Shrimp & Cheese Grits @ Black Mountain

I recently went back to the south to visit my parents in North Carolina. They took me to one of their favorite restaurants in the charming souvenir trap town nestled in the largest of the Appalachian Mountains known as Black Mountain. When I saw that their special of the day was shrimp and grits, I knew I didn't have to look at the rest of the menu.

Grits (or hominy) were one of the first truly American foods, as the Native Americans ate a mush made of softened corn or maize. To a Southerner, eating grits is practically a religion, and breakfast without grits is unthinkable. A true grit lover would not consider instant or quick-cooking grits; only long-cooking stone-ground grits are worth eating. Hell, in 1976 South Carolina declared grits the official state food. Outside of the southern states, the reaction to grits is mixed.

The grits were great. Cooked with butter and bacon grease and then topped off with with crumbled bacon, I was in hog heaven. The shrimp were plump and tender. My only hesitation was the use of gouda. Whenever I've had cheese grits before, a sharper cheese like cheddar is used. Here the gouda just added creaminess, but no real character.

Jimmy crack corn, an' I don't care