South City Kitchen in Vinings transforms the drab into the delightful, the basic into the brazen.

A blacktop parking lot converts into a trendy, cozy patio and familiar Southern staples transform into epicurean eatables. Cobb has no shortage of "contemporary Southern" kitchens, but South City seems to embody the filling, friendly spirit of Dixie.

Soft red neon lighting splashes against a dimly-lit metal bar, adding some color to otherwise metallic and light wood décor. South City Kitchen's ambiance is minimalist and clean, and graciously lacks an overly cosmopolitan elitism.

Sparkling, large Christmas lights jazz up the patio. Allman Brothers and Otis Redding tracks played melodiously in the background. Classic Southern 70s music, a cool fall breeze and a basket full of moist sweet cornbread muffins made me feel good to be in Georgia.

The sophisticated menu uses old South essentials like barbecue sauce, grits and hushpuppies to accent fine grass-fed beef, sushi grade tuna and local Georgia trout. And while South City Kitchen entices gourmet palates, it's not afraid to use the South's not-so-secret weapon: a deep fryer. Evidence of this is the delicious Georgia Gouda Fritters.

Four balls of creamy, warm melted cheese came coated in a crispy brown batter. A light, hickory smoked barbecue sauce was drizzled around the plate. It wasn't thick or peppery and it helped blend the charred corn salad with the Gouda fritters. The server, who helped us decide on the appetizer, was absolutely charming. His knowledgeable recommendations of both the wine list and the foods weren't pushy; he didn't excessively gab or annoyingly neglect us, and he managed our multi-course dinner with ease and precision. He helped navigate the wine list, and we finally picked the Artidi Orobio Rioja; an earthy, simple Spanish red that complemented every entrée.

Craving greens, we shared the mixed field greens salad. It came to the table already split, a thoughtful gesture we didn't request, and the portion was nice. It was a simple composition of mixed greens and toasted pecans; the balsamic vinaigrette was slightly too salty.

The main dish, two thick cuts of rare tuna, was served beside Parmesan grits, and a portabella mushroom, pickled onion and arugula crepe and was lightly dressed with smoky barbecue butter. It was an unusual twist to a typically Asian style fish, and was delicious. The overstuffed crepe could have been its own entrée, but the grits were also too salty.

The crab was two poached eggs with chive hollandaise topped with a mountain of skillet potatoes, crushed tomatoes and lump crab. The hash was good, but it probably suits a brunch menu more than a dinner menu.

Despite being insanely full, we ordered the banana pudding. My great aunt Joyce in South Carolina makes the best banana puddin' on the planet so I was curious what second place tastes like-which is very, very, extraordinarily delightful. Two thin sugar cookies poked out of a champagne glass filled with real whipped cream layered between banana pudding and Nilla' wafers-classic but contemporary, just like South City Kitchen itself.

cknight@mdjonline.com

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