Time to cross another place off the 2011 Food Challenge List — Big Jones.

Big Jones markets itself as “Coastal Southern Cooking” and I think it’s a really interesting way to say we serve seafood in a lot of our dishes.  I’m a fan of seafood so I’m cool with coastal cooking.

I adored the decor in dinning room. Gorgeous lanterns, polished wood floors and table tops, white linens and the chartreuse wallpaper made my heart stop. I want.

After ordering, beignets were brought to the table. They didn’t seem fresh, not necessarily stale, just like they were made a few hours before.

The sweet tea and cheddar biscuits with honey butter and pepper jelly did not disappoint.

In fact that’s where I wish I would have stopped. Just biscuits and tea for breakfast…

I ordered their twist on eggs benedict (a favorite of mine) – it was made with popover tops and ham instead of english muffins and canadian bacon.  It was served with a side of hash browns.

The popovers didn’t really hold up well with the hollandaise and egg yolk. The ham was salty and tough. The hash browns were OK but a touch too salty. Plus the dish was warm, not hot. I dislike it when food that’s made-to-order arrives at my table tepid.

Not every restaurant can be a winner and I’m not writing off Big Jones completely, I wouldn’t mind seeing what they offer for dinner.

Did you have a similar experience at Big Jones? Or a different one?