Original Oyster House stays true to its roots

The view from my seat

I couldn't do it. I couldn't NOT visit the Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores. Not only could I NOT visit this restaurant, I did it twice.

The first visit was on a Saturday afternoon at around 2:30 PM. I had just taken a stroll through the Little Zoo That Could, across the street. While I've never had a problem dining alone at a restaurant, I've never dined alone at THIS restaurant. I remembered they have a few barstools, and that if I were lucky, I could grab one and have some lunch.

My favorite dining area is the big room that overlooks a canal, but it's really for larger parties. There's also a place in back where you can feed the fish. The restaurant is part of the Boardwalk, where there are a few locally owned shops, and now, a high end candy store. It's a fun couple of hours for any age.

I have something to confess: no matter how outdated the concept, I'm still a sucker for a good salad bar. The salad bar at the Original Oyster House is one of my all time favorites. 

One of the things I love about the salad bar is that it hasn't changed in years. They still have pickled okra, homemade croutons, homemade sourdough rolls, homemade salad dressings, and the vegetables are always fresh.

Whole boiled eggs, cubed ham, peas, and beautiful white mushrooms make this salad bar an A+ experience

I came in on this particular Saturday with the intention of having only the salad bar. However, my walk through the zoo and the enticing aroma inside the restaurant weakened my resolve. I can't understand how a seafood restaurant can create such intoxicating aromas.

My mom always says that if you're going to eat fried food it had better be worth every single calorie and fat gram. She also says that if you're going to eat fried food in the Gulf Shores Orange Beach area, go to the Original Oyster House. I agree with my mother on both of these counts. That said, I ordered two items from their "you pickem" menu. 

I had fried oysters and baked stuffed crab. I have always loved their crab stuffing, which thankfully has not changed either. All entrées come with two sides but I only ordered one side and substituted the salad bar for one, for an extra $2.50. From my side I had turnip greens. The staff makes no secret of the fact that these greens are canned, (which I usually hate), but somehow, they make them delicious. 

Hush Puppies are served with all entrées. The Hush Puppies here are some of my all-time favorites. I have never been disappointed in them. I'm also a huge fan of tartar sauce, which is made in house. This dish was $10.95 on their lunch menu.

fried oysters, stuffed crab and hush puppies

Do you see that plate of food? Well I made it disappear in less than 10 min. My only consolation is that I was able to resist the key lime pie which they are famous for.

I returned for lunch the following Monday. One of the other items they're famous for is their seafood gumbo. I had the gumbo and salad bar, for $7.50. Their gumbo is just perfect, in my opinion, but I do add quite a bit of hot sauce. You can purchase various sizes of gumbo and key lime pie from a reach in refrigerator located in between the restaurant and adjacent gift shop.

I know this place is a tourist trap, that it's corporate owned, and so forth. The bottom line is, I don't care. I love this place. I always have and always will. They still have my favorite gumbo, my favorite salad bar, and my favorite fried seafood in the Gulf area.

On the rare occasions I've been in the area and not visited this restaurant, I felt like I was never even on vacation.

I haven't mentioned service because services never been an issue here. Even with the huge crowds, they seem to keep things moving along without making you feel rushed. If you're going to run a successful, high-volume seafood restaurant, you may want to start studying the blueprint created by The Original Oyster 
House. 

Clink on the link below, for hours and location:
http://www.theoysterhouse.com/

Cosmos Orange Beach - Overrated and Over priced

The First Visit - Friday, August 10, 2012

I went to Cosmos tonight with the intention of having dinner with my little dog. Cosmos is dog friendly, and as a repeat customer, I know the quality of their food and service is superior. However, I arrived during a rush, so instead of waiting an hour and a half for a table, I opted to sit at the outdoor bar. 

It seems that Cosmos is notorious for over quoting wait times. After reading several reviews, I realize this is a pattern. Then I had to wonder why they would engage in such a practice. I have a couple of theories:

1. They turn a huge profit with their bar sales of patrons waiting to be seated.

2. They're hoping that if their patrons are drunk, they won't realize how mediocre the food and service really are.

When I first arrived, the bar was slammed, and the bar staff was clearly overwhelmed. As one who tended bar many years ago, I understand the stress that comes with working at a successful establishment can be overwhelming. That said, there is an acceptable way to deal with this type of overload. 

