Top Chef Reviews our US Southern Cooking!

[@tastymedleys]

Ben running around and being an extremely excited narrator to interesting gates was a highlight tbh. The super geek vibes were strong in this one.

[@SortedFood]

Ben doing what he does best! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

[@tastymedleys]

@@SortedFood Sure did, though you made me hungry about 2 hours too early for dinner! Since that dish impressed Amethyst I'm sure it must have been delicious.

[@veenachandrasekaran5650]

Exactly! As I was watching that part of the video, I thought: "hey, that reminds me of Sheldon!"

[@kathleenstrahm4291]

I’d watch a show called Gate Hunters if Ben was hosting lol

[@janmay3901]

Brings back Fountain Hunters joy

[@Frostdraga]

imagine just chilling on your porch when you see someone run by, stop by your gate, gesture at it excitedly, before running off again 😂

[@SortedFood]

😂 what is going oooooon?

[@Babe-vi6cv]

in a lot of the historical buildings with those gates, they've been turned into museums or businesses.

[@mrinferno29]

I would watch a channel with just this format ALL DAY. Pick a city with a vibrant cuisine, travel to it, find a local chef, and cook for them in a home kitchen for them to review. It hits on everything. From showing off Ben's incredible skills, to the team learning and explaining culture 101, and a professional review so we know it tastes as good as it looks. Might be expensive to travel, but I'm sure the team likes the vacations, right?

[@giraffesinc.2193]

AGREED!!!!

[@miclowgunman1987]

@@Sletchman Ya, there is no way this video alone will ever get their money back unless they have a significantly higher CPM then normal. I will say that many cities have advertisement budgets though, so now that this video is done, maybe the team can reach out to other cities and pitch the guys coming in and doing a bit on the cities dime. It would probably be significantly cheaper to pay these guys then to run your own ad campaign and it would reach hundreds of thousands, many who are international. A forward thinking group may be willing to pitch a few thousand in for exposure.

[@brandonarcari]

@@Sletchman It's a sponsored video, so the cost is reduced.

[@DoubleDeeYT]

Gordon Ramsay uncharted is pretty much exactly this formula of try local food, learn about it, replicate it, and see what a local has to say. I highly recommend it.

[@perrynn7173]

Great comment and well broken down.

[@bryanbartlett5637]

As a disability support worker in Australia, I applaud Bitty and Beaus. Our company also concentrates on skill based training, including running our own Barbershop, Grill Masters Course, and Cultural Cooking Courses. Programs like that make it possible to give skills to people with disability to allow them to show everyone they are just as talented and hard workers as the rest of the world.

[@randomloginnamebtw7759]

As a South Carolinian, if you cant actively feel the diabetes in your veins, there isnt enough sugar in the sweet tea.

[@SortedFood]

This is hilarious 😂

[@causticchameleon7861]

Hilarious but oh so true! My grandma made candied ice tea. Your teeth would actively rot while drinking it. 🤣

[@Eleni_E]

I mean, you guys have a better grasp than we do in North Carolina. We've inherited so many northerners who can't quite get the balance of sugar-to-tea right, so we regularly get tea you can almost chew.

[@TalesTheDude]

Yeah, if it doesn't come out a rung below syrup, you need more sugar.

[@bobbyschannel349]

that's true. it has to be super sweet.

[@SeongGoddessofSass]

I guarantee you that many Southern queens sit while cooking ;) It is one of those family traditions for everyone to sit around the table and peel potatoes or chop veggies.

[@cstz]

Exactly, it's the same in Portugal, I always remember my grandmothers sitting down for those kind of tasks. Or even sitting on the sofa watching some TV while prepping green beans, or broad beans.

[@davepeugh]

Growing up, Mom's kitchen, this was where the majority of inside time was spent. So many tears of laughter and a grief were shared at the table. Games were played, memories we made. I do miss sitting around Mom's kitchen table and sneaking a bit of raw potato as we were peeling them.

