Magnolia’s Southern Dining
A Feel-Good Dining Experience
By Lisa Gesner
For a feel good atmosphere and comfort food to match, look no further than Magnolias Southern Dining. This one of a kind Southern dining experience is sure to turn anyone (even a New England to California transplant) into a soul food lover.
You can’t beat the atmosphere at Magnolias. The friendly staff brings Southern hospitality to a new level, and on special nights, there’s New Orleans-style live music that will bring you to your feet dancing - if you can tear yourself away from the food.
On my most recent visit to Magnolias, my dining companions and I decided to split a few of the restaurant’s most popular side dishes, or “lagniappes,” meaning “a little something extra,” and main offerings. Never had Southern food? The Lagniappe Sample lets you choose four sides from a list of hush puppies, black eyes peas, mac and cheese, candied yams, fried okra and more. My favorite was the hush puppies, doughy and sweet Southern fritters. We also loved the candied yams, caramelized in a blend of cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg; and the creamy, homemade mac and cheese.
We heard that the BBQ shrimp appetizer was fantastic (it’ll have to wait until next time) but we can recommend some of the best crab cakes I’ve tried, served with a spicy garlic aioli; and the tender, tasty fried oysters – a first for me.
Chef Bessie Johnson fills the menu with traditional Southern entrees: like hearty gumbos, bisques, po’ boys and various other Cajun favorites. Portions are very generous, so whether it’s your first experience with Southern food or you are a seasoned pro, we recommended going family style and ordering a few different entrees so the table can try everything. We sampled the cornmeal breaded and fried catfish (the restaurant’s most popular item), seasoned in a delicious homemade “secret” Cajun spice blend. The shrimp and sausage jambalaya had the perfect amount of spicy kick, and the traditional Louisiana red beans and rice with sausage was as satisfying as it was flavorful. And last but not least, the fried chicken was savory and fried to a perfect golden crisp.
For dessert, patrons can choose from traditional favorites like the rum butter drenched bread pudding or the sweet potato pie. We tried the sweet potato pie, which had a flaky crust and was sweet enough to put pumpkin pie to shame.
The mark of a great restaurant is one that can offer you dish after dish that you’ve never tried, and you’ll love every one of them. Magnolia’s definitely lived up to this standard. The restaurant will also begin offering a champagne Sunday Brunch on July 19.
For a healthy dose of Southern hospitality, comfort food and a fun atmosphere, visit www.magnoliasdining.com to plan your next visit. |
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