If the food my wife and I sampled at a recent media tasting is any indication, The Fish House, 600 S.Barracks St., is going to have a real hit on its handswith its new Southern Sunday Suppers. The fixedprice Sunday dinner menu features select Southern staple entrees and side dishes.

Those at the media dinner got to try all five of Chef Jim Shirley's entree selections — chicken-fried steak; pan-seared, bone-in pork chops; chicken Lulu; cracker-fried catfish; and maximum meatloaf — plus a selection of the "From Farm to Table" side dishes, which highlight fresh, seasonal vegetable harvests from local farms.

Let me discuss a few of those sides first. I've never considered myself an okra fan, but Chef Shirley's two okra dishes — fried okra and stewed tomatoes and okra — have made me a convert. The fried okra — presented halved lengthwise, then battered and fried — was light, crunchy and delicious. The stewed tomatoes and okra were zingy, zesty and irresistible. I could have made a meal out of those two sides, along with the fresh field peas and some of the to-die-for rolls. 

I tried some of the catfish, served with butterbean gravy, and it was crispy, tender and delicious.Meanwhile, my wife raved over the other entrees, especially the chicken-fried steak — a tenderloin of beef with a crispy crust that she said melted in her mouth — and the chicken Lulu, a hearty stew of pan-seared chicken with fresh okra, tomatoes, onions, house-made sausage and white rice.

The dinner will be served each Sunday starting at 5 p.m. At $13.95 a plate, it shouldn't be hard to fit into most diners' budgets. The hard part is going to be getting a table once the word gets out!

For more information, call 470-0003, or visit www.goodgrits.com/events