Geoff L.
Yelp
The Delta Meat Market, now located on the ground floor of The Cotton House Hotel in Cleveland, MS has been a rare jewel in the downtown area for several years now, but in its new incarnation on the other side of the green strip, it has blossomed into a fresh vibrant magnolia bloom of its former self. DMM has always been a great source for premium meat and seafood, but paired with the bright and welcoming space in the new location, it is sure to be one of the finest dining establishments in the entire MS Delta.
From the moment my party and I walked in to DMM, we were cared for by friendly and attentive staff who not only took our orders with charming courtesy and prompt attention to detail, but made us feel at home as we took our seats. It is a rare and wonderful thing when diners feel like the staff has been secretly waiting for them to arrive all along!
The seating was spacious and comfortable and the décor was inviting and the overall ambiance was like walking in to a room of old friends.
I was dining with my wife and a few close friends and we ordered a variety of items from the menu so that we could share and experience some of the many exciting options available for dinner. My wife was thrilled at the presence of deviled eggs topped with bacon marmalade and sweet onion jam. Our friends chose the pork kielbasa and grits, and I ordered the wedge salad and the green tomato soup. My wife and friends raved about the eggs. I sampled the kielbasa and grits and was blown away! The sausage was cooked to perfection and even as a good old boy born and raised in the South, I've never had finer grits in my entire life! They were so creamy! The salad was excellent, but the shining surprise of our starters was the green tomato soup! It was topped with shaved almonds and the lemon and parsley in the soup gave it a fresh effervescence that felt like a spring morning.
Just as we were polishing off our starters, our entrees arrived. Two of my friends ordered the grilled king salmon, one ordered the Homeplace Pastures Pork Chop with honey, and I decided to try my luck with the lamb curry. I HAD to have more of those grits and so ordered some as a side along with the sweet potatoes and sorghum. As we all began to dig in, our simmering dinner conversation about work and families was immediately replaced with polite closed mouth moans of gustational pleasure. The lamb curry was rich and spicy and topped a bed of gloriously tender long grain rice. The grits... mamma never made so good. The sorghum sweet potatoes were just about the best application for that tuber one could ever ask for!
My friends were fortunate enough to share and I got to sample the pork chop, as well and I was only disappointed that I would have seemed a glutton to have ordered one right then and there and enjoyed it with my lamb curry!
We finished our meal off with dessert. I had the lemon pound cake and it was a marvelous balance of rich textures, sweet icing, and tart lemon glaze.
After dinner we went to the roof for a cocktail at the new Bar Fontaine and the relaxing atmosphere, cheery service, and incredible view of beautiful downtown Cleveland rounded out a perfect evening of great food, great drink, and great friends. It has been a long time since I've felt so thoroughly satisfied with a dining experience here in Cleveland. I am looking forward to many more and I highly recommend and endorse both Delta Meat Market and Bar Fontaine as stops for anyone looking for a memorable fine dining experience.
Chef Cole Ellis and all of his staff are to be congratulated on such a fine job!