The Pinewood

          I went to the Pinewood this past weekend with my family trying to get a sense of what this new Decatur restaurant was like.  The Pinewood is on the corner of West Ponce, in the location that Cakes and Ale used to be, and it is definitely trying to fill the big shoes left there by Cakes and Ale.  From huge mason jars to fried bologna sandwiches, they've got the hipster twist on Southern food DOWN.
          Right when we walked in, unfortunately I was a little disappointed.  First of all, there's a curtain right by the door that cuts off the whole restaurant.  I felt like I had to be let into the "club" before I could see behind the big curtain and into the dining area.  Also, the couple in front of us told us that there was an HOUR long wait.  We were prepared to find a different restaurant, until the hostess began to seat us right away.  Apparently the hour wait was for a table for two, but four people could sit right away.  That didn't make very much sense to me, especially because there were at least four open tables inside, but they were for six people, so two person parties had to wait an hour until one of the few small tables opened up?  The atmosphere in the Pinewood screams old Southern.  Old carbon lights and chalkboards line the wall, and all the tables and chairs were wooden and wicker, creating a nice feel in the room.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Spinach and Beet Salad

          We got fried green tomatoes for an appetizer, and my mom got the beet salad to start as well.  The fried green tomatoes themselves were unremarkable; I've made better.  The remolade that topped them however was magnificent.  I could eat it on anything.  My mom's beet salad was also really tasty.  Usually I think that people have to be "beet people" to enjoy beets, but anyone would love this salad.  The sweetness of the beets was balanced out with a terrific herby goat cheese, and it was topped with some candied walnuts.  The dish epitomized a creative version of the kind I talked about in my post about THE Salad.  (http://theteenagefoodie.blogspot.com/2012/06/salad.html)

Fried Chicken and Collards

Fried Bologna Sandwich

          The only two entrees I tasted were my mother's and my own, so those are the only two I can speak for in this post.  I got the fried chicken which came with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy.  I would say that this wasn't as much of a twist on Southern food as it was a solid interpretation of it.  It was really good, crispy fried chicken, with really creamy mashed potatoes, and a really good gravy.  However, the flavors didn't keep me enticed, or make me want to go rushing back for more.  I got a separate side of collard greens, and they were pretty good.  They actually came out cold (not on purpose,) and they had a little too much sugar for my taste.  Now, my mom got the fried bologna sandwich.  It. Was. So. Good.  Even though I like to think of myself as a Southern girl, I'd never had a fried bologna sandwich before this.   The sandwich had fried bologna, a fried green tomato, and a spicy egg salad on toasted white bread.  My first bite left me beyond intrigued.  I wanted to know what I was tasting, and how so many intricate flavors could work so well together and taste like something I 'd never had before.  My second bite just made me wish that I had gotten that instead of my one-toned plate overflowing with rich comfort food.

Lemon Jar

Funnel Cake

          For our dessert, we got two out of the three that they had.  We got a "Lemon Jar" and a funnel cake.  The lemon jar was a lemon custard in a mason jar topped with whipped cream and fresh berries.  It was really, really good.  I detected I super subtle hint of goat cheese in the custard; that was a very nice touch.  The funnel cake tasted just like what it was, and it was also very good.  I'm not sure if the whipped cream on both dishes was homemade, but it tasted like it.
          Overall, the Pinewood is definitely worth some attention.  It will be a force to be reckoned with among all the hipster Decatur restaurants, and I look forward to returning soon.

The Teenage Foodie

Beach Meal

         Oh, the beach.  I was on the South Carolina coast for the week with my family for our annual beach visit.  My family has what's called "beach rules".  Beach rules state that no one has to do anything they don't want to do, but every person has to cook dinner one night out of the week.  Of course there are unofficial beach rules, like help out with the dishes and don't be a sore loser at Monopoly, but for the most part, making dinner one night was my only obligation. 
          A few years ago I was at the gym and someone had one of the TV's set to Paula Deen's cooking show.  The only part of the show that stuck with me were the tilapia sandwiches she made.  So, created my own little twist for the focus my beach meal.  I knew I wanted to use whatever fish was swimming that morning; it didn't really matter what kind it was.  The freshest fish at the market that day were grouper.  We got one filet per two people, because they were huge and had to fit on a bun.  I mixed together cornmeal, old bay seasoning, blackening, and salt to put on my fish.  I dipped the filets in egg, then coated them in the dry mixture.  I also filled a cast iron pan with about a centimeter of oil and let that get extremely hot, which, in the un-air conditioned house, didn't make the kitchen feel too great.  I carefully set the filets in, because as soon as they hit the pan, spurts of hot oil went in every direction.  I flipped the fish when they were golden brown and crispy on one side.  When they were done, I set them on tons of paper towels to let the excess grease drip out.  When I was watching Paula Deen, she made a lime and dill mayo.  I didn't follow her recipe exactly, but obviously it was the same idea.  I chopped up lots of fresh dill, squeezed a juicy lime, and stirred that into a good heap of mayonnaise.  I put a decent dollop of that on toasted buns for each person, and laid the fish on top.

          Along with the fish, I created a corn, cucumber, and tomato salad that I found online.  I made sure to only use very fresh produce from the family-run stand on the side of the road.  Here is the recipe:
http://localfoods.about.com/od/salads/r/corncuctomsalad.htm

          I wanted the starch for my meal to be easy; I could only slave away in an un-air conditioned kitchen for so long.  I bought a bag of sweet potato waffle fries from the freezer section in the grocery store, threw them in the oven for twenty minutes, and served them alongside my fish and salad.  They were kind of a strange combination, but it worked nonetheless.

         Overall my beach meal was definitely a success.  With influences from Paula Deen, fresh fish and fresh produce, online recipes, and my own genius, this summer dinner was exciting, different, and tasty.

Happy Dining,
The Teenage Foodie