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Since the abrupt and unexpected closure of Morgan Freeman’s Madidi Restaurant a few years ago, fine dining in Clarksdale has been something like a roll of the dice. Rust came, then left, then resurfaced out at Hopson Plantation at the Shack Up Inn, Pinkbar came and went in less than a year, Yazoo Pass coffee bar added some upscale food menu items at night, but still, Clarksdale lacked a good upscale dining option, which was a problem, given the growing upscale tourist market. This year, during Juke Joint Fest, I discovered the solution, not a new restaurant, but a really old one, Kathryn’s, founded in 1937. Why had we been missing it? Because Kathryn’s is not quite in Clarksdale, even if it is in Coahoma County. Officially, its address says it is in Dundee, but it’s really closer to Lula, and where it really is located is along the shores of Moon Lake, a beautiful oxbow lake that once was part of the Mississippi River. Kathryn’s is located in a small house, and has no pretensions, but the fare inside is fine dining indeed. Steaks and seafood are the main attraction here, and the atmosphere is strangely split between chic uptown and resort, with great blues and jazz playing overhead (The owner, John Mohead, is a blues musician). There is also a wine list, and even during the festival, the place was not unduly crowded. Finding Kathryn’s however might present something of a problem. From Clarksdale, the easiest choice is to take Highway 61 north almost to the Helena junction, turning left at the Moon Lake sign just before. That road dead ends at the lake, and taking a right will lead you along the lakeshore to Kathryn’s. It’s worth the drive and the effort to find it.
Kathryn’s Fine Dining
5770 Moon Lake Road
Dundee, MS 38626
(662) 337-0022
Open Thurs-Sat 6-10 PM