OPINION —
As I’ve often mentioned in this column, Southern cooking is my favorite food of all.
Barbara Patton, my sweet Mama (but not the former mayor of Opelika), and Pearl Coker Patton and Vivian Brooks McEachern Adamson, my grandmothers, were outstanding Southern cooks.
Although I can cook a handful of recipes, I can’t begin to make the great, traditional Southern dishes that they turned out every week. For instance, I once fried a chicken breast in a small cast iron skillet on my stove eye in LaGrange, Georgia, when I was single. Bad idea. Hot grease kept shooting at me; that was the first and last time I ever fried chicken, my favorite dish on Earth.
Once I tried to make Grandma Patton’s amazing lemon icebox pie; however, according to Mama, I didn’t beat the meringue long enough. Therefore, the meringue wasn’t beautiful like Grandma’s perfect pie with swirling, golden peaks. Instead, it was completely flat, looking as though a giant had stepped on it.
Also, last year Mike and I tried to cook Mama’s unbeatable banana pudding. There were a lot of steps involved, so we decided to combine them. Another terrible idea. Again, the meringue was flat, and the banana slices were visible, openly mocking our attempt. Therefore, in order to enjoy the Southern cooking I crave, I have to depend on others to make it for me. Recently, Mike and I, along with our good friends Jack and William, traveled to Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant at 104 8th St. in Columbus, Georgia.
When we walked into Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant, I knew that we were in the right place from the down-home, casual atmosphere.
The restaurant serves lunch cafeteria style. Megan and Lynn, who are best friends, are known as Line Girls or Uptown Girls. They were so friendly and patient as we read over the day’s menu and answered all of our questions.
According to Megan, Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant is known for its fried chicken, served on the bone, as God intended. That made this Southern woman’s day.
Six days a week, Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant offers diners a meat and two or three. There are four to six different meats from which to choose and a large selection of sides.
We were there on a Tuesday for lunch; the meats included: fried chicken (I had to say it twice), hamburger steak with gravy, baked chicken, smothered baked chicken and country fried steak.
Vegetables included: rice with gravy, mashed potatoes with gravy, cornbread dressing with gravy (at this point, my heart was beating faster with anticipation), mac ‘n cheese, green beans, fried okra, sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas, limas, turnip greens and cabbage.
Although it was hard to decide, we made our choices, and Megan and Lynn dipped up our Southern dishes.
Mike chose hamburger steak/gravy, mashed potatoes/gravy (Mike said you can never have too much gravy), sweet potatoes and fried okra. I selected fried chicken, cornbread dressing with gravy and fried okra.
Jack picked smothered baked chicken, cornbread dressing with gravy, green beans and sweet potatoes. William chose smothered baked chicken, mac ‘n cheese, cornbread dressing and gravy and green beans. My mouth is watering as I write this. As an additional treat, we each received a free serving of banana pudding. I know that as a diabetic, I should have turned it down, but I was weak, as my elevated sugar level showed several weeks later.
Rose, our charming and welcoming cashier, said she was Minnie’s daughter.
Rose’s daughter Melinda now owns the restaurant, which has been there for 39 years. I love going to small, family-owned restaurants, and this one was something special.
When we began eating, conversation slowed down considerably. Trust me, run and do not walk to Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant; you’ll be glad you did.
After I finished my meal, I walked over to a wall of the restaurant, which was covered with numerous award plaques from the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer for favorite lunch spot, best fried chicken and country cooking.
“We had to take some down; there were so many,” Rose said.
I can certainly understand that after our amazing meals. I also admired the 100 score from the Health Department; their food is outstanding, and the building is clean. What’s not to love?
Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant is a definite do-over for us. When you go to Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant and see me there, please do me a favor and say, “Step away from the banana pudding!” Lynn Hudson, my wonderful endocrinologist, will appreciate it.
Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant is closed on Saturday. The restaurant is open for lunch on Sunday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. ET.
Minnie’s Uptown Restaurant makes the grade with an A+ from this retired English teacher. Remember, “Pooh-sized” people never lie about food. Enjoy!
Stacey Patton Wallace, who retired from teaching language arts after 30 years, is a professional diner. Her column, “Making the Grade,” will appear every other week in The Observer. Stacey may be reached at retiredlangartsteacher2020@gmail.com.
