AUTHOR: ARTSY CHOW ROAMER

Queenie’s

dining out in canton, ga

Me and my fellow foodie friends are always looking for good restaurant finds within drivable distances from our north Georgia mountain community. They tend to depend on me to tell them where to go next given what I do for a living. And that’s OK because I rarely let them down.

When feeling the need for a night out and a road trip, I crank up the old google machine and start looking at dots on the map and rummage through lists and menus. I know when I’ve found the right one and this time it was Queenie’s in the lovely downtown area of Canton, GA.

How did I know it should be them? A simply laid out one page menu, no less than eighteen side dishes to choose from and a website that opens with a pic of a beautiful rack of sauced-up ribs being sliced on a wooden table. You just know your barbeque happy feet are warming up and grits will be involved.

HISTORIC DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Located in the downtown historic district at 151 West Main, Queenie’s is serving up their deceptively simple Southern staples for lunch Tuesday to Fridays from 11:30 to close and for Saturday dinner from 5:00 to close. Having said that, we were starving and went at 4:00 along with a friend and they were happy to seat us early for a Saturday dinner and we weren’t the only ones there.

Zach Kell is listed as the owner while husband and wife team Brett and Katherine Ashcraft hold down the fort as Chef and General Manager. Chef’s menu is creative, offering depths of flavor and modern takes on classics presented in that one page format with a wide variety of drinks listed on the back.

CLASSIC COCKTAILs

After being seated in a cozy booth in the back dining room, we studied the signature cocktails list finding it difficult to narrow it down to one luscious choice. Should it be a Queenie Martini involving gin and lemon, a Harvest Mule with bourbon and ginger beer or maybe a Tallulah Julep with mint and sweet vermouth?

All had a clever Southern slant to their name along with the particular ingredients used for the recipe and design. Any would be a lovely choice and running from $10-16, they were pretty much the going rate for drinks these days. You could also choose from a good list of beers as well as thoughtful offerings in wine leaning heavier into the reds which I was glad to see.

FIRST COURSE

Remember when I said the menu was deceptively simple? One would think that because it is laid out on one page and is Southern food that it will be easy to get through as there wouldn’t be that many choices right? Wrong. Every dish offered on this Chef’s menu has been well thought out, tested and refined to be able to send dishes to the table that are recognizable but surprising and complex showing a deft hand with flavor profiles.

Our first choice came from the soup and salad section which was the butternut squash bisque with a sweet drizzle of sherry. It was creamy smooth and delicious with the use of a good number of spices to enhance the earthy flavor of this popular vegetable. Nothing says warmth on a cool spring night like a nice bowl of hearty soup.

SECOND COURSE

Small plates take up most of the upper left-hand side of the menu with some fabulous choices. We first tried the grilled shrimp which was served with black eyed peas and silver corn salad. The dish was served “coldish” and the salad was totally reminiscent of a succotash; sweet and sour mixing with the fresh perfectly grilled tender shrimp.

This dish was a great follow up to the soup and sizable in quantity at $15. It sent us back to scout the starter offerings again to see what else might interest our taste buds. We all agreed that we had to have some pig but which? Freshly cured meats done on property, fried pork rinds or better yet, braised pork belly?

THIRD COURSE

I suppose the crispy pork belly sealed the deal when we saw it had a sorghum and mustard seed glaze and was served over Georgia grits. The braising brought all the cut-with-a-fork tenderness you would expect but that glaze knocked it out of the ballpark with the sugary tang that crisped it to just the right degree.

Take that flavor and pop it over some of the fluffiest grits I have ever had in a restaurant and you get why the server and bar tender both told me this dish was one of the best on the menu. I can not tell you how many restaurants do not know how to properly cook a grit; much less give it the true flavor of the ingredient as the butter, salt and pepper shine through.

We paired this course with a wedge salad which also highlighted pork belly sans glaze and it was just as crispy melt-in-your-mouth good as it could be. Pickled onions, grape tomatoes and blue cheese crumbles along with something called Ramp’ch dressing (their take on a ramp style ranch) showed yet again how good this Chef is with complex flavor profiles.

dessert

When in the South there is always something chocolate on the menu and in this instance it was a mousse cake. I am unsure if they are making this in-house but it sounded like they do and it was sublime. Light and creamy with a ganache like layer and powder sprinkled on top which made for a solid hit that was pretty with the freshness coming in a dollop of whipped cream on the side. 😋

MENU NOTES

The atmosphere is cozy with bits of modern rustic and lots of foodie design details. The bar is a nice spot to drop in just for a fancy cocktail. Planning a business dinner with a few steak lovers? They got your back with five different cuts, one side and six different pairings to choose from like red wine-braised mushrooms or blue cheese bacon jam topping.

Entrees get you two side choices. Did I mention there are eighteen different ones on offer all made in house? Pair the chicken dishes with mac and cheese and coleslaw, pulled pork with collards and potato salad and fish with grits and apple glazed Brussel sprouts just to name a few.

CONCLUSION

This was a spur of the moment road trip that was quite magical for an early Saturday evening dinner. A pleasant server and fun bartender made the process easy, casual and friendly. Chef delivered on every dish that came to our table with big flavors, bold choices and perfect pairings. We’ll be back. Run…don’t walk and get there yourself soon.

If you enjoyed what you read, you might also enjoy other posts under Edible Fare. There you will find restaurant reviews, recipes, foodie tips and best spots to eat in a variety of cities. I also put emphasis on food experiences in my travel posts under Explore the World. Check out the posts from my artsy adventure pals with the 411 on a variety of places under Guest Bloggers. Until next time…

Cheers!

ArtsyChowRoamer

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