Zydeco (6340 Ridgewood Ct, Ridgeland) has an intriguing, ambitious menu that doesn’t quite match the generic building and location.  Inside, things are a bit more interesting than they seem from outside; there’s cajun- and Saints-themed decor, zydeco music playing on the stereo, a full bar and very friendly staff.

For my appetizer, I got the crab cakes.  It wasn’t an easy choice because the Natchitoches Crawfish Pies and the Bleu Cheese Beignets & Boudin Balls sounded so interesting, but I’d heard such good things about the crab cakes (which my waitress …

Since Burgers & Blues (1060 E. County Line Rd, Ridgeland) has only been open a few days, I was surprised to see a fair number of people there when I went today.  But I was less surprised when I opened the menu and learned that it is an Al Stamps joint — his reputation for burgers totally precedes him (in a good way) in this town.

Atmosphere-wise, B&B is a great counterpoint to Al Stamp’s other restaurant, Cool Al’s. There’s nothing wrong with a divier vibe, but if you want to be …

As much as I love the comfort and taste of southern food, I get very excited about other types of cuisine coming to Jackson.  It makes me feel so cosmopolitan!  So I was really excited to try Chitoes African Deli and Catering (1700 Terry Rd, Jackson).
Despite being in one of those strip-malls-that-time-forgot on Hwy 80, the inside of Chitoes is pleasant and bright (though not exactly modern).  There are four booths, lots of windows, and upbeat African music on the stereo.

On my first visit, I got plantains and jelof rice and …

Everyone else probably knew this already, but somehow I only recently noticed that McDade’s has a hot bar at the deli counter.  I heard a rumor that the breakfast* was an especially good deal, so I stopped at the Belhaven store (904 E. Fortification St, Jackson) on my way to work this morning.

The hot bar when I went offered scrambled eggs, biscuits, grits (cheese and regular), rice, gravy, toast, french toast, breakfast sausage, regular sausage, and bacon.  I chose a biscuit, sausage, and cheese grits.

The biscuit was quite good, if …

I have been meaning to try Olga’s Fine Dining (4760 Hwy 55, Jackson) for a long time.  I finally made it there when I read that they now serve lunch, and that most of the things on the lunch menu are under $10.
I got the ribeye sandwich, a special.  The meat was tender, juicy, and very medium rare (as I had requested).  There was a fair amount of fat  around the edges, but plenty of meat left after cutting off the fatty pieces.  I loved the bread, which was fluffy …

I went to Taqueria Guanajuato (1651 Terry Rd, Jackson) within hours of it showing up on the Restaurant Openings Report — I do love tacos!  I’m glad I made it there so quickly, and I’ll be going back often.

The taqueria is a sit-down restaurant, with plenty of booths and a nice, friendly atmosphere.  I was immediately given chips and some very spicy salsa.
For my meal, I ordered four tacos: al pastor, chorizo, asada, and barbacoa.  When the fixings for my tacos arrived at the table, I think I said “wow” …

Taqueria Guanajuato (1651 Terry Rd, JACKSON) [601-212-2224] (Full Service)
Chitoes African Deli and Catering (1700 Terry Rd, Suite 5, JACKSON) [601-842-1301] (Full Service)*
Gator Bay Cafe (5610 I-55 South, BYRAM) [601-373-2772] (Full Service)
* I drove by Chitoes and they still had a “Coming Soon” sign up, so give them a call to see if they are in business before making a trip over there.