Southern cooking has a way of sticking with you. Not just the flavors, but the feeling, the warmth, the sense that someone in the kitchen actually cares whether you leave happy.
Virginia has plenty of restaurants that understand this. The ten on this list are the ones that have been doing it the longest, the ones where the recipes have not changed because no one was brave enough to suggest they should.
Fried chicken, biscuits, collard greens, pies that take up most of the plate. I ate at every single one, and I left each time with a full stomach and a deeper respect for cooks who keep traditions alive…