Ladies that lunch - South of Beale

This week, the ladies that lunch went to South of Beale in the South Main district!

We got there around noon and it wasn't quite what I expected.  It was much newer & neater.  I think I was picturing less of a "hipster" bar.  Really, from the foodie-esque menu, I expected more restaurant, less bar just general.  Also, they were completely dead with only 2 other people in the whole place.  But neither here nor there.  We came in hungry and plunked down.

They brought us a bowl of popcorn with some sort of cinnamon sugar/cayenne pepper shake on it as soon as we sat down.  Tasty!  We tried to dissect the shake and I think I could replicate at home.  (In theory only.)  But I really liked that because you rarely get bread baskets anymore.  Not that I need a big ole basket of bread before my meal.  But it's nice to have something to nibble while you wait.

Off to a good start...  I had scoped out the menu before going with my mouth ready for the grilled salmon which came with brussel sprouts.  (FYI, brussel sprouts are one of the few foods I out-&-out dislike.  That and the big melty brie cheese they serve at weddings.  Blech.)  I hear I would like brussel sprouts if cooked with bacon - like S.O.B. offered.  But I didn't feel like taking a chance on my one side so I subbed the braised red cabbage.  The other ladies went with a sammich, a burger, and the Cajun potatoes.

Our server was very attentive and all over the refills.  ('Course, we were pretty much the only ones in there.)  It seemed to take a little long to get our food with ours being the only food orders. But nothing to get worked up about.  My salmon was really pretty.

Evidence time has changed me - I get excited about cabbage

The salmon was perfectly cooked and had a nice flavor.  The red cabbage was a little more crisp to the bite then I would have liked.  But still tasty.

Overall, I was pretty happy with my meal.  If I were going to nitpick, I would have liked to have another side and less cabbage.  (I didn't get close to finishing it.)

The other thing I would say is that it was overpriced.  It was $15 for a lunch portion.  That seems a bit much for what I got.  Side Street has a similarly priced salmon dish but it's a dinner item and you get a salad with it as well.

On to the other lunches!  Their food was equally pretty.

S.O.B. burger with fried mozzarella, onion ragout, & "Cajun potatoes"

Chicken sammie with avocado, brie, tomato mayo, & "Cajun potatoes"

Here's the problem we all had with the above mentioned "Cajun potatoes".  When you call something a potato, I picture actual potatoes.  Maybe a hash?  Possibly a home fry?  Could be potato salad?  What came were chips.  Handmade & better than the average chip, but come on.  They've got me here on a technicality - it was in fact a potato.  But let's manage expectations and call a chip a chip.

Both of the ladies liked their meal just fine.  The ketchup seemed to be homemade.  But the chicken sandwich was a tad dry.  And the price point again seemed off again.  There are so many places downtown that you can get a fantastic burger & chips for half the price.  It wasn't special enough to justify the extra cost.  Even with the fancy menu descriptions I pasted above.

All that to say, it was good - not great.  It was fun to try something new.  But at the end of the meal, we were all sorta 'eh' because it wasn't as memorable as our previous lunches at Rizzos or Lunchbox Eats.  Perhaps I played it too safe though?  I should have branched out and tried the pulled pork egg rolls with Dr Pepper curry dip.  How do you think that tastes?  I may never know.  I don't know that it's worth a trip back for an $8 lunch appetizer to find out.

Until next time, Bubbleland...  Have a great weekend!