Grits shock Maine diners as Southern chef spotlights regional breakfast divide
In her restaurant venture, Southern chef Suzanne Vizethann reveals how breakfast preferences differ dramatically between the South and New England. She spoke to Fox News Digital.
In parts of the U.S., asking for grits with your eggs is expected. In others — it's a nonstarter.
A Southern staple, grits are rarely found on breakfast menus in much of the U.S., particularly in New England.
Conversely, New England's fare of baked beans, fish cakes and corned beef hash could be unappealing to most Southerners.
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For chefs who've crossed the Mason-Dixon line, the breakfast divide is unmistakable, said Suzanne Vizethann, a Southern chef who relocated to Maine.
In 2011, she won an episode of the Food Network's "Chopped," beating out chefs from New York and Boston.
Vizethann runs Buttermilk Kitchen, a Southern restaurant brand serving two very different locales: Atlanta, Georgia, and Camden, Maine.
Vizethann told Fox News Digital she moved to the Pine Tree State after deciding to take over an 81-year-old diner, abandoning her original plans to start a bed and breakfast.
"They were going out of business.… All I can say is, it was like fate," Vizethann said. "It just really felt right."
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Despite the success of her Southern-inspired restaurant in coastal Maine, Vizethann noted that palates "are a little bit different."
"One of the main things I've noticed with true Mainers [is]… they don't like things as sweet as in the South," she said.
"I've noticed they use less syrup and less jam.… But to my surprise, the grits have been really well received."
Dark coffee is another point of contrast, along with how heavily dishes are seasoned.
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"I like spicy food a lot. I like heavily seasoned food," she said. "That's something that you don't find as much up here."
That said, there's still overlap between the two regional cuisines.
"Maine is huge with blueberries and syrup and potatoes," Vizethann said.
"And I think that's something everybody loves, especially in the South. We do a lot of stuff with blueberries as well."
"Obviously, it's more seafood-focused since we're on the coast … but there's a lot of seafood in the South as well," she added.
"So, we're doing food that's relatable — more country comfort-style dishes that translate well no matter where you are."
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Still, there are some New England staples Vizethann can't get behind. She does, however, have a fondness for Moxie, Maine's famously polarizing drink.
"I'm not a big corned beef hash person," she said. "I've just never liked it. We do have it on our menu, and I think it's very good. It's just not my thing."
Rye bread is another popular New England food, although she prefers "something like white bread or sourdough."
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"Atlanta is totally different from Camden, Maine, but everyone shares a love for a great quality breakfast," she said. "That's what I love about food — the connection it brings, no matter where you're from or who you are."
The blueprint for a perfect Southern breakfast looks very different from its New England counterpart, Vizethann said.
For a Southern breakfast, Vizethann said, "you've got to have grits, bacon, some sort of eggs, a biscuit for sure, either biscuit or cornbread [and] gravy, typically."
In New England, however, she'll prepare "haddock fish cakes that we deep-fry and serve those with some marinated tomatoes, eggs and toasted English muffins," she said.
"They're very big on English muffins up here, which I personally love as well. So I think that would be the perfect New England breakfast.
"And maybe a side of tartar sauce."
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