Of all the delicious items I consumed down South, no culinary concept was more memorable than that of the meat-and-three. As a carpetbagger who'd never been much further south than the Mason-Dixon line, the idea that every entrée ought to be flanked by three sides, or two at the very least, was impressive.

Why don't all meats up North come with a wide array of choices from which a whopping three can be selected? Adding so many sides to the main dish not only expands the variety, but it also makes the dining experience more holistic. Georgia, by and large, had the highest concentration of meat-three-joints per capita. It was an immensely reassuring feeling knowing that at whatever restaurant we chose to eat, the meat-and-three would most likely be the default option.

Here's a look at some of the more memorable meat-and-three platters I consumed in the state »

Addresses

Busy Bee Cafe

810 Martin Luther King Junior Drive Southwest, Atlanta GA 30314 (map)
404-525-9212; thebusybeecafe.com

Mary Mac's Tea Room

224 Ponce De Leon Avenue Northeast, Atlanta GA 30308 (map)
404-876-1800; marymacs.com

Edna's

1300 U.S. 411, Chatsworth, GA 30705 (map)
706-695-4951