Before I was old enough to actively study the foods and histories of different cultures and areas, I was getting an education through my family about Southern country cuisine. My father was raised in East Texas on a farm where most of the food was raised and grown.

Cows, hogs and chickens were slaughtered; fruits and vegetables canned for winter; cows milked; butter churned; lard rendered, etc.

The only purchased kitchen staples were flour, sugar, coffee and cornmeal. The rest were provided by hard work and the land. Growing up on beans and cornbread, black-eyed peas, ribbon cane syrup, grits and other Southern foods taught me about the cuisine far better than travel and education did.

Im excited when a restaurant comes along offering Southern specialties because Ive been waiting a long time for one to get it right.

Though beset by a few minor annoyances, Moodys Supper House in Seaside does as fine a job as Ive seen so far.

Still, the food is not entirely authentic. As mentioned in a previous article about barbecue, Northern states tend to make the foods more user-friendly, just like Mexican food becomes Tex-Mex and Chinese food becomes the deep fried, brightly colored sweet-and-sour fare that the Chinese staff doesnt even eat.

My first impression of Moodys wasnt that great. The loud music erupting out of the kitchen every time the door swung open was very distracting and service was a touch intrusive; more check-ins than necessary. But the food made up for most of that.

We sampled three of the five appetizers. The chicken wings ($8) were delicious, but not exactly what the menu promised. The spicy buffalo sauce that we chose turned out to be a hot-wing sauce mixed with the house barbecue sauce, making it unexpectedly sweet and smoky.

Glazed pork wings ($9), fallaciously referred to as pork knuckles on the menu (the knuckle is actually a part of the hog leg, often used for braising), were baby back riblets with exposed bone. More of a pork lollipop really. I enjoyed them. The bright, fresh chopped scallions played nicely against the dark, sweet glaze in both color and flavor.

The brie platter ($10) stymied us a bit. The wedge of brie was warmed perfectly: soft, but not melting out of the rind. It was positioned in the middle of the plate with extra virgin olive oil on one side, a canned tomato sauce on the other, basil chiffonade sprinkled all over, with soft crostini all around. Brie pairs best with fruit, so the tomato sauce was off-putting and contradictory, but I merely ignored it and enjoyed the rest.

Entrees are served with soup, salad or chowder, and the choice of two sides. After a few visits, I had tried nearly all of them. The chowder was very good. Being a food critic here (I suppose its worse in New England) brings me into contact with a lot of chowder a lot of bad chowder. Im happy to report that Moodys gets it right. Its on the thick side, but within my range of acceptability. Bonus points for the bacon garnish.

A soup du jour of beef stew was basic and satisfying. I will take issue with the static white bean and ham soup. This was so thick you could stick a sturdy pair of scissors in it blades down, and it wouldnt even teeter. This was thicker than refried beans. It was even thicker than the mashed potatoes. Ive never encountered anything like it. It also needed salt. On a later visit the soup du jour was navy bean, and really just a slightly thinner retread.

I stayed away from most of the lunchy items, as I was there for the Southern fare, but did enjoy the mushroom and onion Angus burger ($11). The half-pound burger was cooked beyond the medium-rare requested, but wasnt dry. Swiss cheese kept the sauteed onions and mushrooms from sliding off.

For low-carb dieters, theres the bacon cheeseburger salad ($11) that is quite good. Lettuce and salad greens are topped with crumbled ground beef, chopped bacon, melted cheese and your choice of dressings. The Atkins craze has subsided over the past few years, but I still know people who stay low-carb and its nice to see an option for them on the menu.

Though not really like the recipes Ive eaten and cooked, Moodys chicken and dumplings ($14) are quite good. The dumplings are fluffy but dense, the chicken shredded, but instead of the chicken broth Im used to, they are served in a thick white gravy. Tasty, but heavy.

The fried chicken ($14) is breaded and fried in-house (I mention this because Ive been served otherwise elsewhere), and includes a leg and boneless breast. We had this with whipped potatoes and collard greens; the greens cooked with bacon and onion. Southerners in the party approved. Green beans are cooked the same, and the texture is just right; al dente enough to please me, but cooked soft enough to please Dad.

Chicken fried steak ($14) is another hit. Large, dark brown and covered in gravy, its a challenge to finish. The baby back ribs ($15, $19 the half portion is more than enough!) are also benchmark. You can slide the bone right out. Not to be missed is the sliced beef brisket ($17). Another large portion; I took half home.

The incredibly tender meat required no knife. I liked the macaroni and cheese side, the greens, the baked beans and the potatoes. The hush puppies, like the cornbread, were sweet for my taste. The potato salad, if not Resers, is a lot like it. The slaw was a bit soggy from pretossing, and the brown color from the balsamic vinegar used in the dressing was weird.

I did enjoy the desserts. Crème brulee, pecan pie and pineapple upside-down cake (all $6) are all recommended.

Overall, Im really impressed with Moodys Supper House. I hope they stick around.