Counting the ballots…
Counting the ballots…
“Princes chicken deserves all the credit on this one. They are the original, the bar setter, the best there ever was and ever will be. Anyone who says otherwise need a tongue check.”
“My grandmother made the best banana pudding, no cool whip or instant pudding, real meringue and cooked custard. Nothing like it.”
“Absolutely the only BBQ that even comes close to KC burnt ends. But, skip all the popular joints. You have to go to Beale St. and slide into Jerry Lawler's! You're welcome!”
“Nashville gets everything. Memphis needs this!”
“Classic smoked pork with vinegar slaw. Baseline for whether or not a BBQ joint is any good.”
Tennessee's ballot runs west to east. Memphis sends Memphis Dry-Rub Ribs, the Pulled Pork Sandwich with vinegar slaw, and BBQ Spaghetti, which exists nowhere else. Nashville answers with Nashville Hot Chicken on white bread and the Meat-and-Three, a format more than a dish. The mountains contribute Appalachian Stack Cake and Sorghum Syrup, dark and earthy. The Country Ham Biscuit is statewide. Chess Pie and Banana Pudding sit on every lunchroom counter. What Tennessee is famous for depends on which music city you are standing in. So what is Tennessee's official state dish? Ten dishes, one vote.