Jackson Jambalaya

Another case of much ado about nothing it seems.

If they had bought the building this would have never been an issue, nothing worse than somebody else counting your money.

Speaking of someone else counting your money...I just have to wonder how much the lawyers made on this mess.

I think the people on this board were much more worked up about this than the two litigants.

The most important question is. Who got the good cooks and waiters? The name can't save bad food. My money is on both places being gone in two years. The metro area doesn't have enough competent restaurant workers to properly staff these establishments now. There are very few places in the area were the food quality and service live up to the price.

10:12

You are seriously incorrect.

The betrayal caused layers of painful grief which are hard to enunciate in words.

There are no winners here. The restaurant market will never support both high-end steak houses. There are already too many good - as well as established - dining options.

I have never enjoyed a meal that costs as much as a weeks worth of groceries. The result from that same meal leaves me even more dissapointed knowing I just took a $200 dump.

@ 10:08 Shame on the damn lawyers for making some money for doing their job. Us lawyers cant afford to work for free like you.

The Applebees in Madison has the best streaks.

looks like they both wanted out of jackson regardless. another empty building

That's a pretty ignorant statement.

I'm the $200.00 man. It is hard to justified a $200.00 meal. For those rich enough, more power to them.

@11:50... you lost me, which building will be empty? Also, neither were in Jackson when any of this started.

The real Shapleys will win this battle, as they created the great food/dining experience in their building. The other folks will go out of business due to an inferior location and a likely copycat menu.Ruths Chris and Ticos is a similar situation.

But how will the LIFESTYLE, Bo Bounds react.He has his face all up in Shapleys meat.

The Koestler's ARE what has been known as Shapley's for the past 20 years. Menu and wine list development and staff. M and M should not be able to keep any of that or use the name on their restaurant in any form at all.

Speaking of wait staff and kitchen help, I just heard on the news yesterday that if you eating in a Colorado restaurant, you are more likely than not being served and having your food prepared by people who are stoned. The restaurant industry (broadly defined), nationwide, does not believe in pre-employment, random, post accident or annual drug testing. If they did, you see restaurants closing down on every street corner.

This is not to suggest you can't cook if you're stoned, but would you want your doctor, mechanic, dentist, teacher or accountant stoned while working for you?

@12:45 - Lord help us, the food prep smoked a joint before slicing the lettuce this morning!

"looks like they both wanted out of jackson regardless. "

Think so? What clued you in? That both locations under discussion are currently in Ridgeland already? Hmmm - might be a clue, Sherlock.

I continue to be utterly bemused about why the readers of/commenters on this potentially valuable local website GIVE A FUCK about a stupid overpriced steakhouse, whose atmosphere was not even that charming. I don't care who owned/owns it, it was/is/ever shall be just a building with some tables and perfectly ordinary food. I have been there many times, invited by others for business reasons, and I always leave feeling thankful that someone else picked up the tab. Kingfish, may we lay this one to rest, and move along to something more relevant?

2:16, How arrogant. With your attitude, I'm certain I have no interest in anything you find relevant. Geeze. Maybe you should go with the Colorado waitstaff and smoke a joint. Relax.

2:16 I don't necessarily disagree with you about the importance of this particular topic or the lack thereof, but please remember...if you don't like the topic or the thread discussing it, you're always free to ignore this one and move on to the next.

2:16 - The reason that the type establishments exist is well known, Momma aint likely to be frisky after a meal at the Cracker Barrel.

@2:16 Lighten up, Francis....

3:29, GROSS. I doubt you have a significant other "Momma". If you ever get one, you would lose her quickly with your lack of respect.

Gimme Tico's, Reed Pierce or Gibb's Store, depending on who you want sitting next to you. Good steaks all around.

10:08 Mark's brother Christopher is a partner at Brunini, so the money, on their side at least, stayed in the family.

Scott and Julie ran the restaurant at the time Mark owned up until 1998. They have built the name up so I don’t expect mark to be very successful with his new restaurant.

5:55...Mark's brother, Chris, is and has been retired for several years. Keep up.....

"...why the readers of/commenters on this potentially valuable local website GIVE A FUCK about a stupid overpriced steakhouse, whose atmosphere was not even that charming. I don't care who owned/owns it, it was/is/ever shall be just a building with some tables and perfectly ordinary food. I have been there many times, invited by others for business reasons, and I always leave feeling thankful that someone else picked up the tab...?"

I concur. When I hear "steakhouse", I think REDNECK. And when I hear "Ruth's Chris", or "ruaeuhlll nahssss steakhouse", I think REDNECK WITH A LITTLE MONEY.

As far as the two "steakhouse dynasties" involved in this drama go, I have no clear memory of having ever been aware of either. The names sound familiar, but...

I agree with 11:08. If a place is costing 200 bucks per person, it had better be in Chez Panisse territory (and CP only asks around 125 per person). Are the Jackson-area's "nahsssss" steakhouses REALLY charging that kind of money, now?

How can everyone be stoned in Colorado but people are much fatter here in Miss.?

