Bread Pudding
All it took was me growling at him and shedding a tear over a lost half ounce of fried chicken – and here I am. Mrs. EatJxn finally gets to post on the blog. Oh, and he narrowly escaped my fork aimed at his hand trying to sneak the last bite of my mashed potatoes – but that’s a trivial matter, don’t you think?
Oh – the post. You want to know about Julep, eh?
I’ve been before. I confess that I’ve had a bit of a passive up and down relationship with Julep. My first trip was a lunch soon after they opened – well, a while back (as in years ago). I remember the shrimp and grits being memorable and tasty. I think Julep might have been among the first in Jackson to debut this delectable dish that is among mister’s and my favorite dishes ever to order anywhere. And my memory from my
inaugural trip is over the top favorable. The next trip soon after I had the fried chicken. I think this was around the time of the much acclaimed USA Today fame – something about top 10 best fried chicken dishes in the country or something like that? And I liked the chicken for the same reasons that I still like the chicken.
More recently, the mister and I went on a date night there (recently as in well over a year ago). I think we sat in the same booth in the bar where we sat tonight. At Julep, you don’t have to drink to sit in the bar – you just need to want a booth. If you’re a booth person – they’re in the bar with bar service. And it’s okay. (For heaven’s sakes, there was a baby in the bar tonight – so it’s a pretty tame bar as bars go). So, the date was fun, but I was a little underwhelmed by the experience. That time.
And we went there for brunch once. And to lunch with a client two weeks ago. Both were solid experiences but not mind-numbingly fantastic. For me, the epitome of brunch in this town is Bravo! It just is and always will be. That’s the deal. That being said: there are bonus biscuits at Julep brunch. So if you like biscuits….
All that being said, my favorite time to go to Julep is on a weeknight. Hands down. Of all of my various experiences, I feel like I get the best of Julep on a weeknight. The service is strong because it’s not overly crowded – steady but not suffocating. The food was good – and somehow their menu tastes better at night to me.
Tonight, the stars aligned, and we went to Julep on a weeknight. I even took my fall allergies and the related grumpies with me ready to pout my way through another EatJxn outing. (It’s a tough life, I know.) We ate standard full experience meal on this trip: appetizer, entree and dessert.
Appetizer: Fried Green Tomato Napoleon with Ryals Goat Cheese & Lump Crab Meat
Disclaimer: I heart goat cheese. It makes me feel light headed and happy.
Fried Green Tomato's with Goat Cheese
If there’s one thing Julep does well – it’s make things crispy in a perfect sort of way without ruining the goodness inside. No greasiness, no oily flavor. Just right. So, this stack (which is what “napoleon” means when it comes to food, I think) had fried green tomatoes, a dab of goat cheese and some crab meat repeated in a stack about three times high. And it was SO YUMMY. I love what the goat cheese added to the flavor of this 
increasingly common appetizer mix of crab meat and fried green tomatoes. There was an extra zing that was a good thing – and finished with a lemon butter sauce – I may have been set for the night after just this course.
Entree: Shrimp & Grits — Fried Chicken Breast with Blackened Green Beans and Mashed Potatoes
- Shrimp & Grits
Tonight I didn’t try the Shrimp & Grits, but the mister cleaned his plate and licked it, so I’m gonna say that was a good sign. (He didn’t really lick it… but almost.) I’ve had them before though. It’s a cream, traditional flavored dish with some fun texture and color injected via corn, red bell peppers, onions, etc. A solid choice.
I went with another solid menu choice: the Fried Chicken Breast. Nationally acclaimed, I think this chicken was the first time I heard of a Mississippi restaurant using locally sourced farm-raised ingredients. And that was quite a few years ago. They might now have been the first, and now everyone worth their salt is doing this, but if Julep wonders how long good PR sticks around – forever. Because I still remember that USA Today review (yeah, I read it) and the part about where the food came from. I commend that.
Fried Chicken (don't worry we've got better pictures coming)
And tonight, I ate the chicken again. I still like it. It’s not trying too hard to make a memory that’s over the top. It’s just simple food, simple ingredients cooked really well. It’s got a nice thick, crispy crust (which if you’re really doing fried chicken, bring on the fried part done right. Can I get an “Amen”?) paired with a juicy, tender inside. There is a sweet glaze on the top that wasn’t overpowering and really barely noticeable. It didn’t alter my Southern Fried Chicken experience – just rounded out the flavors well. I like to cut a bite of chicken, grab a couple of blacked green beans and a heap of mashed potatoes onto my fork all at once. And with each bite, my grumpy, late summer allergic blues vanished. So much so that when the mister attempted a taste of my chicken – I growled at him. And when he grabbed a huge bit of my mashed potatoes – I wielded my fork in defense. He’ll be okay. Promise.
The comfort of this food is right on. It’s not confusing or complicated – it hit the spot for me.
