The good news is that Carpe Jackson isn’t going to die when I move.  A few awesome friends of the blog have offered to keep posting, and I’ll continue running the Restaurant Openings Report.  Of course, I’ll also be reading, commenting, and managing things from afar, and hope to do a couple more posts as well.  So keep in touch!

Cookin’ Up A Storm (1491 Canton Mart Rd. Ste 1, JACKSON) [601-957-1166] (Fast Food/Deli)

F and R  Catering (3401 Rainey Rd., JACKSON) [601-506- 4426] (Mobile)

D & D BBQ & Fish (1054 Raymond Rd, JACKSON) [769-251-5421] (Full Service)

Hubbards Restaurant (449 Hwy 18, UTICA) [601-885-6066] (Full Service)

Tays Restaurant (930 Palmyra St, JACKSON) [601-961-0974] (Full Service)

KFS/Subtime (4410 Sunset Dr, JACKSON) [601-642-7017] (Fast Food/Deli)

Honey Bee’s (3814 A Bailey Ave., JACKSON) [601-362-8004] (Fast Food/Deli)

Town & Country Quick  (11640 Hwy 27 N, UTICA) [601-946-4508] (Fast Food/Deli)

Scoops Rest. & Lounge (1205 Country Club Dr, JACKSON) [601-922-1402] (Bar- Full Service)

Los Parrilleros Mexican Grille (200 East Riverwind Drive, Ste110, PEARL) [601-397-6185] (Full Service)

My Friend’s Place  (1020 Highland Colony Pkwy, Ste 104, RIDGELAND) [601 605 2770] (Fast Food/Deli)

It seemed that everyone else in the restaurant was getting the buffet, and our waitress looked surprised when we asked for menus instead.  The fact that they don’t usually serve off the menu at lunchtime may explain why our service was a bit slow.  Also, the menu didn’t seem to be specifically a lunch menu.  It included small plates/bar food for $10-15, sandwiches for $10-15, and $20-something entrees.

One coworker got the duck confit sliders, and he was the envy of the table.  He called them one of his new favorite meals in Jackson.  They were very sweet, but with some lightness and crunch from the homemade coleslaw.  The fries were well seasoned (with plenty of black pepper, which I appreciate), skin-on, and slightly floppy.  Some might prefer their fries more crispy, but these were like the fries at Miller’s Grill, which I love.

I got the chorizo quesadilla, from the bar snacks part of the menu.  There was more chorizo than cheese in the quesadilla, which was fine with me, and the meat was pleasantly smoky and spicy.  The jicama slaw was a bit bland on its own, but it was a nice balance to the richness of the chorizo.  I might not order it again (definitely getting the duck sliders next time, and the fish tacos also caught my eye), but I enjoyed it.

My other coworker went with the flow and got the buffet ($15).  There was a salad and soup bar—he loved the soup, which seemed to be a crab bisque—and a hot bar with two or three meats and several veggies.  I didn’t try any of his lunch; he was happy with it, but didn’t rave about anything in particular besides the soup.

The buffet also included several cold desserts (cakes and bars) and one hot one: white chocolate bread pudding.  The blueberry bar was nothing special, but we all adored the bread pudding.

Overall, the meal had its ups and downs, but the ups were quite high, so I look forward to going back and trying more from the new chef.  The King Edward also has a classy-looking bar, which I think would be a good place to enjoy some of the bar snacks on the menu.  The restaurant is open for lunch every weekday, dinner Monday through Saturday, and the bar serves “light dinner” on Sunday. The hotel’s number is (601) 353-5464 (they’ll put you through to the restaurant).

Local 463 is a little rich for my blood for a random mid-week solo dinner. But even if you’re not up for a $20-something entree, there is something for you at Local 463—namely, pizza.

From the three pizza options, I chose the Florida rock shrimp and fried green tomato ($12).  Although it is listed in the “First Bites” portion of the menu, it was plenty for dinner for me.  There were quite a lot of ingredients on the pizza, but I was thoroughly impressed with how well they all worked together.  The tomatoes added a slight tartness, which contrasted well with the subtly rich “truffled cheese” and the salty bacon lardons.  The crust itself, which was char-grilled,was neither flimsy nor tough; I thought it had a great chewy consistency, and maybe a hint of sourness (which I liked).

I also got a house salad, which was fairly disappointing.  I think my expectations may have been too high, because a friend had highly praised his salad at Local 463.  Maybe they changed the preparation or I ordered the wrong salad, but this was nothing special.  I could hardly taste the sweet peppers, squash and zucchini (I think they were cut too small), and the lemon vinaigrette didn’t seem to have enough acidity.  The Alabama goat cheese, though, was amazing.

