On a recent road trip, I stopped at Harrah’s in Biloxi, MS overnight. There I discovered Magnolia House, a fine dining restaurant within the hotel by celeb chef Kelly English, who has two other restaurants in Memphis.
A little leary of an absent chef and a casino restaurant, I booked dinner there and was rewarded with an excellent meal from the spring dinner menu, still serving in June.
I started with the wedge salad (butter lettuce with croutons, tomatoes,
onions, creole ranch & olive) which was uber fresh and delicious with an egg dressing. And it was really large, too large for a starter salad but would have been a great size for splitting.
I ordered the parmesan seared seabass with fancy peas & carrots and it was amazing. The fish was tender and cooked perfectly, the peas included a swath of mushy peas and a bed of shoots along with a scattering of fresh peas and tiny heritage carrots. The side of creamed spinach was average but the side of English peas and ham was amazing. The sautéed gulf snapper sauce ponchartrain & market vegetables was also a hit at the table.
A delightful meal.
If I get to Memphis, I’ll definitely try this chef’s other two establishments, Restaurant Iris and The Second Line (the latter a tribute to his upraising in Louisiana).
I’d like to hear of anyone’s experiences at the Memphis eateries!
Here’s the seabass:
