Pretty Southern, Greenpoint | Where To Eat

The first job I had in New York, my boss told me, “you need to lose the y’all if you want to be taken seriously in this city.”

Three things have happened since then.

I quit that shit

I have never stopped saying y’all

I have been taken seriously.

To live in this city by definition is a melting pot. And the beauty of it is to never lose who you are, or deny where you are from. We often gravitate towards people who are from the same place or toward those things that speak to our soul. This is the beauty and necessity of holding on to our roots, of never denying where we came from. And you can find it in this city, if you know where to look.

Virginia might be considered only “diet southern” but up here, they think it’s the deep south. And I’ll take it. because if there’s anything I’ve learned, southern is warm. Southern is kind. Southern is pretty.

When pretty southern opened its like my heart settled. my soul exhaled. There is something so deeply rich about southern food that feels good and real and wholesome. Like a hug from your grandma, warm and real. Like Sunday’s in summertime, snapping beans on the front porch and sipping sweet tea. Like always, always saying y’all instead of yous guys because it feels good as it rolls off your tongue. Especially when it is preceded by, “fuck yall, bloomingdale’s buying team!” #suckit

When I put in my order at pretty southern I turned to my mate and said, I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a dangerous relationship. Just like one with girls from Virginia…

The fried chicken. Sweet Jesus in heaven, this is the answer to everything. The collard greens. The pimento cheese biscuit. It’s all quite unfair. Green bean casserole not on thanksgiving? Yes. Do it. Grits so thick you’ll marvel and envy their complexity. Get. Every.Thing.

They may be soul food, but these folks have a time schedule like the Spanish.

M – closed

T – F – 12-3pm, 530-10pm

S – Su – 11-3pm, 530-10pm

see y’all there.