Not too long ago, when on a trip to Lake Barkley at Land Between the Lakes, we were able to take advantage of a recent groupon to Taste of N’awlins in the Joelton area.  Being fans of the city itself, as well as pretty much any of its cuisine, we were intrigued.  After finding a positive review on Urbanspoon, we figured the savings from Groupon would be worth it, and decided to give it a try.

Not knowing what to try, we decided to start with the cheese fries.  Normally, cheese fries aren’t anything special, but here rather than chili or some other topping, this place uses the debris gravy from their roast beef.  The debris is incredibly full of beefy flavor and bits of the roast beef, and gives a totally different degree of flavor to the usually simple flavors of something like cheese fries.

The roast beef po-boy was served piping hot with cole slaw.  There was a generous amount of pickles and tomatoes, so that in every bite you enjoyed the flavor. The bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  This is very reminiscent of the sandwiches we enjoyed at Johnny’s Po-Boys in New Orleans.

The bowl of red beans and rice came with a nice portion of smoked sausage and french bread to sop up the thick red bean gravy.  The actual red beans and rice were thick and mixed well with the plentiful rice, and was really too much to eat in one sitting.  Nevertheless, each bite was filling and simple, pretty much what red beans and rice are supposed to be.

One of our newest favorite places is the latest edition of Chef Jason McConnell’s growing Middle TN empire, 55 South.  Chef McConnell’s other Franklin, TN restaurants include both Sol and Red Pony, which focus on mexican/tex-mex and new southern cuisine, respectively.  55 South is a special breed of restaurant, focusing on the cuisine that dominates the Interstate 55 corridor from Memphis to New Orleans.  Having myself grown up in Memphis, gone to college in Jackson, MS, and spent plenty of time in NOLA, going to 55 South is a lot like reliving some of the better parts of younger days.

On our latest trip, we started with the restaurant’s fried green tomato appetizer, which included shrimp in a cold, tangy remoulade sauce.  The fried green tomatoes are slightly smaller than I’m used to, but the small, silver dollar sized FGT’s are just about the right size to be eaten with one of the small shrimp or two.  Rather than paring the tomatoes with ranch, as usual, Chef McConnell managed to combine a delta favorite, fried green tomatoes, with a creole staple, shrimp remoulade, with great results.

The decor is distinctly delta (as in Mississippi)

Sarah has become partial to their tamales, a spicy, meaty staple of Mississippi’s Tamale Trail, topped with a black bean chili mixture.  The tamales feature a hefty amount of dough in relation to the meat, which is slightly spicy, but very flavorful.

55 South also features the closest I’ve found to an authentic New Orleans style shrimp po-boy.  The shrimp are large, crunchy, and feature a slightly spicy seasoning, while the french bread is chewy, but soft.  Po-Boy’s come dressed with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo, while the crinkle cut fries are crispy and salty, but really an afterthought to the main course.

55 South also excels with its drink menu, which includes a prickly pear margarita, the first we’ve found outside of Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill in Vegas, and a more than adequate representation of the original, no less.

While we’ve still got many more trips to 55 South in our future (hopefully), other friends we’ve taken to the restaurant have declared the shrimp and grits with its barbecued shrimp and blue cheese grits a perfect example of the low country cuisine taken to another level.  The barbecued shrimp are not barbecued as we know it, but rather intensely flavored with a creamy, buttery sauce and placed on top of smooth, buttery, blue cheese grits.

Also on the menu is the sampler of sampler of gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya.

Overall, 55 South is probably the best example Sarah and I have found of true, New Orleans style Cajun and creole dining.  While neither of us are originally from the area, we have a great appreciation for all applications of the flavors and presentations that great area of the USA is famous (or infamous) for.  Any of you readers out there have any suggestions for good quality cajun and creole dining in Middle TN?  We’ve got a few in our queue, but we’re more than happy to listen to anyone else’s suggestions on whether the jambalaya or the gumbo is the best to try at any given place.