Phantom Gourmet: Southern Food At The Porch In Wakefield
WAKEFIELD - For southern natives transplanted to New England, real deal southern fare can be hard to find. Being from Nashville, Chef/Owner Jonathan Post felt that need, so he took all of the recipes he grew up on and started serving them at a small counter service spot in Wakefield he named The Porch.
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"Down South, the porch is a meeting place. It is more than just the front steps to your house. That is kind of what we are trying to do here, is create a place for people to come together."
So he designed a menu offering the best of Southern comfort food.
"Southern food to me is food with soul. It is cooked slow. It is cooked long. It is cooked with a lot of attention and care. This is food that I have been doing my whole life. This is just my opportunity to share it."
While the menu may not be big, what's on it is second to none. Jonathan makes Fried Chicken, Barbecued Pork, Meatloaf, and southern sides.
The fried chicken is both juicy and crunchy at the same time, due to a long buttermilk bath and perfectly seasoned breading. The pristine poultry can be ordered as a plate, along with two sides, or as a sandwich called The Banty. It gets a schmear of pimento cheese and bread and butter pickles for a sandwich that, both the customers and staff agree, is the best they've ever had.
"We just hired a new dishwasher yesterday and he had The Banty for his first shift meal," Jonathan recounted. "He was like, 'This is the best sandwich I have ever had.'"
Whether you choose to have the Meatloaf as a plate or topped with spicy ketchup and pickled peppers in sandwich form, you'll agree, this may be the best meatloaf you've ever laid your lips on.
"It's complex. It has got a lot of different flavors in it. It is moist. It is juicy. It has got the hard crust on top. It's good meatloaf," Jonathan described.
Of course, a Southern style restaurant is only as good as its pulled pork, and at The Porch, it's perfect, because Jonathan's had a lot of practice cooking it.
"I have been doing barbecued pork with my father for years. We do very simple rubs, some sugars, some spices. Smoke it on my little smoker until it hits the right temp and it is falling off the bone. Then, we pull it and serve it with North Carolina vinegar sauce."
While the Pulled Pork is fantastic when served on brioche with creamy slaw, it's even better enjoyed with some of the sides The Porch has to offer, like fluffy Mashed Potatoes, creamy Mac and Cheese or some real deal Collard Greens.
"The sides, to me, are what really make the food Southern. The entree is not as good by itself. You need the supporting cast to round out that feature," Jonathan said.
No meal would be complete without a nice slice of Chess Pie. Made with Jonathans grandmother's recipe, which is proudly displayed on the wall, this hard to find southern sweet is a simple dessert made with eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla and believe it or not, vinegar.
"Our recipe comes straight from the recipe that she gave me years and years ago. It is just simple goodness. Buttery, sugary, tart to cut that richness, just to keep everything balanced."
Whether you have Jonathan's grandmother's Chess Pie, or his dad's famous Pulled Pork, you'll be getting a little piece of his family's heritage with every bite.
"Everything about this place is me. It tells the story of me. Down South, storytelling is an art form and people will sit around and tell stories all day long. This restaurant is my story. "
You can find The Porch at 41 Tuttle Street in Wakefield and online at theporchsouthern.com.
Watch Phantom Gourmet on Saturdays and Sundays at 10:30 and 11 a.m. on myTV38.
