travel flavors Itta Bena, Chef Paul's, Who Dat's, Ray's

itta bena by Audrey Watkins

Located on the third floor of B.B. King’s Blues Club in Memphis, Itta Bena is not a restaurant that visitors are likely to just stumble across.

Although I have visited Beale Street many times, I first read about Itta Bena in a Memphis area magazine. Intrigued by the fact that the restaurant is secretly tucked away in the middle of one of Memphis biggest tourist attractions and a menu that touts Southern contemporary cuisine with a Delta influence, I decided it would be a perfect place to visit in April while a friend and I were in town for a wedding. Occasions’ associate editor Susan O’Connor and her husband, Aubrey, who have become frequent patrons of the restaurant, joined us for dinner.

Designed after the speakeasies of the 1920s, the outside entrance to Itta Bena, named after King’s birthplace, is unmarked. Susan and Aubrey led us up a steep exterior staircase off the restaurant’s private Second Street entrance, but Itta Bena is also accessible through a secret hall located inside B.B. King’s. Once inside, Aubrey convinced the wait staff to seat us by the beautiful blue glass windows overlooking Beale Street. From our perch, we were able to watch the rest of the Ghoul Parade down below while we waited for dinner. Even if watching a parade of people who look like they have been fatally injured in a horrible car accident doesn’t make you hungry, it certainly added to the experience.

Rodney and I started with a cup of the restaurant’s She Crab soup. The sweet, creamy blue crab soup was a perfect way to start the meal. I chose jumbo shrimp and scallops from the list of entrees. The pan-seared scallops and grilled shrimp are served over cheddar grits and topped with lemon caper cream sauce. Every bite was delicious. Rodney ordered Chicken Seven Hills, chicken breast topped with prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and spinach cream sauce served over linguini pasta. His selection was also well-prepared and received only praise.

Dress is business casual and menu prices are $30 and under. Cuisine is described as Creole/Cajun/ Southern American. Dinner is served Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. Reservations are recommended and may be made by calling 901.578.3031.

Complete your evening with a walk down historic Beale.

chef paul's by Susan O'Connor

One of Arkansas’ top 10 restaurants, in my opinion, is Chef Paul’s in Hot Springs. Located in a strip mall near Lake Hamilton, this three-diamond gem is a must-stop for us during any stay in the spa city.

Although fresh seafood is usually my entrée of choice, Chef Paul’s serves a beef filet tower with a generous mound of lobster and béarnaise sauce that is divine. Just thinking about it makes me want to pack an overnight bag and book a night at the Arlington. The Dover sole meuniere is also a favorite.

The atmosphere is elegant, yet completely unstuffy. Though couples in suits and cocktail dresses are a common sight, those in more casual attire will feel equally at home. In the last few years the owners expanded, opening a cozy piano bar adjacent to the dining room. The full menu can be ordered in this area, as well.

The wait staff is very knowledgeable not only about food, but also wine pairings. With one of the finest wine lists in the state and the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence tucked in their proverbial belt, this is not surprising.

Top off an evening at Chef Paul’s with a perfect crème brulee, and it doesn’t get any better than that.

who dat's by Shaila Creekmore

An hour’s drive south of Jonesboro in the little town of Bald Knob is a restaurant you might not expect. With menu items like fried frog legs, gator, crawfish étoufée, fried or grilled oysters, and crab legs, it is certainly not your typical southern restaurant. If fact, to find another restaurant similar to Who Dat’s, you might just have to travel all the way down the Mississippi to New Orleans.

With Cajun music greeting guests outside and décor from the bayou inside, Who Dat’s is a great place to enjoy a meal with friends or family. Over the years my husband and I have had several occasions to eat at the restaurant either when driving through or meeting friends from Little Rock for supper.

My favorite item on the menu is the grilled bacon wrapped shrimp and although I always look through the menu to try something new, I can’t help but to come back to it each time. My husband always enjoys their fried catfish and on our last visit, added a side of gator. Marinated and cut into bite-sized pieces, the gator is deep-fried and has that great spicy Cajun flavor – a must!

Every meal comes with the food bar which has great southern sides like green beans, corn and corn on the cob, hominy, turnip greens, black eyed peas, beets, carrots, salad, pasta salads and a selection of fresh fruit.

And if you’re still hungry after all of that, they have incredible cream pies, a homemade bread pudding and their specialty dessert, the chilly banana.

ray's dairy maid by Brittney Guest

If Momma would have let us, my little sister Courtney and I (and Daddy for that matter) would have lived on little red, plastic baskets of French fries served up at Ray’s Kool Freeze in my hometown of Marvell. Doused in ketchup and sprinkled liberally with pepper, those deep-fried wonders were the best accompaniment to a juicy hamburger with pickles. If Courtney and I had been especially good and not whined while helping check the water in the fields that day, Dad would reward us with soft-serve ice cream cones.

The Kool Freeze in Marvell has long been bulldozed, but you can still get your down-home diner fix at Ray’s Dairy Maid in Barton on Highway 49. I still order a basket of my favorite fries, but my no-longer-a-picky-preschooler’s stomach has graduated to a cheeseburger with all the fixings — of course not jumbo-sized like Dad’s. Ray’s also has the best Cokes on Highway 49 in my opinion; the little granules of crunchy ice stay syrupy-sweet long after the drink is gone.

Ray’s also has breakfast items, plate lunches, salads, and desserts. As my cousin, owner Deane Cavette, says, “You’ll come for the hamburgers, but stay for the pie!” Deane’s famous pies were featured on season 2 of The Food Network’s Feasting on Asphalt: The Great River Run with Alton Brown. My favorite is the coconut cream pie, piled high with luscious meringue. Other pies include pecan, chocolate, pecan-coconut, peanut butter and lemon icebox. Never pass up dessert at Ray’s even if you’re bursting with fried okra and a Gouda cheese bacon burger. You can always take it home and eat it later, savoring every sweet mouthful.