The female bartender, Terri, was obviously at a breaking point, while Scott remained calm and gracious. Although I tend to have more patience with bartenders that the average customer, I did hear several remarks from other patrons such as, "Boy she' s snappy" , or "Wow, I thought I asked nicely." The cardinal rule of the deep south is HOSPITALITY. 

I ordered 2 glasses of higher priced wine, and paid by the glass. I also tipped 30-40 % each time. I ordered the savory cheese cake from the limited bar menu. As it was VERY rich, I couldn't eat but about half of it. When I asked Terri for a go box, she said they didn't have any and usually their bar patrons finished their food. 

Savory/pimento cheesecake

Come on! This is a full service restaurant, that was just decorated with Wine Spectator's highest award in the Orange Beach area! You can't send a server inside to get a to go box? Saying NO so emphatically to a customer defies every rule of customer service. I still plan to return on a slower night in order to get the full service experience. 

Gee, this review sounds very familiar:

“Unfriendly”

Reviewed July 1, 2012 via mobile

The 2 women bartenders at the outside bar were unfriendly & they weren't that overrun. We got the feeling they were pissed anyone was there & if they ignored you maybe you would go away. My husband & ordered a couple of beers. We asked if we could see a menu, she plopped a plastic stand in front of us & said this is all you can get here. No offer of drink menu. We ordered crab claws to eat while we waited on our table. They brought them, didn't ask if we wanted anything else to drink & didn't offer any napkins. We ate the crab claws, which were good. But we left money for our bill & left & went to Docs. Neither of them looked up as we left. 

The return visit - Monday, August 13, 2012

I returned to Cosmos on what I thought would be a slower night, Monday. I couldn't have been more wrong. Though I did arrive later than on my earlier visit, the parking situation was out of control. I had to park on the side of a busy highway.

I checked in with the hostess upon arrival and was quoted in an hour to an hour and a half wait time for an outdoor table. I sat at the outdoor bar with my dog again. Fortunately, Terri had the night off and I was attended by a tall, good-looking young man who seemed to have a lot of knowledge of the restaurant business.

I ordered a glass of Rodney Strong Chardonnay, ($11 per glass). Upon tasting this wine, I wasn't convinced that it was what I had ordered. However, I drank it anyway. When a different bartender brought my check for $4.50, I didn't contest the discrepancy. I'm disgustingly honest about these kinds of matters, but I wasn't thoroughly convinced that I didn't have the house wine, which is priced at $4.50, so I kept my mouth shut. 

In actuality I only waited about 45 min. from my table. There is live music at this restaurant every night. As a musician and music teacher, I enjoyed the artists on both visits. At least the entertainment quality is consistent.

My server was a cute young girl, who seemed a little flustered.
I already knew that I wanted the sea bass wrapped in a banana leaf. This dish comes with a salad, which consisted of chopped romaine lettuce, and one solitary grape tomato. All of their dressings are homemade. I was a little put out when the couple sitting next to me was offered bleu cheese crumbles on top of their salad. That would've been a nice touch, but it wasn't offered to me.

The sea bass also comes with house rice and mixed vegetables. I asked if I could substitute the side of asparagus for the rice. I was assured this would not be a problem. When my entrée arrived, there was rice on my plate and no asparagus. I immediately pointed out this mistake to my server. She apologized and returned with the most pitiful excuse for asparagus I have ever laid eyes on in my life.

As God and the couple sitting next to me as my witnesses, she had brought me a plate of canned asparagus, with two fresh asparagus stalks sitting on top. I was insulted beyond what I am able to articulate. I didn't articulate my disappointment, because I was still trying to determine what the vegetables had once been before they were annihilated. The vegetables were an  unrecognizable pile of mush. To say they were inedible, is a gross understatement.

The couple sitting next to me had struck up a conversation. We were laughing about the pitiful vegetables and asparagus. I remarked that at least the service was better than what I have experienced a few nights earlier. Soon after I made this statement, the server brought my check. I looked at it and couldn't help laughing out loud. She had brought me the wrong check. It was for twice the amount I expected, and clearly for two dinner guests not one.

So basically, I paid $30.00 for 8 ounces of sea bass. For half of this amount, I could've made this dish at home and had a beautiful salad and beautiful side dishes to go with it.

I believe this restaurant is taking its success and its customers for granted. If they don't get it together, I predict the next time I visit Orange Beach I won't have such a difficult time finding a parking spot. Did I just admit that I would go back? I might go and have a drink outside for the mere fact that I can take my dog and they have a great wine selection.

