Southern Eats: Mississippi

Nearly a month after my trip to the Gulf coast, I find myself dealing with pouring rain and thunderstorms, 60 degree temperatures, the stress of work, commutes, life, etc… and a burning desire for flip-flops and summer skirts.  Feeling the need for some comfort and not being near my own kitchen or a fully stocked bar, I choose to recall with fondness the food and good times of Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

We left the world of Purple People Eaters and (fruit punch) Hurricanes…

mmm… tastes like grape kool-aid

…and moved on toward the lovely and artsy community of Ocean Springs, MS.

Nearly five years later, the damage from Hurricane Katrina is still visible.  

 

Hello bank vault, that used to be in a bank… 

Add in to that, a devastating oil spill (thanks, BP!), the communities along this coastline of the Gulf have had one hell of an effing bad time.  But the spirit is vibrant, there were tons of cute shops, art galleries, and plenty of good seafood to be found.  We forked over our cash, broke out the beach towels and grapefruit and vodka, consumed enough wine to fill a small liquor store (okay maybe just a closet in a small liquor store), and enjoyed ourselves thoroughly… 

For lunch the first day, we found ourselves at the White Cap Seafood Restaurant along the beach in Gulfport, with an ocean view, a big, wonderful aquarium greeting patrons near the entrance, and bar tenders shucking oysters.  I ordered a side salad (just to try to feel slightly better about all of the alcohol and fried foods) and a bowl of the gumbo, my third variety of the trip.  Others had fried catfish, fried oysters (which actually did not suck), boiled shrimp, and we split a basket of hush puppies.  We should have ordered a basket each!  They were crispy and golden brown and full of sweet cornmeal and other goodness, without being greasy or having some weird flavor of unidentified origin.  Two extra hush puppies were delivered to me in my bowl of gumbo, along with a big hunk of rice.  It looked a little weird, but it tasted like sunshine and rainbows and unicorns… Or something really good at least.  

Hello, fried catfish! I will put you in my belly and you will taste good!

Our next stop was at the fish market, where we ordered mass quantities of boiled and seasoned crawfish, fresh oysters, and shrimp.  

The oysters were baked with cheese and panko and fresh parsley and bacon and spices and other good things of Amanda's conception of which I do not know…

Amanda works oyster magic.

They went from this… 

… to this…

 

… to this…

And they were amazing.

The shrimp was seasoned cajun style and grilled, and we lightly steamed the crawfish to warm them back up. 

In the meantime, we drank plenty of wine and snacked on boiled peanuts (spicy and plain) and this magnificent thing called a cheeseball.

 

The recipe is simple… in a food processor chop up some green onion, some Armour sliced, dried beef (yeah, it sounds gross, but it's magnificently tasty), and mix those together with cream cheese. Serve with ritz crackers, or even better, melba toast.

And we nibbled on pralines from Southern Candymakers in New Orleans:

So. Damn. Good.

On a side note… I so want this for my own dream kitchen someday:

The next day after spending a good chunk of time and money buying furniture, cute dresses, and perusing the art galleries, we stopped for lunch at a restaurant/bar in Ocean Springs.  It had a decent selection of beer and wine and I liked that they suggested pairings on the menu.  I had a mediocre smoked chicken salad (the lettuce was just… wrong), which made me pine for the duck pizza that I had thought about ordering.  Despite that, the ambiance was fantastic.  We sat on a large, semi-shaded patio, with a huge fireplace and lovely trees and plants.  

It was essentially my ideal backyard.  Combine that with wine and mid-seventies temperatures, it was amazing that I ever left. 

But leave we did and ventured onto the beach, where I spent the rest of my day enjoying grapefruit and vodka… and this…

 

For dinner that night we ate grilled steaks, roasted vegetables and sweet potatoes.  I think.  I'm fuzzy because we also had wine.  Lots and lots of wine.  

Which probably led to shenanigans like this… 

Oh, look, my hand is behind the fence that's marked Private Property… Oh no!!!

I swear nothing happened…  :)

The next morning, we shipped Kat back home, but not before a tasty brunch at French Charley's in Pass Christian, MS.  I ordered the crab cakes, which were flaky, crispy, not greasy, very crabby and not too full of filler, but I wanted about six or seven of them to fill me up…

They also came with a corn salsa, which quite frankly, was a little lacking in substance and taste. But it didn't ruin the dish.  The restaurant was freezing, so I also decided on a little coffee with Bailey's.  I think they got confused and thought I wanted Bailey's with a little coffee.  :)

 

Like drinking a warm, alcoholic milkshake.  Mmm… milkshake.

