flagold
Registered User
Abbeville, Alabama
Yes! Had supper at Mignon’s (the hoity-toity restaurant of the Palace Casino, Biloxi (best fine dining on the Gulf coast they say) last Friday so the experience is fresh in my mind.
We went in, guests of a friend that had over 2000 comps he said (must be quite a dreadful disease) - sat down to a fine spread of very fancy plates. The assistant waiter asked me if I wanted to see the wine list and I pointed to our host and said “ask him, he’s the wino.” He didn’t want to see it either (on the wagon I suppose or couldn't have it because of the comps), so we were asked if we wanted a bread loaf. “Yes” was the reply from our host. Did we want “regular” butter - and our host, a regular, nodded the affirmative and the assistant waiter disappeared to get it.
The waiter was there almost the instant the assistant left with menus and asked what we’d like to drink - we all had tea except my wife, a non-ice water drinker from way back. Our host had a question: how much was the crab leg dinner as it was market price? $100 for the crab alone was the reply - and our host (a former 74' commercial shrimp boat captain) whispered to me he could get that stuff for $8 bucks a pound and even at Quality or DesPorte’s seafood markets it would be relatively cheap. So I thought he’ll probably not go that route.
The assistant waiter brought the bread - glad our host was a regular because they had apparently dropped the fancy butter in one of the plant pots as it had bits of pecans and other stuff all over it and didn’t look very appetizing to me - but the regular butter looked and tasted good. The bread was very good. Very good indeed. Very very good.
The waiter came back with our drinks and asked if we were ready to order and I had a question about the flounder dish. We used to catch these a lot and I had been wanting some fried flounder for a long time but at such establishments it is usually baked with all kind of sea vermin and breading stuffed in it - so I asked him if I could get the flounder fried with the “stuff” on the side. He said that’s the way it came anyway, but I would probably want them to fry it harder than it came in (those last two words were very important I found later). I told him since he was a obviously a fellow Flounder Society Member to have it cooked the way he described. Valhalla! I was finally going to get a good fried flounder from a reputable establishment!
We waited and conversed and then a very strange thing happened: they began taking those expensive plates up. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! I guarded mine until they said they’d bring one back but with food on it. I asked them if they washed these: no reply. So I assume the last people that were there had them too and I hoped they didn't have the comps.
The two waiters together came back with the food. Our host had ordered a double appetizer of sautéed shrimp and a side dish of crab soup (about $40 worth), my wife got a 14 oz NY strip that was about the size of the palm of my hand, and I got the fried flounder of my dreams (except it was a little on the smallish side) with the “stuff” in a bowl on the side.
We all started eating.
The flounder looked good, but man 0 man was it tough. I had to resort to blade on the thing. I didn’t embarrass my host by resorting to pocket knife but I will admit the thought crossed my mind. The very best thing about it was “the stuff” in the bowl. That turned out to be jumbo lump crab meat, sautéed shrimp, artichoke hearts, and crab claw meat in a lobster bisque type sauce. That - was very good. I concentrated on that.
Our host finished his meal quite fast (a handful of shrimp) and we tried to keep up too which wasn’t hard since the steak had shrunk from 14 oz., and not much of the flounder could be salvaged. But the plates were nice looking and expensive looking and the silverware was heavy.
Looking back, I remembered what our waiter had said about the flounder fillets - and I believe that was indeed a warning I didn’t pick up on when he said: “than it came in” . . .
Those fillets (2 small) were identical come to think of it. Like factory identical. Think Gorton’s down a the Walmart identical. If you still don’t get it - it’s OK because I do - and I got it.
So yes - I’ve been “high class” and had the soup bib stuffed in my shirt like one of the swells and the whole bit now. Done it and checked it off the list!
Did I mention the bread? It was very very very good!!!!
Happy Eating! Matt Mattson
We went in, guests of a friend that had over 2000 comps he said (must be quite a dreadful disease) - sat down to a fine spread of very fancy plates. The assistant waiter asked me if I wanted to see the wine list and I pointed to our host and said “ask him, he’s the wino.” He didn’t want to see it either (on the wagon I suppose or couldn't have it because of the comps), so we were asked if we wanted a bread loaf. “Yes” was the reply from our host. Did we want “regular” butter - and our host, a regular, nodded the affirmative and the assistant waiter disappeared to get it.
The waiter was there almost the instant the assistant left with menus and asked what we’d like to drink - we all had tea except my wife, a non-ice water drinker from way back. Our host had a question: how much was the crab leg dinner as it was market price? $100 for the crab alone was the reply - and our host (a former 74' commercial shrimp boat captain) whispered to me he could get that stuff for $8 bucks a pound and even at Quality or DesPorte’s seafood markets it would be relatively cheap. So I thought he’ll probably not go that route.
The assistant waiter brought the bread - glad our host was a regular because they had apparently dropped the fancy butter in one of the plant pots as it had bits of pecans and other stuff all over it and didn’t look very appetizing to me - but the regular butter looked and tasted good. The bread was very good. Very good indeed. Very very good.
The waiter came back with our drinks and asked if we were ready to order and I had a question about the flounder dish. We used to catch these a lot and I had been wanting some fried flounder for a long time but at such establishments it is usually baked with all kind of sea vermin and breading stuffed in it - so I asked him if I could get the flounder fried with the “stuff” on the side. He said that’s the way it came anyway, but I would probably want them to fry it harder than it came in (those last two words were very important I found later). I told him since he was a obviously a fellow Flounder Society Member to have it cooked the way he described. Valhalla! I was finally going to get a good fried flounder from a reputable establishment!
We waited and conversed and then a very strange thing happened: they began taking those expensive plates up. RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! I guarded mine until they said they’d bring one back but with food on it. I asked them if they washed these: no reply. So I assume the last people that were there had them too and I hoped they didn't have the comps.
The two waiters together came back with the food. Our host had ordered a double appetizer of sautéed shrimp and a side dish of crab soup (about $40 worth), my wife got a 14 oz NY strip that was about the size of the palm of my hand, and I got the fried flounder of my dreams (except it was a little on the smallish side) with the “stuff” in a bowl on the side.
We all started eating.
The flounder looked good, but man 0 man was it tough. I had to resort to blade on the thing. I didn’t embarrass my host by resorting to pocket knife but I will admit the thought crossed my mind. The very best thing about it was “the stuff” in the bowl. That turned out to be jumbo lump crab meat, sautéed shrimp, artichoke hearts, and crab claw meat in a lobster bisque type sauce. That - was very good. I concentrated on that.
Our host finished his meal quite fast (a handful of shrimp) and we tried to keep up too which wasn’t hard since the steak had shrunk from 14 oz., and not much of the flounder could be salvaged. But the plates were nice looking and expensive looking and the silverware was heavy.
Looking back, I remembered what our waiter had said about the flounder fillets - and I believe that was indeed a warning I didn’t pick up on when he said: “than it came in” . . .
Those fillets (2 small) were identical come to think of it. Like factory identical. Think Gorton’s down a the Walmart identical. If you still don’t get it - it’s OK because I do - and I got it.
So yes - I’ve been “high class” and had the soup bib stuffed in my shirt like one of the swells and the whole bit now. Done it and checked it off the list!
Did I mention the bread? It was very very very good!!!!
Happy Eating! Matt Mattson
