ATL to NOLA Road Food Advice

I'm voting with Littleman. The Brick Pit is one of my favorite BBQ places, though I wasn't a fan of the Boiling Pot. I also liked both the Phoenicia and Blow Fly Inn on a recent trip to the MS Gulf Coast.

pkimble in Central South

Jackson, MS--one dinner, one lunch

You could go downtown from Millsaps pretty easily. Parlor Market is great -- though I wouldn't call it cheap. But it's more reasonable for lunch if you wanted to hit it then. The Mayflower is a good seafood place downtown and is a little more affordable than PM. It's BYOB. Sophia's in the Fairview Inn is directly across from Millsaps. It's OK, but, like PM, I wouldn't describe it as cheap. Keifer's is also right there and reasonably priced, but it's not my favorite Greek place in Jackson, so I'll only give it a lukewarm recommendation. Not too far from Millsaps heading away from downtown are Walker's Drive-In and Bravo, both of which are excellent for lunch and dinner.

pkimble in Central South

Sunday Brunch/Lunch in Jackson, Miss?

Bravo and Mint have good brunches as well.

pkimble in Central South

Jackson, MS area

Grant's Kitchen is in Flowood and is pretty good. Table 100 is also out that way and great, but it's a little more upscale. Nothing else really comes to mind out there. If you come into Jackson to eat, Mr. Chen's is right off the interstate and is my favorite Chinese place in town. Wraps in Maywood Mart is also right off the interstate on Northside Drive. Parlor Market is currently my favorite (it's downtown), but it may be too "fine dining". Walker's is also a great upscale place. Bravo and Broad Street are convenient and good, though Bravo is a little fancier. Amerigo's is my favorite Italian place in town, but it's a bit of a hike from Flowood.

pkimble in Central South

dinner in Jackson, MS

Parlor Market is opening back up tonight for dinner. My other suggestions for Southernish meals would be Walker's, Julep, and Mint. Nick's is really good, but you'd be really stretching to describe it as Southern.

pkimble in Central South

Mobile, AL info

I agree that the Brick Pit is great, but it wasn't really downtown. I had dinner downtown at Cafe 615, and it was excellent.

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Brick Pit
5456 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36608

Cafe 615
615 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL 36602

pkimble in Central South

Jackson, MS Information

Let me be a dissenting voice on Char. I've been for lunch and dinner and don't think it's anything special. The service, in particular, has always left something to be desired. I was still eating one night when they started vacuuming and putting chairs on tables. Admittedly, we had a late seating, but it wasn't like we lingered over our meal.

pkimble in Central South

Mobile

I also may try to do some shopping Saturday morning. Where's the best outdoor market/farmer's market?

pkimble in Central South

Mobile

I see everyone is steering us to the causeway for seafood. But I think we're going to be tired and looking for something closer. If we do get out there, Felix's, Ed's, Original Oyster House?

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Original Oyster House
3733A Battleship Pkwy, Spanish Fort, AL 36527

pkimble in Central South

Mobile

I'll be in Mobile for a few nights in about six weeks with a group of 12 and am trying to figure out where to eat. I've combed the board to get some recommendations, and I'd appreciate any feedback folks have or suggestions of places I've left out. I think we are going to be staying at the Marriott on Airport Road just off 65 and we will be spending a fair bit of time at the Mobile Tennis Center (just north of Azalea Golf club). I think the Tennis Center is close to the Brick Pit, so we'll definitely hit that for lunch one day. Picklefish and Via Emilia are also relatively close. Thoughts? I thought we might go downtown one night: Noja, Wintzell's or Cafe 615? It seems Boiling Pot has a good po' boy and is close to the hotel, so it might be a place we hit. What about Osman's? It's also really close to the hotel. And breakfast? The only recs I noticed were Tiny Diny's and Spot of Tea; what will the drive be like to those two places? Some other places I'm considering are Callaghan's, Queen G's, Butch Cassidy's Cafe, La Pizzeria, Zorba the Greek, Dew Drop Inn, and the Jerusalem Cafe. Any thoughts on any of them?

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Dew Drop Inn Restaurant
1808 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36607

Spot of Tea
310 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL 36602

Brick Pit
5456 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36608

Butch Cassidys Cafe
60 N Florida St, Mobile, AL 36607

La Pizzeria
1455 Monroe St, Mobile, AL 36604

Tiny Diny Restaurant
2159 Halls Mill Rd, Mobile, AL 36606

Picklefish
5955 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36608

Queen G's Cafe
2518 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36607

Cafe 615
615 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL 36602

Via Emilia
5901 Old Shell Rd, Mobile, AL 36608

Zorba the Greek
1222 Hillcrest Rd, Mobile, AL 36695

Boiling Pot
3704 Airport Blvd, Mobile, AL 36608

Noja
6 1/2 1/2 Jackson St N, Mobile, AL 36602

pkimble in Central South

Eats in Central Mississippi?

