Where to get a taste of the American South in SA

South Africans are hungry to travel — literally — as is evidenced by the internet searches people have been doing for food tours around the world. Top of our bucket list? New Orleans, Louisiana.

That’s according to research by travel company Trafalgar, which is based on an analysis of 50,000 Google keywords related to food and travel.

New Orleans appeared in more than 15,000 searches between January and March, leading Trafalgar to dub this city “the jewel of food tour destinations” and one which puts “the USA on the map for future travel”. 

Though a trip to the Big Easy could still be a long way off thanks to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, you can still get a taste of the American South right here in SA — just check out these eateries: 

SWEET TEA & CHICKADEE

This charming eatery in Emmarentia, Johannesburg, was started by Natasha Robson-Lovato. She developed a love of southern cooking while spending a few years living in the US, and wanted to bring those flavours home with her when she returned to SA.

On the menu, you’ll find southern classics like heart-warming bowls of shrimp and grits (spicy prawns and polenta) as well as a variety of American-style biscuits.

These savoury, flaky scone-like bakes are served with all sorts of delicious toppings. The Charleston biscuit, for example, is topped with fried chicken, pickles and jalapeño honey, while the Mount Pleasant comes with bacon, egg and pimento cheese.

Hearty as the mains may be, best you save room for dessert: the bakery counter is filled with tempting American treats.

You can’t go wrong with a piece of the beautifully-presented Hummingbird Cake or the tart-like Key lime pie, which goes down well with a glass of the famous sweet tea Robson-Lovato was inspired by when naming her cafe.

SEAFOOD BOIL SA

You’d be forgiven for not knowing what a seafood boil is. A popular dish in southern US states such as Georgia, South Carolina and Louisiana, it’s essentially a mix of seafood that’s been boiled in a bag, often with ingredients such as potatoes and corn, and is served on a platter with a mouth-watering sauce.

It’s also the star of the mukbang trend that went viral last year and saw local celebs broadcasting videos of themselves binge-eating seafood on social media.

These videos inspired the team behind Seafood Boil SA to take a leap of faith and open their own seafood boil delivery service in May 2020. Based in Kyalami, they deliver to selected areas in Joburg and Pretoria from Monday to Sunday but are open for collections from 9am to 6pm as well.  

They have plans of launching in Durban in October, and eventually opening a fully-fledged restaurant in Cape Town.

HICKORY SHACK AT DEEP SOUTH EATERY

What started as the renovation of the Glencairn Hotel in Simon’s Town, Cape Town, resulted in the opening of a restaurant at the end of last year, which has been rebranded as the Deep South Eatery.

A mouth-watering new addition to this eatery is Hickory Shack, a traditional smoke house headed up by Jay Haupt, the owner of the original Hickory Shack outside Elgin.

On your way out, pop into the Deep South Supply Co, a wine boutique and gift shop, and keep an eye on the restaurant's website for details of Friday jazz nights, live music on Saturdays, comedy events and kids' Sunday fun days.

• Deep South Eatery is located at 12 Glen Road in Glencairn, Simon's Town. It's open from 12pm—8pm Tuesday to Thursday, 12pm—9pm on Friday, 8:30am—9pm on Saturday and 8:30am—8pm on Sunday (curfew permitting). See deepsoutheatery.co.za