As a bonafide comfort foodie, there are few things I love more than a restaurant whose food can rival my favorite family recipes. At JCT. Kitchen & Bar, I’ve found just that! From sumptuous Southern staples to new Southern nods and an enticing array of apéritifs and digestifs, this simple yet cozy restaurant offers decadent dishes just like Grandma used to make.

Now for the tasty, he ate/she ate portion:

We started our tasting tour of the lunch menu with Pimento Cheese “Fry Bread” - seared slices of bread smeared with housemade pimento cheese spread. In what is sure to be one of most strangely delicious combos, I paired JCT.’s signature Springer Mountain Fried Chicken - flakey, golden and seasoned to perfection - with a crisp mimosa. Plated with “garlicy green beans” and white cheddar macaroni, this is a great option for anyone looking for a true taste of the South. He paired the juicy Fried Egg Burger with a Bloody Mary - an excellent complement to the white cheddar and bacon toppings. Arguably, the dessert menu (which was preceded by two huge spoons) was the hardest choice. Splitting a glass of Remy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac and a carafe for two of Batdorf & Bronson coffee, I opted for Georgia Apple Fried Pies with a bacon-caramel drizzle and butter pecan ice cream; he chose the Chocolate Pudding topped with salted caramel and plated with chewy peanut butter cookies for dipping. (Speaking of Southern signatures, the pudding comes layered in an 8 o.z. Mason jar!) With these stick-to-your-ribs classics, JCT. Kitchen & Bar brings a taste of Southern comfort right to your table.

Lofted alongside the train tracks in the Westside Urban Market, JCT. Kitchen’s sunlit, simple décor is an absolute delight. Rich woods, white-washed walls and distressed, heirloom-inspired furnishings highlight coastal nods of cool blue, warm sand and silver accents. Southern staples such as brushed cotton napkins, Mason jars and Sears Catalogue-esque dinnerware spotlight the signature dishes. With such a cozy elegance about the place, there’s small wonder how it’s become a Midtown main-stay for casual dining.

Insider info: Be sure to check out what’s goin’ on upstairs! Wiener Wednesdays are coming soon, but you can enjoy live music, $1 oysters and punch specials during Thursdays on the Terrace.