I didn't take any food photos over the next 24 hours…  I was too relaxed and too busy enjoying good wine, good food, and good company.  And in the end, that was all that really mattered.

Southern Eats: New Orleans

What I learned in New Orleans:

1. Don't wear flip-flops in the French Quarter.  If not because of the things you might step in, then definitely because the sidewalks haven't been repaired since 1984.
2. Have a prepared and practiced set list of songs ready at all times for karaoke.  Cafe Lafitte, you will forever be in my heart.
3. Don't panic when an insane cab driver starts talking about assassins being the true source of all movie murder plots because there is no way that a screen writer could possibly make that stuff up.
4. When some cute, practically teen-aged girl asks if you are there for spring break, you ALWAYS answer in the affirmative.  
5. The food is damn good.

Day One: Crescent City Brewhouse

My friend Amanda celebrated her 22nd birthday here, and from what I understand it's just as good now (ahem… several years later), as it was then.   The atmosphere was lively, but homey.  We sat in a courtyard area near a fire pit.  The weather was perfect, and it felt like having a small dinner party on a neighbor's back patio.  Our waitress, Christine, was spunky and cool, and I loved her for saying "Are you kidding me?" when she carded me.  I started with a beer sampler:

Top left: Pilsner – "A light, crisp and traditionally hoppy beer with a soft palate and flowery bouquet. Light, both in color and taste. "Classic" Old World beer that will be most familiar to the individual who prefers domestic beers."  Good, kind of Bud-ish.

Bottom left: Red Stallion – "A malty, aromatic and hoppy mixture. Copper colored, this beer is medium bodied and full of flavor. Vienna Style."  Amanda's favorite and my second favorite.

Middle: Weiss – "Golden unfiltered "wheat" beer. Smooth quality with hints of banana and cloves with a spicy finish."  I have to admit, I generally hate wheat beers and pawned most of this off on my friend Kat.

Top right: Black Forest – "A full-bodied dark mahogany beer, with a rich malty texture. It is sparsely hopped, in the traditional Munich style."  Very chocolatey.  This would have gone well with a chocolate cheesecake.

Bottom right: Seasonal - This was my favorite.  I wish I could remember what it was… But it's seasonal, so I guess it doesn't matter!  Haha!

Next up, Kat and Amanda split a dozen of the fresh shucked oysters.  I sampled.  Very sizable for the time of year, and not slimy like I expected. Piled with some cocktail sauce, oh my goodness, it was yummy.  The only complaint… a little bit gritty in parts.

I also ordered a cup of the gumbo.  I have to say… it was probably the best I've had.  They definitely LOVED their roux… 

While I chowed down on this and tried not to lick the bowl, the girls split the Baked Oysters Three Ways. "A half dozen fresh shucked oysters topped with crab & saffron, spinach & herbsaint and spicy eggplant."  Lucky I had the gumbo to keep me occupied, otherwise, they might have been angry with me… 

Finally… Shrimp 'N Grits:

I was hoping for more grits, but the shrimp was perfect and the broth was so freaking good.  And the onion rings on top added the perfect little bit of crispy, lovely texture.   It was a lovely meal, even if the lighting was not food porn friendly.  :)

The food for the rest of the evening ended up serving more of a "utilitarian" purpose… I mean… Krystal burgers are semi-delicious when your drunk… but the keyword here: drunk.  

And let's not forget the tater tots we won from Cafe Lafitte in our second place Karaoke finish. Crispy,  yummy, and much needed… 

Day Two

The original plan was to enjoy some beignets and cafe au lait at Cafe Du Monde, but after the purple people eaters, hurricanes, shots of hot damn, gin and tonics, beers, and Krystal burgers from the night before… and because it was almost noon by the time we got going, we decided a more "sensible" meal was in order.

At Mothers:

According to their website, in a single year, Mother's serves up: 

• No less than 175,000 pounds of ham and roast beef. 
• More than 40,000 pounds of turkey. 
• A staggering 30,000 pounds of homemade sausage. 
• Quarter of a million biscuits (and even more eggs!) 
• A whopping 90,000 pounds of jambalaya. 
• Some 25,000 soft-shell crabs and even more shrimp. 
• Nearly 250,000 pounds of cabbage. 
• An incredible 150,000 loaves of French bread. 
• As many pies as there are ships passing through the port of New Orleans. 
• A spicy 1,500 gallons of Creole mustard. 
• And an honest ton of hot pepper sauce.

