I recently ate at the Screen Door. I had collards, grits, green fried tomatoes and hush puppies. I thought the service was excellent. I sat at the bar. The bartender whom waited on me was super nice. He moved here, about 5 yrs ago, from LU. Now the food is another subject. I was born and raised in GA so I know good southern cooking when I taste it. The collards and the hushpuppies were bland. I know they change the food to appeal to NW taste, but it just wasn't good. The tomatoes they used to make the green fried tomatoes with were a little to pink. A green fried tomatoe should burst with flavor in your mouth, but these again were just bland. You couldn't really taste the tomato itself. The grits were horrible. I'm not sure those were grits. I've had a lot of grits before, but none quite like those. The collards were so bland I could of cryed. If you were born and raised in the south, the food at this place will make you sad. They just don't seem to know how to do southern cooking right here in the NW. The food lacked soul and heart. One other thing, presenting sothern food in a trendy portland style atmosphere somehow cuts away at the true character of southern cooking. Southern cooking isn't trendy by nature. It's just good cooking to be had when surrounded by family and loved ones. All the same I'll probally go there again.
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