ice), it's amazing and addictive.

 

We started with delicious dinner rolls and I quickly finished my first glass of tea before lunch was delivered:

Clockwise: fried chicken, mac & cheese, cream corn, pulled pork, cream potatoes center and yams, top

It was delicious.  The chicken and pork was good.  The side dishes, especially, the cream corn, cream potatoes, and candied yams were EXCELLENT! 

I've never had mashed potatoes that creamy.  There was something about the cream corn that made it more than 'a side dish.'  The candied yams are as good as they look.  I think the only side we (meaning I) didn't finish was the mac and cheese.

If you're wondering about sides, there are plenty of other options, some are probably even good for you.

Ooey-Gooey Chocolate Butter Cake. 7/12/23

 There are three dessert options: seasonal cobbler, banana cobbler, and Ooey-Gooey Butter Cake (chocolate or vanilla).

 

 I'm not sure how much butter was used in the sweet something I ordered but it was an excellent use of milk.

 

 It says something that the butter cake didn't need a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I wouldn't turn it down.

 

 The meal was delicious.  The family-style service and options allow for quick service.  Our server, recently promoted from serving as a hostess, was friendly and familiar with the menu.

We asked if the restaurant's namesake ever came in.  She said the entire Deen family celebrates Thanksgiving at the restaurant and visits all her restaurants annually.

I didn't have high expectations.  Many fancy restaurants specialize in food I'm not interested in or try to impress in ways that I don't enjoy.  It was a wonderful experience to enjoy basic comfort food, prepared well and served hot.

It will be a while before we get to one of her restaurants again, so when/if that happens, I'll be sure to enjoy it again.

All photos by David Mossner, Paula Deen's Restaurant, Pigeon Forge, TN July 12, 2023