The Sherwood isn’t just your average neighborhood restaurant, it’s a restaurant located in the Southern United states. For those unfamiliar with foods and flavors of the region, the southern United States is home to an eclectic cuisine, churning out some of the country’s most delicious fare. Some distinctive features of southern cuisine are based on the local ingredients that are found throughout the area. This includes foods such as corn, peanuts, pecans, sweet potatoes and okra. The south’s cuisine origins were also heavily inspired by a wide variety of different cultures including those found in different African and European countries. Known for rich and hearty dishes, the south often utilizes flavors that reflect the diversity of the region as well as its agricultural and culinary traditions.
The Sherwood is proud to offer a menu that pays homage to some of the best examples of southern cooking and cuisine. We’ve also put our own distinct style and mark on these traditional dishes, integrating different flavors from other regions of North America. However, regardless of what we make, the goal is to prepare food that brings together friends and family, a quintessential characteristic of dining in the south. Our dishes are made with fresh and high-quality ingredients, prepared with care, and served in a hospitable nature true to the south.
You will find our menu is full of southern classics, making us one of the best restaurants in Winston Salem for those seeking true authentic tastes of the region. After all, no neighborhood restaurant in the south is complete without a handful of traditional fare to serve its patrons. In this post, we’ll discuss the history behind some of our most beloved dishes.
A Brief History on Your Favorite Southern Classics
The following list discusses some of Sherwood’s most revered southern dishes, while also providing a brief history on how they came to be staples of cuisine in the south.
Pecan Chicken & Fried Chicken Strips: Pecan chicken is a great example of culinary adventurers taking an integral southern flavor and implementing it in traditional chicken dish. This dish in particular uses juicy chicken and pairs it with a delectable pecan crust. Cooked to juicy perfection and served alongside bourbon cream, our pecan chicken showcases the decadent nature of dining in the south.
The pecan chicken is arguably a variation of classic fried chicken, and fried chicken has long been associated with the deep south. Where exactly did it come from? Well, it’s believed to have originated from Scottish immigrants who settled in the south in the 18th century. At this point, frying chicken in fat had long been a tradition for Scots, unlike the English who preferred it baked and/or boiled. However, the Scots didn’t tend to season their chicken before frying it, which is where the African influence helped to make modern fried chicken what it is today.
African American slaves who worked on the plantations would add their own spices and herbs to the chicken, creating much more aromatic and flavorful versions of the dish. They introduced the concept of dredging the chicken in flour or cornmeal before frying, which has in turn become an unwavering tradition. With a crispy crust to seal in the juices, fried chicken took on a whole new depth.
Fried Pickles: If you’re looking for places to eat in Winston Salem that make delectable fried pickles, The Sherwood has you covered. Fried pickles are yet another southern specialty that has risen in popularity across the nation. Deep fried until they reach a golden and crispy consistency, it’s hard to go wrong with these crunchy, crispy, bursting with flavor morsels. It’s also hard to pinpoint exactly when and where fried pickles were first created. Some accounts suggest New York or New Orleans as the birthplace of this southern delicacy. Others suggest that fried pickles become popular in state fairs where fried food is extremely common and popular. There are accounts that claim fried pickles were first served at the Texas State Fair in 1963, while others say it was actually the Arkansas State Fair in 1962.
Regardless of their exact origin, fried pickles have become a beloved southern treat, that is commonly found in diners and restaurants across the region. At The Sherwood, we honor its potential Texas origins, by serving this appetizer with Texas Pete Ranch.
Pulled Pork: Because pulled pork is so popular and present in all areas of the country, its history is long and contested. Still, it is a southern specialty that has deep ties to Native American cooking practices in the Caribbean and South America where natives to those areas would cook meat over open fires or in underground pits. The Spanish explorers who encountered this type of cooking method would then bring it to North America, while also introducing pigs to the colonies.
Over time it would be changed and specialized based on location. Today, there are various methods of cooking pulled pork and they often vary by state. Given that the Carolinas have their own style of pulled pork cooking, it only makes sense that we would feature it on our Sherwood Restaurant Menu. It’s certainly fun to debate which state and city produces the best barbeque, but nothing holds a candle to our good old Carolina style. Hey, we may be biased, but come and see for yourself. You haven’t had pulled pork until you’ve had it at The Sherwood.
Collared Greens and Fried Okra: And finally, every southern restaurant has to have fried okra and collard greens. Fried Okra is yet another wonderful contribution provided by enslaved African plantation workers who were brought to America. Often times coated in cornmeal or flour, fried okra makes for a dynamic side dish, omnipresent in Southern cuisine.
Collard greens, while actually native to the Mediterranean region, were coopted by southern regions after they were introduced to enslaved African Americans. Proving that once again, African American slaves had incredible influence over food in the deep south and are an integral part of creating the distinct food culture in the south.
Want to try premier, authentic southern cooking at one of the best restaurants in Winston Salem NC? Come see us at The Sherwood, Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. The Sherwood is located at 3348 Robinhood Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27106.