The Country's Best Southern Food From Road Trip with G. Garvin

Savor the varied and delicious tastes of the South.

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Honey Butter Fried Chicken

Brining chicken before frying ensures that the meat will remain tender and juicy as the skin crisps to perfection. Chicago's Honey Butter restaurant serves its namesake condiment alongside the bird. The results are delightfully addictive.

Get the Recipe: Honey Butter Fried Chicken

Cuppy's Peach Cobbler

Nothing says summer like peach cobbler, but August humidity can make rolling out a pie crust nearly impossible. Make sure your dough is thoroughly chilled before testing out this otherwise fuss-free dessert. 

Get the Recipe: Cuppy's Peach Cobbler

Kale and Macadamia Nut Salad

Bitter kale is no match for the burst of umami flavor that helms this salad's outstanding dressing from the Monkey Pod Kitchen in Oahu. Macadamia nuts, which are grown locally in Hawaii, add a buttery taste and lovely crunch to this healthy bowl.

Get the Recipe: Kale and Macadamia Nut Salad

Ron's Roadside BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

What's missing from Chef Ron Philipp's irresistible Cajun-spiced, slow-cooked fall-off-the-bone pulled pork sandwich? Absolutely nothing.

Get the Recipe: Ron's Roadside BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich

Pan-Roasted Chicken and Smoked Chicken Sausage with Kale Puree and Root Vegetables

At first glance, Grange Kitchen and Bar's dish seems reminiscent of classic roast chicken and vegetable recipes, but it's actually quite complex thanks to the use of breast meat and smoked chicken sausages. The result is a dish that's both cozy and modern –– and an all-around stunner.

Get the Recipe: Pan Roasted Chicken and Smoked Chicken Sausage with Kale Puree and Root Vegetables

Maple-Glazed Pork Chops, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Mash

Pork chops have global appeal at Crackers restaurant –– the chef marinates them in Italian dressing and soy sauce before throwing them on the grill. Served with All-American sides –– green bean casserole and sweet potato mash –– this worldly meal will be right at home in your kitchen.

Get the Recipe: Maple Glazed Pork Chops, Green Bean Casserole and Sweet Potato Mash

Batch Pork Belly

Kevin Danilo rubs his pork belly with coffee and sugar before cooking it confit style in duck fat. Served with a miso-Sriracha sauce, this rich meal is worth every minute of preparation. 

Get the Recipe: Batch Pork Belly

Big Joe's Jambalaya

While jambalaya shows influences of classic Spanish and French dishes, this spicy, smoky jumble of a recipe is an American original hailing from Louisiana. Chef Aaron Monis gives this dish his own spin by using a combination of andouille sausage, pork, crawfish tails, shrimp and chicken in his recipe.

Get the Recipe: Big Joe's Jambalaya

Brownstone Punch

In New York City, hanging out on brownstone stoops is the best place to catch up with friends and neighbors (not to mention, kick back with a cocktail or two). The hit of coconut rum in this boozy punch makes it the perfect drink to enjoy on an island –– even if it's just Manhattan.

Get the Recipe: Brownstone Punch

Brooklyn Girl

How can you spot a Brooklyn girl? Perhaps by her sweet yet spicy notes –– as shown in this cocktail, which carries the same moniker. Craig Samuel muddles fresh blackberries to make this refreshing drink.

Get the Recipe: Brooklyn Girl

Black Skillet Chicken

When cooked in an uncovered skillet, chicken skin becomes irresistibly crisp and the meat stays juicy. If you're pressed for oven space, place the chicken atop the potatoes halfway through the roasting process (they'll get a flavor boost from the chicken juices).

Get the Recipe: Black Skillet Chicken

Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Roasting a bird on top of a beer can has two major benefits: It allows the skin to get hit from all angles and infuses the cavity with earthiness. The team at Southern Swank restaurant tops off each can with a tangy BBQ sauce, which adds an extra layer of flavor.

Get the Recipe: Smoked Beer Can Chicken

Gnaughty Gnocchi

What gives this typically tame recipe an edge? Three pounds of oxtails and a piquant tomato sauce. Hot and Soul restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., proves that their dishes stand up to their namesake.

Get the Recipe: Gnaughty Gnocchi

Chicken-Fried Bacon with Creamy Shrimp Grits

As if bacon wasn't delicious enough on its own, Chef Scott Ostrander of Mama's Boy Southern Table & Refuge batters the strips and dunks them in the fryer for extra crunch. They're layered atop creamy shrimp-studded grits and finished with a sunny-side up egg.

Get the Recipe: Chicken-Fried Bacon with Creamy Shrimp Grits and Sunny-Side Egg

Espresso-Rubbed Short Ribs with Red Eye BBQ Sauce

A smoky espresso rub deepens the rich, beefy flavor of short ribs. Don't waste the flavor-loaded pan drippings — simply blend with ketchup to form a tangy barbecue sauce.

Get the Recipe: Espresso-Rubbed Short Ribs with Red Eye BBQ Sauce

Mama's Boy Chocolate Cake

Coffee gives this decadent chocolate cake a jolt of caffeine and rich espresso flavor, balanced by a fresh raspberry filling.

Get the Recipe: Mama's Boy Chocolate Cake

Mama's Boy Coconut Cake

A tried-and-true Southern favorite, this fluffy cake is filled with coconut-flecked pastry cream and topped with more shredded flakes.

Get the Recipe: Mama's Boy Coconut Cake

Meatloaf

This meatloaf is baked uncovered with a ketchup mixture that becomes a crackly, sticky-sweet glaze when it's pulled from the oven.