I'm going to give Lumpkin's a big thumbs up too. Their brisket is fabulous.

pkimble in Central South

Sante South in Jackson

I just wanted to give Sante South a plug here. Nearly every relevant upscale or semi-upscale restaurant in Jackson is participating (Parlor Market, Nick's, Walker's, Babalu, Local 463, Parker House, etc. -- we're apparently even getting a peek at Table 100), and they have a great lineup of wineries as well. It benefits the Mississippi Alzheimer's Association, so half the ticket price is tax deductible. Here's the link http://www.santesouth.com/ Hope to see y'all there.

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The Parker House
104 SE Madison Dr., Ridgeland, MS 39157

pkimble in Central South

Wine in Oxford restaurants on Sundays

fat harry has the law right, but I wonder if "I can't advise you on that" is code for "we won't tell if you won't." I'd be tempted to bring a bottle and play dumb.

pkimble in Central South

Best Thing I Ate All Week, March 6-13

I'm not sure best is exactly the right word, but the most interesting thing I ate all week was a scoop of tuna tartare atop a slice of fried avocado at Babalu in Jackson. The best thing I drank? The mojito there is fabulous.

pkimble in Central South

Best Thing I Ate All Week, Feb 27 - March 5

Duck breast over roasted sweet potatoes with a Grand Marnier sauce at Bon Ami in Jackson.

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Bon Ami
1220 E Northside Dr Ste 230, Jackson, MS 39211

pkimble in Central South

BYOB in Jackson

Cherokee has a full liquor license and is no longer beer only. I'm drawing a blank on other beer only spots that would be good for dinner. Pizza Shack and Soulshine?

pkimble in Central South

Best Thing I Ate All Week, Feb 20-26 (maybe we can do this every week?)

It's great! And it fills quite the void in the Jackson restaurant scene. Have you shopped at the market? I went through with the kids last weekend (they LOVED the live seafood) and got a few things, but I don't do much Asian cooking at home so I can't offer much of an opinion.

pkimble in Central South

BYOB in Jackson

Since I'm apparently the last to know Olga's now has a liquor license, what are some other BYOB places in the Jackson area that people like? Bon Ami, Ro Chez, Mediterranean Fish and Grill, and Aladdin are the only other ones I could come up with, unless Eslava's Grille still doesn't have its license.

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Bon Ami
1220 E Northside Dr Ste 230, Jackson, MS 39211

Mediterranean Fish and Grill
6550 Old Canton Rd, Ridgeland, MS 39157

pkimble in Central South

Best Thing I Ate All Week, Feb 20-26 (maybe we can do this every week?)

Kung pao chicken at Mr. Chen's in Jackson.

pkimble in Central South

Asheville lunch with kids

Sounds like the votes are in for the Corner Kitchen. I was kind of hoping for Enoteca, but I don't like being unable to see the menu. Thanks for the advice!

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Corner Kitchen
3 Boston Way, Asheville, NC 28803

pkimble in Southeast

Asheville lunch with kids

I'll be in the Biltmore Village area in a couple of weeks and need a place around there for lunch. I'll have a three and two year-old with me. They aren't particularly adventurous eaters -- but I'm OK with packing apple slices, etc. They are usually reasonably well behaved in restaurants, but I'd hate to be "that guy" whose kids are ruining everyone's quiet, white tablecloth lunch. Any suggestions?

pkimble in Southeast

Moon Lake, MS

I went to Delta Bistro in Greenwood for lunch a couple of weeks ago. I'd never heard of it, but it was pretty good. Anyone have any info on them?

pkimble in Central South

Jackson, MS- where to get good risotto...

Bravo does still have a risotto of the night. And there's usually at least one accompanying a main on Walker's menu.

pkimble in Central South

Jackson, MS - Eslava's Grille

I think Saigon's owner is the money behind it, but it seems like it will be more similar to AJ's -- Danny Eslava was the chef there. It's currently BYOB. I'm interested as well. If I can find a babysitter this weekend, I may try to go; if so, I'll post my take.

pkimble in Central South

Napa in November

I’ll be in Napa for a conference the first week of November, and, since this is my first visit to wine county (I don’t think Old South Winery in Natchez counts), I have done some research on this board and wanted to get feedback on specific questions. I’ll be staying at the Embassy Suites right off 29 in Napa. The first part of the week, I’ll be with co-workers and probably need restaurants in Napa proper for two nights. Plus I don’t want to suggest anything too pricey. I definitely want to go to Oenotri one night and was trying to choose between Uva Trattoria, Neela’s, Bistro Don Giovanni, and Norman Rose Tavern for the other. Thoughts? Also, I can probably sneak away from meetings a little before 4. It seems like Van Der Heyden and Hendry would be interesting wineries close enough to get in a quick tasting. What other places can I make it to in less than 30 minutes from the Embassy Suites? Robert Sinskey? Shafer? Are they worth the longer drive? It seems like most tasting rooms close around 4:30. Can I show up at 4:20 and get a tasting in, or would they shoo me out ten minutes later?