I sat at the bar — even on a Tuesday for an early dinner, I doubt I could have gotten a table without a reservation.  The bar, though crowded at times, had very high turnover because most of the people there were just briefly waiting for their tables to be ready.  The service atmosphere was kind of hectic, but very friendly — I imagine things are at least a little calmer in the dining room.  But I quite liked the atmosphere in the bar area, which was modern and bright (thanks to a wall of windows).

The lunch menu also looks tempting and includes some more affordable options.   They are open Monday through Saturday for lunch (11-2) and dinner (5-9ish); the number is (601) 707-7684.

For three of us, we ordered a jalapeño-shrimp popper appetizer, a half rack of ribs, and the 32-oz sirloin (for two).  What with all of the sides and a trip to the salad bar for each of us, it was so much food that we were all groaning by the end of the meal, and yet continuing to stuff ourselves because it was all so good.  We also took a sizable piece of steak home.

The jalapeño-shrimp poppers were a pleasant start; I liked the lightly seasoned batter, the gooey cheese filling, and the mild, but still with some bite, pepper.  Next time, though, I might save room for more steak (or dessert, which I hear is also good) instead of getting an appetizer.  I say that not because the shrimp was disappointing, but because what came next was so great and so filling.

The menu says something along the lines of “WE CANNOT GUARANTEE ANY STEAK COOKED OVER MEDIUM,” which we took to be a good sign.  Indeed, the steak was one of the most beautifully medium rare and juicy steaks I have ever seen. Other than the meat itself, the most pronounced flavor was hickory smoke—the hickory pit is out back, and is put to good use.

I enjoyed the ribs almost as much as the steak.  They were fairly tender, if not especially moist, and definitely flavorful.  I liked that the rub was heavy on black pepper, and there was plenty of hickory smokiness in the meat.  I would have been happy to eat them dry, but the sweet and tangy brown barbeque sauce on the table made them even better.

All of the sides (we got steak fries, baked potato, fried green tomatoes, and baked beans) were solid, but my favorite by far was the battered and seasoned steak fries.  Even at my very fullest, I could not help but continue to eat those fries.

For a steakhouse, the prices were very reasonable (the 32-oz steak, which came with two potatoes and two salads, was about $33), and there is no corkage fee for bringing wine (in fact, we were tickled by the fact that one of us got a plastic wine glass with a hollow stem).  They also offer everything to-go.

Wynndale Steakhouse is open Wed-Thurs 4:30-8:30; Fri-Sat 4:30-9:30; and Sunday 11-2:30.  Don’t be deterred by the drive—it is well worth it.  The number is (601) 878-2695.

Even though I would have had more fun eating in, I certainly did not get skimped, food-wise, by taking out. For $20, I got two giant red snapper filets (I was told this was the best fish of the day), a baked potato, veggies, pita, and a fairly large greek salad.  The salad was made with fresh, high-quality, vegetables and feta.

The fish was the highlight of the meal.  It was very simply prepared, with a lovely crust and very mild seasoning—most of the flavor came from the fish itself, which was well cooked and moist.  The veggies were a bit bland, but not bad.  And the pita was my favorite kind—soft, almost pillowy, and with the powdery reddish seasoning that I think is sumac.

It was a huge, enjoyable meal.  Next time (when I eat in) I plan to try their specialty, the gyro platter.  Bill’s is open for lunch and dinner, Monday through Saturday; the number is (601) 982-9295.

A lunch plate (meat, two veg, bread) costs $6.50, and is quite a lot of food (don’t be fooled by the low level of beans in the photo below—she actually filled it almost to overflowing, and it did in fact overflow into the rest of the container).  They offer a few things daily (fried chicken, baked chicken, baked fish, greens, string beans, lima beans, mac & cheese and rice & gravy), with an additional two veggies and two meats each day. Notably, all the vegetables seemed to have significantly more meat in them than I am used to seeing—and that’s a good thing as far as I’m concerned.

Although I made the mistake of choosing only things that are naturally sweet, I ended up enjoying my meal quite a lot.  The yams were neither overcooked nor too sugary, and I appreciated the large chunks of hamburger in the beans.  Although the ribs were a bit fatty, as beef ribs can be, the meat wasn’t too tough.  I liked the sauce—it was bordering on too sweet for me, but it did have a slight tang, and I think the sweetness would have been less pronounced if I hadn’t chosen two sweet veggies.  Everything in the cafeteria line looked delicious (and they offer neck bones, which I’ve never had) so I’m looking forward to trying more of Pecan Park’s offerings.

Pecan Park is open weekdays 11am-5pm, and on Sunday 12pm-5pm (I am excited about this—so many places are closed on Sundays).  The number is 601-665-4842.

