Southern Smorgasbord: The Dan'l Boone Inn

Visiting the South has its perks. Summer lasts longer, for one. The people use creative expressions when speaking to you, for another. And the food, oh, the food. There's nothing like ordering tea at a restaurant and getting it iced and sweet by default, or ordering grits and ham biscuits and not have the waiter stare at you with a confused look on his face.

Enter The Dan'l Boone Inn, located in Boone, North Carolina. We had the pleasure of eating at this fine establishment a couple of nights ago. Walking into the restaurant feels like you're entering someone's home. Plates line a shelf near the ceiling, and simple wooden tables and chairs are arranged neatly in the main dining room. The story is simple: they bring out plates of food from a fixed menu. They refill all plates, save the ham biscuits, as many times as you want. And you can pack stuff home if you can't eat it all.

The food was quintessential southern: the biscuits and corn had plenty of butter, the fried chicken was drenched in a super-crispy, savory breading, the beans were well done and tangy (not steamed and green, as "Yankee beans" are referred to on occasion), and the mashed potatoes were topped with a thick, tan gravy. The waitresses bring food out and take your plates away on rolling carts. And, pitchers of sweet, sweet tea are everpresent.

You leave quite full from an evening at the Inn. It's hard not to; the food is just that good. This "reverse buffet, limited menu" system needs to catch on in other parts of the country. What better way to sample the best of a local cuisine?