We stopped by Itta Bena after work for a glass of wine and a couple of appetizers. One thing cool about being a “secret,” i.e., having a door without a sign, is that–well, it’s cool. Seems so Meatpacking District or something–so Sex in the City. The bad thing is that no one knows you’re there! We were the only folks in the admittedly very cool place, but we were early and only there for a while. The intent, as I understand it, is to draw diners from below–Itta Bena is above B.B.King’s club on Beale. People weren’t even on their second round downstairs while we were nibbling on scallops in a tomato truffle sauce, served over white cheese grits, and mussels upstairs.

Both were very good and I’m looking forward to a full dinner there. The menu is limited–steak, chops, fish and shrimp, but I’ve got a good feeling about the place and high expectations. Dinner nightly, Mon.-Sat. Let me know if you check it out. I’m having computer glitches, but I’ll try to post pictures tomorrow.