Simon's Fish Camp
Article by Anna Cooper
Bolivar, Tennessee has a brand new restaurant. When Jeff ‘Goose’ Goss puts his mind to something, good things come around. Simon’s Fish Camp has been in the works since 2019, going up slowly and causing all kinds of anticipation in downtown Bolivar. Goss is the owner & operator of Simon’s Fish Camp and he also owns the restaurant around the corner, the Biscuitry. Both restaurants have very different menus and hours of operation, and seriously amazing food! As for the name, the “Simon” of Simon’s Fish Camp comes from a play on the name ‘Simón Bolívar,’ who the city of Boliver is named after. Bolìvar was a Former President of the Republic of Venezuela as well as a South American military and political leader who led Latin American countries to independence from the Spanish Empire and was known as ‘The Liberator’. Simon’s is going to liberate your taste buds!
Goss came to Bolivar because “it was time to make a move.” After spending 25 years on Beale Street and working for Beale Street management for 17 of them, Goss did some research. In certain small towns across Tennessee, there’s a pilot grant program. The purpose of the program? Goss explained that it’s “to bring in restaurants.” He continued, talking about how the restaurants will “then bring retail, and create a new tax base.”
As for the building of Goss’s new venture, he said, “My partner has owned the building for years. We started in 2019, believe it or not, and then the pandemic hit. So we kind of slow-rolled that for a bit. Then because of the pandemic, we had issues with getting materials which slowed it down even further. So we were probably a year behind what we hoped, maybe a year and a half behind. But, you know that ended up being kind of a blessing because we're able to do it the right way instead of the fast way.”
Goss’s partner is Scott Ledbetter, who has also worked with him at the Biscuitry. In fact, one of the signature drinks at Simon’s is the Ledbetter Old Fashion. You can find all kinds of amazing drinks at the bar inside Simon’s. Christopher Russell, the General Manager at Simon’s, spoke about a rum-type liquor from Brazil called Cachaça that the Ledbetters recommended for the bar. So much thought has gone into the details at Simon’s that it should come as no surprise that the bar is also equipped with a Cruvinet Winebar. A Cruvinet is a temperature-controlled wine dispenser, similar to beer taps. It uses nitrogen to displace air, creating a seal that prevents oxidation and protects an open bottle of wine from turning and keeps it fresh for about two months. So Simon’s is able to keep 39 different bottles of wine available for guests at any time.
At Simon’s Fish Camp you’ll find special touches just like the Cruvinet everywhere—from the food to the decor. When it comes to Head Chef Richard Clarke, or “Chef Rich” as he prefers, there’s no stone left unturned when it comes to his dishes. Chef Rich is from Toone, Tennessee and he learned all about cooking at his mother’s knee, “I love to cook and I take pride in every dish I put out.” When asked about his favorite dish to cook, Chef Rich couldn’t pin just one down, saying, “I like to cook the Brisket Crostini because it looks pretty and tastes good, but I really like everything. I really like smokin’ stuff like the brisket.” In fact, Chef Rich has had a few Texans try his brisket and they loved what he did with it.
The menu at Simon’s Fish Camp has a huge variety of different dishes. During our interview, we got to try an assortment of dishes from appetizers to dessert. To start off, Goss and Chef Rich picked the Catfish Crisps and the Brisket Crostini. The Catfish Crisps are addictive—you think that maybe you’ll just try one, but they’re way too delicious, you have to have more! The Crisps are paper-thin slices of catfish fried to golden perfection served with a slice of lemon and cocktail sauce on the side. Since they’re fried to a golden crisp it produces the perfect crunch in every bite. As for the Brisket Crostini, the brisket is served on a piece of toasted, crunchy baguette. This elevated bbq bite with the smoked brisket is paired with a little mountain of slaw and a light drizzle of sauce, making every bite tantalize your taste buds.
From there we moved to Gumbo, which the menu describes as a “roux-based stew featuring catfish, shrimp, andouille sausage, vegetables, herbs, and spices.” Rice is also available upon request. To describe the Gumbo in words …heartwarming, flavorful, and good-for-the-soul. Pairing it with the rice will only add to your dining experience.
After gumbo, came the entrés. First on the line-up was the Special Blackened Catfish & Cheese Grits. The Catfish is from Yazoo City, MS, then blackened and served over house-made cheese grits, and topped with Backermann's Chow Chow, giving the perfect twist to this perfect dish—it was by far the most flavorful catfish you can get anywhere. With a slight spice to it, this dish will leave you having wanting to come back to get it again and again.
Finally, we had Goss’s favorite dish, one of the flame-grilled, hand-cut steaks. The locally-sourced, 14-day dry-aged steak had a nice sear, and it cut like butter. Goss sources his steaks from D-R Cattle Company in Dyersburg, TN. The owner, Dwayne Dunn, just happened to stop by while we were there. He explained how he got involved with Simon’s Fish Camp, “I'm like Superman and Clark Kent. For my Clark Kent job, I work as an ag insurance agent with White and Associates. Duncan McKinney runs the business here in Bolivar and He and I are friends. Well, Duncan and Goose (Goss) are in Rotary together, so when Goose started this thing, Duncan had already been buying some of our meat, and said ‘hey, you need to give my buddy a try!’ I brought five or six different steak cuts up here. Then he came out to the house and looked at our operation and he's like: ‘I’m in.’ So now Simon’s has its very own dry-aged steak supplier.”
In addition to what we sampled, there’s a whole menu’s worth of amazing things to try. Heather, the bartender at Simon’s, recommended the Honey Garlic Pork Tenderloin. We also got to try the twice-baked potatoes, full of bold flavors, chunky potatoes, and the perfect ratio of cheese!
Make plans to head to Simon’s Fish Camp as soon as possible. You won’t regret it! Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ins are welcome. Visit their website: www.simonsfishcamp.com. They are located at 201 N. Main St. Bolivar, TN 38008 and are open, Wednesday & Thursday 4:30 pm–8 pm, with the bar open until 9 pm, Friday & Saturday 4:30 pm–9 pm, with the bar open from 4:30 pm–10 pm, and on Sundays, they host a brunch, featuring a carving station, waffle station, breakfast items, entree items, upscale sides, dessert, and a salad bar from 10:30 am until 2:30 pm.