Many of you will remember that AnglersChannel.com gained a solid reputation with its phone book-like directory of places to eat, sleep and fish throughout the South. In that spirit, I would like to share a wonderful experience I enjoyed near Paris Landing, Tennessee.

Matt’s Pub is a great place to grab a bite. I had an excellent steak there. But just a little further east on HWY 79, Matt’s friend, Mark Berg serves up authentic Cajun cuisine at his restaurant, Meo Mio’s – in the the Tennessee Hills.

Meo Mio’s sticks out in my mind because it was different from other local eateries. You see, the local preferrence is for milder food. I’m a Deep South boy. As such, I like my food kickin’! Meo Mio’s delivers! In fact, Mark took his gumbo to the Memphis Crawfish Festival and won 4th place against teams from places such as New Orleans.

Among the regular Meo Mio’s clientele is Hank Williams, Jr who often shows up in some sort of disguise just to have some alone time with quality food.

I was just in New Orleans for the Bassmaster Classic this February. I ate well. And my favorite dish in the world is my own Mama’s Seafood Gumbo – it’s spelled with capital letters for a reason, folks. I could live on my wife’s red beans and rice. I’ve been exposed to good spicy food – not just hot, but pleasantly spicey. There is a difference, you know. I can say Mark’s food is the real deal. You won’t need a salt shaker.