Everybody has different memories of Mom’s Sunday dinners and what they miss about them, but for me at least, Marsh Landing is the next best thing to being back at my mother’s table.
It might sound strange to crave an eatery’s glazed carrots or green beans, but I do. They taste exactly like the ones I grew up with. Ditto for the mashed potatoes and gravy, the meatloaf and a handful of other favorites, as if owners, the mother-daughter team of Fran and Susan Adams, snatched my family’s tattered, 50-year-old recipe box and resurrected each dish with perfection.
When I’m in Fellsmere for work or play, I never miss the chance to stop by Marsh Landing, even if it’s just for a quick mug of coffee and a helping of the scrumptious peach cobbler. My seven-year-old son loves the food, too – almost as much as he appreciates the décor. He calls it “the restaurant with the alligator on the wall.”
Yes sir, and gator tail on the menu.
Recently, we had the pleasure of enjoying lunch at Marsh Island and catching up with Vice Mayor Joel Tyson, who is not only a regular, but who quite possibly hangs out there often enough to be charged rent.
Back to the gator tail, Joel suggested we order the Famous Marsh Sampler ($14.95), a platter packed with deep-fried frog legs, gator tail and catfish strips served with cocktail and tartar sauce. Normally I avoid deep-fried appetizers, but all three of these were lightly breaded, not at all greasy and exceptionally fresh and tasty. It was a good way to sample some of the local delights we hadn’t eaten in a while. My son, a frog-leg aficionado who complains when food is overcooked (and when I burn his dinner at home), said these were just about perfect. We especially liked the catfish as the fish had a mild flavor and the breading had just the right amount of seasoning to complement the fish.
A note about seasoning: I think that’s another reason why Marsh Landing reminds me of Mom. One bone I have to pick with many of the restaurants in our area – and in Florida in general – is that they season their food for people who, for some reason, are avoiding salt and spices. Marsh Landing gets it right – when the food comes to the table, for me it needs nothing added.
Joel ordered the crab cake sandwich ($9.95), which looked delicious. He confirmed that it was as good as it looked, and Susan Adams, who happens to be the Mayor, said the chef recently improved the crab cakes because customers told her they wanted more of that succulent crabmeat, and Marsh Landing is all about giving the customers what they want.
My son ordered one of his favorite foods in the whole world, pulled pork. The barbecue pork platter ($7.95) came with those wonderful green beans and fries and he polished off nearly every bit of the pulled pork. Our prompt and helpful server, Jordan, brought sauce on the side, but it was so moist and flavorful it didn’t need it.
Resisting the temptation to opt for one of my favorites like the meatloaf or roasted turkey, I decided to be a little more adventurous and order the herb grilled quail platter ($15.95) with glazed carrots and mashed potatoes and gravy. The two birds arrived juicy inside with just the right crispiness outside and expertly seasoned. The country sides satisfied my melancholic cravings for Mom’s cooking, the carrots tender but not mushy and the mashed potatoes and savory gravy the ultimate version of this classic comfort food.
We didn’t order a steak this time around, but Marsh Landing offers a good selection of steaks cooked to order and mouth-watering ribs. There’s plenty on the menu for the heartier appetite.
Though the dessert menu offered up every possible Southern temptation from pecan pie ($4.25) to apple walnut dumpling ($4.95), we were sufficiently stuffed from the appetizers and entrees and decided to skip the sweets this time around.
Dinner for two at Marsh Landing can vary from $25 for simple entrees to $50-$60 with appetizers, cocktails from the bar and dessert, plus tip. The restaurant draws a good workday lunch crowd and a sandwich or salad lunch for two with a mason jar of ice-cold sweet teas runs about $20 plus tip. If you’re in the mood for the ultimate country breakfast, Marsh Landing serves up the best breakfast in Fellsmere to early risers starting at 7 a.m.