Southern Routes: Secret Recipes from the Best Down-Home Joints in the South

In most of Ben’s experiences the humble Southern chefs share their long protected family recipes, but it’s not an adventure if everyone cooperates. Some of these institutions guard their recipes like members of the family. To the untrained eater, the secret ingredients it takes to create such an iconic dish would remain a bewitching mystery without the original formula. However, Ben’s journey and mission is to deliver the most amazing 100 Southern recipes. With his charm and ability in the kitchen, Ben acquired each recipe–one way or another. If he was unable to get the recipe directly from the source, Ben replicated it himself, only having tasted the dish. After deciphering the exact mix of ingredients, Ben’s recipe was put to the test when the recipe gatekeeper gave him the thumbs up.

From iconic Southern kitchens all throughout the Delta—such as Mat & Naddies and Carlos and Rocky’s in New Orleans; Our Way Café in Decatur, Georgia; McMel’s, City Café, Dipsy Doodle, and Wendell Smith’s Restaurant in Tennessee; and Martha’s Menu in Mississippi—experience the real recipes, real people, and real stories as Ben journeys through the South exploring Southern Routes.