Too many months, too many dishes - part two

I had so many pictures of some amazing food that I decided to break them down into smaller blog posts. So, here's more of the fabulous fare I've been grazing on over the past several months.

Porches

I live about 30 minutes from one of my favorite restaurants (I have so many now), Porches in Wesson. My favorite day to dine there is on Thursdays when they have Shrimp and Eggplant Crostini. It is soooo good. You may say you don't like eggplant, but you'll change your mind with one bite of this dish. They take a thick slice of eggplant, bread it, and deep fry it. It is then topped with sauteed shrimp and a cream sauce. It's so good that I usually throw my manners out the window and sop up the sauce with one of their homemade yeast rolls.

Georgia Blue

I had heard so many people rave about Georgia Blue in Madison that I couldn't stand it any more, I just had to try it.

So, I stopped by to divulge in their highly touted Gorgonzola Chips. They take their homemade potato chips and top them with caramelized onions and gorgonzola cheese. To...die...for!!!

Ok...this picture is horrible, but the Shrimp and Grits in it were not. I'm always amazed at how many different ways shrimp and grits are presented at restaurants across our state. Georgia Blue Shrimp & Grits consisted of savory shrimp sauteed with applewood smoked bacon, onions, tomatoes, and garlic, served on top of a mound of their roasted corn and cheese grits, then smothered with a sweet corn cream sauce. It ranks close to the top of my best shrimp and grits list.

Blue’s Burger - hand crafted Stockyard Angus beef on a fresh-baked sourdough bun with applewood smoked bacon, havarti cheese, garlic mayo, lettuce & tomato.

This one gets my "Most Unusual Sandwich" award. FGT & Praline BLT - fried green tomato, praline bacon, lettuce & mayonnaise on sourdough bread.

The Grand Finale! This one caused a fight. The husband got quite upset because he couldn't get a spoon in edgewise. Georgia Blue Ice Cream Sandwich - vanilla ice cream between warm homemade peanut butter cookies with house made whipped cream and whiskey brown sugar caramel. It was worth fighting for.

The Alluvian

My favorite hotel in Mississippi is, hands down, The Alluvian in Greenwood. As soon as you step in the door of this, as they describe it, cosmopolitan boutique hotel, you feel as if you've been transported far from the Mississippi Delta. Every morning, their full Southern breakfast will bring you right back home.

When they say full Southern breakfast, they mean it. And, in my opinion, it's the best hotel breakfast anywhere. It's included in the price of the room. Served buffet-style, it consists of homemade hash brown potatoes, sausage and egg casserole, cheese grits, biscuits, gravy, bacon, sausage, fresh fruit, bagels, muffins, plus a whole lot more.

Jaco's Tacos

One of downtown Jackson's newest eateries is raising the bar on Mexican food.

Tortilla chips and freshly made salsa

Mexican Pizza - a made from scratch flour tortilla is smothered in melted cheese, pico de gallo, and beans. Then, you can add a variety of toppings. I chose grilled shrimp. You can't really see them, but they're there. This was delicious.

Grilled Mojave Pork Quesadilla 

Tabella

Robert St. John struck again in Hattiesburg last year when he added Tabella to his family of restaurants. Tabella is Italian for table. St. John wants you to come sit at his table and enjoy made from scratch Italian fare. It's more than just spaghetti and lasagna.

The daughter was with me and had to have her usual appetizer of fried mozzarella sticks. What I loved about these was their size. When you bite into one, you don't get a mouth full of stringy cheese to choke on. (I always hate that.) These were the perfect size for nibbling.

 This very well could be the best piece of salmon we've ever eaten. You can see the grill marks on the slab of fish. It had just a hint of the grilled flavor and was cooked to perfection. It was topped with a lemon caper sauce and served with a side of aglio olio (pasta with garlic sauteed in olive oil) and fresh green beans.

Pasta Carbonara – pancetta, peas, parmesan cream, gigli pasta, and (I added) shrimp

The daughter is on a Tiramisu kick. This one satisfied her craving.

Shapley's Restaurant

My favorite place for steak is at Shapley's in Ridgeland. It's atmosphere is upscale and the steaks are phenomenal.

When you look at the menu, you will be tempted to order the ribeye because it's more steak for your money. Listen. To. Me. - Don't do it!!! The filet mignon is the way to go. Their homemade fries (not pictured) make a perfect side dish. If you look closely in the background of this pic, you will see the best aparagus ever. It was roasted, topped with parmesan cheese, and served with hollandaise sauce.

 

 One of my all-time favorite desserts - Lemon Icebox Pie - it's topped with real whipped cream

Yum's the word!