Mary Mac's Tea Room: 70 Years of Recipes from Atlanta's… (2024)

Four stars for the 125 recipes. My mouth watered; this is the Southern cooking of my childhood. I want to make them all and I swear I dreamt of the Blackberry Chocolate Cake last night.

The story of the restaurant and of its intersection with the history of Atlanta follows the singular subject of the building and its owners and workers, without delving into the sociological and historical fires that have produced the city, the region, and the cuisine.

I can't get Brunswick Stew in Connecticut.

This book is a combination cookbook and history of the Mary Mac Tea Room in Atlanta. Illustrated with vintage photos and favorite diner sidebars, it's an ode to a beloved institution. The recipes are shared with clear directions and ingredients accessible in most grocery stores (except the southern produce). Although the ingredients are few, the recipes rely on the freshest and best produce, meat, chicken, and fish. If you're lucky enough to eat at Mary Mac's, you write your order on slips of paper with a pencil and hand it to your server. Although the menu is extensive, I've never gotten beyond the fried chicken (3 legs), collard greens, and macaroni and cheese.

lovely book from a great restaurant

I am a big fan of the restaurant having meals there every time i go to atlanta.
I was really happy to see recipes to all my favourite dishes from this restaurant in this book. Also knowing the story behind the pace and the people who work there just adds to the magic of the place.

This book was part cookbook and part memoir of Mary Mac’s. Both aspect were interesting and the few recipes I tried were clearly described and turned out well.

Great recipes 👌

Just a glance at the cover of MARY MAC'S TEA ROOM makes mouths water, while the 125 recipes culled from the records of this Atlanta landmark restaurant will have you racing to the grocery store then heading for the kitchen. Forget haute cuisine and think down home comfort food, whether it be macaroni and cheese or fried chicken (yes, the secret to this succulent fried chicken is buttermilk).

Many of the recipes are almost identical to those served 65 years ago when Mary Mac's opened in 1945. Today it is the last of 16 tea rooms that served Atlanta in the 1940s – long may she offer new guests “a complimentary cup of pot likker and a piece of cornbread”!

After a warm, affectionate Foreword by Marie Lupo Nugren, daughter of Mary Mac's owner for 30 years, Margaret Lupo, the seven chapters offer Appetizers; Beef, Pork & Poultry; Bread & Beverages; Seafood; Pickles & Canning; Sides; and Desserts (including an irresistible Peach Cobbler topped with a flaky pastry crust and served with vanilla ice cream).

To choose a favorite recipe from among all of these would be an impossibility. The Mr. at our house would be happy if I just began at the beginning of the book, cooked my way through, and then started all over again! However, if pressed he'd have to admit to leaning toward the Country Fried Steak and Gravy with Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Crust for dessert.

Today Mary Mac's is owned and operated by John Ferrell who promises to keep the tea room's traditions of friendliness, hospitality, and home cooking alive. He's aided by a faithful staff, many of whom have been with Mary Mac's for some 35 years (Shirley Mitchell baked their yeast rolls, corn bread, peach cobbler and cinnamon rolls for over three decades and is still busy in the kitchen). A loyal, happy staff and legions of delighted customers say more than words ever could about Mary Mac's Tea Room.

Enjoy!

- Gail Cooke

I am really enjoying this cookbook/history book. Lot's of great details and stories, and the recipes are great too! Fun read

I would have given this 5 stars but the old fashioned fudge frosting was a disaster and ruined my cake. The rhubarb pie is very good and so is the banana bread! Yummy!