[@PhosphorAlchemist]

Lots of sitting with my gran doing prep tasks over the years, yes. And for the sticklers who insist prep isn't cooking, I've 100% sat a chair in my kitchen when I have needed to cook but not been well enough to stand for the full time at the stove. When you really need to do a thing, you find a way even if it's "weird."

[@SeongGoddessofSass]

@@PhosphorAlchemist Haha

[@RICDirector]

Thats where barstools come in handy!

[@Rihnoswirl]

At some point I feel like we need to see Ben do a blind taste test where he gets two identical plates of food, just that one didn't have a bay leaf in it as it cooked, to test how important it actually is.

[@jessiep2471]

YES PLEASE!

[@findingfreeblade]

take 3-5 things that ben is considered a little extra on (like the bayleaf) and have ben try it in the hot seat but make the normals (pref barry and spaff because they will go after ben the hardest) taste them while they are presenting the dishes to ben.This way they can see if they agree with his guesses or not

[@andreasrtoft8419]

Oh yea i wrote the same thing not realising you said it xD

[@spiderdude2099]

I’d be interested to see if it makes a difference if they steam distilled bay leaf essential oil out of the leaves and just used that.

[@KenS1267]

As a chef who actually looked into this: 1) There are many different leaves called Bay. The only one anyone should use is the Bay Laurel. In particular the California Bay Leaf is essentially flavorless when used as Bay but is very commonly sold as Bay Leaf. 2) Even when using the real thing what you are after is the essential oils in the leaf which will lend their fragrance to the dish. This will be an herbal, primarily eucalyptus, note. However just because the leaves are dried doesn't mean they will last forever or that they can stored any which way. They need to be stored in an airtight opaque container in a cool place and you should source them from a reputable vendor, the only way to get Bay Laurel, to ensure "freshness" and buy just enough so you will run out in about a year, when the next harvest comes in. 3) If you do all of this, which I admit is a lot, you will notice a subtle difference in some dishes, but I still think bay gets added to a lot of long cooked dishes because "add bay to anything you cooked for a long time."

[@Aviorseck483]

oh! my! god! bitty and beau’s is incredible!! i’m disabled and this place is one of the only truly accessible cafés/bakeries in charleston. it’s given me hope that i can own my own accessible restaurant. love you guys and happy to hear you liked your time here!!

[@TheCloudhopper]

Amethyst is such a star, loved her checking in during the Hack Friday stream. These two videos really make me want to take a trip over to Charleston.

[@tdetsm4360]

I’m happy y’all tackled southern cooking the way ya did. I’ve never thought of using bread crumbs for my fried green tomatoes so I might try that next time I cook em. And sweet tea is litteral diabetes in a glass and we love it.

[@SortedFood]

Fried tomatoes in breadcrumbs is super tasty. Let us know what you think if you try it?

[@PabloEdvardo]

This format is INCREDIBLE! Please do more specials like this. The two part was perfectly done, and it was packed with content.

[@kerryo1152]

Truly wonderful that you highlighted Bitty and Beau's. As a mum of 3 neurodivergent kids. A place of employment that supports those who have disabilities in a wonderful way, is amazing to see!

[@loriegabidel]

The way Ben pronounces collard is fantastic. It sounds so much better with his accent. Also, I would be 100% on board with a wrought iron tour.

[@RyanEglitis]

What's funny is that the serving "plate" from the grill is cast iron

[@davidhagin21]

These Charleston videos were spectacular!! My wife and I love Charleston and the history, food and people. Thank you for making these videos to celebrate Charleston!! 🙌

[@SortedFood]

So glad you like them :)

[@catherinecahill1308]

As a native South Carolinian who absolutely loves the low country, yall really did this justice!! The she-crab soup grits looked AMAZING. And I love that you featured Edna in the Charrletson market bit. My family has been using her spice blends for YEARS, and loves every single one we have come across. What a delightful episode!!

