Ned's Southside

A two-person table in the front by the windows or a booth up against the back wall, Neds is a happy place for me, for us.

Carla and I have been eating Ned’s food since grad school in the late 1970’s. Always comforting and delicious.

So when we moved to St Auggie in 1991, we were delighted to find Ned here. For many years we lived on the Island, three blocks from Gypsy Cab. It was awesome to see Ned on the regular. Gypsy Chicken, great pasta…and then there is the dressing. Nutritional yeast, olive oil, and tons of garlic. (It’s Ned’s, right? Tons of garlic.)

Our daughter worked there. Lots of local kids have. Ned is a great boss and helped out so many along the way.

Then when the market tanked, Ned sold Gypsy Cab and after a few years, opened Ned’s Southside. Cut the prices and portions back by a third. Smart. Nobody had any money then and it was still more food than most can eat in one sitting.

Little has changed. Ned retired to do his own thing It was good to see him at a concert in the AMP recently. Who doesn’t know and love Ned?

We all feared the worst though, when he left the Southside Kitchen. We thought it was like “Cheers”
 closing.

Not true! These days, Kenny is the man and he has done an amazing job keeping everything in place. You know, if it ain‘t broke… Little has changed. Kenny often meets and greets, watching his operation like a benevolent hawk. There are more specials on the board than ever. An enhanced Facebook presence keeps me lusting for another visit even if we just went the other day.

Chris, the best waiter in town, is still doing his thing there, the cook staff relatively unchanged. But the bottom line? The food. The food is always the best

Oh, and that dressing? Fagetaboutit!

Carla had the mushroom soup, creamy, thick and packed with chunky bits of fresh mushrooms.

The conch fritters will cause you serious injury if you’re foolish enough to bite into them too quickly. They’re lava hot. But split one open, let it breathe, smell that clammy batter? It has a little sweetness to it and a whole lot of crunch. Dip a piece in the pink sauce, cool, hot, soft, crunchy, doughy, clammy deliciousness.

I had a Galleon's golden ale from Ancient city brewing. Or three.

 The chicken livers were a first. A new item I think, since I had never had them before. Subbed out the fries for Onion straws. The livers were crunchy, warm and moist inside. We aren’t crazy about onion rings that are stiff with a heavy coat of batter. These are the opposite. Fresh, steaming & oniony, with a batter that is light and delicate, more like Tempura.

Carla got the lasagna special. She loves her pasta, but especially at Ned’s where the meat in their sauce seems to be double ground, not at all chunky. She loves that consistency and always asks for extra cheese too. See how far you can stretch that molten mozzarella.

We’re used to the waitress saying: “This is very hot, so be careful.” as she sits each plate down. We know it’s true, so we relax, unhurried, at peace with the world.

Once we’re seated and the food is served? It’s like when you’ve been out of town and get home late, hungry for sleep, and then you fall back into the familiar sheets and pillows of your own bed. So warm and comforting.

 Just exactly as it should be.