We arrived in Jackson without any guidance on restaurants to try or sights to see. Fortunately, I was invited to do an in-studio interview on Midday Mississippi to promote the tour, and a guy at the TV station was kind enough to rattle off some of his favorites. He was talking about an Italian restaurant called Bravo when the Sommelier/Manager, Kelly, happened to walk into the studio for an interview after mine. He introduced us, and she invited us to come by. Voila! Dinner plans were made.

Although she probably had plenty on her plate (I love a good food cliché), Kelly remembered my name and seated us at a perfect outdoor table when we arrived, about eight hours after we’d met. The warm Mississippi night made for a pleasant al fresco dining experience.

Brett and I started with an appetizer, a fabulous Vegetable Napoleon of grilled eggplant, onions, mushrooms and tomatoes with goat cheese and pine nuts with a balsamic reduction over mixed greens. It was amazing – I honestly considered stabbing his hand with my fork so I could finish it myself. I had a nice, crisp Sauvignon Blanc with it – a perfect complement to the smoky, savory goodness of the vegetables.

Next up: noodlemania. Gary had a penne with beef tenderloin and portobello mushrooms, which he said was perfectly cooked and well seasoned. Jules had been craving good ‘ol spaghetti and meatballs, so she tackled a bowl of golf ball-sized beauties with reckless abandon. Sadly, the meatballs beat her in the end – but she gave it her all. Brett had a cheesy lasagna (good – but not as good as mine. Ahem.) and I had angel hair with asparagus, sautéed shrimp and a light garlic wine sauce. Mm. We enjoyed our meals and the comfortable, friendly service. Bravo, I say!

The desserts sounded fantastic, but our bellies were happily full of pasta – so we called it a night. We’re headed to New Orleans next, and I personally can’t wait to eat my way through the city. See you there!