Jerry Mitchell

The Clarion-Ledger

"Southern Living" says Mississippians don't know how to cook.

Well, the magazine might as well have said that because it ranked only three Mississippi restaurants inside its "100 Best Southern Restaurants."

It's hard to imagine the land of catfish, cornbread and comeback dressing ranking so low with judges' palates.

Worth noting: The city of Birmingham had more restaurants ranked in the top 100 (5) than the entire states of Arkansas (1), Florida (3), Maryland (1) or Mississippi (3).

Would it be poor form to mention the headquarters of "Southern Living" is in Birmingham? (Perhaps so, but this is The Buzz, and we're all about poor form.)

Let's review the Mississippi restaurants that did make "Southern Living's" 100 Best Restaurants in the South

— Delta Bistro of Greenwood, which won praise for its fried green tomato plate. (We're all for fried green tomatoes.)

— Snackbar in Oxford, which got kudos for merging Southern with Indian. (We personally merge Sriracha with Cajun, but we won't go there.)

— Walker's Drive-In in Jackson, which received recognition for its Redfish Anna dish. (Sure, the redfish is terrific, but why start with an entrée when you can start with their fabulous bread pudding?)

Because The Buzz, as you know, is The Clarion-Ledger's most powerful blog, we have decided to reopen voting on the Top 100.

So what Mississippi restaurants do you believe "Southern Living" shafted out of the Top 100?

Indianola's Crown Restaurant? Or maybe down-home places like Doe's Eat Place in Greenville or Peggy's in Philadelphia?

This time you get to decide, not the stinking judges.