“I’m So Glad I Don’t Live Here — I’d Be Dead”
That’s what Guy Fieri said while standing in Sisters of the new South in Savannah, Georgia, watching oxtail meat get folded into an egg roll alongside mac and cheese, red rice, and collard greens. He quickly corrected himself: “Not dead, just a little heavier.”
This soul food spot is run by Vicki and Kenneth Brown, who cook Southern staples pulled straight from their family tree. When Guy asked where all the recipes came from, Kenneth explained he grabbed his from his dad and grandmother. But Vicki’s mom? She’s the key to everything. “This tastes like Grandma’s cooking,” Guy said. “Makes your tongue dance.”
The Oxtail Soul Roll
The signature dish here isn’t just oxtails — it’s oxtails reimagined as a handheld experience. Kenneth walked Guy through the process: season the oxtails with seasoning salt, black pepper, mint, garlic, onion powder, and paprika. Add peppers and onions to the pot, then braise the oxtails for three hours, pulling them out just before they fall apart completely.
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The braising liquid becomes gravy. When Guy asked where they buy their gravy, the answer was firm: “We don’t buy gravy from no place. We make our own.” The technique? All-purpose flour mixed with water, let sit for a minute before adding. “That way you have a smooth gravy,” Kenneth explained. “If you go and rush it, you’re gonna have all them lumps.”
The finished roll combines deboned oxtail meat, mac and cheese, red rice (tomato-based with red and green bell peppers, onions, and their secret seasoning), and collard greens — all wrapped in a crunchy egg roll shell. Guy’s verdict: “You got a lot of big flavors. Besides the richness of the oxtail, the creaminess of that mac and cheese, and even those greens have a little sweetness to it from the sugar that was added into them.”
Mac and Cheese and Collard Greens Done Right
The mac and cheese starts with eggs, salt, garlic powder, paprika, white pepper, melted butter, and cream — all mixed together before combining with elbow pasta. Cheese goes on top, then it bakes at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.
For the collard greens, they build a seasoning base with chicken bouillon, a little sugar, turmeric, and garlic. The greens cook for 45 minutes with pepper vinegar and vegetable oil. That touch of sugar gives them the subtle sweetness Guy noticed in the soul roll.
Georgia Peach Cobbler
The menu at Sisters of the new South runs deep — shrimp and grits, barbecue ribs, fried chicken, baked chicken, turkey wings, smothered pork chops, and hamburger steak. But Guy made sure to try the peach cobbler, made with fresh Georgia peaches.
The crust comes together like a biscuit: shortening worked into flour, mixed just until tacky enough to hold together, then blind-baked before filling. The peach filling gets water, vanilla, sugar, butter, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, and a cornstarch slurry. Fresh peaches go into the pre-baked crust, topped with more crust, and baked again.
Guy called it “one of the most honest desserts I’ve had in the last 10 years on Triple D. The simple biscuit crust, a little bit of sugar, a little bit of vanilla — you’re highlighting the peach. Outstanding.”
Much like when Sweet Potato Gnocchi | Big Bite showed how simple techniques can elevate familiar ingredients, this cobbler proves that letting quality produce shine beats overcomplicating things.
By the end, Guy told the Browns: “You guys do not know what blessing you have here.” Their response? “Yeah, we do.” And clearly, so does everyone waiting in line.
Find Sisters of the new South and other Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives locations in our restaurant directory.