Will I have dinner at this restaurant are my next visit? I absolutely will not. On the first visit in which I gave up waiting for a table, I visited a new locally owned restaurant closer to our condo, called Zen. The service and food I experienced at Zen was far beyond my Cosmos experience. I plan to write a detailed review about this restaurant in the near future.

I'm so mad at myself for wasting my last night and the last chunk of my budget at Cosmos. I'm told you can take your dog to Shipp's Harbor Grill. My longtime favorite restaurant in the area is Louisiana Lagniappe. I also love Cobalt. 

I would never be so arrogant as to tell someone not to visit any restaurant. Maybe you'll have a different experience. If you do visit Cosmos, I would love some feedback on your experience. You may comment on this review anonymously. 

<a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/74/783535/restaurant/Alabama/Cosmos-Restaurant-Bar-Orange-Beach"><img alt="Cosmo's Restaurant &amp; Bar on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/783535/biglink.gif" style="border:none;padding:0px;width:200px;height:146px" /></a>

Vallarta Mexican Restaurant - Perdido Key Florida

I've had my eye on this kitschy spot for a couple of years. It's right across the road from where you turn off to go to the State Park beach. Today, soon as I entered the park and parked my car, it started pouring and lightning. What a great excuse to finally try Vallarta. 

In my estimation there are 3 items that define a quality Mexican restaurant: 1. Margarita 2. Salsa 3. Refried beans. Vallarta scored an A+ on all 3 counts. 

At first there were more employees than customers, but that quickly changed. The inside is deceptively large, with 27 tables inside, and about 12 outside. 

I found this restaurant to be very clean, from the restrooms to the bar, to the dining, and including the outdoor seating area. 

I loved everything from the fresh hot chips, to the old school decor. I had a lunch special. For 5.50 I got a beef taco, a chile relleno, guacamole salad and beans. The chile relleno was a little doughy for my preference, but it didn't stop me from eating the entire portion. It was cooked to perfection, and the cheese was 100 % quality. The taco was very authentic, topped with queso fresco instead of our Americanized version that's topped with shredded cheddar. There was also an abundance of lettuce and tomato on the plate, which I loved. 

The large top shelf margarita I had was $8, and worth every sip. I was almost disappointed to see the sun come out, which was my cue to get back to the beach. 

I have no idea what the people who rated this restaurant anything but superior are basing their reviews on. When you ask for queso, (which means cheese in Spanish), sure, they're going to bring you cheese. Would you rather the servers have speak Italian? 

The family that owns Vallarta is from Mexico City. Many Mexican restaurants are in actuality run and owned by natives of El Salvador, so I appreciate the ethnicity of the owners and staff. This restaurant also seemed very capable of seating large walk in parties.

 I will definitely be returning for more value, delicious food, charming service, and of course margaritas. In my opinion, everything was MUY BUENO!!!

Tighten logic with malleable spanners    

Cafe 7 - Bea's Steakhouse reincarnated

There's both good news and bad news, for Yazoo City residents in search of a worthwhile dining experience. 

The bad news is, The Steakhouse closed its doors for good last summer. I had the privilege of dining there one last time, the night before they closed. A legendary eating establishment, rich with history, an iconic hands-on owner, rustic atmosphere, and a juke box, was gone. Add the fact that Yazoo City is starved (pardon the pun) for quality restaurants, and we have a genuine culinary tragedy. 



The good news is, on April 20th of this year, several of the employees including long time cooks from the Steakhouse, opened Cafe 7. While you may miss the fireplace, jukebox, televisions and of course, Miss Bea, there have been some improvements. 


Although the sidewalks of the strip center in which Cafe 7 is located seem to serve as an outdoor trash can for most of its merchants, Cafe 7's store front is clearly the most well attended. There's even a bistro table and chairs and ashcan for smokers. 


The aesthetically challenged exterior was forgotten soon as I entered the building. I instantly recognized the mouth watering aroma. It was as if I had stepped back in time, and back into the legendary Steak House. It smells exactly like the same. I knew at once, I'd be tempted to order a steak. 

Yes, that's my mom about to enter.

I found the inside of the restaurant to be clean by anyone's standards. The restrooms were also clean, and I found them to be trendy and roomy. The decor is simple, modern, and appropriate for such a small space. There are 7 tables, but Cafe 7 gets its name from the fact that they're open 7 days a week. 

