Upon revealing that I was going to College of Charleston, several people in my hometown told me that I had to try Virginia’s on King once I made it to Charleston. Many even told me it was some of the best southern food they had ever eaten, even better than some home-cooking in south Georgia. Before going to Virginia’s, though, I researched the restaurant’s history to determine if it had the quintessential southern staples that I expected from a Southern restaurant. Established by natives to the Charleston area with the first family Thanksgiving dinner cooked by Virginia, for whom the restaurant was named, in 1983 told me that I found a good place for Southern home-cooking. With menu items like fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese, common in many southern restaurants, I know that I had found the right place.
I was sure to make reservations for Friday night because I was confident that a well-talked restaurant like Virginia was sure to have a wait if I just walked up. Exposed brick and a warm atmosphere greeted me with a welcome just as warm as that of the hostess and waitress. While waiting for the food to come, I was treated to warm cornbread and whipped butter that was moist and sweet instead of the hard and salty cornbread served at many restaurants in my hometown. Coming from a small southern town, I have seen many people about the proper way to make cornbread, sugar, salt, whole kernels, no kernels, and jalapenos are all popular choices, but I was glad to have Virginia’s serve it the way that I liked it best. Upon reviewing the menu, I immediately gravitated towards the fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and collard greens that were a staple around my own grandmother’s dinner table throughout my childhood. One immediate aspect of the meal that stood out to me was that the collard greens were served with Pot liquor, also spelled potlikker, at the bottom of the bowl instead of drained off. Pot liquor is the liquid left behind once the greens are finished boiling, which is sometimes served with the greens or used to season other soups or dishes. My grandmother used to store about half of her pot liquor after making greens that went into nearly everything else she made, so to see that Virginia’s on King did not get rid of it sealed the deal on an authentic southern dining experience for me. The mac and cheese was velvety and buttery with a rich flavor, and the chicken was fried to perfection, though the portion was more than I expected for the restaurant with a breast, thigh, and leg. My waitress at Virginia’s displayed the same southern hospitality that I recall from my early childhood with my grandmother. I felt almost as though I was in her home eating dinner rather than a restaurant in downtown Charleston.
My overall dining experience was very positive, mainly because it reminded me of my grandmother’s home cooking and nostalgia for holidays spent around her table with my extended family. The atmosphere of the restaurant made me feel like I was at home eating with family and friends rather than strangers in a crowded restaurant. I was reminded of “Theodore Peed’s Turtle Party,” where good food and family come together to bond over their shared dinner no matter who they are or where they come from. I met several people not from the South while in Virginia’s who were drawn in by the food and stayed for the atmosphere, and I loved learning about where everyone in the restaurant had come from and why they had come to Charleston. Also, the ideas present in “The Edible South” were firmly on display in Virginia’ on King as well as people were all brought into this place by food and this very food bonded them together so that that might experience the best of Charleston and Southern food surrounded by a family they had not yet had the chance to meet.
Overall, I had a great experience at Virginia’s on King and would recommend to anyone that they could walk in there alone and come out full with several new friends. I was drawn back into the memories of my childhood that I thought I would never experience again, but I am glad I got to sit down at Virginia’s table and experience them again.
References:
About: Virginia’s on king: Best southern food in Charleston. Virginia’s On King. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.holycityhospitality.com/virginias-on-king/about/.
Ferris, Marcie Cohen. “The Edible South.” Southern Cultures, The University of North Carolina Press, 12 Nov. 2009, https://muse.jhu.edu/article/363378.
Herman, Bernard L. “Theodore Peed’s Turtle Party.” Southern Cultures, vol. 18 no. 2, 2012, p. 59-73. Project MUSE, doi:10.1353/scu.2012.0015.
Weinzweig, Ari. “Potlikker: From Slave Plantations to Today.” The Atlantic, Atlantic Media Company, 16 Apr. 2009, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2009/04/potlikker-from-slave-plantations-to-today/7129/.