Mimi’s Family & Friends (3139 N. State St, Jackson) is the newest occupant of the gas-station-turned-optometrist’s-office at the north end of Fondren on State Street.  The space converts surprisingly well to a restaurant, though it still has a bit of an office feel (mainly in the carpets).  The interior is larger than I expected, with several tables and a couch in a couple of different nooks.  The shaded tables outside are great–I wish they had more.  Inside, the atmosphere is extremely friendly and familial (which I just typed without even thinking …

Tony’s Tamales (228 E. Capitol St, Jackson) is a downtown lunch spot that I don’t go to nearly enough — for a long time I thought it was closed (I’m not sure if it was) and I rarely think to eat tamales for lunch.  But I recently heard that they have good burgers, which reminded me to go.

The burger was surprisingly hefty for $4, and was savory and well seasoned.  It was well done, so not exactly juicy, but was flavorful anyway — a perfectly good example of the thin-patty variety …

I like meat as much as, or more than, the next girl.  In fact, I’ve been known to wrinkle my nose at the suggestion of a meat-free meal or restaurant (much the same way I wrinkle my nose about melons, which is probably the only food that grosses me out).  So when I went to Cool Al’s (4654 McWillie Dr, Jackson), which is famous for its burgers, it took some high praise (and the fact that I wasn’t particularly hungry) to get me to try their veggie burger instead of …

This second location of Crazy Cat Bakers (the original is in Highland Village) is an outpost in the Fondren Corner building (2906 N. State St, Jackson).  It has no kitchen, and brings over baked goods and lunch items from the first location every morning.  The focus seems to be on baked goods, but I was determined to get lunch when I went the other day.  Though I liked my sandwich at the original location, I can’t say I was expecting a lot from a refrigerator of pre-wrapped sandwiches and microwavable …

Ellis Seafood (211 W. Woodrow Wilson Ave, Jackson) has two locations in Jackson; I finally drove by this one enough times and had to stop in (the other one is at 1041 Ellis Ave).  They offer many sizes and types of meals and combos, all of which seem like a good deal.  The meals come with two sides (the default is fries and salad but you can sub fried rice or hushpuppies), a drink, and, of course, white bread.  I got a three-piece catfish meal for $4.99, which was plenty …

The Rotisserie (6547 Old Canton Rd, Ridgeland) is definitely not the famous former Rotisserie restaurant of Jackson, where comeback dressing was allegedly invented.  Instead, this Rotisserie specializes in rotisserie-roasted chicken, and offers just a hint of a South American feel along with some southern American familiarity.

I was really hoping this would be a Peruvian chicken joint, because Peruvian rotisserie chicken is one of the most amazing foods ever made (and I’ve only ever had it in the U.S.).  My hopes were raised when I saw that the Rotisserie offers fried …

The Old Country Store (18801 Hwy 61, Lorman) is definitely not in Jackson—it’s about an hour and a half away in Lorman, Mississippi.  On a recent Saturday I took a mini-road trip there, via the Natchez Trace (which takes about two hours), because I had heard they have the best fried chicken in the state, and possibly the country.  That’s the kind of claim you have to check out when you live within 3 hours of it, I think.

The Old Country Store is probably the most charming fried chicken place …