Tupelo Honey, I’m Trying to Get to You – Asheville, NC

I went to Tupelo in Cambridge and then I went to Tupelo Honey in Asheville. Both places serve up some strong southern cooking so clearly the name is a thing. I just wasn’t sure what thing. Turns out Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Mississippi so I’m going to guess that’s the connection. Because when it comes to a big hunk o’ love like the king of rock and roll, the only thing bigger than his fame was his appetite.

When I was a kid, I really liked word searches so today I made one. Go through this review, I dare you, and see how many titles of Elvis songs you can find. There are 14 total including the title. Rolling your eyes yet? Try a Beer Flight with four local drafts of your choosing. The Pigash Pale Ale, Highland Gaelic Ale, and Scotch Ale were among my selections, and one of these flights plus a pint of your favorite should help you take out that highlighter. It’s now or never, Elvis fan, but I’m guessing you’re going with never.

I wouldn’t call Tupelo Honey a king of any southern cuisine, but I could at least dub them the duke of Shrimp & Grits. I love me tender jumbo shrimp, and the grits made gooier by goat cheese got me all shook up. I wouldn’t have called the red pepper sauce spicy, but it’s perfect with the goat cheese. My only problem with this dish is that a portion this big of a dish this good is nothing but t-r-o-u-b-l-e.

The Vegetable Plate sounds like something you choked down as a child before you could get to dessert, but veggies this good don’t need a dessert. And at a little less than $10, keep your money honey, this one is on me. The fried okra creates a love shack in my mouth, and I was howling like a hound dog for the crisp brown butter Brussels sprouts. I wasn’t a fan of the benne coated asparagus, but that’s just my personal distaste for sesame oil. Your mama always said to eat your vegetables, but cleaning your plate never felt so good. Even my mama can’t make veggies like these.

Tupelo Honey, I love you because you’re so subtly special. The southern cooking is strong, it’s not the stuff of legends. Although it won’t shock and seduce like Elvis’s pelvis, I can’t help falling in love with this charismatic café. So next time I’m in Asheville, Knoxville, or wherever my southern sojourn takes me, these blue suede shoes are made for walkin’ into Tupelo Honey because honey, I sure am stuck on you.