(From January 2011) Everything’s made from scratch at this unpretentious local cafe. The chicken-fried steak earns its reputation with thick, tender, well-seasoned beef in a hearty crust, and the hand-cut steaks are deliciously cooked to order and bargain priced. Friday night’s seafood buffet is heavy on the fried stuff, but the Southwestern salmon is flavorful and fresh. Sides include outstanding yeasty dinner rolls and country-style veggies; the green beans simmered with bacon are wickedly good. Skip the peach pie and have a slice of the decadent Jefferson Davis coconut custard topped with pecans. Beer & wine.

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(From November 2011)

Every city needs a restaurant like this upscale national chain, with its clubby atmosphere, art deco chandeliers, oil paintings, and expert service from bow-tied waiters. A hunk of grilled swordfish—not the most neutral-flavored fish in the sea—was transformed by an assertive lemon-shallot relish; a side of creamed spinach revealed why it’s a signature dish here. Dessert was coconut cream pie better than any that Grandma ever made: airy sponge cake, thick custard, and whipped cream festooned with toasted coconut. Bar. 

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(From June 2011) All-you-can-eat catfish draws loyal locals to this unpretentious surf-and-turf spot, where combo platters pair the name-sake fish with everything from jumbo shrimp and stuffed crab to ten-der frogs’ legs and oysters (a succulent delight, and just as good tucked into a po’boy sandwich). There’s also a respectable selection of grilled seafood, hand-cut steaks, and CFS, as well as a 21-item salad bar and a bottomless pot of bacon-infused pinto beans. Be sure to save room for a slice of Tootie’s Buttermilk Pie. Beer & wine.

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(From December 2010) Cowboy. Steak. House. That pretty much says it all. The cozy interior, with Western memorabilia adorning just about every inch of the walls and tabletops, takes you right up to, but blessedly not over, the line of kitsch. More important, smoky aromas from the indoor mesquite grill will start your mouth watering the minute you walk in the door. Choices of steaks include all the cuts you’d expect, and there’s also buffalo, chicken-fried steak, and chicken. They even offer grilled seafood (but—really?). Bar.

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(From February 2012)

Chef Molly McCook’s preference for the produce of local farmers translates into well-articulated, always interesting seasonal menus. Squash was on our radar, with a roasted-squash-and-ricotta tart served with arugula, a cheesy squash fondue topped with buttery bread crumbs, and young, tender spears of fried okra. We still managed to consume every last bite of cornmeal-crusted redfish with crawfish étouffée. Beer & wine.

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(From September 2010) A bit less stuffy than most top-shelf steakhouses (think louder music and brighter lights), Fleming’s offers a happy-hour bar menu alongside its more expensive dining room service. Notable for its 100-plus wines by the glass, it also has excellent meats and flown-in fish. A classic wedge salad (enough blue cheese to make a meal in itself) took care of our first course. We followed that with a trio of meaty lamb chops, grilled to perfection, and a filet mignon that had more flavor than the cut usually provides. A nightly prix fixe dinner is also available. Bar.

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(From December 2010) Kudos to chef Tiffany Derry, of Top Chef fame, for taking a stand and refusing to serve overfished Chilean sea bass and bluefin tuna. There are plenty of other fish in the sea for her to put her stamp on; we loved the Hawaiian ono, a meaty grilled filet glazed with salsa verde. For an appetizer, don’t miss her creative layered salad, which combines mild mixed greens with salty blue cheese, crunchy candied wal-nuts, and tart Granny Smith apples. Bar.

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(From May 2011) Forget your swimsuit—“Hottub” is merely the nickname of owner Danny McGuire. You can, however, warm yourself up with a gratis cup of well-seasoned beans and some hush puppies while you peruse the menu. We decided to test the waters with the chicken-fried steak and a combo platter of fried shimp and oysters; the steak was fork tender and not at all greasy, while the seafood was lightly battered and perfectly cooked. Sides range far and wide, from creamy mashed potatoes to bright-green sugar snap peas. Bar.

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(From May 2011) On our most recent visit, we enthusiastically devoured both of the featured fish dishes, a roasted salmon filet and the signature Katz Snapper, adorned with grilled shrimp and lump crab. We did not ignore red meat, though. Steak is part of the name and a large part of Katz’s game—the finest-quality beef, properly seared and presented on sizzling hot plates. What more could you ask? Our only disappointment was the usually excellent Katz Meow appe-tizer of grilled shrimp, crab, and béarnaise with crisp toast points; the sauce was more paste-like than creamy. Bar.

Sunday, June 28th, 2009, 5:59 pm
Larry says:
You need to update your listing for Katz 21. They are not open for lunch at this time.

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(From July 2011)

This newcomer has an almost mysteriously dark interior, with limestone walls receding into the shadows but brightly lit tabletops. Steak, natch, is the main attraction, with eight-ounce cuts running from $28 to $75 (Akaushi beef). Even the low-end filet proved exceptional: tender with an intense meaty flavor. Not a beef eater? The Chilean sea bass, a big, thick, fresh-tasting chunk with a miso-wine sauce, was cooked as well as any we’ve had in town. Appetizers were a bit less exalted; both the lox and the carpaccio struck us as perfunctory, while the side of macaroni and cheese was almost flavorless. But if you focus on the main courses, Ounce can be a prime experience. Bar. 

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