Jackson Jambalaya

A thread about the Dock might set an all-time record for comments....even before you get to the part about the visionaries who brought us the desolate shoreline we have now.

I always thought The Elite was overrated. When I first moved to Jackson in 1993, my office was in One Jackson Place, so The Elite was convenient. My first time there, the owner came and stood by our table because he thought we were taking too long. It was then I asked him to send a waitress over so we could order dessert. He was fuming. We ate our meal at our own pace, despite his glares, and I never went back...not ever.

Mr. Jimmy and Mr. Pete are both gone now, but the Elite is still the best place to eat in downtown Jackson. The rolls are still great!

Red, Hot & Blue was an incredible BBQ when it first opened, but it declined well before its last few years. They started buying lower quality meat a few years after it opened. Its last years were really bad, but those first few years were amazing!

The Dock indeed needs its own post. The sad thing is that guy bought Main Harbor to build that epic failure Harborwalk and that killed the Dock. If you were of barhopping age from the 1980s until the mid-2000s, you likely have fond memories of that place.

Oh man.....half pound T-bone for 70 cents......and you get fries!

Interesting list! For once I vividly remember all but one that came and left before my time, the New Capitol Cafeteria. Given the address, that had to be on the NW corner of the intersections of High and West Streets, where the supreme court building sits today. MDAH says it was built in 1947 and the bankruptcy sale is 1956, so it didn't even last 10 years and was gone 6 years before we moved to Jackson. Wonder if the supreme court has been there since? I'm thinking not since the building before the current one was in an architectural style that probably came a little later. Any attorneys out there who know where the MSSC was in the late 1950s?

Red Hot and Blue was a happening place in its day. Seems like a friend of mine's father was the, or one of the, owners since she worked there nights and he later went on to another BBQ based business. The Elite? What can even be said. Sad that it has gone down in recent years along with the decline in downtown. Used to eat there at least once a week when I was downtown, but in recent years it got where they wouldn't necessarily have a given special for that day, they day it had ALWAYS been the special, for reasons like "the cook who makes that... isn't here today, etc." Otherwise, The Dock? Was never a regular there, but put in several appearances.

I never got the big fuss about the Elite. I know it's a "Jackson legend" or whatever, but it's cafeteria food to me. I had better burgers in the lunchroom in high school, and the blue plates are on par with what you can get at Picadilly. It's been there a long time and a lot of people love it, so maybe I'm just not ordering the right things.

But if the best thing you can say about a restaurant is that they have good rolls, then...

P.S. Forgot to mention I found a good picture of the New Capitol Cafeteria on an old postcard here.

The Elite breakfast is still pretty good. Interesting how the owner complained in the newspaper about how the Capitol street construction really hurt his business a few years ago. However, the Mayflower seemed to stay pretty crowded even though it lacked something the Elite had- a parking lot. The rolls are still pretty good.

One time, a waitress got a new car so Mr. K had it towed as he didn't recognize it. He had to pay to get it back for her.

The veal with cream sauce was my go to item at the Elite.
Hard to beat the rolls with comeback dressing.

The Pigs had one of the cooler billboards.

Does Mena Zouboukos Applewhite still hostess at The Elite some at lunchtime, helping her (I guess?) brother/cousin? She started doing that after her dad, Mr. Pete, died in 2007.

Seeing Chuck McRae in a leopard speedo on a pink Jet ski was priceless one Sunday at the dock

No, I don't think Mena does that anymore.

Speaking of Harborwalk, I would love it if Kingfish would post an update on that dumpster fire. There's a link under "The Kingfish's Favorite Posts" titled "Harborwalk Hoax?" that is over 10 years old.

How about an update on this jewel in the PRVWD's crown? When are we gonna see water taxis from Lost Rabbit to Hotel Valencia?

The Elite is literally canned vegetables and boring meat with little seasoning.

@1:14pm
Lewis......I noticed the text with the photo you linked said the New Cap. Café was:
"Directly adjacent to New State Capitol & State Office Building."

Any of you ever eat at the Mary Francis Tea Room.......located at the corner of North State and Amite for a number of years. Moved out to Hwy. 80 where it eventually closed.

That was our go to place after church on Sundays........food was great.

I used to love that the Elite would put white beans and ham hocks on the special lunch this time of year… you’ve inspired me- I’m going to head down there this week.

New Capitol was where the Gartin Justice Building is now. Which was across the street from the "new" capitol and caty-cornered from THE state office building at the time, the Woolfolk Building. (Guess you could call that 'adjacent' since Carter Jewelry is half a block to the east of the capitol but claimed to be to it's north for a long time in their numerous ads.)

Gartin Building was constructed on the site in 1972-73 following the construction of the Sillers Building (1970-72).

Thanks for the timeline on the Gartin Justice Building, 11/12 @ 8:00 pm. Now I wonder if that property just sat vacant or was a parking lot or whatever for the 15 or so years in between the demise of the New Capitol Cafeteria and construction of the Gartin Building.

The Elite has definitely gone down in recent years. Rolls are about the only thing left going for. And, quite frankly, it's expensive. If you get their signature enchiladas and tea, you're looking at $16-$17 with tip for lunch. There's a reason the Mayflower is still packed at lunch (while there may be 5 tables in the Elite during peak time). Their plate lunch including tea is $9.75. I miss all of the old rib joints--Gridley's, Red Hot & Blue. Hickory Pit is still good, though. Ah, the Dock. You couldn't beat pulling up on a warm Sunday afternoon in your boat. And, of course, late night was always interesting. Still remember the impromptu Prince concert.

Lunch time Roast Beef blue plate at the original Cherokee Inn. Could even smoke a cigarette at the bar when I was done. 20 years ago...

Man I miss Red Hot and Blue. Anybody remember the billboard on Lakeland, right above where (what's left of) the Park is today?

They unveiled it in segments, every other week or so. When it was completed, it was one long phrase:

Edy

Wija

Fan

Gas

= EDYWIJAFANGAS "Eat it with your fingers"

I loved RHB, but I hated that EDYWIJAFANGAS, because I always read it as "Eddie with ya fan gas".

Should have been "EEDITWITCHAFINGAS", but I know I obsess over stupid old things that no one else cares about. I mean, I still get pissed off at how the Laff-A-Lympics always cheated to make the Scooby Doo team win.

There has to be a reason that the Elite has been around for so long, but I agree with several of the comments here that it's average food at best. It may have been the toast of the town in the Eisenhower years, but now it's no better than visiting a roadside diner.

There are three things that people just rave about that make me laugh: a restaurant's bread, their chips and salsa, or their sweet tea. I mean really, are there any three things that are easier to make and that are less indicative of the quality of the dining experience?

"Let me tell you about Billy Bob's Rib Shack...they have AMAZING rolls!"

"Have you eaten at McPhalluster's Deli? Their sweet tea is SO GOOD!"

"Let's go to Las Cagadas Cantina...they have OUTSTANDING chips and salsa!"

Jackson diners are so easy to please.

I usually get the rolls to go if I'm passing by.

How many remember the dock when it was Tubby's Tavern and 'Rat' was the manager/bartender? It wasn't much bigger than a portable building back then.