John T.Edge,"the Faulkner of Southern food"(the Miami Herald), reveals a South hidden in plain sight, where restaurants boast family pedigrees and serve supremely local specialties like chocolate gravy, barbecue spaghetti, oysters Gilhooley, and fried pies. From backdoor home kitchens to cinderblockcafes, he introduces you to cooks who have been standing tall by the stove since Eisenhower was in office. While revealing the stories behind their food, he shines a bright light on places that have become Southern institutions. In this fully updated and expanded edition, Edge travels twelve states, from Texas to Virginia, bouncing from chicken shack to fish camp, from barbecue stand to pie shed. Pop this handy paperback in the glove box and take it along on your next road trip. And even if you never get in your car, you'llenjoy the most savory readable history that the South has to offer.