Get the Recipe: Meatloaf

Peaches and Cream Stuffed French Toast

Stuff loaves of French bread with a peach-and-cream filling the night before so the flavors can meld and the slices won't fall apart in the pan.

Get the Recipe: Peaches and Cream Stuffed French Toast

Yeah Burger Triple B Bison Burger

This over-the-top bison burger gets a tempting topping of crumbled blue cheese, onion and smoky bacon.

Get the Recipe: Yeah Burger Triple B Bison Burger

Boundary Road Brick Chicken

The simple technique of weighing down chicken with a brick is used to crisp up the skin without losing any juiciness. To give the plate some Southern flair, serve the golden-brown bird with a sweet potato mash and braised collard greens.

Get the Recipe: Boundary Road Brick Chicken

Sixth Engine's Grilled Shrimp

This sophisticated take on shrimp and grits features two traditional Louisiana ingredients: peppery tasso pork and tender black-eyed peas simmered with a briny hock.

Get the Recipe: Sixth Engine's Grilled Shrimp With Tasso Ham, Black Eyed Peas, and Sherry Butter Sauce

610 Magnolia Black Bean Oxtail and Lima Beans

Chef Edward Lee fuses his Asian roots with the flavors and ingredients of the South to create this hearty stew. Cooking the oxtail low and slow is the key to meltingly tender meat, which he punches up with traditional Far East ingredients like fermented black bean paste, ginger and star anise.

Get the Recipe: 610 Magnolia Black Bean Oxtail and Lima Beans

Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheese Steak Cookie

Bacon is so last year. Made with a cheddar cheese base, these savory cookies are flecked with dehydrated onions and beef jerky to mimic the flavors of Philly cheese steak.

Get the Recipe: Cookie Confidential's Philly Cheesesteak Cookie

Caribbean Feast's Oxtail Dish

The meaty morsels of this Caribbean stew get their deep island flavors by marinating in gravy, garlic powder and fresh thyme for four hours.

Get the Recipe: Caribbean Feast's Oxtail Dish

Grub's Ooh La La Egg Sandwich

Buttery croissants are first given the French toast treatment –– dipped in a cinnamon-infused batter and griddled until golden brown –– then stuffed with cheesy scrambled eggs and bacon to form an over-the-top breakfast sandwich.

Get the Recipe: Grub's Ooh La La Egg Sandwich

Fickle Pickle Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Fried green tomatoes make an appearance in this Southern sandwich, complete with thick, sweet tomato jam and basil mayo.

Get the Recipe: Fickle Pickle Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Fickle Pickle Fried Cajun Pickles

This is really two recipes in one when you start with cucumbers and let them marinate in vinegar, Cajun spices and jalapenos. Then slice and fry them in a cornmeal-buttermilk batter for pickles that come out crisp on the outside and tangy on the inside.

Get the Recipe: Fickle Pickle Fried Cajun Pickles

Brickstore Pub Battered Ale Fish

Brickstore Pub in Georgia takes this classic pub dish to all-new levels when cod is dredged in seasoned flour, immersed in a curry-beer batter, then fried to a golden crisp.

Get the Recipe: Brickstore Pub Battered Ale Fish

Fried Chicken and Sea Island Red Peas

This crunchy and moist fried chicken is battered in buttermilk and seasoned flour before it's fried up in peanut oil. Serve with red peas and greens for a quintessentially Southern meal.

Get the Recipe: Fried Chicken and Sea Island Red Peas

Local Three Shrimp and Grits

In this version of the humble Southern staple, shrimp are braised in sherry and cream while the grits are cooked slowly in milk and butter.

Get the Recipe: Local Three Shrimp and Grits

Spiked Sweet Tea

For a sophisticated and spiked take on Southern sweet tea, try this frosty American cocktail made with iced tea-infused gin, orange liqueur and orange bitters.

Get the Recipe: JCTea

Tin Roof BBQ Texas Cheese Steak Sandwich

This sloppy but irresistible smoked sirloin sandwich gets hit with a triple-whammy of flavor: First comes a topping of sauteed mushrooms, red bell peppers and onions, then a slice of melty provolone cheese and, finally, a slathering of Thousand Island dressing.

Get the Recipe: Tin Roof BBQ Texas Cheese Steak Sandwich

G's Quick Jambalaya

Jambalaya can be put together in a cinch while still getting a full kick of flavor from the sausage, prawns, shrimp, crawfish and hot cayenne pepper.

Get the Recipe: G's Quick Jambalaya

Pitmaker Brisket

Meaty beef brisket deserves “low and slow” cooking with some smoky treatment for a substantial, fork-tender barbecue main.

Get the Recipe: Pitmaker Brisket

Frank’s Moustache Ride Cocktail

Nothing is quite as Southern as bourbon whiskey, traditionally distilled in Kentucky from corn. This bourbon-based cocktail is mixed with fig simple syrup, orange liqueur and a dash of bitters. Rim the glass with sticky, sweet maple syrup and dip in cocoa sugar before you pour and serve.

Get the Recipe: Frank's Moustache Ride Cocktail

Burger Bistro Veal Osso Buco Burger

This Italian favorite gets a Southern twist when the veal is formed into burger patties and braised in a red wine-tomato sauce until meltingly tender.

Get the Recipe: Burger Bistro Veal Osso Buco Burger

Sour Cherry Pear Pie

Sour cherries were just meant to be in pie. Here their tartness is tamed when paired with tender pears and baked under a sweet crumb topping. 

Get the Recipe: Sour Cherry Pear Pie

Blueberry Peanut Smoothie

Fresh blueberries, creamy peanut butter and frozen yogurt come together in this frosty, protein-packed smoothie that will kick-start your day with energy.

Get the Recipe: Blueberry Peanut Smoothie