The Fat One Goes Country….
This place is so far out that it must be midway between anywhere and nowhere. That being said, there was a ton of traffic out there, and Midway Meal House, 5150 Atlanta Highway, Alpharetta, (770) 442-3738, www.midwaymealhouse.com/ had a good crowd. I’ve said many times that this is my town and I’ll go wherever I want. I never feel out of place, even in the obscurity of a Buford Highway dive when I’m the only Anglo in the place. Further, I’ve never had anything but positive experiences with everybody I’ve interacted with. It’s odd, but I felt a little out of place when we walked into the MMH. Just a little. Kind of like I’d stepped back into the past, into my childhood where sometimes you were truly reminded that after everything, you’re still an outsider. A Yankee carpetbagger. I’ve lived
Zeke’s Widest Smile….
almost my entire life in the South, and consider myself to be one of its proud sons. But sometimes, like today, I am reminded that there is the South I live in, and then there’s another South entirely, and I think that’s the one we may have visited. It’s a shame Zeke from Tucker is no longer dining with us. He’d be right at home here, and his mere presence would confer legitimacy upon the rest of us (especially me). They actually had a portrait of Zeke’s great, great uncle,
Col. Beauregard Q. “Dandy” Tucker
Confederate Colonel Beauregard Q. “Dandy” Tucker hanging on the wall. “Uncle Dandy” as he was known, was a lifelong bachelor with a passion for killing Yankees, designing military uniforms and crocheting and collecting lace doilies which he always referred to as “Dandy’s Doilies”. He lived until long after the war, but was killed in a tragic display of fancy horsemanship – riding sidesaddle while wearing only a Scottish kilt. Where was I? Oh, not to say that the staff and patrons at Midway were anything other than friendly, courteous and professional. They absolutely were. Yet I still felt a twinge, a slight raising of the hackles, as I sat down knowing that I am neither a local nor a regular. There’s a certain Southern “club” that I’m not a member of, and as much as I love country cookin’, I guess I never will be. But shockingly, I digress. I think I was supposed to be talking about good ole Southern food, and I haven’t quite gotten to that yet.
Fried Chicken. Yes.
Midway Meal House is truly a throwback. It’s located in an old farm house that’s been reworked into a restaurant space. White clapboard with green trim, its interior is paneled in white bead board from wall to ceiling. The tables and chairs are non-descript. The service is friendly and fast, and the food is damn good. By Atlanta standards, it’s damn cheap too. A server immediately took our drink order and brought over a basket of rolls (soft, warm, yeasty and slightly sweet), butter (maybe?) and corn bread muffins (hard, not too grainy, and very good) while we studied the menu. Basically, you can get a meat – country fried steak, fried chicken, meatloaf, or the daily special, today, roasted pork with gravy, and two veggies for $7.75. They also have a menu of specialties plus two veggies and I was intrigued by the country ham steak and the 10 oz. hamburger steak. Next time, and there will be one. We ordered and started to chat and then BAM, our food was served. It was hot, plentiful and tasty, albeit light on the seasoning. Is it just me (I like everything highly seasoned) or do these type places always keep the seasoning simple to nonexistent? Everything needed salt and pepper, and I longed for hot sauce, but didn’t really eat anything that I traditionally put it on.
The Oracle Escapes Salad Hell!
I opted for the meatloaf with turnip greens and squash casserole. It was a nice portion of loaf, but it may not have been the best choice. It lacked seasoning and was a little dry. That being said, it still tasted delicious with a little ketchup. You can bet I’ve never met a meatloaf I didn’t like. The greens were fantastic and clearly homemade, and I also loved the squash casserole. The Oracle of Buckhead also had the loaf with squash and fried okra. He too found it to be excellent, filling and a good value. He didn’t say, but I think he may well have felt a little displaced too. After all, he is a Buckhead Blue Blood. Good thing he
Colonel Oracle Looks The Part
grew that Colonel Sanders goatee to cultivate the image of a distinguished Southern gentleman, it allowed him to blend in better. The okra looked like it may have been frozen, but it was hot and tasty anyway. Dear Leader, ever the adventurer, had the daily special of roasted pork with gravy. When it hit the table I knew I’d made a mistake. It looked awesome! Huge thin slices of lean pork covered in a light, creamy gravy. DL was unhappy with the gravy, but he made it clear that he is very, very picky about his gravy. My guess would be that the gravy was a basic flour and stock recipe, or was made form a mix. It looked perfect to me, but I wasn’t eating it and we have all developed a deep respect for DL’s opinion – the man knows his food. He chose crowder peas and squash for sides and thoroughly enjoyed both. You may have caught the theme DHR, we all had squash casserole. Excellent, it had a combination of textures and a nice flavor.
Today’s Special, My Heart Be Still!
Country Fried Steak, Jake!
It’s always a little tricky rating a place like this on the AFatBanker Balance Sheet. The cuisine does not easily lend itself to a high net worth due to its 
inherent simplicity. Still, I’ll take a good country fried steak over a bad filet mignon any day. Let’s take a look at the bottom line:
ASSETS: Extensive menu, well executed dishes, generous portions, great service, nostalgia.
LIABILITIES: Nostalgia, under-seasoned food, I ate too much; I felt mildly out of place, it was too warm inside.
NET WORTH: For good ole Southern food, this is among the best I’ve had, and I’ve had a lot. Four money bags, a high honor indeed. I would also like to award the respected, the unrivaled, the highly relished “Crown Jules” for overall
The “Crown Jules” – For Country Comfort Excellence!
“Country Comfort”. Way to go MMH, we will see you again! If that “again” is six years from now (it won’t be), I’ll bet the place won’t have changed a bit. That too, is comforting. -afb
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