When we were in Mississippi visiting Mama and Papa Miele earlier this month, we had the pleasure of dining at Ely’s Restaurant and Bar.

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Located on the second floor of the Old Towne building in Ridgeland, Ely’s sparse, yet contemporary, décor makes it unique among steak and seafood restaurants.

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Our waiter, Chris, was personable and attentive, and we enjoyed talking with him throughout our dinner.

Since I was craving seafood, I chose the Benton Lane Pinot Gris to begin my meal. Generally I prefer reds (Cabernets and Merlots), but this crisp and floral wine was a great choice.

Mark began with a Sazerac; although we were impressed the bar was able to make it, something wasn’t quite right. (Lesson learned: don’t order a Sazerac outside of New Orleans—or maybe Mobile, as we’ve yet to try The Haberdasher’s version.)

Since Ely’s has somewhat of a Lebanese influence, three of us chose the tabouli salad (Papa M chose the house salad) to go along with our entrées.

I’ve only had tabouli a few times (at one of my favorite local restaurants, Jerusalem Café, and a Lebanese wedding), but this was certainly the best I’ve had. The parsley and tomatoes were fresh and flavorful, and there was a perfect amount of acid from the lemon juice.

While everybody else chose steak, I opted for the grilled scallop and shrimp entrée (knowing Mark would share a bite of his filet).

Served atop fresh basil, tomatoes, and red onion (and garnished with a bacon vinaigrette), the Atlantic scallops were nicely seared, and the plump Gulf shrimp were grilled to perfection. I inhaled every last morsel!

Mark’s filet was perfectly cooked and tender—and the lump crabmeat atop Mama M’s was exceptionally fresh. (Papa M’s New York strip looked delicious, too.)

Side dishes are served à la carte, and they generously serve two according to the menu (though I’d say three to four). We all shared the following: parmesan creamed spinach, steak fries with gorgonzola-asiago dipping sauce, mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, and gorgonzola-asiago macaroni and cheese. (Don’t worry, we had many leftovers!)

Each side was delicious—but I think my favorites were the spinach and mashed potatoes. (Seriously, what can’t you top with caramelized onions to make infinitely better?)

Though stuffed, we finished our meal with coffee and shared the bread pudding (à la mode with vanilla Häagen-Dazs) and cheesecake (which I forgot to photograph). The warm bread pudding was topped with caramelized bananas—and the cheesecake was creamy and decadent (as a good cheesecake should be).

I don’t have much experience with fine dining in the Jackson area (Walker’s, in Fondren, is outstanding and probably my favorite), but I’d venture to say Ely’s is one of the best. The food is creative without being fussy, and though a bit expensive, the quality is in line with the price.