And after tasting the food, I can see why.  The line was – thankfully – somewhat short and moved quickly.  Not only were we hungry, but it was the first real sun we'd experienced in a while and we all forgot our sunscreen.  There were so many tasty looking items in the line and on the menu, but we settled on these delights:

Oyster Po' Boy

Fried Shrimp Po' Boy

We liked that they use cabbage instead of lettuce.  It provides a good crunch and doesn't get soggy.  The bread was light and airy, and the crust didn't hurt the roof of your mouth.  The shrimp was absolutely perfect, and with a dash of Crystal Hot Sauce?  Nom. Nom.  

Bloody Mary

With our strength shored up and our bellies full, we explored the wonders of the Quarter and browsed the French Market.  And after spending a couple of hours looking at things like this…

…we decided to feast our eyes on something a little more pleasant.

Hello beignets.  Powdery, sugary, light, fluffy, delightful little donuts from the heaven that is otherwise known as Cafe Du Monde.

We split a plate of three and ordered iced cafe au laits.  I want to make these and eat them every day. EVERY. DAY.  

By the way… if you go here, just find an open table and sit down.  There were tons of people just standing in a line that went nowhere for no apparent reason.  And bring cash.

For dinner that evening, we ventured into the Garden District among the gorgeous houses and the beautiful trees for a quiet dinner at a quaint little restaurant called Upperline.  We were enticed by the promise of wizard paintings and all of the wonderful things on their menu.   The atmosphere was funky and charming, and I loved the eclectic and unique collection of art.  The second level would be perfect for a romantic dinner with your sweetheart.  

In the main dining room: 

I ordered the Taste of New Orleans and paired it with a glass of Pinot Noir.

The first course was a pairing of Duck Etouffée with Corn Cakes and Louisiana Pepper Jelly and two miniature cups of Turtle Soup (with a splash of sherry), and Duck Gumbo.  The chefs here REALLY, REALLY love their roux… It was dark and beautiful, tasty and amazing and I wish I had some of it right now.  

The second course:

From left to right: 

• Spicy Shrimp with Jalapeno Cornbread and Aiolli (LOVED it!)
• Fried Green Tomato with Shrimp Remoulade (Eh… a bit too mayonnaise-y).
• Roast Duck with Ginger Peach Sauce or Port Garlic Sauce. (This is the most amazing duck you will EVER, EVER have. No sauce necessary, but if you must choose one, the ginger peach was better.)

Let's get a close-up of that beautiful, magnificent duck:

And finally, dessert is a choice of Toffee Bread Pudding or Pecan Pie.  (Can't we have both!?)

We capped off dinner with a short conversation with the enchanting owner, JoAnn Clevenger, who was as much of a delight as her restaurant.  It was more than worth the cab fare and eventual scary ride back to the hotel with a… um… colorful cab driver.

Day Three

Getting ready to depart for Mississippi, we decided to stop in at a cafe called The Ruby Slipper for a quick breakfast.  They returned to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and started the restaurant in the spirit of "There is no place like home."  We loved the ambiance.  The art was bright and fun and the shadow boxes of ruby slippers were a nice touch.  It was open, airy, and laid back.  That was probably also a bad thing as the service was a tad bit slow and they seemed to be short staffed.  Apparently the guy who brought us our food, was also the one who cooked it, which may explain a lot about our dining experience… But we'll get to that in a minute.  First, drinks!

Starting our day off right… Bloody Mary for Amanda, Mimosa for me (I swear I ordered the pomegranate mimosa, but if there was any pomegranate in it, I couldn't find it), and a New Orleans classic – Brandy Milk Punch – for Kat.  (On a side note, I find it humorous that our drink choices always seem to reflect our personalities.)

"Yay… vegetables!"

I don't see pomegranate, but at least it's a double.  Who can complain about that?

"A creamy brandy drink accented with vanilla and nutmeg."  It tasted like a milkshake.  Yum-may!

I ordered the Eggs Blackstone, described as a "duo of poached eggs, tomato and bacon on biscuits, finished with housemade Hollandaise sauce."  

Um… poached eggs, not so much.  More like hard boiled.  The non-poached egg was a huge disappointment in an otherwise delicious dish.  And while others may have thought the biscuits could be slightly improved, I  grew up on bisquick and couldn't complain.

Shrimp and Grits were also consumed, though I hear tell that the shrimps were a bit over-cooked.

Overall, I'd give it a B-minus.  But it was the morning after St. Patrick's Day.  In New Orleans.  So… that could explain a couple of problems.  If I lived there, I'd definitely give it another shot.

Thanks, New Orleans, for some wonderful meals and some very good times… On to Mississippi.