Too many months, too many dishes - part one

I had no idea it had been so long since I blogged. I've been so consumed with the magazine (eat.drink.MISSISSIPPI), I lost track of time. I've eaten many tasty dishes over the past seven months and there's no way possible to catch up with in-depth reviews of all the places where I've eaten. So, I'm just going to post some pics of some of my favorite dishes. I'll try to do better for the future. Enjoy!

Two Sister's Kitchen

USA Today voted them one of the 10 best places for fried chicken. I had to go see for myself. It was really good chicken, but not my favorite. I love the skin most and theirs is skinless. The angel biscuits were to die for. They are heaven in your mouth.

Sombra Mexican Kitchen

From the folks that brought us Amerigo and Char comes Sombra Mexican Kitchen. I dined there at lunch for Fish Tacos and a Baja Brownie. Their chips and salsa are reminiscent of the Iron Horse Grill that used to be in downtown Jackson. Many have tried to duplicate them and these came closer than any I've had.

The Fish Tacos are comprised of beer-battered Mississippi catfish with jalapeno slaw and tomatillo-avocado salsa. Alternatively, you can have the catfish blackened or pan-seared. They were absolutely delicious.

The Baja Brownie is mind-blowing. It is made with dark chocolate chunks, a touch of chipotle chili, and dark chocolate icing. It is served with cinnamon ice cream and tequila caramel sauce. Words cannot adequately describe it. You just have to try it for yourself.

Weidmann's

Weidmann's in Meridian is one of the oldest, if not the oldest, restaurants in Mississippi. It dates back to 1870. It has changed hands over the years, but is still serving some great food.

 Since the 1940s, Weidmann's has greeted patrons with handmade crocks filled with peanut butter along with assorted crackers. Now, I'm sure due to health department regulations, they still use the crocks, but insert cups filled with their creamy, tasty tradition.

 The Smoked Salmon BLT was a good choice on a recent lunch visit. Smoked Salmon is served on a croissant with pesto, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes and haricot verts alongside their homemade potato chips.

 Shrimp and Grits were also very tasty. Stone ground grits from Sciple’s Mill are slow cooked with butter and cheddar cheese, then topped with fresh Gulf shrimp, ham, tomatoes, peppers, onions and a light cream sauce. Delicious!

No trip to Weidmann's would be complete without a slice of their World Famous Black Bottom Pie.

Topher's Rock 'N Roll Grill

A Facebook friend on mine checks-in at Topher's in Hattiesburg quite often. Since he loves it so much, I had to check this place out. This is not your typical fast food joint. It's menu offers nine different burgers and a ton of sandwiches, plus several salads to choose from. They also have lots of desserts to choose from. While I was there, I bumped into Masterchef Whitney Miller. Turns out that the owner is her cousin.

I chose a Pepper Jack Chicken Sandwich. Grilled chicken is served on a sourdough bun with pepper jack cheese, bacon, get-back sauce, lettuce and tomato. I chose homemade onion rings for my side. This was one heckuva sandwich.

I don't normally do dessert at lunch, especially when I'm alone, but I just couldn't pass up the Chocolate Beignet Sundae. It made my husband really jealous to miss out on it. Mini beignets are layered with ice cream, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. It was big enough for two, but I managed to stuff it in by myself. They also have several other desserts to choose from and a long list of gourmet milkshakes.

J. Broussard's

One weekend, we ended up in Columbus at dinner time and decided to try J. Broussard's. It's a fine dining restaurant in the heart of downtown.

I'm a big fan of Brie (along with the husband and daughter). So when it's on a menu, chances are I'm going to order it. The Brie Baked with Brown Sugar and Almonds did not disappoint. The picture doesn't do it justice.

I was on a nut kick that night. My entree was Pecan Pane Catfish. The restaurant was featured in Southern Living for this crunchy pecan breaded catfish with lemon butter served with mashed potatoes and green beans.

Roux 61

When we mentioned to a friend that we were going to Natchez, she insisted that we try Roux 61. It has only been open a little over a year and folks line up and wait for hours to get a seat.

The must try on Roux 61's menu is the Alligator Cheesecake appetizer. It was tasty, but my mind just doesn't like the thought of eating alligator. So, the husband got to devour it mostly by himself. He loved it.

For dinner, I chose The Delta Queen - a filet of fresh blackened redfish served over a bed of pasta, topped with shrimp, finished off with a white wine cream sauce.

The husband and daughter shared a steak topped with grilled shrimp. It was served with a side of baked potato and sauteed corn in a mini pie shell. I'm not sure what they call the corn, but it was unique and quite tasty.

Mississippi Mud Pie was for dessert. Yum! Yum!