[@chuchuchuchia]

Gate Hunters brought me almost as much joy as Fountains in Kansas City and the Des Moines episode. I absolutely love how y'all don't visit the typical places in the USA.

[@jessiep2471]

You guys did us proud! I'm just up the coast in North Carolina and that was an EPIC episode! Although for me grits are for breakfast lol.

[@SortedFood]

Thanks so much Jessie! Glad you think so 😅

[@liamjohnson2474]

I knew before she even sipped the tea, that they didn't put enough sugar in it. Sweet Tea is basically simple syrup with a tea bag and unless you've been shown how much sugar actually goes into it, no human in there right mind would ever think to put that much sugar in a liquid.

[@patmaurer8541]

Here in Florida, the rule for sweet tea is, "if the spoon doesn't stand up, needs more sugar." 😜

[@indyjeepguy0015]

Thank you guys for this series. We've visited Charleston a couple of times. We had excellent food, but never have experienced most of the places you visited. We are looking forward to trying some of these places on our next visit.

[@SortedFood]

Our pleasure! Enjoy your next trip! 😁

[@signaturetastes4194]

As a native Charlestonian, and chef, please allow us the honor of coming to London to return the favor, and learn and cook traditional British food for you! Sort of a Forks of Friendship or Spoons Across the Pond...I see Yorkshire pudding and Spotted Dick in the future (he says as he currently noshes on sourdough crumpets with clotted cream...)

[@linpulver2106]

One benefit of having an allotment is I can do fried green tomatoes in the Deep South of England. I only use the egg whites as it prevents any clagginess. My husband and I celebrate the first summer harvests with these and hot sauce.

[@SortedFood]

Niiiiiiiice 👌

[@kityfish]

Lil note as a long time fan, I'm disabled and tend to sit down a lot while prepping and cutting as well as washing up, it makes cooking with lots of steps that would normally tire me out more accessible and should be encouraged!

[@mzketch22um]

I love Sorted and have watched every video they have ever made. These travel vidoes are great. One note: that brewery did not coin the term "locavore"-- it has been around for almost 2 decades. "Locavore was coined in 2005 by Jessica Prentice (born 1968), an American chef and author, and a co-founder of Three Stone Hearth, a community-supported kitchen in Berkeley, California"

[@avengefullgirl95]

almost 2 decades.... 2005.... thats the only thing im taking away from this comment 😅

[@BumblebeeElectron]

The sorted guys should come to Berkeley. Also the birthplace of the "California cuisine" style of cooking.

[@andrewgerard9229]

I love the interactions between the guys and Chef Amethyst. She added a great element to this video

[@TalesTheDude]

There is so much variety to Southern food, with each state having its own unique styles and flavors, that you will rarely get something the same way twice. Especially when it comes to your cornbread and greens. BUT, if you want true Southern flavor of your cornbread, it has to be made in a cast iron skillet. Usually most think of Florida or Louisiana when it comes to food, but South Carolina has always been one of the true gems of Southern food.

[@zzernathezebra]

ok, so after seeing her face after she had the tea. I watched the video again seeing if I had missed them making the tea, because her face alone told me it wasn't near enough sugar. This texan has no fear for the girls blood sugar. I am sorry, you guys didn't quite get the tea, but sounds like the rest of it was delicious.

[@makapan1]

You guys took Low Country food to the next level......You really caught the essence of it's all about ( cook using what you have right now) and as a result, you understood that you didn't have to copy exactly exactly the local chef's recipes in preparing your version for it all to be still very authentic, but that takes confidence and experience, which all three of you obviously have in abundance. I don't know if you noticed that the reason you got such an extremely high approval rating from the chef at the final judging was all the things you did slightly differently. If she hadn't tasted something unexpected and slightly different than the usual, she likely would not have been very impressed. When so many Europeans think American food = pizza and hamburgers and french fries, thank you for giving American regional food the respect it deserves. I also think British people are leading the charge and sounding the alarm as to, what Americans have always known, which is how complex and excellent American cuisine is, so thanks for that. The people in Continental Europe haven't quite caught on yet. They are still running with the Hamburger stereotype. Oh well. they just don't know what they are missing.