When I last went to Saigon with a coworker, we asked the waitress for an appetizer recommendation and then completely ignored her suggestion of the spring roll or egg roll.  (I like the spring roll at Saigon, but I rarely get too excited about spring or egg rolls.)  Instead, we got the “Beef salad topped with chili lemon sauce.”

Be warned that this is a very, very raw dish — that’s not mentioned on the menu.  The beef comes with a sweet, acidic sauce that included soy sauce and citrus (the menu said lemon but I thought there was some lime).  The salad also had chiles, fennel and cilantro, and was an incredibly flavorful, bright dish.  It was far too much food for an appetizer, even for two people, but I liked it so much that I probably ate more raw beef in one sitting than I ever have before.

The phô at Saigon is one of my favorite restaurant meals in Jackson, and some of the better phô I’ve had anywhere, all because of the broth.  I think it has a bit more star anise than most versions I have had, which might be why I love it so much.  Pictured here is the Phô Tái Nam, with thin slices of eye round steak (cooked in the broth) and brisket (well done)—I prefer the eye of round for being rarer.  The phô comes in small ($6) and large ($7).  I’ve never seen a large, but I can’t think of any reason to get it unless I knew it would have to feed me for four days.  The small is more than enough for two large meals.

Of the entrees, I’ve only ever had the phô and I might never be able to tear myself away from it.  But they also offer vermicelli, rice dishes, and hot pots.  The menu is here.

Saigon is open Mon - Thurs, 10am-9pm; Fri - Sat, 10am-10pm; and Sun 11am-6pm.  The number is (601) 420-4848.

The Ole Tavern (416 George St, Jackson) manages to have a good bar atmosphere and a good restaurant atmosphere at the same time.  It has a pub-like feel, with a lot of dark wood and brick, plus high ceilings and big windows.  I appreciate that the place feels like it’s trying without trying too hard.

Despite the photo above, it was bustling when we went for lunch on a Tuesday; only the bar was empty.  My coworker ordered the King George’s Burger from the specials board.  It was huge, and came with a fried egg, bacon, jalapenos, lots of cheese, and a slightly sweet bun that I really liked.  I only had a bite of the burger, and I tasted the other components more than the burger itself, but I loved the whole package and so did my coworker.  The seasoned fries, which were thin and very crispy, seemed battered or double fried, which is always a plus.

I got the red beans and rice, also on the specials board.  It had a little bit of spice, but not quite enough for me—I liked it better after adding several squirts of Louisiana hot sauce. I wouldn’t say it was a stand-out example of rice and beans, but it was definitely a solid and enjoyable one.

I could see the Ole Tavern becoming one of my favorite Jackson bars, thanks to the food and the pleasant vibe.  They’re open Mon-Fri, 11am-2am, and Saturday 5pm-2am; the number is (601) 960-2700.

PIT STOP #2 (14005 Hwy 18, RAYMOND) [6018572127] (Fast Food/Deli)

Express Food Mart (603 Wallace Dr., Edwards) [601-852-2018] (Fast Food/Deli)

CHINA BUFFET (125 HWY 80 EAST, JACKSON) [601 924-9596] (Full Service)

Chandi Food Mart (555 West Peace Street, Canton) [(601) 859-8025] (Fast Food/Deli)

Starlite Cafe/Kidz Rock (3 Mac & Bones Blvd, Pearl) [601-942-6496] (Fast Food/Deli)

GIGI’S CUPCAKES (730 MACKENZIE LANE, FLOWOOD) [601-919-1566] (Bakery/Donut/Coffee)

CASUAL CATERING LLC (503 FOREST POINT, BRANDON) [601-992-6764] (Mobile Food)

CAPPY’S BP #9 (7000 OLD CANTON ROAD, RIDGELAND) [601 856 3413] (Fast Food/Deli)

The Dizzy Bean (420 Roberts Street, Pearl) [601-397-6292] (Fast Food/Deli)

SWEET SENSATIONS BAKERY (5036 PARKWAY DR., JACKSON) [769-798-1006] (Bakery/Donut/Coffee)

Pecan Park Cafe’ (1039 Pecan Park Circle, Jackson) [601.360.0094] (Full Service)

SWEET AND SAVORY THEMES (1743 WHITE RD, FLORENCE) (Bakery/Donut/Coffee)

POET’S II (1855 LAKELAND DRIVE STE H-10, JACKSON) [601-364-9411] (Full Service)

BLAZIN’ BBQ (1438 WEST PEACE STREET, CANTON) [601 212 0855] (Full Service)

SMOKEHOUSE BBQ EXPRESS (1123 OLD FANNIN RD, BRANDON) [601-992-6747] (Full Service)

SHADY PINES CRAWFISH (187 VERNON JONES, BRANDON) [601-919-9994] (Fast Food/Deli)