Etta and I stopped in Big Jones for dinner on a cold night, the eve of the election. Despite my heart being set on shrimp and grits, the family style meal called out to us. I was going to order more on top of that but the server rightfully suggested I wait and see how much food was coming. To eat we had not-too-sweet cornbread with butter, way buttery and cheesy grits, warm and tangy giant butter bean stew, well seasoned collard greens with ham and turnips, and the main event, fried catfish and hush puppies with remoulade and pickled slaw.
The fish was classic and satisfying from the tasty batter to the spicy tang and crunch of the pickles and the creamy bite of the remoulade. For dessert the server again cautioned me to take it easy, and so I relaxed and ate the included piece of spice cake. And I ate most of Etta’s piece. To drink she had a manhattan and I had a stomach settling housemade ginger beer. With the dessert we split a glass of tawny port.
Forward, food stuff.