1. www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com taste of the south 7372 taste of the south april may 2010
b
Boardinghouses were once common
in Southern cities. Some featured public
restaurants that attracted customers from
every socioeconomic class. Stick-to-the-ribs
meals typically were served family style from
generous serving dishes placed on large tables
at which strangers might sit together.
Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room in Savannah,
Georgia, has offered this dining experience
since 1943, when L.H. and Sema Wilkes took
over an existing boardinghouse (the building
dates back to 1870). They opened the basement
as a restaurant and had their living quarters
upstairs. For nearly seven decades, Sema Wilkes
managed the busy downtown restaurant. For
a nicely personal touch, she rang a tiny hand-
held bell and recited a short blessing to begin
each meal.
“The great thing about coming here is that
you get something you can’t find many other
places,” notes Ryon Thompson, manager of
the restaurant and great-grandson of original
owner and late matriarch supreme Mrs. Wilkes.
“Not only do you get delicious food, but you
meet new people when you share a meal like
this. You start out sitting with total strangers,
but by the time you leave, you’ve made new
friends.”
Mrs. Wilkes was a constant presence in
her restaurant right up until she passed away
in late 2002 at the age of 95. By that time, her
granddaughter Marcia Thompson and Marcia’s
husband, Ronnie, had been helping her run
the operation for nearly three decades. The
bell had been passed.
The restaurant clearly benefits from the
half-century-plus of family ownership. “We’ve
been here so long, the restaurant itself seems
like part of the family,” says Marcia.
Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining
Room offers traditional
Southern cooking, a
historic boardinghouse
atmosphere, and grace
in the Hostess City
of the South.
ByT. Wayne Waters
Recipes adapted from Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room
Photography by John O’Hagan
Food photography by Mac Jamieson
Food styling by Chantel Lambeth
Diningat
Mrs.Wilkes’

2. 74 taste of the south april may 2010
mrs. wilkes’
www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com taste of the south 75
mrs. wilkes’
green tomato pickles
Yield: 3 quarts
7 pounds sliced green tomatoes
3 cups fresh lime juice
5 pounds sugar
6 cups apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. In a large container, soak tomatoes
in lime juice and enough water to
cover completely for 24 hours. Drain.
2. In the same container, soak
tomatoes in fresh water for 4 hours.
Change water every hour; drain.
3. In a large stockpot, bring sugar,
vinegar, celery seed, mace, and
cinnamon to a boil. Remove from
heat. Add tomatoes; cover, and let
stand overnight.
4. Place stockpot over medium-high
heat, and bring to a boil. Boil mixture
for 1 hour. Divide mixture evenly among
3 (1-quart) sterilized mason jars; seal
jars. Store in refrigerator, where pickles
will keep for approximately 4 weeks.
But for a time, soon after Mrs. Wilkes
died, it seemed the restaurant might
leave the family. Because of Ronnie’s
worsening arthritis and Marcia’s grow-
ing familial responsibilities, they were
disinclined to continue the demanding
hands-on duties of managing the restau-
rant.Mrs.Wilkes’DiningRoomremained
closed for several months in 2003.
The absence of a Savannah institution
like Mrs. Wilkes’ does not go unnoticed.
Locals started talking. News stories and
opinion pieces appeared in the media, all
lamenting the loss of the Wilkes family’s
traditional culinary enterprise.
About this time, Marcia and Ronnie’s
son, Ryon, graduated from Georgia
Southern University with an MBA and
decided to step in as manager of the
restaurant. Ronnie and Marcia decided
they could continue offering part-time
assistance. Mrs. Wilkes’ Boarding House
was saved.
“This restaurant is so much a part
of our lives,” Ryon explains. “If I hadn’t
come here to manage the place, it would
have been like another part of our lives
had died.”
On weekdays the eight large tables
at 107 West Jones hold large plates of
meat, usually crispy fried chicken and
succulent pork chops, that sit close to
big bowls heaped with mashed potatoes,
collard greens, fried okra, black-eyed
peas, and the like. Plenty of hot biscuits
and cornbread—and butter—are always
close at hand. Banana pudding and other
desserts are staples. The tea is sweet, of
course, unless requested otherwise.
The food isn’t fancy, just good
Southern fare prepared by cooks whose
knowing hands have been doing it for
years and, in some cases, even decades.
The bell has been passed once again, to
Ryon, who now rings it and says grace.
“We feel the family atmosphere here
at Mrs. Wilkes’ is almost as important as
the food,” says Ryon. “We won’t lose that.”
Mrs. Wilkes’ Dining Room is located
in Savannah, Georgia, at 107 West Jones.
For more information, call 912-232-5997,
or visit mrswilkes.com.
TOP: Guests line up for a taste of
Southern classics. BOTTOM LEFT: Ryon
Thompson rings the bell and says grace.
BOTTOM RIGHT: Each table features many
dishes to pass and share.

3. mrs. wilkes’
76 taste of the south april may 2010
potato salad
family style
Yield: 12 servings
6 cups cubed, cooked potatoes
4 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
and chopped
3⁄4 cup chopped dill pickle
1⁄2 cup finely chopped celery
1⁄2 cup chopped pimiento
1⁄2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced yellow
onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 cup mayonnaise
1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes,
eggs, pickle, celery, pimiento, bell
pepper, onion, lemon juice, salt, mustard,
and pepper. Gently fold in mayonnaise
until mixture is well combined.
lemon meringue pie
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar,
divided
1⁄4 cup cornstarch
1⁄8 teaspoon salt
11⁄4 cups warm water
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1⁄4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1⁄4 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 (9-inch) baked pie shell
boardinghouse-style
biscuits
Yield: 16 biscuits
2 cups self-rising flour
1⁄2 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-vegetable
shortening
1⁄3 cup whole buttermilk
1⁄3 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons water
1. Preheat oven to 450°. Line a
baking sheet with parchment paper.
Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour
and baking powder. Using a pastry
blender, cut in butter and shortening
until mixture resembles coarse
crumbs. Make a well in the center
of flour mixture, and slowly pour in
buttermilk, milk, and water. Using your
hands, mix lightly and quickly until
dough pulls away from sides of bowl.
3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured
surface. Knead 5 or 6 times until
dough is smooth. Pinch off 2-inch
portions of dough, and form into a
round, slightly flattened disk. Place on
prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake until bottom edges are just
golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
1. In the top of a double boiler over
simmering water, combine 1 cup
sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually
stir in water, lemon zest, lemon juice,
egg yolks, and butter. Cook, stirring
constantly, until mixture is smooth and
very thick, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool
thoroughly.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites,
remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, and
cream of tartar at high speed with an
electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
4. Pour lemon mixture into prepared
pie shell, and top with meringue.
5. Bake until meringue is set and
golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
praline cookies
Yield: about 31
⁄2 dozen cookies
11⁄2 cups firmly packed dark
brown sugar
1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, lightly beaten
11⁄2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, beat brown sugar
and butter at medium-high speed with
an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Add egg, and beat well. Reduce speed
to low, and add flour, pecans, and
vanilla, beating until mixture is well
combined. Wrap tightly with plastic
wrap, and refrigerate until dough is
firm, approximately 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 325°. Line 3 baking
sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, and
place 2 inches apart on prepared
baking sheets.
3. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on
baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer
to a wire rack, and let cool completely.
fast
fix
fast
fix
mrs. wilkes’