Paula Dean

Lizzy and I ate at Lady and Sons which is Paula Dean's restaurant in Downtown Savannah. We live in Dublin which is only a couple of hours away up I-16.

The reason Paula Dean is famous is mainly for one thing, her food. Like most Southern women I knew growing up in the South, including my mother, they were good cooks. Paula is from Albany, Georgia. In Dixy it is pronouced................. Allbanny. I went to Valdosta State in South Georgia. Above you can see me wearing my VSU t-shirt.

There has been such a fuss about Paula using the word nigger 30 years ago. If you were born and raised in the South you have used that word at least once in your life time. Recently, while walking my doberman in stubbs park in Dublin, two black kids were on the bridge over the creek at Stubbs park. When they saw Max and I one of them said "Nigga why didn't you tell me that dog was coming." In the black community, the word nigger or nigga is common place.

At the restaurant most of the staff is black. These are dark skinned blacks. You don't see them complaining. They worked hard and were pleasant to us. They have jobs. Customers were black. They like the food too.

Here is what I had at the buffet and my comments on each:

1) Fried Chicken......light, fluffy and delicious
2) Cabbage.....cooked just right..not too hard ..not too soft
3) Grits....perfect
4) Yams.....candy flavored with the right amount of sugah
5) Black eyed peas......wonderful
6) Collards.....my only complaint....little too salty
7) Rice and sausage gumbo.......a little taste of New Awleans...just right
8) Fried perch.......tasty

And finally...the best Sweet Tea I have had in a while with a piece of mint in the glass!

In talking with the waitress....a native of Savannah who lives on Tybee Island (Savannah's beach) business is up from last year. I had to ask after witnessing some of the customers...yes most are Yankees!....Folks from Ohio seem to come the most. This waitress has been working for 10 years at Paula's since they moved to this old former Cotton Exchange building. We ate on the 3rd Floor. The atmosphere fit the food and the feel of Savannah for sure.

We got lucky yesterday getting in. Our wait was about 30 minutes. School is back and so traffic at the restaurant was a little slower than a couple of weeks ago. But it was packed.

So, a little word from a "Native Southerner." Paula will do just fine. The reason for all the fuss is Paula is a Southerner and successful. All I can say is, "It's a Southern Thing and y'all wouldn't understand."

My Savannah, Georgia Roots. 2nd Lt. Cole. Olgelthropes light infantry. This tin type is in my possession and is pre-war Georgia Militia. It was taken in a studio in Savannah.