[@Lynn-kh5rs]

Loved that you covered Low Country food. Charleston is one of my favorite places to visit.

[@Eleni_E]

I love seeing how excited you guys got! It's both delightful and deeply strange to see you all having a blast in the same places (or by the same gates, lol) that my school friends and I visited on numerous class trips or holidays.

[@apatternedhorizon]

Thanks for coming to our little state, guys. Really didn't expect this to be one of your destinations, but you can't go wrong with Charleston.

[@yeahbitchisang]

As a Charleston native, seeing y’all really appreciate the food that made me who I am today is truly amazing. Thank you for visiting and y’all come back anytime

[@RugbyRyan]

As someone who watched your videos while doing homework when I went to university at the college of Charleston right in the heart of everywhere y’all went, this is surreal

[@PokhrajRoy.]

So excited to see the grand finale of this trip! No words for the food featured in the previous video.

[@laurasessions4476]

As an South Carolina native, watching someone not just know how to make grits was WILD.

[@TassadarBJ]

I lived in Charleston for 6 or 7 years, and this made me very nostalgic. Some of the best food that I've ever had. BUT - we need to get you Sorted guys up here to Asheville, NC for a brewery and food tour! I'd love to be your guide anytime! They don't call us "Beer City USA" for nothing!

[@HappyGothGal]

I manage FOH @ a Best-In-Western-North-Carolina for breakfast restaurant. We serve Southern traditional foods & Southern-Mexican fusions for breakfast, lunch & dinner, as well as some Mediterranean & Asian specials, all in the Blue Ridge Mountains. "Not an ad," just expressing experience. I'm excited to see what you guys cook 😊

[@shifragreen7271]

I actually remember Grant Achatz saying he created a place in his kitchen where you can sit for some of the prep he's definitely a chef Ben

[@louiseb6111]

I had to pause to say, Dee Dee is just a delight! What a beautiful wee soul she is! Would love to meet her and have her show me about! 🥰👍

[@T3hN3wB]

Born n raised here is beautiful sunny Florida n 1 thing I never tire of is boiled peanuts. Grew up eating them and still love buying them. If you're ever down in the south and see someone on the side of the road selling peanuts, do yourself a favor and try them. They are usually pretty cheap and a pretty damn good snack. I like all kinds, salty sweets (not what you think it's only a slight sweetness to the peanut itself no sugar is added), cajun, garlic, etc.

[@BioYuGi]

"You never see a chef sit down and cook". Gosh if I could get a kitchen where I was able to sit down and cut everything I totally would. I was in a kitchen for three hours Wednesday and my knees popped.

[@Mystearicia]

Ben's chaotic energy while looking for gates all over the area is not surprising to me anymore ahahahah

[@Erdnussbuttertoast]

i love that jamie's predominant contribution to the dish are jim halpert-style looks to the camera

[@kaylacobb3541]

I would love to see a Sorted Southern road trip! Southern food has so much regional flair. Seafood on the coast, Appalachian foothills inspired by Scots Irish settlers and African culture, New Orleans Creole, into Tex Mex.

[@AuntK68]

Well done, guys! So glad you enjoyed your time in Charleston. Your dish looked amazing and seems like you nailed it. And yes, when Southerners talk about sweet tea, they mean SWEET tea. 😊

[@emilyokerson]

Love this! I laughed out loud at Ben’s excitement over the gates 😂

[@mrinferno29]

This is one of my favorite episodes all around. Creative and shows off your skills. Also really cool seeing cooks in an average kitchen, not just a studio kitchen. Well done.

[@flii87]

Omg the gate bit had me rolling!! Reminded me of the Denver Horse statues and the fountains (I can't remember where had fountains). Thanks for keeping that charm Ebbers!!

