Cornbread Quandary

I've eaten at the "Our Best" in Smithfield for a number of years [back when they operated out of a small house down the road from the current location], and their cornbread [which they tout as, "Fried Cornbread"] has always been served underneath the entree....it's never bothered me, but I did inquire about it once, and it was explained to me that this was a country tradition which many people enjoy and they have tried to carry on....actually, this thread of posts is the first occasion in which I've heard anyone complain about it....y'all must be city folk...

Not sure what "country" we are talking about. My husband's whole family is Eastern Kentucky hills for generations- They probably make cornbread every other day. And they've never heard of no "cornbread under the food"- must be a city-thing. Cornbread is always served on the side and dipped into your soup beans or crumbled on top.


Deb

Well, cornbread isn't always served on the side, as evidenced by "Our Best"...but my father's family is from Monroe Co., KY [on the Tenn border], and cornbread cakes tucked under the food is not unusual...so I suppose there's "country" and there's "country".....actually, what "Our Best" serves is probably closer to a "Johnnycake" than what we normally regard as cornbread, so perhaps therein lies the distinction.

Corbin, Kentucky representin' here and my parents & grandparents are from Harlan. I grew up with cornbread served on the side (usually fresh out of a cast iron skillet). And although we could smother it under particular dishes like "soup beans" which were served on a plate - not in a bowl. We always did the smothering ourselves. I'd be bothered if my cornbread arrived already smothered because the ratio of cornbread-to-beans probably wouldn't be correct.

The best fried cornbread in my opinion is at Whistle Stop in Glendale followed by a close second at Mr. Lou's and always served on the side. What I have gotten at Our Best is too thin and greasy for me.

I agree with you on that Deb. The best cornbread I ever ate was made by my father -in-law in an iron skillet in the oven. He was a good ole boy from Big Stone Gap. Wonderful stuff.

As an update, I have yet to get a response to my email from Our Best.

I will give them a few more days, but to be honest, a lack of response is going to take them down MORE in my estimation than the cornbread in question. It seems rather strange that they would not respond, but when I've had occasion to email much larger restaurant chains, I've always gotten a response and, in most cases, a gift certificate for my trouble (fighting waiters at Waffle House..I still haven't gone back even WITH the gift certificates ).

I grew up in Nelson County, and my Mother (the official maker of cornbread in our house) always fixed cornbread the same way OB does it (albeit she might have made hers a millimeter thicker). It was always served on a separate plate.

I suppose I find the "covered" variety unappetizing because it really adds nothing to the dish when it's drowned in other food. It's impossible to taste it (or to slather it in real butter..yum) and when it degenerates into mush, I find the texture annoying. Not only that, when it was drowned in the salisbury steak, it offended my eyes visually! Same could be said for finding mush at the bottom of my mashed potatoes.

Don't get me wrong though. I'm not one of those folks who refuse to eat foods that are touching each other on the plate though.

If I lived closer, my "home cooking" would come from Vietnam Kitchen.

It's really sad when a good thing get's ruined by going "corporate". What do they want to be the next Cracker barrel. I took my relatves from New york to Smithfield in the late 80's and it was incredible when it was just a small charmin country resrtarant. I remember when my aunt asked if the corn was on or off the cobb and our server replied smilin "It's outta the can!

It's really sad when a good thing get's ruined by going "corporate". What do they want to be the next Cracker barrel.

Sad to hear the corporate moniker...yeah. But I'm sure that they wouldn't mind doing the business Cracker Barrel does. While Cracker Barrel is a chain...they sell a ton of country food to experts in country cooking. And they serve pretty good corn bread on the side.