THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 7, 1994 TAG: 9408040316
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL SOUTH, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HARBINGER LENGTH: Medium: 100 lines
MY MATERNAL grandmother, it was said, possessed the best-looking legs in Baldwin County, Ala. When I was 9, however, I didn't know, or care, anything about the local legend status of her Betty Grable gams.
But I knew this: Anne Owen Young could fry the heck out of a chicken. Hot, crispy, crunchy and juicy, my grandmother's fried chicken was the joy of many a Sunday lunch.
For hours after the dishes had been cleared away, the aroma of the chicken hung thick in the air like a culinary perfume. Included in the catalog of memories I carry of my grandparents' home is the scent of her chicken, the sunlight streaming through the windows, and my grandfather sitting in his familiar easy chair, reading his Bible.
Over the weekend, after seeing ``Forrest Gump,'' a movie set in Alabama, I craved a taste of home.
And I found it, just across the bridge in Currituck County, at a place called Pots On N Kitchen. If you can't eat at Grandma's, this is the next best thing.
Pots On features a menu of fresh vegetables, home-cooked meats and homemade desserts, all in a comfortable atmosphere and at reasonable prices. All meals at Pots On include a meat and two vegetbales.
On a recent Monday night, I stopped by Pots On to sample the fried chicken ($6.95) with mashed potatoes and gravy, squash casserole and green beans. The chicken tasted as close to my grandmother's as I have tasted anywhere. Three pieces of chicken were included in the meal. All were meaty and good-sized. The crust was crunchy, with very little grease. The bird, as it should, made the meal.
But Pots On's fresh vegetables shouldn't be shortchanged. In Currituck County, there is a wealth of fresh fruit and vegetable markets all along U.S. 158. It's obvious that Pots On has taken advantage of that nearby treasure trove.
The squash casserole was a marvelous mingling of Cheddar cheese, squash and onions, hot from the oven. The three tastes complemented each other nicely, and did not overpower. It was just the right mix.
The creamed potatoes and gravy pass the Carolina Coast Creamed Potato Test with flying colors. These potatoes are real - no out-of-the-box stuff here - and the gravy was from a rich brown beef stock.
Even the great restaurants that specialize in ``home-cooked'' meats and vegetables sometimes take shortcuts when it comes to green beans, harvesting them from the canned land of the Jolly Green Giant. But Pots On's green beans were fresh and tender, and seasoned just right with a piece of hamhock.
A side treat with the meal are North Carolina corncakes. Flat like a pancake, the corncakes are popular in North Carolina, Virginia, and eastern Tennessee. Top off the cakes with a touch of butter and honey, and you have a built-in dessert.
But as good as the corncakes are, save room for a piece of Hershey bar pie ($2.50). Made with five Hershey bars melted, blended with whipped cream and poured into a graham cracker crust, the pie is topped with more whipped cream and chocolate shavings. The pie is a sure bet to bring a smile to your face. Total cost of this scrumptious meal is $11.61.
The service is excellent. My tea glass was never close to empty during the entire meal, and the wait staff was attentive without being pushy.
The menu contains a nice variety, including steaks and seafood. The restaurant also features daily specials. But the secret to this restaurant's success may be something that's not on the menu.
``I think the thing that makes us unique is our sense of family and permanence in the community,'' said Bill Neeland, who married into the Gallop family and now helps run the restaurant with a host of Gallop family members who pitch in every day. ``According to our grandmother, the family has been here for more than 200 years,'' Neeland said. ``We have a picture of our family church, and a picture of Currituck Sound where so many of the family earned their living through the years. We have two and sometimes four generations helping out here when our grandmother and my children are here helping out.''
If you want a family-style meal in the finest tradition of Southern cooking, Pots On is the place to stop. One note: It might be wise to make a reservation. Tables fill up in a hurry, and with good reason. This place is a great family value. MEMO: POTS ON N KITCHEN
Where: U.S. 158, Harbinger, N.C.
Phone: (919) 491-2544
Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dinner 5-8:30 p.m.
Prices: Entrees $6.95 to $10.95
Children's Menu: Four offerings at $3.50 each: popcorn shrimp, clam
strips, chicken strips or fried chicken.
Smoking: In designated area.
Drinks: Soft drinks, coffee, tea, milk, Clearly Canadian sparkling
water, lemonade, imported and domestic beers, wine.
Credit Cards: Does not accept credit cards, but will accept cash and
checks.
Takeout: All items available.
Accessibility: Handicap accessible. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by DREW C. WILSON
Pots On N Kitchen features fresh vegetables, home-cooked meats,
homemade desserts, a comfortable atmosphere and reasonable prices.
by CNB