Bennett's Creek Farm Market

I love food, and as such, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting places to eat, which is why, sometimes, in the middle of a conversation, someone will mention something about a sandwich they got at a roadside stand on the way to a wedding out of state and I will holler out, "WAIT. Go back to this sandwich."

This is exactly what happened with Bennett's Creek Farm Market and Deli. Aunt C. called to tell me about her doctor's appointment out in Suffolk, and oh yeah, on the way home she'd stopped and gotten she-crab soup at a little hole-in-the-wall deli. "WAIT," I hollered before she could move on to something else. "I need to know more about this soup."

She made it sound so good that I immediately made plans to find this place, with J. and A. And the minute we set food inside Bennett's Creek, I knew it wouldn't disappoint, just based on how amazing everything smelled. The food there is the kind of flavorful, down-home, retro-style basics: pimento cheese dip, macaroni salad, ham salad, collard greens. You get the idea stepping in the store that very little has changed in the 30 years since the market opened off of Route 17 in Suffolk. The front of the store is features homemade candy (pumpkin fudge!) and ice cream, and fresh veggies grown right outside the door (I mean that literally, they come from a field just outside the shop). 

We got sandwiches (pork bbq and reubens) and sides (ham salad and potato salad). The only drawback to Bennett's is that there's no seating area to eat inside, so we ended up having an impromptu car picnic. (But that was fun, too, even if I ended up having to scrub mashed up pickle off the backseat. Thanks, A.!) It ended up being a fun Saturday afternoon mini-road trip, and I picked up a few good recipes, too You know a place is good when they don't mind sharing their secrets on their website. 

We also got a pint of the famous she-crab soup, btw. It was just as good as everybody said it would be. I wish we'd gotten two. Next time!