Hutch and Harris is about to celebrate its 5th birthday in February and in this day and age, one might say that’s hitting a milestone. Especially given all the great choices in The Twin City, not to mention all the big chains claiming a big piece of the pie. But “5 years old” suits Hutch & Harris well and they’ve kind of hit a bit of an iconic status downtown. Traipse down Fourth Street on any given Friday or Saturday night when the weather is nice and the outdoor patio area (practically on the street) is filled…and inside, the diner meets taproom dining room is bustling.

I had eaten at H & H for brunch a couple years ago and it was great but I always seemed to find someplace else to eat for dinner. The name made me think I might be dropping $$$ on a pricey steak. Not so!! Admittedly, my Attractions Book is helping my foodie budget and we had a coupon, so after some grocery shopping recently, we decided to grab a bite with the kids. Are you like me and just have no desire to cook after being at the grocery store for an hour? It’s a regular occurrence. Mr. Foodie pretty much assumes we will be eating out if a late afternoon is spent at the store. Anyway, I digress…

Hutch & Harris leans more Southern with strong Louisiana influences so the night we visited, I ordered the Dixieland Jambalaya. It was everything you expect it to be with dirty rice, juicy, big shrimp, chicken, tasso ham and smoked sausage. It was spicy but not too much. And it was plenty big enough to eat HALF and take home.

Mr. Foodie decided to go with the special. Foodies, this is when I should stop eating and start taking notes, because I tend to forget the name of the special. I called H & H and they reminded me that it’s called Le Blanc Fried Pork Chop with Red Eye Gravy. It was simply a fried pork cutlet with a medley of roasted vegetable and a Tasso gravy over the top. It was like pure soul food. So distinctly southern, yet not too heavy. It should be ADDED to the menu. Do you hear, Chef? If you see it as a special, it is a must try.

He got a salad too…

Despite all the southern tastes, like Moravian Chicken Pie, Shrimp & Grits, pimento cheese and fried pickles, they manage to sneak in a few internationally-inspired dishes from Moroccan to Vietnamese. And the owners, who hail from Maryland, would be remiss if they didn’t offer a couple of lovely Chesapeake Crab Cakes. Oh and there’s Mac-n-Cheese and chicken tender platter, which we ordered for the kidlets. They ate bread. But they were both really good. We told the kids they were missing out. Usually the chicken comes on TOP of the “mac.”

The dinner menu is fab because it has a wide array of appetizers, small plates, salads and sandwiches in addition to the entrees and very affordable prices. Affordable without a coupon, even! Most entree prices stay in the mid-teens. Check them out for lunch for similar options and even lower prices plus the brunch on Sunday is top notch with Benedicts, tostadas, omelets, waffles and biscuits and gravy. A few of their every day items are offered then too.

I look forward to checking out Hutch & Harris at lunch and again at brunch. It’s definitely a place that’s easy to go back to. They are also participating in Downtown Winston-Salem’s The Big Eat on Tuesdays through February in which signature items are HALF OFF!

www.hutchandharris.com
Located at 4th and Spruce, downtown Winston-Salem
336-721-1336