Shrimp and grits at Vidalia by LaTur.

Dish of the Week: Shrimp and Grits

Where: Founding Farmers, Georgia Brown’s, Vidalia

On a cold day, it doesn’t get much better than tucking into a creamy bowl of cheese grits, topped with plump shrimp and maybe some bacon or andouille sausage. Somewhere between a stew and porridge, shrimp and grits is like a Southern answer to risotto.

Shrimp and grits are a traditional part of South Carolina and Georgia’s Lowcountry cuisine. It was originally a breakfast staple among coastal fishermen, who dubbed the dish “breakfast shrimp.” The original version involved plain grits and shrimp sauteed in a little bacon fat for flavor. Today, the dish has been elevated to the restaurant dinner table, where there are countless riffs on the original theme.

Here in D.C., a number of restaurants offer their take on this Southern classic. Founding Farmers bathes their grits with sherry-tomato broth, while Georgia Brown’s serves their shrimp with the heads still on, sauteed with andouille sausage. No matter how you like your shrimp and grits, there’s just something satisfying about eating breakfast for dinner.