Senior Center Visits The Homeplace

There's a place in Catawba, Virginia that you may not have heard of. They have delicious food served in a buffet style, and the food is made fresh daily. If you stop by, you can expect a heaping helping of fried chicken, roast beef, green beans, mashed potatoes and more. What is this wondrous place called, you ask? The Homeplace.

The Homeplace was originally home to the John Morgan Family, built back in 1907. After the Morgan family moved from the area, the house went unoccupied for several years before it was sold at auction in 1978 to Harold C. Wingate. He began the process of renovating the impressive building, which opened as The Homeplace Restaurant in 1982. The rest is history, and The Homeplace has been providing the area with top notch Southern food ever since.

On Friday, the Pulaski Senior Center took a trip to The Homeplace for an evening full of good food and good times. The seniors enjoyed their food in a very relaxed atmosphere; the interior of the restaurant is decorated much like you'd expect a Southern home to be. Plenty of wood undertones bathed in a warm light, a roaring fireplace, and rustic wood chairs with wicker seats and backing. It made me feel like I was back in my kitchen, waiting on mom to finish whipping up the hot meal of the day.

And while the food itself was spectacular, the presentation was wonderful. Instead of walking around a buffet bar to load up your plate, they bring the food directly to your table in bowls and plates piled high. And this simple change in the dining experience transforms the way you eat; if you want mashed potatoes and green beans, you're probably going to have to ask someone further down the table to pass you the bowl. It may not seem like much, but that change forces you to communicate with your dinner partners, making it feel like a relaxed evening at home, instead of a meal at a restaurant.

While it's a bit of a drive from Pulaski to Catawba, it's broken up by the beautiful scenery along the way with wonderful views of the Appalachian Mountains that are there to escort you into The Homeplace. If you get the chance anytime, make sure you make the trip up to Catawba for some of the best food around!