Before I get into this blog, let me apologize for the delay. I had surgery at the end of last month and quickly contracted the flu afterwards. I am still recovering from both but am recovering well. Thank you for all that have checked in on me. I have appreciated all my get well soons and felt honored that you thought of me.
We try to visit Kentucky at least one time a year. We don’t always make it but when we do Earl G Dumplin’s, or simply Dumplin’s, is the first restaurant we visit. Located at 1707 Old Gallatin Rd in Scottsville, Kentucky, drop a pin on your GPS. Seriously, drop it while you’re thinking about it.
I like to think that Southern food is Southern food, I’m also wrong. While the South is generally known for its deep fried everything, our foods do vary region to region. Not so much what we cook, but how we cook it. Enjoying foods from every region is one of the things my husband and I do best 😉
Dumplin’s feels like taking a step into the past, for me. They are a family style restaurant, with steak, fish, chicken- the usual. From what I can tell, they grill their meats pretty high so they have the grill marks on them. Some people love that, our youngest daughter, not so much. If you are one of the people that would prefer your food cooked a little different, let them know, they will accommodate you. I can’t say anything about their seafood as my husband and I are both allergic to shrimp (We are also short so my children love to comment that the shrimp are allergic to the shrimp.) and neither of us care for any other fish. Now you know, I will never write any reviews on seafood restaurants. Most likely.
What I love the most about our visits- We have family in the area. When we visit, we come en mass. Family and friends flood their doors and they greet us with a smile. I’m sure we are overwhelming, I know we are, (our last visit caused a couple to move to another table) they take us to a back room and push tables together all while treating us like we are their favorite patrons. The staff circle our tables keeping everything filled and cleared away with ease and talent. We are not made to feel rushed or uncomfortable for lingering and telling stories of the last year since we’ve seen one another. Many restaurants start pushing you out the door as quick as possible to turn over the table for the next set of guests.
At the end of the evening, we feel more like we have visited extended family than been to another restaurant. Dumplin’s is not fancy by any stretch of the imagination. What they are is full of heart, laughter and good food. Stop by, fill your belly and take in the art and oddities covering their walls, then tell a friend to do the same.
Maybe I’ll bump into you on my next visit.
The Southern Tourist 