Roadside Eats serves up comforting fare

Fond memories of classic Southern comfort food, inspired by Chef Dave Northrup’s childhood, stirred the opening of his new restaurant, Roadside Eats, a southern styled sandwich shop located on Sunset and Vine in Hollywood.

Conveniently located a swift 25 minutes away from the USC campus, just off the 101 freeway, Northrup’s vision presents Southern comfort food with a twist, serving healthier versions of the calorie-laden fare he grew up with for his fast-casual Roadside Eats. The cavernous, vintage meets sleek stainless steel counters of the 2,000 square-foot dining area fits with the fast-paced southern meets Southern Californian gastronomy that Roadside embodies.

The unique blend of the two cultures, is one of the main details that sets Roadside Eats apart from any other southern styled sandwich shop. Not only is every delectable ingredient between the buns made in-house, with fixings to accompany Roadside sandwiches and salads ranging from stick-to-your-ribs Baked Beans with Trimmings to creamy or vinegar-based Coleslaw, but whatever the customer wishes can be ordered sans bread, or “Greens-Style,” turning any sandwich into healthy salad with a house-made vinaigrette or buttermilk ranch dressing on the side.

To add to the Californian effect, not only can items on the menu be turned “Greens-style” but a variety of vegan options are offered as well. The Fried Green Tomatoes BLT is a tasty example. Normally served with crispy smoked bacon, the Fried Green Tomatoes BLT sandwich can replace the bacon with succulent smoked tofu, with fresh lettuce, crisp fried green tomatoes and zesty tobasco aioli all between two hearty slices of buttery Texas toast. It’s simple but mind-bendingly good and comes highly recommended by the servers.

The prominent glass deli case in the front of the eatery is filled with good-looking, garden-fresh vegan and vegetarian options with picnic-style sides and salads, a selection that rotates with the season and will feature options such as the fresh, summer-tasting Watermelon and Edamame salad, and perfect for fall, the Baby Kale and Roasted Butternut Squash.

Other tasty sandwich options include the Griddled Patty Melt, which is infused with pimiento cheese, sweet grilled onions and freshly sliced tomato, and the crunchy and unique, Pecan Fried Chicken, served with sliced tomato, lettuce and sweet maple mustard. Salads include Nana’s Potato Salad, a traditional mayo-based potato salad with pickles and chopped celery and it’s humorous SoCal counterpart, Not Your Nana’s Potato Salad with roasted fingerling potatoes, tangy capers, lemon and fennel. There’s also Summer Succotash, Field Peas and Summer Tomato that has black-eyed peas, unique pimento and oregano relish with sweet bite-sized tomatoes. Available sides include crispy French fries (plain or spicy), classic baked beans, and creamy or vinegar-based coleslaw. Sandwiches and salads can be personalized with such add-ons as fried egg, thick cut bacon, pickled red onions or spicy chow chow, a Southern relish made with jalapeños, bell peppers, onions and green cabbage, but be forewarned, the add-ons can get a little pricey.

Roadside Eats is capable of delivering strong flavors and unique takes on classic dishes, such as the Cajun-Glazed Shrimp Po’ Boy, made with sweet and crispy shrimp, with sliced tomato, lettuce and red onion, but occasionally Roadside’s meat dishes are produced drier than anticipated. For instance, the Texas Cheesesteak has the reputation to be a savory, mouthwatering sandwich with melted white cheddar, sweet roasted peppers, smoked onions and spicy chow chow, but tastes better with the homemade Steer Sauce and or the homemade BBQ sauce. Such an addition can spark the taste buds of any hungry customer, but most likely won’t make the patron want to order the formerly popular dish again.

In the dessert department, Roadside Eats offers up some bite-sized, sugary fried pies in three classic southern flavors of cherry, apple or peach — with or without a cup of soft-serve ice cream on the side. Though the pies are very sugary, sweet and delicious, they won’t spark the fancy of any customer with a large sweet tooth. Still, they make for a great mini snack.

A fusion of two cultures is a clever way for entrepreneurs and chefs to create a profit in a culturally diverse environment. Memorable flavors, large portions, creative combinations and average prices, are a convincing way to bring back customers and of course, a dash of great BBQ sauce doesn’t hurt, either.

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