Mary Scott’s Kitchen features an eclectic, southern-tinged mix of dishes made from scratch with fresh ingredients.
The dinner menu ranges from steaks and burgers to Italian, Mexican, and Cajun to Shrimp and Grits. The lunch menu leans toward, but is not limited to, soups, salads and sandwiches. The soup is made fresh every day. A special Sunday brunch menu includes some breakfast options as well as favorites from the other menus.
The atmosphere is bright and comfortable, with abundant natural light during the day and colorful, hand-painted tables.
“Our food is truly from scratch,” says Mary. “And it really is fresh. We’re not just saying that. We don’t pull it out of a plastic bag. We don’t keep it in a warmer. We don’t pre-make any of our sauces. I make a soup in the morning. I make grits twice a day, morning and afternoon, so they are always fresh. We literally make all our dishes from scratch right there when you order it. We want people to know that if they come in and order, for example, an Alfredo; it is made on the spot with real quality ingredients, not some powder out of a packet. Our beef comes from a farm in Kentucky that produces Angus beef with no added hormones or other injections. Our hamburger is hand patted by us. Our steaks come in as a whole loin and we hand cut and trim them.”
“We don’t do frozen or pre-made products,” says Scott. “We’re right here cooking it. Our kitchen is open so our customers can see how their food is being prepared. We’re quite proud of the fact that in this day when everyone just throws stuff in the microwave, we don’t even own a microwave. We use local whenever possible. Everything we get from our produce vendor comes within two hundred miles. Our shrimp doesn’t come from 200 miles obviously, but we partner with a supplier that flys it in fresh. It’s never been frozen.”
Shrimp and Grits has become their signature dish; not by any kind of preconceived plan, but by customer acclaim. People are driving a long way just to try them.
“Shrimp and grits are huge,” says Mary. “The interesting thing about the grits is that probably half of everyone who comes in here tells us they don’t like grits. But I give them a little sample and they change their minds. Our grits are true southern style grits, but they are not like most every other restaurant. Our grits are made with cheddar cheese and bacon fat and heavy cream. Everybody loves them.”
The Cajun Pasta is very popular as well.
Mary and Scott have been in the restaurant business for upwards of 30 years. They both have southern roots and learned their trade in Louisville, Atlanta, and Nashville, Tennessee where they ran a successful catering business for many years. They discovered New Harmony while on a trip to Evansville and fell in love with it.
“We’re passionate about our food,” says Scott. “We put a lot of pride in it.”
Mary Scott’s Kitchen
518 Main Street
New Harmony, IN, 47631
(812) 270-5030
