Upon the inadvertent recommendation of a blogosphere friend, I decided to host Development Dinner at 55 South, a tribute to New Orleans tucked into the same building as Sol on the square in Franklin. It turned out to be a great choice!
The restaurant is casual, but I didn't feel out of place coming straight from work. (In fact, they cater to the after-work crowd with oyster specials that creep from $.25 to $.75 as the hour hand ticks toward 7.) Burlap served as a tablecloth and a sheet of glass held the menu in place, like a tiny placemat under your meal. The exposed-brick walls and old-fashioned posters features Oxford, Miss., landmarks added to the charm. (Although I would be remiss if I didn't mention here that I am a graduate of Mississippi State University and therefore could have done without the Oxford references and the "Hoddy Toddy" tweet from the owner!)
The drink menu featured beers by region, bourbons by country, and cocktails by season. Beth's Cotton Gin cocky-tail (they get points for clever-ness!) tasted like summertime. With Bombay, peach nectar, and lime juice, I can only imagine warm weather washing over us. Laura's Delta Sunset, flavored with sweet tea vodka and and cranberry juice, looked like Indian Summer in a highball glass. And my Rebel Charge (supposedly named for the Confederate soldiers but I have to think Colonel Reb might have been an influence...) tasted just like football season. It was a light, refreshing combination of Rebel Yell bourbon, ginger ale, and triple sec. I finally found a bourbon cocktail with a lime garnish!
Dinner didn't disappoint, either. Laura decisively ordered the grouper reuben, served with cole slaw and homemade chips.
While Beth and I were a little more indecisive. Luckily, 55 South features several "combo" choices for the conflicted. Beth ordered a traditional Cajun trio: red beans & rice, jambalaya, and gumbo. So pretty on the plate:
And I dined in crawfish heaven! Dubbed the "Crawfish Fiesta Trio" my dinner featured fried crawfish tails, crawfish etouffee, and crawfish hash--cubes of potatoes and slices of onions holding up crawfish tails. I was most nervous about hash, but it turned out to be my favorite offering. I'll say that the fried tails, although pretty (see below) in the plate, they were a little soggy, as though they were fried long before they made it to my table. And the etouffee was good but the large soup spoon conflicted with the square-shaped bowl, making it hard to really "dig in."
Dessert was well worth the wait, as Foodie Beth had told me it would be. (She even sent me a TwitPic of the dessert menu at 6:30 this morning!) Boss Beth ordered the chocolate pecan pie, Laura, the Velvet Elvis, a delicious concoction of chocolate fudge, peanut butter mousse, and bananas that was too much for one sitting. I opted for fried ice cream, coated in Corn Flakes and coconut and situated in a taco shell bowl. I wish I'd known it would be topped with whipped cream, because that detracted from the true flavors. It was an interesting concept but a delicious end to my meal.
The End Notes:
- Despite the abundance of references to Oxford and the Rebs, the atmosphere is fun. Well worth venturing down to Franklin in rush hour traffic. The owner, Jason McConnell, who owns both Sol and The Red Pony, clearly knows what he's doing. Please go. ASAP.
- The menu features offerings at several price points without being too overwhelming. Not too many choices for those not in favor of seafood or Cajun-inspired dishes, though. Cleverly named drinks, but not much in the way of wine offerings. Mostly bourbon, whiskey, and beer (fine by me!).
- Our waiter, bless his heart...well, that's really all I can say. Not too bright. Bless his heart.
- Parking is street-side, which could be inconvenient depending on the hour. Close proximity to Franklin's public garage and gives you an excuse to walk off all that dinner.