What some may call a "hole in the wall", I call an Epicurean adventure, the kind of spot that John Grisham often depicts in his novels. How many times does he reference unique  Mississippi Delta restaurants in which you can byob, and the main attractions are fried pickles, catfish and steak? This is exactly what defines Cafe 7. You could possibly be seated next to a farmer, your neighbor, or a former Governor. 


Last night, I had my first Cafe 7 experience. I went with 2 family members who have been regulars since the opening in April. No trip to a Mississippi Delta restaurant is complete without fried pickles. We also ordered onion rings. My party remarked that these appetizers were exactly like The Steakhouse used to make, but I believe they're slightly less greasy. The golden brown color on both the pickles and the onion rings point to their being cooked in fresh oil. The ranch dressing, which was served with the pickles, was obviously home made. I could have eaten it like soup, or turned up the bowl. 

Our salads arrived at a perfectly timed interval. There's nothing worse than having salads dumped on your table just after your appetizers arrive. The salad at Cafe 7 is one of the biggest improvements over The Steakhouse. It's comprised of spring greens, and several kinds of lettuce. The dressings, (like the ones at the Steakhouse), are all homemade. I always appreciate a thinner blue cheese dressing, as opposed to the gloppy variety that sits in one spot. I'd even venture to say that if they packaged and sold their blue cheese dressing, they'd have another success. 

I'm not a big fan of steak, but on my yearly visit to Yazoo City, I always had a filet at The Steakhouse. I decided to put Cafe 7 to the ultimate test, and ordered a medium filet with a side of sauteed mushrooms. All entrees come with a salad, roll and a choice of side. The size of the filet was not specified on the menu, but mine had to have been at least 8 ounces. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I ate all but about 2 bites. I usually order a 4 ounce filet and never finish it. 


My dining companions both ordered the grilled catfish. Not only was the presentation beautiful, it was cooked to perfection. The fish was crispy on the outside, and moist and juicy on the inside. If you're a fan of fried catfish but want to cut back on your fried food intake, you will not be disappointed with this dish. All of the food, from the steak to the rolls, was piping hot. I can't remember the last time I visited a restaurant where there was such consistency of temperature. 


We brought our own wine, which the staff will gladly open and pour for you. A wine stand/cooler and glasses are also available upon request. There is a selection of beer, but the menu simply says to ask your server for details and make sure you have your id when ordering. 


Reservations are also available, and I'm told that it can get crowded on weekends. They seem to do a lot of take out business, so that's another option. 


The menu is straightforward and approachable. I also found the prices to be lower than those of The Steakhouse. I hope anyone who has not ventured through their doors for fear of high prices will give Cafe 7 a chance. As for this diner who only visits Yazoo City once a year, I have a new tradition and "must do" destination. 

Cafe 7 is located at 1527 North Jerry Clower Blvd., Yazoo City. 
Visa, Master Card, Discover, American Express are accepted. Reservations are available. For more details call 662-746-8666.

119 Underground

Paula Estess reviewed in the last week

Appeal 3 / 3 Facilities 3 / 3 Service 3 / 3

Tonight was my first experience at this cool, trendy place. Unfortunately, we had to leave before the band started, in order to make it to a concert at the Coliseum. 

First of all, any establishment that has a seating area with comfy couches has already stolen my heart. There is plenty of bar seating to suit your preference be it bar stool, couches, or high bar top tables. We split a bottle of chardonnay, and ordered appetizers. There were 3 of us.

 Our first dish to arrive was the bacon pimento cheese spread. Wow. I have no idea how the bacon stayed so crunchy, but I have to say, hands down, this was the best pimento cheese I ever tasted. It was served with pita points, which may or may not have been homemade. 


We also had the savory beignets. How fortunate for us, that tonight, they were filled with crawfish and jalapeno jack cheese. There was nothing low fat about these beignets, but if you're going to splurge, you might as well splurge on something worthwhile.

 Lastly, we ordered the ceviche, which is always a brave menu item to offer, much less order. The ceviche at 119 Underground, may possibly be my favorite of all time, and I live in Florida, close to the ocean. Perhaps the sake helps balance the acidity, because according to my palette, it was perfect. Even though I'm only in town a few more days, I've already made plans to return, have dinner, and listen to some blues. This has to be, at this time, one of the coolest spots in Jackson.