[@CharlieAnneCaves]

"You need more sugar in here." Mike: More sugar???? Dudes!!!! Southern sweet tea is nuclear! It's basically liquid diabetes in a glass! 😂😂😂

[@clarissagafoor5222]

Ben really is an excellent chef! It's easy to forget this. And look at how far Jamie and Mike have come! Wow!!!

[@daalelli]

I'm so glad to see this format return! It was great to watch Gate Hunters, too. Takes me back.

[@squishablesquishy7]

Charleston is my hometown and you did it justice. Amethyst is an amazing chef and such a hard worker!

[@justxxam]

ben's little segment is always a great addition 😆

[@anumeon]

I always figured that somewhere deep down, Ebbers was a proud member of the Gate community...

[@chelseakearns1944]

LOVED this. As a southerner myself the respect you showed, and the highlights to Gullah culture and cuisine was amazing. Also I desperately want some grits now 😂

[@PokhrajRoy.]

At Sorghum & Salt, Kimchi with Collard Greens is genius. Also, great spin on the word ‘Unicorn’.

[@katherinegeddie7687]

I grew up in Mississippi and Louisiana. I grew up eating many of the dishes you tried. Here in Louisiana, we have even more variety of tasty foods. We have a true melting pot of international and native flavors to the different dishes to be found here. 😊 please make a Louisiana visit! New Orleans is loads of fun, but August is too hot and humid. There are many places with great food in other areas of the state, too.

[@darkmummy666]

I love the gate hunter segment! Ben, you are a doll and a delight!!

[@patrickhannon4217]

" Hunters" is back! HAHAHA! I'm so glad you guys did that!! From a fellow Brit, thanks

[@mlbrown113]

FYI The Charleston City Market was the slave market, and until fairly recently was referred to as the Old Slave Market. Definitely a hugely important part of Charleston history that should not be forgotten since Charleston was one of the main ports used by the British ships coming from Africa.

[@TheDepressedChemist]

Woo! Great livestream, I wish I could have watched more but work unfortunately takes priority but love you guys!!!

[@Steveesleddog]

This was an amazing series. Would love to see more like this… you put a spot light on the region, some beautiful restaurants, and local characters. Cooking for a local chef is the feather in the cap

[@jeffbrady7840]

Excellent! Way to celebrate a city and its culture.

[@RobBulmahn]

As soon as Ben said "sweet tea," I just KNEW it wasn't going to be sweet enough. Americans, and especially southerners, want their sweet tea extremely sweet.

[@eileenstewart9866]

I’m now homesick for the low county ❤

[@KittyCatThang]

The hilarious actual terror in their faces as they tried to cook Southern cooking is just beautiful for a Southern girl like me.

[@GrimmDesires]

For southern sweet tea. When you think you have enough sugar, add more. For 1 gallon I usually add about 2 cups of sugar. I know some people add more but don't put more than 4 cups. Tends to start thickening at that point.

[@MichaelJohnsonAzgard]

This was brilliant; we saw great local food, culture and people proudly sharing all that. More of this please.

[@Southpaw535]

I'd be really interested to hear how different it is cooking from a kitchen in another country with different food standards, different norms of flavours etc etc. Like plenty of people who've been between USA and UK talk about how even staples like butter, milk, bread all taste completely different. It'd be interesting to hear how the boys navigate that and judge their own cooking using ingredients that differ from their normal

[@annaleighr]

Charleston natives love to see this! Amethyst love seeing you on here the most!

[@anastasiyafedorina7719]

Ben hunting for things is my favourite running gag when you travel 🙌

[@rochellemaselli6072]

I really loved these 2 episodes

[@jackybraun2705]

We've already worked out that grits is similar to polenta, so boiling the water and sprinkling in the corn meal is obviously how to cook both.

[@temporalshenanigans]

Again, so glad to see y’all in the South. Great job.

