Jackson Jambalaya

I was fortunate enough to be in Troop 1 and earning my Eagle under Colonel Cabaniss is one of my proudest achievements. He was an incredible leader, great teacher and an amazing and generous man. He exemplified the Greatest Generation.

The Rice Furniture matchbook says "Since 1868" That's a really long run for a furniture store.

Thanks kingfish.

Although I had heard of the Belmont, I didn't know much about it.

I'm not surprised that it was owned by yet another one of Jackson's great Greek families that knew their restaurants.

Thanks for another fun trip down memory lane, Kingfish. Don't remember the Rice's Furniture store downtown, but do vaguely remember the Maywood Mart store. Seems like it was on the west end near where there was once an Emporium "satellite" store while the main store was still downtown. A picture from elsewhere showing the demolition of the Rice's with the then new Federal Building in the background leans it was in the 100 block of East Capitol between Lamar and Farish where they built the parking garage with retail/office space on the first floor; think Wasabi Downtown.

Always wondered what the Lamar Life Building annex once housed. Makes perfect sense that it would have been a restaurant. No memory of that though it was still there after we moved to Jackson. Odd that I'd remember the downtown Jitney Jungle up the street, but not that restaurant.

Remember Capital Floral, at least the Lamar/Amite location if not what appears to be the original Capitol/President site.

"Pompano Popilote?" "Rizzoto?" I wonder if those are anything like Pompano en Papillote and Risotto?

I have no idea what the place was like or if the food was good, bad, or otherwise, but I am always dubious when places attempt to swank it up and screw it up. I have seen similar things on numerous "upscale," "new cuisine" places around MS, sometimes with tasty results even with the wildly incorrect names/spellings and descriptions. I've also seen the results be an even bigger error than the spelling/description. Here's a tip (see what I did there): if chef/restaurateur cannot spell and accurately describe a dish they plan on putting on the menu, don't put it on the menu. A good "broiled chicken with house special rice" beats a f'ed-up chicken with "rizzoto" any day.

Ah, Mississippi math and history:

In 1925, the Belmont's opening was heralded in the Ledger and 46 years later, in 1957, it was where the sons of pioneers were still stuffing their faces with rizzoto...hmmm...

Assuming "pioneers" meant white folks only (and in 1957, you can bet yer popilote it did), Mississippi was "discovered" in 1699, became a territory in 1798 and a state in 1817. Whichever "pioneers" one wishes to choose, by 1957 those must have been some old sons of...pioneers...

It's a motto both black and white Jacksonians can get behind: "Jackson - We may be ignorant and gullible, but at least we're racist!" Or heck, the other way around works, too.

Allen Edmonds shoes for $109 a pair. Don't I wish!

Er, you'd wish for Allen Edmonds shoes at $109 a pair and ignore 9.5% short-term guaranteed (and insured) return?!?!

Shit, the only things getting that kind of "guaranteed" return nowadays are timber deeds and PERS investments. Well, at least until the indictments and trustee lawsuits, anyway. On the positive side, after the indictments the latter "guarantees" automagically revert back into something with which you can wipe your behind.

The funniest one to me is the Everett Hardware's phone number was 362.

"Hello? Sarah? Get me 362!"