Breakfast doesn't get more southern or better than that served at John's Country Kitchen. It's a surprising place to find in Charlotte with all it's shiny new buildings and sterile, pristine downtown. More like a small town cafe found off the square in most any southern town. Like Sam in Cheers, Jimmy, John's son who works the grill, greets every customer, most by name and many with a couple of jokes.

Stronger gullets than mine may go for the pork brains and eggs. I settled for sausage, eggs, grits and grilled biscuits. Some of the best grits I've had in a long time, creamy, great flavor. Went back a couple of days later for the same but with livermush instead of sausage. Yummmm, livermush. Like scrapple but just liver, no slaughterhouse floor scrapings added. Scrapple with training wheels.