WHERE WE WENT:
The Captain's Table
1110 Beck Avenue
Panama City, FL 32405
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Shrimp Po' Boy, French Fries, Cheese Grits, Hushpuppies
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 6
Menu - 7
Presentation - 5
Taste - 6
Price - 7
Service - 6
Overall - 6
Atmosphere - The Captain's Table 's one word summation would be "dive." It's an old building, with peeling paint and in great need of renovation. Any little bits of decor are of old Florida photos, preserving the history of the town, which would be cool, if the amount was not so sparse. The idea could be executed really well,
if it seemed like there was any conscious effort to create a theme. It really looks like someone found a few old photos and keepsakes in the attic and just strew them around where they landed. The tables and chairs are old and rickety with torn cushions and wobbly legs that make you pay attention to your balance all meal. In spite of all of these really unappealing aspects, Captain's Table does manage to maintain an air of small town charm. This is the kind of place where the servers know you and you run into your neighbors on a Sunday afternoon. The chairs may be wobbly, but if you're from around here, then they're probably the same ones your great-grandparents sat in. It's located in the fantastic, historic old neighborhood of St. Andrews, surrounded by other quaint pieces of the town's history.
Menu
- There is pretty much all the kinds of seafood that you'd want. Since it's in the Panhandle, you know that anything you order is going to be super fresh. The oysters on the half shell are always the star. There are some standard options available in case you're not a fan of fishy fare. If you are a strict vegetarian though, good luck. You'll be relegated to maybe three choices, one of which is a less than appetizing side salad. While there is an abundance of seafood options, nothing is particularly unique or creative. There isn't any spark of culinary genius that you'd find in the big city.
Presentation - It's exactly the kind of presentation you would expect from a dive caliber joint.
Taste - We'll start with the good. Captain's Table has some of the BEST cheese grits ever. In the South, we take our grits pretty seriously, and these are serious. They are the perfect mix of creamy and cheesy. The hushpuppies are also delicious. They are have a nice after-kick to them. What wasn't so great was the po' boy. There wasn't a ton of shrimp and the bread was kinda stale. Where the bread was stale, the french fries have the exact opposite problem; they were soggy. While it's great that the hushpuppies and cheese were yummy, if you're a seafood restaurant then your main shrimp should be amazing.
Price
-The price is good. It helps that the food comes fresh out of the gulf. It's pretty comparable to any other similar place in the same market.
Service - Our waitress was kind of flighty. It took her a long while to come over and greet us and take our drink orders, and it was not a particularly busy time. My drink sat empty for a while, a couple of different times. She wasn't very friendly either. Not someone I would ask for their section.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Meh. It's a part of the community and it's at a great location. It wouldn't be our first choice for dinner, but it works.
WHERE WE WENT:
Arnold's Meat & 3
605 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN
37203
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Roast
Beef, Green Beans, Corn Bread, Mac & Cheese, Mashed Potatoes &
Gravy, Cream Corn, Country Fried Steak, Chocolate Cayenne Pie
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 6
Menu - 7
Presentation - 5
Taste - 9
Price - 8
Service - 9
Overall - 8
Atmosphere
- If you're looking for a cool joint to hang out and spend time with
friends while enjoying a casual meal, the Arnold's is not your place.
Arnold's focuses more on convenience and efficiency rather than creating
an ambiance. You are greeted by an ostensibly plain cinder block
building and the inside is Not much different. Almost nothing adorns the
walls, no interesting colors can be found. The seating is as basic as
it comes and is cramped tightly together, giving you the feeling of a
high school cafeteria. You come in, get your food from the line, sit,
eat quickly and then depart. It isn't a place you linger.
Menu - Arnold's menu varies from
day to day. The daily specials are listed on a chalk board, but there
are some staples that never change like mac & cheese. Options and
prices are clearly listed, which is good because you'll have a lot of
time to look at them while waiting in a considerable line and you better
know what you want be the serving is speedy. There are plenty of
options: at least three meat options, multiple types of bread, a wide
variety of vegetables and two or three kinds of dessert as well.
Presentation
- The presentation of the food is just as plain jane as the building.
White, cafeteria-style plates are used to plop food onto. Things are all
melded together. It just isn't particularly pretty.