When the conference ends, my wife will come in for three days. We’d obviously love the full tour experience, but we are most interested in the wine. Because of that, we’re more willing to hit tasting rooms and move on, rather than hit nothing but full tour experiences for three days. Also, I haven’t really considered which wineries have picnic areas as I figured it might be a little cold for al fresco eating in early November. Is that correct? On Thursday, I thought we’d start at Plumpjack, and then do both the wine tasting and olive oil tour at Round Pond. Round Pond’s website indicates they have appetizer-type food at both tastings. For those who have done these tastings, will this be enough for lunch? After Round Pond, I definitely wanted to hit Chappellet. Then, for dinner, we'll hit Bistro Jeanty.

Friday, I thought we’d get an early start, eat a big breakfast at the Boon Fly Café, and head towards Sonoma – or Sebastopol really since I love Merry Edwards wines and definitely want to go there. But first, a tasting in the Sonoma area. I was thinking Sojourn? We do love pinot noir. Or Gundlach Bundschu? Buena Vista? Someplace else? After Merry Edwards, I thought we’d head towards Healdsburg and hit Hop Kiln or Alderbrook and then J Vineyards. Can we fit Ferrari-Carano (or someplace else around Healdsburg) in as well? That’s five wineries in one day, but we won’t be stopping for lunch so that will give us a little extra time. Would Hop Kiln, Alderbrook, or J Vineyards be accepting of us bringing a light picnic into the tasting room? If so, what is a good place for picnic items in Sonoma? We might try to eat dinner someplace inexpensive in Healdsburg – Scopa? If we end up ditching the budget route, is Cyrus worth the money? I’ll probably end up shipping a couple of cases back, so I am interested in hitting wine shops with good selections. I heard The Wine Shop in Healdsburg is good. True? Are there other liquor stores I should try in Healdsburg, Sonoma, or along 29? Any particular place I should go to ship wine back?

Saturday, I was planning on heading up 29 and hitting Nickel & Nickel or Whitehall Lane before the eating lunch at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen. Then we’ll head up Spring Mountain Road and hit Cain and Erna Schein/Behrens and Hitchcock, plus either Pride Mountain Vineyards or Barnett. Would we have time for Smith-Madrone, too? And then we’d hit Redd for dinner.

Is the winery schedule a little ambitious? I’ve tried to avoid too much crisscrossing while driving, but I’m not familiar with the area. Any suggestions of places to drop to cut out drive time – or a better stop along the route we’re going? I realize Merry Edwards will be the first one that comes up, but I’d like to include it. How long is the drive from Sojourn to Sebastopol? Are there any can’t miss wineries or restaurants I’ve left out? A place included that hasn’t been measuring up recently?

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Boon Fly Cafe
4048 Sonoma Highway, Napa, CA 94559

Buena Vista Cafe
2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Bistro Jeanty
6510 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599

Ferrari-Carano
8761 Dry Creek Rd, Healdsburg, CA

Pride Mountain Vineyards
4026 Spring Mountain Rd, St Helena, CA

Nickel & Nickel
8164 St Helena Highway, Oakville, CA

Scopa
109 Plaza St, Healdsburg, CA 95448

Bistro Don Giovanni
4110 Howard Ln, Napa, CA

Uva Trattoria
1040 Clinton St, Napa, CA 94559

Norman Rose Tavern
1401 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

Oenotri
1425 1st St, Napa, CA 94559

pkimble in San Francisco Bay Area

Moving to Jackson, MS - looking for local food sources

The person who is running Flying M Farm for Charlie is Josh Evans. I don't know whether he is still running it as a CSA. If you are interested in getting in touch with him, I got his number from another vendor at the Farmer's Market this morning. Let me know if you want it.

pkimble in Central South

Moving to Jackson, MS - looking for local food sources

I'll second the Wilson's Meat House recommendation. And I'll fill in JaneWinston's blank about the Farmer's Market on High Street by saying most of the produce there is very good. I only go on Saturday mornings, but I believe some of the vendors are also there on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I also agree with JW's characterization of the Farmer's Market Cafe; big thumbs down. And with Littleman's description of the Fresh Market as the best grocery store in town. Re: CSA's, Charlie Munford ran a CSA for several years, but he left town about a year ago. I think a buddy of his took over running the farm, but I don't remember his name or have a contact number. If the localharvest website doesn't get you anywhere, I would ask some of the vendors at the High Street Farmer's Market if they have a CSA program/know anyone who does. As far as the market on West Street, I'm a much bigger fan of Brenda (last name?) across the parking lot from the Berry's than Doris and Nell's stand.

pkimble in Central South

Beaches of South Walton Recs

I'm going down to Grayton Beach this weekend. Also eating at Cafe Tango. We'll hit Basmati as well. Anything else I shouldn't miss?

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Cafe Tango
14 Vicki St, Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459

pkimble in Florida

Meridian, Miss

Weidman's is downtown, but I haven't been in 10 years, so I can't vouch for its quality. Rustler's, despite its unfortunate name, used to have the best steak in town. And DT Grinders wasn't bad, although I usually ate lunch, rather than dinner, there. The Hungry Heifer had a decent burger. Of these, Weidman's is apparently under new ownership and probably is the most upscale. But the Rustler could be described that way as well, at least in price. If I recall, it's more of a dim, date-night kind of place. Again, though, all these recommendations are years out of date so YMMV.

pkimble in Central South