Chef's corner: Saltine's Kiefer serves up crab, avocado

Who: Steven Kiefer, general manager

Where: Saltine restaurant and oyster bar, 622 Duling Ave., Suite 201, Jackson

Contact: (601) 982-2899

Influences: Steven Kiefer was on vacation when Jesse Houston, owner and executive chef at Saltine restaurant and oyster bar, happened to pop the question: "What do you think about managing the restaurant?"

Kiefer, a 20-year veteran of the restaurant industry, said yes. He and Houston had worked at a restaurant in Texas, and he welcomed the opportunity to work together again.

A graduate of the University of North Texas with a bachelor's degree in finance, Kiefer never expected to make a career in the restaurant industry, but it fits him.

"I love the interaction," he said. "I'm basically a teacher, teaching the cooks how to prepare dishes and teaching the servers. Every couple of days we'll cook a dish for the wait staff to taste. We want their input."

He makes sure the wait staff is educated about the local producers that supply the restaurant with fresh vegetables and other suppliers for catfish and seafood in case diners have questions.

Kiefer, who came from a corporate background where many restaurants adhered to a single concept, said he's enjoyed helping mold the culture at Saltine. He has worked in Texas for Posados Café as well as for restaurant chains The Cheesecake Factory and Pei Wei Asian Diner.

Kiefer appreciates Saltine's mix of seafood and Southern cooking, its casual, relaxed atmosphere and its location in the former Duling Elementary School in the historic Fondren arts district.

Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. until 11 p.m., Saltine has expanded it hours to be open on Sundays from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.

runch (chicken biscuits, loaded biscuits and gravy, blue corn pancakes, homemade cinnamon rolls and breakfast oysters that include quail eggs and bacon) is served on Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.; the regular menu is also available.

The Saltine menu is built around seafood including redfish on the half shell, mussels, calamari, peel-and-eat shrimp, crab and seafood sausage. Po'boys filled with fried catfish, Gulf shrimp, oysters, hot ham and Swiss or roast beef make a good reason to visit a lunch. Craig's Oyster Stew, named for the late restaurateur Craig Noone, is on the menu.

The fried Gulf shrimp po'boy and crab and avocado toast are two of the most popular items on the menu. Catfish with a fried beer batter is also a hit.

Oysters are a mainstay, including gems from the Gulf of Mexico, East Coast, West Coast and Canada. Kiefer encourages diners to choose a variety of oysters because different waters lend different tastes.

The menu changes seasonally, and USA Today and Southern Living have recognized the restaurant for its inventiveness.

The restaurant buys from local producers as much as possible, using lettuce and tomatoes from Salad Days Produce, shiitake mushrooms from Mississippi Natural Products, squash from Cooper Farms, catfish from Simmons Farm Raised Catfish, milk from Progress Milk Barn and craft beer from Lucky Town Brewing Co.

What's he cooking: Crab and avocado toast

What he likes about it: It's one of the most popular items on the menu.

Crab and Avocado Toast

(Serves 4)

1 avocado, diced

2 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat, shells picked through and removed

2 tablespoons citrus vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Salt to taste

4 thick slices of baguette, cut on a bias

In a medium mixing bowl, add the diced avocado, crabmeat, citrus vinaigrette and salt. Using a spoon, mix the ingredients well, being careful not to break the avocado or crab up but coating them thoroughly.

Spoon the mixture on top of the sliced baguette, piling high. Place the bread into an oven on broil until the avocado starts to brulee. Remove the toast from the oven and place on a plate.

Citrus Vinaigrette

1 orange, zested and juiced

2 lemons, zested and juiced

2 limes, zested and juiced

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

11/2 cups canola oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except oil. While whisking steadily, drizzle in the oil slowly to emulsify.