It was Lori’s birthday, so we went to get something special for lunch at TAE, which just opened a week ago. We both loved The Southern Gourmasian and hated it closed permanently. So, we were very excited to hear that its former owners were giving it another shot at this new restaurant.
Here’s the breakdown:
ENVIRONMENT
Located in the Frederica Hotel on Capitol, this restaurant is easy to find and there is hotel parking available, which was super convenient- and free.
The restaurant itself is very small, but modernly decorated (similar to the Frederica Hotel’s decor). It has a business- casual feel to it. So, it isn’t too stuffy, while still feeling like a nice place to enjoy a great meal.
MENU
The menu isn’t too lengthy, but it is full of delicious options, so it was hard to decide on what to order. Full of Southern cuisine such as fried chicken, meatloaf, cornbread dressing, fried spare ribs, fried green tomatoes, candied yams, purple hull peas, and much more.
FOOD
Pork + Cornbread Sliders: $8.25
Description: shredded pork, smokey greens, crispy purple hull peas, bbq sauce on top of cornbread.
Three of us split this “snack” and we all loved it. The cornbread is course, sweet, and definitely house-made. The pork was so tender and juicy. The smoky greens fit right in. The bbq was sparse, which was perfect. It didn’t overpower the flavor of the other ingredients. This is a large appetizer, definitely worth $8!
Twice-Fried Chicken Salad: $10
Description: Field greens, fried chicken breast, egg, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pimento cheese, with choice of dressing.
I don’t know what “twice-fried” chicken is, but it is delicious! These breast strips were so juicy, but the coating was perfectly crunchy. Even my last bite of salad still had crunch! I opted out of the pimento cheese, and I went with their house-made vinaigrette. The salad was very large, the picture doesn’t do it justice. It was delicious and filling and I would definitely get this again.
Homestyle Patty Melt: $9
Description: Arkansas toast, marinated beef patty, pimento cheese, and grilled onions. Comes with fries.
Lori ordered this one and loved it! I did steal a few fries off of her plate, and they were perfect. Crispy, slightly greasy (in a good way), and perfectly salty. These may the best fries around.
Twice-Fried Chicken Gyro: $9.25
Description: Breast meat, field greens, tomato, and cool sauce. Comes with fries.
While I didn’t try this dish, it looked amazing. Courtney really liked it! And the fries were perfectly delicious, again. Courtney’s only complaint was that the pita was not heated or grilled first. It was cold and dense, which made the gyro hard to eat. She suggests definitely grilling the pita first. Good idea!
Overall, this place has already nailed some great dishes and has wonderful potential! I can’t wait for their dinner service to open and see what they add to that menu. Until then, I’m going back for the fried chicken and fries!