Two Rivers in Canton
This past week, “Mr. Jackson” and I went to eat at Johnny’s Two Rivers Steak and Seafood in Canton. That is a little bit of a mouthful, so most folks just call it Two Rivers for short. For some reason, (well, I guess the reason is pretty obvious) whenever I hear the name Two Rivers, I sing that Joni Mitchell song River to myself…. “I wish I had a river… I could skate away on….” But that is beside the point. Let’s get down to business!
The Mister and I ate at Two Rivers several months ago for my brother-in-law’s birthday and liked it. The highlight of that evening? The waitress singing Happy Birthday Marilyn Monroe style to him. It was awesome/priceless. But after meeting Malisa, fiancé to the Johnny (the owner), at the Canton Food and Wine Show and talking to her about the place, we were eager to go back!
I got there a few minutes before the my date, so I took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of Mirrasou. The bar was in one of the dining rooms, and it was very cozy—dark red walls and dim lighting. It was easy to relax! I watched TV and chatted with the bartender, who was probably the nicest person I’ve met in a while. She reminded me of Erin from The Office, but with darker hair. As she and I were talking, Mr. J decided to show up. He ordered a glass of wine too, and the bartender (who then introduced herself as Leigh) asked if we wanted to sit at the bar to dine. Since we were already there… Why not? Leigh gave us the run-down of the specials and told us about a cheese platter that they had that evening. She said it would compliment our wine, so we went for it.
The house salad and house dressing. Yum!
The platter was beautiful, arranged with gouda, parmesean, swiss, cheddar, and goat cheese slices, accompanied by some fresh pineapple, mint jelly, and some crispy bread rounds. If you have never tried gouda, pineapple, and mint jelly in the same bite, let me tell you what a great combo that is! You learn something new every day.
Before we move on to the big food, let me tell you this— be sure to read the first page on the inside of the menu. It is the history of the restaurant, as well as a note from Johnny about his food background. It will make you appreciate your meal so much more!
One fish, two fish, Red Fish, asparagus
Back to food… One of the specials Leigh mentioned was a red fish topped with crawfish and a Cajun cream sauce. I’m really picky about fish when I order it at restaurants, but after reading about how Johnny has it brought in fresh every day, I knew I would like it. Plus, Leigh said she recommended it, so that sealed the deal. I got asparagus and the house salad as my sides. Mr. J got the filet, Oscar style (which means it comes with crab meat and béarnaise sauce on top.) For his salad, he got the Caesar, and a baked potato for his side.
Shortly after we placed our order, Leigh brought out our salads. They were really nice, simple salads. I won’t go into too much detail here, but I will say this: The house dressing is worth trying… As we sat basking in the afterglow of our salads, the main courses were delivered. Man, oh man. The steak and potato were gorgeous. So was the fish. I must give Two Rivers credit on their meat toppings—There was nothing skimpy about the amount of crawfish topping my fish and the amount of Oscar goodness topping the steak.
Say it with me. "Oscar style is worth while"
My fish was extremely fresh and light. It seemed to be ever-so-slightly fried, which added some great flavor. The Cajun cream sauce on top was not too spicy, and as I said before, the crawfish topping was ample. The steak that Mr. J was devouring to my right was clearly very tasty. I tried a bite (ok, two bites) and can back up what Johnny says in the front of the menu about choosing only the best quality meat. That steak was fine. Their homemade béarnaise sauce was very creamy and herby, and served as a great compliment to the meat.
By this point, we were getting pretty close to maximum capacity but because I am such a sweets lover, Leigh did not have to try very hard in convincing us to order a dessert. After discussing all options, we landed on the tiramisu. Not to brag, but… we made the best decision. The tiramisu was GREAT. I thought about comparing it to Amerigo’s tiramisu, but then decided that they could not compare because of how different they were. You’ll have to see what I’m talking about for yourself!
This tiramisu is worth trying...
Overall, we had an excellent experience at Two Rivers. The food was delicious, the service was more than outstanding, and the atmosphere was just right for fine dining. (From what I understand, they used to allow indoor smoking, but that has changed and is not allowed inside anymore. Good news for lungs everywhere!) We even ran into the Marilyn Monroe waitress! You will love everything about this restaurant. Go visit soon!
1537 West Peace Street
Canton, MS 39046
(601) 859-9999
Price $$$
