A vacation for your taste buds
BY MARK CRAWFORD & KAYLEIGH PLETTE JOIN KAYLEIGH PLETTE AND MARK CRAWFORD AS THEY TAKE A TOUR OF THE MOST EXCLUSIVE, LUXURIOUS RESTAURANTS SHREVEPORT-BOSSIER CITY HAS TO OFFER.
If you are looking for an upscale evening that feels like a tropical getaway, Jimmy’s Seafood and Steak at Margaritaville is your spot. With gorgeous river views and a traditional “club” feel, Jimmy’s provides a mixture of Louisiana comforts and tropical flavors that ensure an unforgettable evening.
Jimmy’s features a private bar and dining room, set apart from the hustle of the main casino. The dining room is a light, airy space with intimate tables and rounded booths, arranged to give full showcase to the river scene, while the décor reflects the river’s natural theme in bubble-inspired glass sculptures and dark blue and mother-of-pearl furnishings.
Guests are started off with a carefully crafted wine list and a basket of homemade breads, including baguette, wheat bread and carrot loaf. The breads are accompanied by three types of house-made butter and a selection of salts – a delicious, tongue-in-cheek nod to the song that will endearingly be stuck in your head as you take your leave.
Jimmy’s menu showcases a balance of local Louisiana favorites and the tropical offerings one expects from a trip to “paradise.” The appetizers range from beach-ready Island Grilling & Chilling Shrimp Cocktail, marinated in spiced island rum with a wasabi cocktail and Cajun aioli, to a sophisticated duck spring roll served with peach chutney and spicy Asian mustard, to the familiar Key West Blue Crab Cake, imbued with all the flavors of the coast. We sampled the towering Upscale Potato Chips – freshly cut and fried to order, the warm chips are topped with creamy Boursin cheese, chives and sea salt – an addictive snack to accompany the fresh pop of Mandy’s Margarita – a signature pink margarita.
They offer an out-of-the-box Soup Flight, which is as delicious as it is fun. Featuring sample sizes of Louisiana seafood gumbo, duck and andouille sausage gumbo, fire-roasted corn and crab chowder and the chef’s seasonal gazpacho, the “flight” allows guests to once again travel the tastes from Louisiana to the tropics. Even the salads are offered with flair, including the Caesar, served rolled in a cracked black pepper Parmesan ring and accompanied by their house-made dressing.
Entrees are fresh and focused on the sea with beautifully plated, exotically spiced fish, aged steaks and traditional poultry, pork and lamb features. The impressive pound of Alaskan king crab legs and the delicate macadamia and panko encrusted mahi mahi are favorites of the seafood-lovers, while the classic steaks and center-cut pork chop, infused with rum and coke of course, are faithful staples.
It feels like an impossible exercise in self-control, but pacing yourself through this menu is key because their delectable array of desserts simply cannot be missed. The restaurant features an in-house pastry chef, and like everything else at Jimmy’s, all dessert components are made onsite. Each dessert is more enticing than the last – a fresh fruit tart with vanilla crème, a fudgy flourless chocolate cake with a wafer cookie crust, mango-swirl cheesecake, mocha chocolate layer cake with brandy butter cream, a lemon custard with white chocolate sauce and a special off-menu treat of baked Alaska. Presentation is topped only by taste with fresh seasonal fruit taking center stage and each plate featuring a swirl of decadent white chocolate.
Make your visit to this local getaway, and enjoy Jimmy’s tastes of an island vacation all yearlong!
Mark Crawford is a society contributor and the travel writer for CityLife magazine. Kayleigh Plette is a writer for CityLife magazine.