[@italiana626sc]

I would've DIED if I'd seen y'all ambling through the market or along the Battery!! As a local, I don't go there too often during tourist season, but oh if I'd known!! Also Sorghum and Salt is phenomenal. And I love the way Ben pronounced 'collards'. Heehee!! The idea of she-crab soup grits is just brilliant!! And when you said you were serving sweet tea, I absolutely KNEW it wasn't going to be sweet enough. We loooove our sweet tea here!! Thank you so much for visiting our beautiful city and showcasing our culture and cuisine. Love you Brits!!!

[@randomtology]

Can't stop thinking about how this Charleston neighborhood was one day greeted by a british guy in shorts running around in excitement about their gates.

[@russell43876]

Ben's camera presence is incredible

[@Crazetex]

What a terrific two-parter. Love what you guys do. Really liked the focus on the disability-positive cafe!

[@hickmanjazz]

That’s my friend!! Love this for you!

[@livingthelife9155]

Well, I had a busy day today but still managed to see almost all of the livestream, and just now settling down for part 2 of Charleston before I go to bed! I’m definitely Sorted…haha.

[@debbiedaugherty4191]

This was incredible!! Great job guys.

[@skippymagrue]

I'm from Texas and got a sweet tea by mistake one day at Chicken Express. It was like drinking simple syrup.

[@emmaociee]

Ebbers giving major Crocodile Hunter vibes with that gate segment 😂 crikey!!

[@liselottnelson5479]

I love Charleston and I am blessed to live about an hour away from this lovely city ❤

[@Grumpy_Guy]

I was SOOOOO invested in this success! Great job!

[@MrSteeles912]

This is honestly one of the best and most entertaining videos I’ve seen of visitors exploring Charleston. I could have watched that part for hours. Also, loved the food review, but we didn’t see her try the boiled peanuts. Did y’all make them? Or buy them from the peanut man?

[@jpducey]

Love that you focused on Jerry Red Corn, but feel like you really missed out on the Carolina Gold Rice and just how important it was to the economy and cuisine

[@johnsearson5279]

Love that you went to Bitty and Beau's coffee. Such a great organization

[@giraffesinc.2193]

I am so glad y'all nailed it! I am an American (cali) but have lived in Tennessee and South Carolina, and do tend to cook with a Southern bent. Well done! Sothern food is just as amazing as our TexMex cuisine. Next time, come out to the South West!

[@pd94832]

Gate Hunting has to be one of the greatest segments this channels every had!

[@peacelizard]

As soon as I heard Ebbers say "Brits Make Grits," I thought it would be a fantastic children's story, maybe a pop-up even.

[@GrimbornWolf]

This documentary style cooking on location is such a nice change of pace from the studio stuff

[@teresagraser386]

Was so excited when I heard y'all were coming to Charleston. Couldn't wait to see where you went and what you cooked. Loved seeing the gates, I recognized many of them. Even as a local, I have always loved going to the downtown market and walking around.

[@asquithmainlines699]

I have never tried grits but I like corn so I think I would like them. I did however grow up on fried green tomatoes fresh out of our garden. I might have to try them with the watermelon/tomato relish next summer. My garden is rather solid and white right now if you know what I mean.🇨🇦

[@kimmychuang5564]

I'm so happy Ben's cultural segment is still a thing

[@chriss3886]

Grits are such a great rest for the boys. A true southern staple, but very specific to region and family/personal preference.👍👍

[@MirandaBarrett]

Fantastic! I'd love to see more videos like this in other cities.

[@SortedFood]

Thanks! Will do!

[@xorinzor]

You've just got to love Ebber's humour 😂

[@thelittlehype]

I'm so excited y'all did southern food! Born and raised in SC and this was so fun to watch. But one thing... Our sweet tea is SWEET lmao. Out of curiosity, how much sugar was in the tea?

[@DizzyBusy]

I also would like to know how much sugar Ben put!! How much sugar do you usually use?

[@isabellacain2862]

Charleston Chef and Native. Thank You! Well done! 🎉❤