I have pretty high standards for anything termed Southern Food, so when my sister-in-law suggested we try the new "home-cooking" restaurant in Boone, I was skeptical that it could live up to it's name - Proper. Housed in the old jailhouse on Water Street in downtown Boone, NC, Proper delivers. The sparse old building is warmed by the huge windows that allow even the winter sun to stream into the dining room. The tables are a collection of old wooden tables and mostly mismatched chairs that somehow work in a comforting way. The art on the walls is local and the music is eclectic reminding you that Boone is, after all, a University town, with Appalachian State University only a stone's throw from the restaurant.

We were there for a late lunch, on a snowy Monday afternoon, so there was no wait and the service was extremely "proper" and prompt. I had heard their grilled pimento sandwich and meatloaf were amazing, but I was craving veggies. And truthfully, if the veggies aren't out of this world, it's no Southern restaurant.

Once again Proper delivered. The collard greens are speckled with bacon, the pickled beets perfectly balanced between sweet, crunchy and sour, the carrots glazed every so slightly, but not enough to hide the amazing fresh flavor, the mac and cheese (I know, not a vegetable, but always on a veggie plate, none-the-less) was creamy, cheesy and served with penne pasta so the pasta has not dissolved into mush. Stewed cabbage, corn bread, biscuits and sweet tea (although I opted for a chilled glass of house white wine), all very "proper" and delicious.

The final test for any restaurant that calls themselves Proper and serves Southern Food, lies in the quality of the desserts. Sweet Potato Pie has been my family's favorite and specialty for probably over 100 years, so I know my pie. Having not found one thing to complain about so far, I ordered the pie, thinking, this is where they will disappoint. Boy, oh boy, was I wrong. Creative and yet perfectly traditional Sweet Potato Pie with homemade crust and fresh whipped cream with a steaming cup of black coffee...mmmm.

So if you find yourself in the High Country of NC, near Boone, make an effort to go to the Old Jailhouse, where Proper is everything they promise it will be: Respectable, Correct, Genuine Southern Food.