I recently visited 29 South with Teri Sopp, a good friend who also happens to be a prominent criminal attorney. This particular evening I wasn’t planning on getting into any trouble—outside of indulging in some gastronomy, a favorite pastime that is, fortunately, perfectly legal!

We began our meal with the chef’s wonderful rosemary and herb foccaccia with sweet butter, along with a glass of Fess Parker Viogier, a tasty white wine that’s fragrant and fruity. The wine also paired well with our appetizers: for Teri, Fried Green Tomato Short Stack, and, for me, Smokehouse Mussels. The fried green tomatoes are brilliant—super crispy, layered with goat cheese and topped with red pepper jam, which Teri declared “sublime!” I love the way Chef Scotty takes familiar favorites and transforms them into gourmet delights. The mussels were very aromatic and light. I especially enjoyed the smoky flavor from the fire-roasted tomatoes combined with the pinot grigio wine. This appetizer is huge, by the way, with lots of sauce for bread dipping.

For our salad course, Teri chose Grilled Romaine, and I went for the Herb Roasted Tomato Salad. The romaine salad showcases the heart of the lettuce, grilled and sprinkled with Maytag Blue vinaigrette, in-house cured bacon, and toasted walnuts. This salad is pungent, with lots of flavors and textures, and the bacon is from DelKat Family Farms, a local farm that raises Berkshire pigs, which is a heritage pig known for its flavorful meat. My salad featured a roasted Conner Farm tomato with buffalo mozzarella and baby greens on a grilled ciabatta roll. The roasted tomato was so sweet, and the whole salad was drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

My entrée was a special that night: Porchetta, which is a pork shank (also from DelKat Farms). It was falling-off-the-bone tender and sitting atop a pile of fabulous cheese polenta with haricot verts, with a sherry tomato sauce all around. It is indeed an upscale southern delight! 29 South makes the best Shrimp and Grits, and that was Teri’s choice. The shrimp were swimming in creamy white grits, with a delicious sherry and andouille-sausage pan gravy. I love that there are giant fried shrimp on top of the grits, adding a lot of texture to this dish. Our wine selection was an Australian Shiraz, Lucador, a very bold red that we heartily enjoyed.

I always say, “We probably shouldn’t have dessert,” but how could we resist a Buttermilk Panna Cotta, a creamy custard with fresh berries and honey, washed down with a few sips of Muscato, an effervescent, sweet dessert wine? It was such a fine way to end a perfect dinner.

One of the things that we love about 29 South is that, in addition to purchasing their produce and meats from local farms, they also grow many of their own veggies right behind the restaurant. Their motto, “Shake the Hand That Feeds You,” shows diners how important it is to get closer to their food sources. It’s better for their health and also for the local economy. 29 South is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, and be sure to check out their popular Sunday Brunch.