Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - 71

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:
At Wade's, chicken is fried slowly and macaroni
and cheese is classed as a vegetable.
On average, Wade's sells 3,500 yeast rolls a day.
Sonya Hunter and Ray Pearson, each with over 25 years
of service at Wade's, made the trip to Chicago to receive
the James Beard award.
Two generations of Wade's ownership: Wade Lindsey III and
Wade Jr.
Wade had no intention of becoming a thirdgeneration
restaurant owner. His college major was
chemistry, and his goal was to work at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. Then one
summer, he needed a job. And he has worked at the
restaurant ever since, some 17 years.
" I realized, my junior year, that there's this golden
opportunity right here that my family has created that
I can be a part of. " While working at Wade's, he completed
an MBA at Clemson University at night.
At the same time, he studied fried chicken.
" There's no secret blend, " Wade declares. " It's
flour, salt, and pepper. We brine our chicken overnight
for tenderness, then hand-bread it-a single breading
for breasts and a double breading for legs. "
Wade explains that the chicken is fried at a lower
temperature, 275 degrees, compared to many kitchens
that fry at 300 degrees or above.
" And, we cook it longer, " he adds. " We're going for
juiciness. "
Another top-seller is turkey and dressing. Turkeys
are cooked overnight, and gravy is made from the resulting
broth. The dressing is made from the restaurant's
own cornbread.
Positioned at the uppermost reaches of what we call
the Rice and Gravy Belt, that Southern side is on the
menu every day. The gravy is a frugal by-product of
the beef used in making hash. For takeout, Wade says
customers buy the cooked rice by the quart.
Wade's is one of those cherished Southern spots
where macaroni and cheese is classified as a vegetable.
According to Wade, so was Jello when it was on the
menu.
Green beans and sweet potato soufflé are two popular
selections as customers decide on what will constitute
their " meat-and-three " plate, a term Wade's started
using as the business evolved in the 1970s. When
Wade Jr. and his sister Carole took over the restaurant
in 1977, they refocused it on family dining.
For Sunday dinner, the midday meal at Wade's,
customers line up around the building. Ministers in
Upstate South Carolina have been known to end their
sermons early, so members of their congregations can
beat the crowd.
With its country-style steak, meatloaf, turnip greens,
broccoli casserole and other beloved Southern dishes,
Wade's is indeed an American classic.
Fred and Jill Sauceman study and celebrate the foodways of
Appalachia and the South from their home base in Johnson City,
Tennessee.
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2024 71

Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024

Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - Cover1
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - Cover2
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - 3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - 4
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - 5
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Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - Cover3
Blue Ridge Country Sept/Oct 2024 - Cover4
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