Dining Out Gulf Coast: Bad Mamma Jamma, Mexico Beach, FL

 

Today for lunch we decided to try one of the many food trucks that are in Mexico Beach.  We'd heard good things about Bad Mamma Jamma.  A quick online search of their menu made our decision easy. 

As you can see, there's sandwiches, tacos, burgers, po'boys, seafood, and even soup and salads!

I was very intrigued by the Surf and Turf Burger:  Hand pattied, never frozen half pound burger topped with pepper jack cheese, fried shrimp, grilled onions and sriracha aioli (shizzle sauce). Served on a toasted bun with fries.  I opted to pay a little extra and have the onion rings.

This burger was LARGE.  I was only able to (barely) eat half!  

The burger was cooked perfectly and there was a nice topping to bun ratio.  The shizzle sauce was yummy.  The addition of the fried shrimp was a creative way to make this a true surf and turf burger.  The grilled onions were a nice touch and the cheese was melty and gooey as you would hope.  The bun was toasted and it all came together into an excellent burger.  The onion rings, alas, were not hand cut and breaded, but were served nice and hot with a dipping sauce that had a slightly smoky flavor.

As regular readers of the blog know, Sweet Harold loves grilled pineapple on his burgers.  When he spied the Aloha Burger on the menu, he looked no longer for any other options for his lunch.

Aloha Burger:  Hand pattied, never frozen half pound burger topped with grilled pineapple, grilled onions and Swiss cheese. Served on a toasted bun with fries.

His burger was LOADED with toppings!  I believe he counted 5 strips of bacon.  Of course, he was so happy to have that grilled pineapple slice.

There was covered outdoor seating complete with ceiling fans for those who choose to order and dine in.  We opted to come back to the room to dine.

Service was an appropriate time for what we ordered.  The person (owner?) who took our order was so nice.  I sometimes hesitate to try food trucks, but I am a firm believer in this one!

The food was hot and freshly made, there was a generous amount of condiments in our bag, and the food was delicious!

 

Dining Out Gulf Coast: Sisters' Bistro, Port St. Joe, FL

 

We ventured back to Port St. Joe last night to try a new (to us) restaurant:  Sisters' Bistro.  When we reviewed the online menu, we were amazed at all the varied choices.  Look at this wonderful menu!

They even serve breakfast!

The dining room was beginning to fill when we arrived, but service went off without a hitch.  Salomon took care of everything efficiently and with such a pleasant disposition.  

We began our meal with fried ravioli which was served piping hot with a bowl of creamy marinara (also hot) for dipping.  This was a perfect start.

We each enjoyed a Caesar's salad which had an extremely flavorful dressing.  The garlic flavor was prominent as it should be and there was a generous amount of shaved Parmesan.

Sweet Harold decided to forego seafood for the meal and selected Chicken Parmigiana which was served with a side of pasta and marinara.  As you can tell, this was an extremely generous serving.  He reports it was better than most he's had in his life.  The chicken was tender, the coating was tasty, and his only suggestion was that the pasta could have used a little more salt in the water while it was cooking.  But the salt shaker on the table solved that issue.

I was ready for some red snapper and I was so glad to see it on the menu.  Their version is served as follows:  local red snapper, pan seared, baked, and drizzled with lemon cream sauce.  Served with steamed broccoli and parmesan risotto.  

Isn't that a beautiful plate of goodness?  Let's start with the snapper!

The snapper was light and flaky with a delicate crust.  As y'all know, I love anything lemon and this sauce complimented the flavor of the fish perfectly.  I chose well!  So many layers of flavors here.

The broccoli was lightly steamed and, thankfully, hadn't been turned into mush!  

But this parmesan risotto was amazing!  It should have it's own separate place on the menu.  I could have eaten an entire plate of the risotto.  Perfectly cooked!  There's a talent in that, you know.

We're so glad we've found another restaurant in Port St. Joe to enjoy!

Dining Out Gulf Coast: Uptown Raw Bar & Grill, Port St. Joe, FL

We visited here two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed our meal.  We knew we wanted to return and sample more delicious food!

As with our last visit, tuna dip was our starter!  If possible, it was more yummy this visit.  A large portion of house made tuna dip with lots of crackers which made it easy to keep a good dip to cracker ratio.  

Sweet Harold (of course!) chose the grilled Grouper Dinner with slaw and fries.  It was also served with garlic toast.  The grouper was nicely seasoned and he really enjoyed his meal.

Did I mention that you can actually pour your own beer?  Yes, it's on the honor system.  You have a card on your table, you chose your beverage, and mark it the card.  So, here he is getting ready to serve our Land Sharks! 

I had loved the gumbo on our last visit, so I copied my order and inhaled a cup of steaming hot gumbo goodness.  Shrimp and veggies swimming in rich, thick homemade roux goodness.

I chose crab claws which were sauteed with garlic butter and served with garlic toast and a cup of drawn butter.  These were perfection!

