As a native Texan, now living in the greater New York City area, I find myself searching for things that remind me of home.  Recently I discovered that I was not alone in my search, and many of my compatriots have opened restaurants that specialize in Southern cuisine!

My first stop on my Southerner in the City tour was Hill Country Chicken.  Inspired by Texas home cooking, their founder opened this restaurant and brought a traditionally Southern style of fried chicken to the Big Apple.  Their chicken is battered, seasoned, and rolled in crunched up crackers before frying.

The restaurant itself is relaxed and casual, with wood paneled walls downstairs, and even baskets of toys for the kids to enjoy while you eat!

http://www.hillcountrychicken.com

Hill Country Chicken’s delicious chicken sandwich, with fries and coleslaw!

Soon after my visit to the Hill Country, I found Brooklyn Kolache Company.   I miss the iconic fruit or sausage kolaches I used to enjoy from the legendary Czech Stop in West, Texas, near my hometown.  This unique bakery specializes in small batch kolaches, inspired by the Central Texas delicacy.  They offer a wide variety of fillings, from the traditional sweet cheese and fruit, to sausage, egg, cheese and even Texas brisket.  They taste as amazing as they look!

http://www.brooklynkolacheco.com

Sweet and savory kolaches, paired with freshly made cherry limeade!

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Great Southern BBQ was next on my to-do list, and I found it at Southern Hospitality.  This restaurant began with three friends looking to bring Memphis-style BBQ to greater New York City, and they accomplished their goal!  If you go, please try the black pepper bark brisket, with a side of cole slaw and biscuits.  You will not be disappointed!

http://www.southernhospitalitybbq.com/home

Southern Hospitality’s fried dill pickles!

When I want to recreate my favorite Southern dishes at home, I love recipes from Lisa Fain, otherwise known as The Homesick Texan. Now living in New York City, this native Texan knows how to cook!  Her recipe for brisket is my favorite of all I’ve tried:

Photo Credit: www.homesicktexan.com

http://www.homesicktexan.com/2008/12/my-oven-baked-brisket.html

Brisket
Ingredients:
1 four-pound untrimmed brisket
2 tablespoons of salt
2 tablespoons of black pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 onion cut into slivers
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup liquid smoke plus an additional 1/4 cup.
1/4 cup black coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 fresh jalapenos, sliced

Method:
1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.
2. Mix together the salt, black pepper, cayenne and crushed garlic, and rub all over your brisket (more heavily on the meatier side but also a bit on the fat side as well). Allow the brisket to come to room temperature.
3. In a large roasting pan, add the slivered onions, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke, 1/4 cup black coffee, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar and half the sliced jalapenos.
4. Place the brisket in the pan, fat side up, and sprinkle the remaining jalapenos on top of the brisket.
5. Cover the pan tightly with foil, and bake in the oven for four hours. At this point, if you want a more pronounced smoky taste, pour another 1/4 cup of the liquid smoke over the brisket. Otherwise, just continue cooking for another hour, or roughly 1 hour and 15 minutes per pound.
6. Take the brisket out of the oven, and it should be tender to the touch. Let it sit out of the pan for half an hour, and then trim the fat on top and slice against the grain. If you desire a gravy, they pan juice is a fine, fine topping.

NYC offers plenty of green spaces amongst the buildings and busy streets.  Central Park is the perfect place to go when I need to see the flowers, trees and blue skies that remind me of home!

You don’t have to look very hard to find the best of the South in New York City!