Steffens Restaurant Kingsland Georgia

 Steffens Restaurant Kingsland Georgia

 

In my morning quest for a satisfying breakfast that I can’t make myself, I followed the well-marked GPS trail to a tiny town in South Georgia.

 

How many times have I asked myself, what in hades did we do before GPS????  Now I remember.  Maps.  I also remember getting lost and cursing states that didn’t put up enough blanity-blank road signs.  And why did the powers that be label the road County Road 56, when on the map it was State Road 428?  

 

Now, in the age of technology, all I need to hear is a sweet voice of my choosing say, “Turn right here. Continue on this road for 4.6 miles.”  Bless you, sweetheart and bless your mother for giving birth!

 

But, on to breakfast.  Steffens Restaurant is near Kingsland, not IN Kingsland.  I think.  In this neck of the woods, it’s hard to tell.  Nothing else was nearby.  

 

I park in the well used parking lot, shrug my shoulders, put on my mask, and walk into the 1950s.  Steffens has colorful tabletops, a real lunch counter, and heavy porcelain coffee mugs that remind me Steffens has been here since 1948. Above the coffee machines behind the lunch counter, sit a line of toy cars that run the length.

 

A chalked sign above one of the booths says the ladies of the kitchen have 70 years of experience between the two of them, and they insist on locally grown ingredients.

 

You know the place is good when you have to wait for a booth.  But, we were also invited by a sweet young lady to sit at a table. As much as I yearned to be back in my teenage years and sit at a booth and although we were not short on time, we took her up on the offer.

 

Not surprisingly, there was country fried steak on the menu. After all this was the deep south. Instead I chose another cluster of southern favorites, country eggs benedict.  I knew you’d ask!  Eggs with country ham on English muffins (which the English call crumpets), some cheese, all slathered with sausage gravy, and topped with fried green tomatoes, accompanied by a bowl of buttered grits.

My traveling companion chose the more delicate selection of eggs over medium and cheese grits. Oh, la-ti-da.

 

Everything was delicious, as you would expect in a rural restaurant that has not only survived, but prospered for over 70 years.  

 

The grits were served hot and creamy and my companion’s cheese grits has a cheesy taste, without being over powering. And my country style eggs benedict were such a wonderful blend of flavors, from the saltiness of the country ham to the richness of the sausage gravy, to the crisp and tender taste of the fried green tomatoes.

 

The servings were plentiful as they should be in a southern style eatery and the service was so graciously polite.  This is a place I will return to and next time I’m going to bring some Yankee friends whom I want to introduce to some fine southern cuisine! 

 

Oh hell yes, ya’ll!

The Cedar Oak Café and The Olde Towne Gallery

 The Cedar Oak Café and The Olde Towne Gallery.

 

On a Wednesday morning, I woke up thinking of heading up the road to a rustic bit of Americana, The Cedar Oak Café in St Marys, Georgia. For those familiar with the military, you may recognize the name, St Marys being the home of Kings Bay Submarine Base.

 

As one wag said, Kings Bay has more satellites overhead than anywhere on earth, so don’t forget to smile and wave when you drive into town.

 

St Marys is an historic town that belonged to Spanish Florida until 1763, when it became part of Georgia.  So between history and submarine, there’s much to do here.  Museums, festivals, and don’t miss the huge and beautiful homes in the historic district.  

There are also excursions to the equally famous Cumberland Island.  Here’s a link: https://www.exploregeorgia.org/city/st-marys

 

But, the Cedar Oak Café was my center of attention.  Breakfast is my favorite meal and to do it properly, ya gotta git away from them boring Hut this and House that!  I like rustic and off the beaten track, BUT, the food has to be interesting and well prepared.  Not saying the typical breakfast is not good, but if you’re going to drive a few miles, there should be a delight at the end of the journey.

 

I found all the delight I could handle at the Cedar Oak Café in St Marys.  The café shares a building with an artists’ co-op, the Olde Towne Gallery and I’m glad they do.  This gallery shows off local talent that centers on the beauty of the surrounding area.  So, crafts and stuff?  Oh, so much more than that.  This co-op has art and crafts and many of the paintings and sculpture and jewelry would enhance many museums, as well as your home and mine.  Creativity flows down a lengthy hallway and into separate artists’ ateliers.  A combination of a feast for the eyes and a salve for the budget. So reasonably priced, the tags will make you blink.

 

This setup of quaint café and gallery is marketing genius!   And, no they’re not combined in the same room, but you have to go a few paces down the gallery hallway to enter the café.

And in the café, you’ll find an old time décor, with a breakfast and lunch menu with variety, culinary quality, and wonderful service.  This is not just a bacon, eggs, toast and coffee establishment, although you can surely order those.  I opt for the Breakfast Special, of country fried steak, grits, eggs over easy, whole wheat toast and coffee.

 

You have to realize that country fried steak is one of the ten commandments for any southern restaurant.  An addendum says, “Thou shall serve it with delicious sausage gravy!”

 

Now, I make some pretty good country fried steak at home, and my gravy isn’t bad either, but now I am shamefaced.  My attempts are woefully inadequate when compared to the fare at the Cedar Oak Café!  The breading on the steak was delightfully crunchy and the gravy was very close to heaven from a pan.  The rest of my breakfast was equally excellent!

 

My traveling partner ordered an omelet, stuffed with bacon and feta cheese.  I admit, I had my doubts because I am not one who ever gets a craving for feta cheese.  But, I figured, what the heck, I’m getting my country fried steak, so why should I give a hoot?

And then my partner offered me a taste.   My mind flipped a switch and my lips formed the words, “Gimme some more!”  The huge amount of crumbled bacon was crispy, and a touch of feta complimented perfectly the salt crunch of the bacon and the soft flavor of the eggs.  I never would have dreamed of putting these three flavors together and yet, they were perfect!  This talented chef knew what she was doing! 

 

I walk away happy when I know the meal is so good that I couldn’t compete.  This breakfast was so good I won’t even try!

 

I not only have no complaints, but I awoke this morning thinking I  should make another trip to the Cedar Oak Café and I should do it pronto!