Mike Gordon's mother, Geraldine, was such a good cook that Ray Charles used to swing by the family's Central District home for supper whenever he played a gig in town. With the summer opening of Uncle Mike's Barbecue in White Center, Gordon proved that the meat didn't fall too far from the bone. While all his kitchen's soulful staples—brisket, ribs, pork, links, beans, et. al.—are tasty and reasonably-priced, it's his fried chicken dinner that's the top performer by both standards. With service restricted to Sundays, $9 will fetch a meal of fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, cornbread, slaw, and black-eyed peas. The catch is it's enough for two, enabling even the most budget-conscious customers to treat themselves to a slice of Uncle Mike's amazing sweet potato pie to end the weekend on a sugary high. MIKE SEELY