Taste - One thing you need to know. Everything was hot. Literally,
every
single thing had a kick to it that you can't ignore. The flavors were
different and unique, but the heat was always there. That being said, it
was delicious. The roast beef was tender and juicy, some of the best
we've ever had. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the gravy very
flavorful. Even the macaroni and cheese managed to maintain the heat
characteristic of Arnold's. It can only be described as soul food. It
literally warms your heart and soul along with your stomach because it
just feels like home. If you don't like spicy, then it isn't for you.
Even the chocolate pie leaves you with a striking after-taste because of
the cayenne they use.
Price
- For you get, the price is excellent. $8.60 for the namesake meat
& three sides is outstanding especially considering how delicious
everything will be. Portions are sizeable, it's so scrumptious that
it'll still leave you wanting more.
Service - Food is served down a
cafeteria line, so there are no actual waiters or waitresses, but
everyone we came into contact with was friendly, welcoming and helpful.
They went out of their way to make us feel at home and ensure our
satisfaction. They ran out of mashed potatoes right as we were headed
down the line, but instead of just saying, "oh well," they gave us a
number and made sure to bring some out to us at our table when they
replenished their stock.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes!
If we're ever in Nashville, this will definitely be one of our go-to
places. Off the beaten path of Broadway, it seems like it's a local
secret.
WHERE WE WENT:
Lambert's Cafe
2305 E. Malone Avenue
Sikeston, MO
63801
WHAT WE ORDERED:
Roast Beef, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Apple Sauce, Candied Yams, Fried Pork Chops, Baby Carrots, Macaroni & Tomatoes, Fried Potatoes & Onions, Black Eyed Peas, Fried Okra, Hot Rolls w/ Apple Butter and Sorghum Molasses
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
Atmosphere - 10
Menu - 10
Presentation - 8
Taste - 8
Price -10
Service - 8
Overall - 9
Atmosphere
- From the outside, one might find Lambert's suspect. It's on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere in Sikeston, MO. You might not even give it a second look, but you should. Walking inside, you feel as though you're immediately transported back into the "good ole days." The building itself resembles an old barn furnished with magnificent memorabilia such as old license plates, state flags, and decades-old advertisements. The seating is open and spacious and the mood is solidified by a live pianist tackling classic tunes.
Menu
-All the homestyle, classic comfort foods are represented on the Lambert's menu as some unique that are hard to find elsewhere such as frog legs. There are substantial options for both vegetarians and the carnivorous. If you're from below the Mason-Dixon line and your grandmother made it, it's probably on the menu.
Presentation -Lambert's has by far the most unique presentation of food that we've seen so far. The main entrees are served out of the old school, tan, sectioned off cafeteria plates that remind you of eating when you were a kid. The hot rolls are truly entertaining. Each time a batch of hot rolls as large as your head comes out of the kitchen a tosser takes the trays on a cart. By raising your hand, you signal that you want a roll and they proceed to toss them at you from the front of the restaurant. That's where they got their nickname "Home of the Throwed Rolls." A guy follows behind the tosser doling out the best apple butter and sorghum molasses you've ever tasted. Constantly circling the restaurant are server with big silver bowls containing "passarounds" (macaroni & tomatoes, fried potatoes & onions, and fried okra), dishes that are offered in addition to your meal at no cost.
Taste
- The passarounds were all good, specifically the macaroni & tomatoes. For such a simple dish it was full of flavor. The black eyed peas were a little too mushy. The apple sauce was chunky and delicious while the mashed potatoes were smooth and covered in just the right amount of brown gravy. The baby carrots were cooked perfectly and had excellent flavor from the brown sugar glaze. The pork chops were nicely fried, juicy inside and crusty on the outside. The roast beef was delicious, just like grandma's.
Price - The pricing here is excellent considering the very generous portions you receive. Each entree comes with at least two vegetable and the price includes all the passarounds and rolls you can eat. A foodie bargain.
Service - The waitstaff was attentive and friendly. The passaround staff was in constant circulation. However, our waiter was switched on us and it took a while to get our check and change.
WOULD WE GO BACK?
Yes! We drove 2 1/2 hours just to try out this restaurant and if we had that kind of time on another day, we'd go again. It was delicious.
Here's a link to their website:
www.throwedrolls.com
