Incredible Fried Chicken. Possibly the best baked beans that have ever been made. I had baked beans that were close to Trish's only once before, and it was at the Dover Volunteer FD picnic/festival in Dover. I have to wonder if it's the same recipe.
I wasn't really supposed to be in Dover. My mom grew up there and I spent a lot of my childhood playing with my cousins and other kids who lived on Main Street. However, I haven't been there in nearly 2 decades. I kind of just made the decision as we were going through N.C. near Kinston. I asked my friend who was driving if he wanted to see the town with only 2 streets and a grocery store run by a KKK member where you could turn in crates of glass soda bottles to be refilled?
Of course, Whitley's is gone now.
So we ended up in Dover and after a short history of the summers and Christmases I spent climbing the red bricks of the Volunteer Fire Department, and the train tracks where my Uncle Billy told me that a murderer jumped off the night train as it screeched through town, and hunted for little boys and girls who hadn't gone to sleep when they were supposed to, We found ourselves on the other side of Railroad St. on S. Main.
The fact that it was a restaurant kind of snuck up on me as we were trying to turn around...then We both caught whiff of something fried and delicious. We parked and went in.
The interior isn't anything special, but it is sparkling clean, organized, and the vibes were _everything. _ The food smells were so familiar...like arms wrapping around us in welcome. The people were happy and talkative in the brash, strident way that people in small town N.C. are. They sound excited, irritated, caring, encouraging, scolding, and vaguely amazed all at once. And they do it at twice the volume that's socially acceptable in most places
People, women mostly, in small town N.C. talk plainly, sweetly, excitedly, and somewhat loudly because they learned to as a child. They learned it was the voice they needed in order to be heard over brothers and sisters and cousins, and dismissive adults at the dinner table. It's all part of the authentic concern taken to make sure "you get enough to eat? You want more potatoes? You don't look like you eat enough." and it never feels overwhelming or intrusive.
As I said, I had fried chicken. It definitely rivaled the stuff I used to eat right up the road at Grandmama Thelma's house. The Green House just one lot off of Kornegay. Again the baked beans were better than any I'd ever had. My friend had the shrimp tacos and absolutely loved them. I had to say I felt the same way. The shrimp tasted fresh, not rubbery, and whatever was in the sauce was addictive.
Long story short: hit this place up. Trish Dish isn't fancy, but it is high quality comfort food that is priced really well and you will not be disappointed. You can come as you are. I'm not even sure you have to have shirts and shoes on. The food will make you feel like you came home to grandma's house, and she's making all your favorite foods to celebrate you being home....and everyone is happy to see you. read more