Along with buying your first pair of cowboy boots and pretending to like country music, eating fried chicken is a right of passage if you go to school in the South. Naturally, when eating said fried chicken, you must try a slew of other mouth-watering Southern dishes, all of which you can find expertly cooked at South City Kitchen Midtown.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
For dinner, start off with the fried green tomatoes, a traditional Southern plate you’ll be hard-pressed to find above the Mason-Dixon line. Here, they’re crispy and prepared with goat cheese and red pepper coulis. Another tasty starter is the pork BBQ with scallion hoecake, BBQ sauce and horseradish slaw.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
The main event should always be the buttermilk fried Springer Mountain Farms chicken, served with garlic collards, smashed red bliss potatoes and honey-thyme jus. This fried chicken is not only moist and juicy, it’s also extremely well-seasoned and not at all greasy, which makes a big difference. For anyone who is apprehensive about trying Southern food, this fried chicken is a good place to start, as the flavors will draw you in and not let you go until you’ve licked the plate clean.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
While I rarely can stray from ordering the fried chicken, there are plenty of other worthy Southern entrees on offer. The pan-seared Georgia trout and the shrimp and Red Mule grits are both delicious and healthier (well, not fried) options. As a self-proclaimed mac-n-cheese aficionado, I highly recommend the four cheese mac-n-cheese to accompany any entree. It should also be noted that if you don’t order the fried chicken for your main dish, you can get a fried chicken thigh on the side.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
You can also find many of these Southern specialties and more on the brunch menu. While the fried chicken is available at brunch prepared the same way it is for dinner, I prefer it over waffles during the day. When your sweet breakfast cravings collide with your savory lunch desires, turn to the brunch perfection that is the buttermilk fried Springer Mountain Farms chicken and waffle. This dish is everything.
Photo by Morgan Goldberg
As a Northerner, I can’t speak to home-cooked Southern meals, but I have tried many of the Atlanta restaurants revered for their fried chicken and Southern fare. South City Kitchen Midtown is truly top-notch. Whether you are a non-native exploring Southern cuisine, or a diner simply looking for sophisticated, yet traditional, Southern food, this spot should be your next stop.
Location: 1144 Crescent Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30309
Hours: Mon-Thurs Lunch 11am-3:30pm Dinner 5pm-10pm Fri Lunch 11am-3:30pm 5pm-10:30pm Sat Brunch 11am-3:30pm Dinner 5pm-10:30pm Sun Brunch 11am-3:30pm Dinner 5pm-10pm