Diamond | Love Your Neighbor - River City Diner

What a blessing to have been raised in Memphis by a country cook who knew what she was doing. Good cooking was just a way of life in our household and among our extended family. My mother prepared the best fried chicken in Tipton County according to my aunts, uncles, cousins, and great aunts & uncles; I have no reason to doubt their words of praise. I saw at every family reunion whose chicken was the first to go.

And my mother wasn’t the only good cook in our house. My daddy was a master at the grill and could throw together a variety of tasty snacks inside as well. He specialized in oyster chowder & Bleu Cheese Dressing; and sitting down with Daddy as we built snacks of smoked oysters, cheeses, crackers, olives, and anything else he could scrape together was a banquet in itself.

Zackarian’s Grilled Lobster Tail

Aug 2, 2026 | grill, Seafood

Ingredients 2 lobster tails Salt (for blanching water) Zakarian butter (choose one): Pernod‑Caper Butter (butter, shallots, capers, dill, lemon zest, Pernod) Smoked Paprika–Chili Herb Butter (butter, paprika, chili powder, habanero, garlic, mixed herbs) Method Blanch...

Fried Green Tomatoes by Vivian

Aug 2, 2026 | Veggies

Vivian’s fried tomatoes follow her typical Southern pattern: buttermilk soak + cornmeal dredge + shallow fry. (Exact quantities come from her published fried green tomato recipe. ) Ingredients 2 medium green tomatoes, sliced ½‑inch thick 1 cup buttermilk 2 tsp hot...

Auto Draft

Jul 4, 2026 | grill, Poultry, smoker

1. Set up the grill (the “Kettle Jerk Zone”) You want two zones: Indirect Zone (main cooking area) Bank a full chimney of charcoal on one side of the kettle. Add 2–3 chunks of pimento wood if you have it; otherwise pecan, apple, or hickory. Place a drip pan under the...