Peaches ‘n’ Such

Peach ice cream, hot peach cobbler, peach cider, pickled peaches, and peach preserves are a few good reasons to come to Peaches ‘n’ Such, aka Watsonia (after the Watson family that runs it). But Watson doesn’t only grow peaches. The fields here (all organic) also yield strawberries, apples, asparagus, broccoli, squash, and more. This is a wonderful place for breakfast, lunch, ice cream, and spectacular layer cakes as well as an especially hearty Sunday after-church supper.

Located on Highway 23 and surrounded by orchards in all directions, Peaches ‘n’ Such has a tiny dining area of four long tables, shared by strangers when necessary, and a limited menu of sandwiches, hot dogs, and hamburgers made using locally-raised Yon Farms beef. I first came out here thanks to a tip by Aiken sages Tom Bossard and Len Cherry, who waxed rhapsodic about the peach ice cream. I loved the ice cream, but stayed for a meal of fried chicken.

O, what fine chicken! Hugging pieces of indulgently moist meat is a seasoned crust poised perfectly between crunch and chew, oozing its own full-flavored juices with every bite. On the side come two vegetables. The one I won’t ever neglect is broccoli casserole, the home-ec classic that presents well-cooked stalks and florets in a melted web of chewy orange cheese and bread crumbs. Butter beans are simple and just-right al dente with real legume earthiness. A third choice this Friday was fried eggplant. Not being a big eggplant fan, I was shocked to like it so much, the vegetable itself turned ethereal as it cooked inside a jacket of salty, delicious breading. It reminds me of the best fried okra, but half its weight.

Dessert layer cakes are monumental: red velvet, strawberry (made with fresh berries), triple-layer Neapolitan cake (yes, three flavored/colored layers), and banana pudding cake. The fruity-sweet Dixie delight known as hummingbird cake, loaded with bananas and pineapple, is so yummy that one must remind oneself to also spoon up some of that grand soft-serve peach ice cream on the side.

Dishes to try

Broccoli Casserole

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I admit that I even like plain broccoli, but you don’t have to be a broccoli lover to enjoy this cheesy, breadcrumb-enriched broccoli casserole. You just have to like southern-style vegetable casseroles.

Cider

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Cider is just one of the many peach products displayed along the shelves of the dining room. Did you know that South Carolina produces more peaches than its neighboring 'Peach State,' Georgia?

Fried Eggplant

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Transcendent eggplant. Nearly weightless, each piece of aubergine has a bright consistency; the thin crust around it sings with spice.

Fried Chicken

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Friday special: fried chicken with rice and gravy plus two side dishes. The chicken packs terrific crunch and the dark meat delivers outrageous amounts of juice.

Hummingbird Cake

Must-Try

It is said that hummingbird cake actually originated in Jamaica and was named for the island’s Doctor Bird, which was the inspiration for a local banana cake. As made now in the South it also contains crushed pineapple and chopped pecans. It is wildly sweet.

Neapolitan Cake

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The three layers of Neapolitan cake are crowned with massive amounts of unctuous frosting.

Peach Ice Cream

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Sometimes the flavor of Peaches 'n' Such peach ice cream is wonderfully peachy. Other times, like at the height of peach season in the summer, it is unbelievably so.

Peach Cobbler

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More tender like cake than flaky like pie crust, the peach cobbler's pastry takes back stage to the intense flavor of peaches that are sunny, spicy, and still a wee bit al dente.

Collard Greens

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The intense vegetable character of collard greens is here balanced by a generous allotment of fatback, including pieces as lean as ham and some that are nothing but melting-soft fat.

Pound Cake

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Jenny's buttery pound cake is here veined with streaks of sweet strawberry.

Strawberries

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In the Spring, freshly-picked strawberries are sold at the counter, and they are magnificent.

Strawberry Cake

Must-Try

The cake and icing are packed with strawberries fresh from the fields outside.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Must-Try

Strawberries hereabouts are at least as excellent as the peaches; and ice cream made from them is heavenly.

Butter Beans

Butter beans are fresh and flavorful, real farm food.

Pimento Cheeseburger

Local Angus beef has nice beefy flavor that is, of course, well complemented by a thick, chalky crown of mayonnaise-rich pimento cheese.

Bologna, Egg & Cheese Biscuit

Buttermilk Pork Chops

Buttermilk pork chops sport an impossibly luxurious crust and come sided by mashed potatoes with pepper gravy, broccoli, squash, and a corn muffin.

Ridge Burger

The Ridge Burger, made with beef from nearby Yon Family Farm, comes topped with pimento cheese and bacon and is dressed with mustard, mayo, ketchup, and onion.

Portuguese Soup

Nestled among the wild assortment of vegetables and greens in Portuguese soup are chunks of smoky chorizo sausage.

Macaroni and Cheese

Not for vegetarians, this extremely creamy mac 'n' cheese is laced with pieces of bacon.

Chicken Bog

A signature dish of South Carolina, chicken bog is made by slow-boiling chicken and sausage, then using their liquid to cook the rice. It's a Peaches N Such Wednesday special.