Wednesday night, The Refinery's front and back of house staff switched places for charity. Chef Greg Baker and his kitchen crew took over the dining room, while general manager and wife Michelle Baker planned the menu and made dinner in the kitchen.
All proceeds and tips went to the Nature Delivered Farm, a pasture-raised pig farm in Bushnell run by Rebecca Krassnoski. The independently owned local farm recently expanded from 20 to 200 acres and needs help raising funds for fencing and other equipment.
Wednesday's menu was all things Southern from smothered pork chops to lemon sour cream cake.
Appetizers included Parker House yeasty rolls (with salt, rosemary and butter), Hoppin John Soup (with black eyed peas, ham hock, onions, rice, and garlic), Southern salad (with mixed greens, green beans, pecans, zucchini, scallions, and bbq-spiced ranch dressing). It should be noted that the fried green tomatoes, pickled and served with jalapeño-goat cheese, were so tasty that no photographic evidence was viable.
Side dishes included the above shrimp n grits, Kyndal's spoon bread (incredible we were able to photograph that before it was gone), white cheddar mac n cheese, and mashed taters.
[jump]The main courses included pan fried smothered pork chops (with onion cream gravy and ham-hock-stewed green beans), Sweet & Spicy Farmer's Pie (with sweet potato mash, turnips, raisins, cayenne, and onion), and Fish fry of catfish (with southern cabbage cole slaw, and black-eyed pea hushpuppies).
And finally, dessert.
The lemon sour cream pound cake with sweet tea caramel sauce (yum!) and banana pudding trifle, ended the meal perfectly.