Dessert: Bread Pudding
Finally, we asked the waiter/bartender Brad what the best dessert was on the menu. He raved over the bread pudding even after we expressed serious doubts about this possibly being the best bread pudding in town. We mentioned Louis Larose’s bread pudding at Local 463 and the Double Chocolate Bread Pudding at BRAVO! and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding at ROCA. We reminded him that Two Sister’s had the best authentic, homestyle oh and Walker’s and the Parker House…. He didn’t budge – and out came the bread pudding. Meanwhile on Twitter, talks of a bread pudding throwdown ensued, and we’ll definitely be addressing this issue in more depth in the future.
For now, suffice it to say that there are many different genres of bread pudding. And I personally REALLY enjoyed Julep’s iteration. It was a really light, sweet bread pudding. Fluffy almost. It had caramelized sugar oozing everywhere and strong tastes of brown sugar and cinnamon. There was a perfect, rich, creamy vanilla ice cream scoop on top that melted slowly over the warm brown pudding. And tonight, it hit a home run for me. The mister was a bit more mixed – but then again, by the time the dessert got to the table, he was fully engaged with the idea of a local bread pudding playoff round… Go try it for yourself and tell us what you think. To me, it wasn’t “just another bread pudding” – and I think you’ll love it.
Physical address:4500 I-55 North, Suite 105, Jackson, MS 39211
Phone: 601-362-1411
Price: $$$
Food: Tasty. It hit the spot – rather unexpectedly for me – on this crazy Tuesday night.
Service: We sat in a booth which meant the bar area with the bartender waiting. The bartender, Brad, is fast, high energy and got the job done even if we weren’t really bar customers. Brad is the best in the business!
Atmosphere: A bit too much buzz and people watching to take the kids (although as I mentioned, there was a baby in the bar area tonight – and yes, he was a cute classy baby – but that wouldn’t be my recommendation). Whether you’re super young and hip, or just want to feel like it (like me) while eating stuff off of a menu described in Southern English, Julep at dinner is a great option. It’s got a fast-paced vibe and no white tablecloths here. Go to have fun.
Love Julep and Brad is my favorite! Have to say, Two Sisters gets my vote for best bread pudding though!
Love Julep and Brad is my favorite! Have to say, Two Sisters gets my vote for best bread pudding though!
Just a note from a Julep food-slinger, it is a Bananas Foster bread pudding, touch I’d rum in that warm deliciousness drizzles overtop. I’ve seen many a licked dessert plate. I am partial to the Kentucky Derby pie -a bourbon/chocolate pecan pie served a la mode with chocolate sauce. Both have booze and sugar, so you’re not going to err too badly either way.
First time I think I’ve ever upsold via blog.
Just a note from a Julep food-slinger, it is a Bananas Foster bread pudding, touch I’d rum in that warm deliciousness drizzles overtop. I’ve seen many a licked dessert plate. I am partial to the Kentucky Derby pie -a bourbon/chocolate pecan pie served a la mode with chocolate sauce. Both have booze and sugar, so you’re not going to err too badly either way.
First time I think I’ve ever upsold via blog.
That would be “a touch OF rum”, sorry. Damn phone.
That would be “a touch OF rum”, sorry. Damn phone.
One of my top5 favorite lunches in this town is Julep’s Tuna Steak Burger and portabella fries.
If you havent tried it – DO IT.
One of my top5 favorite lunches in this town is Julep’s Tuna Steak Burger and portabella fries.
If you havent tried it – DO IT.
I really love Julep, so much so that I’m one of those people who brings her baby! Hey, they have high chairs there for a reason! When you go back, try the catfish taco with strawberry salad. It is so good. My husband always has a hard time picking between the Julep burger and the fried chicken sandwich.
I can’t believe that I’ve missed out on the bread pudding though! I’m so enamored with the Bailey’s Irish Cream cake, that I never try anything different.
Thanks for the fun review! It’s good to hear that there is a Mrs. EatJxn out there. We would hate for him to eat alone!
I really love Julep, so much so that I’m one of those people who brings her baby! Hey, they have high chairs there for a reason! When you go back, try the catfish taco with strawberry salad. It is so good. My husband always has a hard time picking between the Julep burger and the fried chicken sandwich.
I can’t believe that I’ve missed out on the bread pudding though! I’m so enamored with the Bailey’s Irish Cream cake, that I never try anything different.
Thanks for the fun review! It’s good to hear that there is a Mrs. EatJxn out there. We would hate for him to eat alone!
The fried green tomato napolean is one of my absolute favorite dishes in town. I usually order a side of the gouda grits with it for lunch. mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!
The bananas foster french toast is sooooooo good for brunch. BenintheJack suggested it last time I was there for brunch and he was soooo right!
The fried green tomato napolean is one of my absolute favorite dishes in town. I usually order a side of the gouda grits with it for lunch. mmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!
The bananas foster french toast is sooooooo good for brunch. BenintheJack suggested it last time I was there for brunch and he was soooo right!
Brad is an amazing bartender/waiter! He always gets your order served up super fast. I love the fried eggplant and the mahi mahi in the Krystal hot sauce beurre blanc.
Brad is an amazing bartender/waiter! He always gets your order served up super fast. I love the fried eggplant and the mahi mahi in the Krystal hot sauce beurre blanc.