Newk's Express impresses

When a business associate invited me to meet him for lunch at Newk's Express Cafe this afternoon I had little to no intention of reviewing the establishment. Frequent readers know that I tend to avoid chain restaurants, and even a home-grown Mississippi based operation like Newk's usually is of little interest to me.

But, since he offered to put it on his expense account, how could I say no?

Newk's is the brainchild of Don Newcomb and his collaborators Debra Bryson and Chris Newcomb. They turned a converted gas station into a small deli in the heart of a college town in to one of the most successful regional chains around - McAllister's. They very well could be headed in that direction with Newk's.

Newk's has a hip, urban feel with a modern design and interior. The concept is visually appealing with a great layout and unique atmosphere.

I ordered the toasted Italian with a side of Tippah County Cavier and a sweet team. My associate ordered the sandwich and soup combo featuring a half toasted club sandwich with Lobster-crab Bisque.



When the server brought out our meal, honestly the portions looked small. A feature that I really like about Newk's is the condiment bar which isn't your standard ketchup, may and mustard. It features anything from premium pickles, capers, pickled garlic cloves, peppers, and a variety of sauces and more traditional condiments.

I helped myself to a small cup of the pickled garlic and capers, thinking they would go well with the "Tippah Co. Cavier".

I started with the Italian sandwich, and I'll say it was good, really good. It features capicola, mortadella, pepperoni, salami, and provolone. And while that would provide more than enough for a solid sandwich experience it was fully dressed with mayo, spicy mustard, tomato, onions, pickled cherry peppers and a signature Italian sauce.

I think you would be hard pressed to find a better sandwich from any chain, on 10 scale this was an 8.5. The bread was good, not great and it was pretty small as far as deli sandwiches go, but it certainly wasn't small on flavor!

The Tippah County Cavier is really just a spicy black-eyed pea salad served cold. It was a pretty good cold side, but when you add a few capers and the pickled garlic it came together nicely.



My associate reported that his club sandwich was good.

The only disappointment in the meal was the Lobster-crab bisque. It just wasn't good, no real way to sugar coat it. He took two bites and set it aside, I didn't believe him and had to at least taste it....I didn't make it to the second bite.

It had an odd orange color and had an over powering fishy taste, apparent that a low quality imitation crab had been used.

In all this was a very positive dining experience, and while I probably won't become a regular at Newk's I certainly have a better understanding of why they've built a loyal following in Hattiesburg.

The Depot Deli

Work takes me all over South Mississippi and recently I was in Beaumont. There's not many choices when you find yourself in Beaumont for lunch, so I headed to The Depot Deli. I've been before and the first time it was a pleasant surprise.

With the weather turning a little cooler I wanted a hot meal and they had just the ticket. A hot, open-faced roast beef sandwich with a cup of house made vegetable soup.
The soup was hot and the veggies were fresh, it had that home made taste with the carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, green beans, ect.

About the time I was finishing up the soup my sandwich arrived, steaming from the hot gravy. The sandwich was served on a toasted baguette, with two cheese, the a generous portion of thick sliced roast beef, brown gravy and chopped green onions.

Yeah it was just as messy as it looks, no chance of picking this thing up it was a knife and fork all the way. This was down home sloppy, delicious goodness on a plate. The gravy complimented the beef, the melted cheeses added to the creamy texture and the onions contrasted that with a crispy crunch.

It was served with a side of potato salad, which was average, probably a Sysco product, but not bad.

Next time, I find myself in Beaumont for lunch, I'll be back at the Depot Deli. Well, it's not like I have much choice, but I certainly won't be there begrudgingly.

Fox's Pizza Den - Oak Grove

As a rule I generally don't review chain restaurants, but I've had a number of emails asking me to give Fox's Pizza Den, in Oak Grove, a try. This afternoon work had me in the area and I took in lunch.

A little back ground info, the origional Fox's opened in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania in 1971 and since then has spread across the country. They're just beginning to show up in Mississippi. They have two in the Hattiesburg area, the one in Oak Grove and according to their website, there is one in Sumrall.

I arrived after the lunch rush was over and the place was about 1/3 full, local franchisees Robbie and Sonya Gates were hard at work making sure things were running smoothly. One thing that really impressed me was that while I was there, at some point either Robbie or Sonya (or both) went to each table and thanked the patrons for their business. I know that's something pretty small and simple, but it made a big impression on this blogger.

Having heard good things about the "Wedgie's" I decided on the Beef, Bacon & Cheddar Wedgie.

This may be one of the most unique sandwiches I've come across, it's basically a pizza crust that has been baked fairly crispy, cut in half, layed with meats, cheese, mayo, lettuce and tomato, then folded over and cut in half again.



I'm not sure this photo dose it justice, this is a big sandwich. It's made from a 9" pizza crust (they also offer a 6").

The beef in this particular wedgie was sliced roast beef, and not too thin either, they give you a good portion of roast beef in this thing. The bacon was crispy the veggie's were fresh, but they could have used about half as much lettuce as was piled on mine.

I don't think I can give much of a food snob review of a Wedgie, I liked it. It was hot, the crusts were fresh baked, the meats were flavorful, the cheese was high quality and the veggies were fresh.

I had a sweet tea with my meal and it was satisfactory.

Readers know that I love to save money and Fox's makes it easy, check out these coupons you can right on your computer - Fox's Coupons. Wish I had found them before I went in...

Fox's moves way up on my list of chain's. I don't know if all Fox's are run like this one, but the Gates are doing something right!

Lunch at Po-Boy Express

Today I had lunch with a couple of friends at a Hattiesburg landmark – Po Boy Express. I won't even try to pretend that I'm not a bit biased to this establishment. For the past decade proprietor Darren Smith has been serving one of the most consistent selections of Po Boys, burgers and salads you can find in town.

Located on 4th street on the east side of the Highway 49 overpass, where they've been a staple for an eclectic mix of college students, professors, firemen, police officers, bankers, construction workers and just about every other demographic you can think about.

Today I ordered the lunch special with a PBE original “Floyd Special” which is a meat lover's favorite. Between the sliced fresh bagget you'll find ham, turkey and roast beef stuffed inside with a couple of slices of provolone cheese and your favorite toppings. A consistent product that doesn't promise to be more than it is – a really good sandwich.

You can get a good po-boy at a lot of places in Hattiesburg, but I think the atmosphere draws me back, from the Southern Miss memorabilia on the walls to the cast of regular “characters” that congregate at the back tables and hold court on a daily basis. You may find anyone from Southern Miss coaches Corky Palmer and Larry Fedora to local outdoor writer and radio personality Ben Willoughby talking more than they're eating. It's not uncommon to see local politicians, community leaders, and other Hub City movers and shakers.

The place is usually packed at lunch and for good reason. Fun, food and friends is the best way I can describe a lunch at Po-Boy Express.

They deliver, but be mindful they are one of the busiest delivery places in town, so make sure you get your order in before 11:00 AM.