One of the most inexplicable facts about our dining is this: we had never been to Barbara Jean’s before this stop on Saint Simons last month. The owner, Barbara Jean Barta, opened the restaurant in 1998 and has published a pair of popular cookbooks as well as two additional locations in northeast Florida, above and below Jacksonville. The restaurant is very well known for its crab cakes, and very simply blends the best of both local seafood and nice southern cuisine. I don’t know why we’ve never stopped in before, but we will definitely add it to our rotation of Saint Simons restaurants. Continue reading “Barbara Jean’s, Saint Simons Island GA”
Tag: seafood
Hellas Restaurant, Tarpon Springs FL
Six years ago, Marie and I drove up to Vermont, and visited her old college buddy Debbie for far too few hours. We had a really terrific dinner at Richmond’s Kitchen Table Bistro, and made our way on to New Hampshire.
A few months ago, Debbie and her husband relocated to Tarpon Springs, a suburb about twenty miles north of Tampa. Whatever we thought we were doing the next time we went to visit my mom, we had to incorporate a trip to see Debbie. Naturally, I was immediately digging around for something to eat, and was pleasantly surprised by the amazing number of Greek restaurants. That’s because the city of 24,000 has the highest percentage of Greek-Americans of any municipality in the country. The city itself is completely lovely, and is home to the gorgeous St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral. Continue reading “Hellas Restaurant, Tarpon Springs FL”
Thibodeaux’s Low Country Boil and Wings, Columbus GA
Last month, we took a road trip to middle Georgia with our friends from Spatialdrift, and as we were batting around ideas, Emily suggested that we visit Andersonville National Historic Site, which was the location of the Camp Sumter military prison during the Civil War, and the present-day home of the National POW Museum. Since a friend of my family had spent the entirety of the Korean War in a military prison after his plane was shot down, I was especially interested to visit. For even amateur historians like myself, the experience is a fascinating and somber one, and I certainly recommend that our readers consider making a trip here. Continue reading “Thibodeaux’s Low Country Boil and Wings, Columbus GA”
Ed’s Fish and Pizza House, Nashville TN
When you read article after article about hot chicken in Nashville, you’re certain to find references to hot fish as well. There are a few older restaurants that serve both of these, including a couple that have been on my wishlist for an age, but I still have a little daydream about tackling several of these joints, one after another, on one glorious and possibly painful Saturday. Continue reading “Ed’s Fish and Pizza House, Nashville TN”
B & J’s Steaks and Seafood, Darien GA
Ages and ages ago, we stopped by Skipper’s Fish Camp, a popular, upscale seafood place in the coastal Georgia town of Darien and enjoyed a very nice meal with some excellent, fresh shrimp. We noticed B & J’s at the time, and soon found a gigantic pile of recommendations and love for this decidedly downscale little joint with a partially unpaved lot. Mike from Sweet Tea & Bourbon stopped by B & J’s a little later that same spring and raved about it. Continue reading “B & J’s Steaks and Seafood, Darien GA”
Old School Diner, Harris Neck GA
Some time back, one of our readers, Tony Hicks, recommended that we visit this bizarre and wonderful place for some killer seafood and amazing hospitality. Now, lots of places will get the attachment of the term “middle of nowhere,” but Old School Diner takes it seriously. The exit off I-95 is located about halfway between Savannah and Brunswick, the same one you take to visit the Smallest Church in America, and then guests will drive way the heck down a county highway, past gravel roads and partially paved and completed coulda-been developments. Continue reading “Old School Diner, Harris Neck GA”
The Pig and the Pearl, Atlanta GA
One of the most interesting new restaurants in Atlanta that we have visited recently (not, as you have probably noticed, that we are all that well known for visiting the newest restaurants) has been The Pig and the Pearl, a curious mix of a raw bar and a smokehouse that Chef Todd Richards and his team have opened in Atlantic Station. If you want good barbecue in midtown, it’s here. If you want good oysters, they’re here as well. Marie and I were invited by the restaurant’s PR team to sample the menu, and Chef Todd put together a pretty stunning tasting menu for us. Continue reading “The Pig and the Pearl, Atlanta GA”
Marie, Let's Eat! 