Chris HAS RETIRED. Why do you cull likewise comments? 6:58 is full of shift. Damn why?

Someone says the Real Shapleys will win--horsecrap--no one will respect what they have done.

Another person asks why the readers here care about this. Many of us are in business and care about doing the right thing and we care that others do the right thing. Americans in general are a trusting bunch and when we see someone do right it validates that trust. When I hear the details about this, it sounds like the original Shapleys are taking the business they sold for big money so they can sell it again when they should have only been leasing the building to the new group. Was not over a million paid for the assets of the business not to include the real estate? Then was the building leased on a yearly basis? To say the name was not purchased is an absolute joke and the Shapleys see they can pull the rug out from under the people that already paid over a million so they can sell it again based on the new owners success.

I did go there, no I will not go there with the Shapleys there, it ruined it for me, yes, I do not mind paying 200 bucks for a decent meal, I like eating around other people that also do not mind paying for a meal. It is the atmosphere I appreciate, the food is good enough for me, my wife likes it too.

This has tarnished the whole Shapley's name for me and other interested parties. This is a small town and trust does matter.

9:25 pm

I concur.

Well stated.

Scott’s dedication to the business and the employees shines through.

Koestler Prime will succeed though it won’t be easy.

Mark Shapley will sputter and flail until the joint closes and becomes a car wash.

He is retired? Then how come I see his name as the attorney in some of the Ole Miss football scandal cases?

$200 per person? Come on y'all. If it is costing $200 per person you are including drinks, and a lot of them. $200 per couple, with drinks is more likely. Stop trying to sound fancier than you are. $100/person is more like it.

All this and still no baked tater.

I am guilty of using the 200 dollar figure, I did mean for a couple and it is actually less than that, others used it and I took up the use of the term. I think what I get is probably 60 and wife's is 50 ish. 140 for what we do for the whole meal seems about right. I think we comment here as it is the only outlet and Kingfish lets us vent here. I appreciate the opportunity to do so and believe much information can be gleaned from the comments.

9:00. He came out of retirement for that case after being begged to represent those guys. He is one hell of a lawyer, but health problems forced his retirement years ago.

The cost easily reaches $240 or so per couple when you factor in the 'recommended' tip at the bottom of the ticket. The back-patio-Weber is much better if you require all cell phones be left on the kitchen table.

You don't tip, 1:03? You must not have ever waited tables. 20% is standard for good service. But $240 per couple? You and yours must eat and drink a lot more than we do!

@10:42
You've got a point about difficulty in finding restaurants in the Jax metro with both good service and food. I ate at Shapley's last week and was disappointed in both -- again. I'd give the food a C+, especially for the high price, and the service was an erratic B- at best. Ambiance was no better than a C.

For good food and service, you can't beat a Bill Latham restaurant. Food usually is B to B+ but superior service from the restaurant staff in the "A to B+" range has always been a hallmark of his restaurants. He started the old Sundancer, Char and Amerigo's in the past, and still has Babalu's and Table 100, I think.

For my two cents, I'll be surprised if another steak joint can be successful in the same location that the first steak joint failed, Ruth's Chris -- right beside the Local 463 Restaurant that moved in there a year or two ago. Ruth's Chris had nice digs at that location and it wasn't the lack of ambiance that killed its business there. It's gonna be even harder for Koestler's when they have to compete with their old restaurant if MM Shapley keep that restaurant going too. Add to that, the new restaurant choices popping up at the District at Eastover and in Flowood. So many restaurants wanting patrons who spend big bucks. With all the competition and choices for spending bucks on an expensive meal, I'll give the new steak joint at the Ruth's Chris location about 2 years, unless they get some financial backing to stretch them out to 3 yrs. Restaurant business is tough.

IT. IS. JUST. MEAT. The emotions aroused by this issue???? Why?

This just in: One of the most popular menu items at Shapleys and Ely's has hit a snag.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/salisbury-steak-recall/?trkid=soc-toh-facebook

Yes, 4:08, I do tip and I tip well. That's why I said the cost can reach $240 INCLUDING the tip.

And don't overlook the really decent steaks that can be had with a short drive. Gibbs in Learned is an excellent example. Live music in an old country store and a great steak. The Cajun place behind Blue Rooster in Flora and its BYOB. And neither requires an ascot or an Ole Miss tag on the BMW. But you may have to tolerate wait staff in jeans who smile and say, "Hey Y'ALL!"

Sounds fun, 6:44, truly. But I'm not driving to Learned or Flora. Especially with BYOB.

BYOB is actually a lot of fun. You get to show off your artsy wine bag. But you get pointed out unmercifully if you bring a brown sack. And the drive to Learned is actually a fun adventure. It's only 29 miles from central Madison. You get a chance to talk to your 'date' and phones are prohibited. Not everything enjoyable happens along the interstate or in a shopping center. You stuffy snobs need to break some paradigms and get out.

There's also Ribeye's in Yazoo City. They have cold beer and even Scotch (for the snoot-crowd).