The garlic toast was a slice of toasty, buttery, garlicky, crunchy goodness.  It was the ideal accompaniment to soak up all that crab claw goodness.

Here are some photos of the interior.

 

As you can tell from the menu, there's a wide variety of food to choose from no matter what you're in the mood to enjoy.  So many oyster options!  Steaks, salad, chicken, sandwiches, and tacos are all available for your dining experience.

Service was great, the vibe was relaxed and easy, and it's just a great place to have a fun meal.

Dining Out Gulf Coast: The Shrimp Basket, Panama City Beach, FL

 

We arrived in Panama City Beach, FL Sunday afternoon on the way to Mexico Beach, FL for a stay at the beach.  We had a few hours before checking in to our hotel, so we stopped at The Shrimp Basket for a late lunch.  

Here are pictures of the menu.

We each chose a Shrimp Basket "Pail" Ale.  Clever, right?  This was a crisp Pale Ale from Fairhope Brewing Company.

I did my online research for spots to eat while we were traveling.  I discovered that The Shrimp Basket offers a free selected starter if you download their app.  Done!

We chose the Boom Boom Shrimp (a $14.00 value!) which was totally removed from our check by our server after showing her the code I had received from downloading the app!  

These were delicious fried popcorn shrimp and tossed in their special boom boom sauce.  There was some fun heat here, but nothing that was dangerously spicy or hot!  A cup of ranch cooled down what heat was there.  Thanks for our appetizer!

Sweet Harold loves popcorn shrimp almost as much as he loves grouper.  He chose the All You Can Eat Popcorn Shrimp with fries and slaw.  The meal also comes with hushpuppies and a corn fritter.

As you can see this is a very generous serving!  When the server asked if he wanted a second serving, he replied in the affirmative.  Normally with AYCE options, the next serving is much smaller than the first.  Not this time.  Another generous serving was delivered to the table.  He loved them.  They were served piping hot, well seasoned, and with a great crunch.

The slaw met his approval as well.

I selected the fried oysters with fries, slaw, hush puppies, and a corn fritter.

Will you please take note of the size of those oysters?  They were huge!  They had a crispy light breading and were seasoned well.  

The hush puppies were made with yellow cornmeal and were a little "packy" for my taste.  If you like dense texture hushpuppies, you'll be pleased.  If you prefer a lighter, fluffier hushpuppy, these may not be your jam.  To each his/her own.

The little corn fritter was yummy!

If you like a little spice with your food, each table has their own hot sauce available.  It had a nice chipotle like flavor.  

We had a great experience at this location.  The host stand was right by the door, we were greeted immediately, and promptly seated.  

Our server was personable and extremely attentive.  She made sure we had everything we needed.  

Plus, that free appetizer was appreciated!

Dining Out Southeast: The Butter Dish, Pikeville, TN

 

This past week, we traveled up to Tennessee to enjoy some bargain hunting on the "World's Longest Yard Sale" on U.S. Hwy. 127.  The route goes from my hometown in Gadsden, Alabama all the way to Addison, Michigan! As we came near Pikeville, it was approaching lunch time, so I started a Google search to try to find a restaurant we thought we'd enjoy.  

The Butter Dish seemed to be exactly what we would love.  This local favorite is a downhome spot with meat and veggies, sandwiches, salads, and homemade desserts.  

We were warmly greeted and promptly seated.  Due to the high traffic during the annual sale, an abbreviated menu was offered.  After we made our selections and ordered, I took a few photos of the charming interior of the restaurant.  Everything was spotlessly clean and neat.

Sweet Harold chose the Cheeseburger and housemade chips The burger was perfectly cooked and well seasoned, the toppings were abundant, and the bun was nice and soft.  The chips were cooked nice and crispy and weren't greasy.  He was very pleased.

I chose the roast beef sandwich and was given a choice of white, wheat, marble rye, or sourdough bread which is made at the restaurant.

I love sourdough and that was my selection!  The roast beef was very tender and full of flavor.  The roast beef was topped with American and Swiss cheeses and caramelized onions.  I would drive back to Pikeville just for this sandwich.  Yes, it was that delicious!  The tater tots were served hot and crispy.

As we finished our meal, I noticed that along the top of the window line was a collection of butter dishes!  How neat.

Speaking of the homemade breads and desserts, there was a great assortment of breads and cookies for sale.

Now look at these delicious desserts to choose from in the display cases.

Sweet Harold loves cheesecake and was eager to try the White Chocolate Raspberry version.

It was as rich and decadent as it looks!

I tried the banana pudding and it was happy with my selection as well.

Our server was efficient, helpful with menu selections, and kept our drinks filled.  The atmosphere was homey and welcoming.  The food was delicious and promptly served.  We thoroughly enjoyed our meal.  

If you're ever through this part of the world, stop in and see and taste for yourself!