Twice now I've tried the rich, spicy and very, very green gumbo at On the River. And twice I've asked Don Scott what makes it so green. I was convinced, the first time, that there were collards or turnips in the gumbo. Nope, he said. It's a lot of chopped, cooked parsley.

Photos by Dave Darnell/The Commercial Appeal

D'Aiyana Scott, 13, displays a shrimp po' boy for a customer at On the River.

On the River, at 51 South Main, is open for lunch.

Don Scott works on seafood Alfredo.

D'Aiyana takes an order from Ruth Hendrix at the restaurant on South Main.

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Skeptical, I tried again. This time I was told it was a combination of parsley and the okra. Now, I'm not completely convinced that there's not a secret that has to do with collards -- I just feel it in my bones, but I also don't think that Scott is lying to me. I'm just going to keep teasing it out until I figure it out, which will be a pleasant enough task.

The thick gumbo is made with chicken, beef sausage, shrimp and crab (plus the green component, of course) and served over a small amount of rice. As different as it is, it's also as good as any version I've tasted.

The menu is fish heavy.

Let's start with the fish tacos. A grilled strip of tilapia comes on a small corn tortilla, just the kind you'd get in an authentic Mexican restaurant. But there Scott, the main cook, goes in a different direction.

The tacos (they come three to an order) are served topped with a salad of iceberg lettuce and green onion tossed with a homemade Cajun mayonnaise. There's a slight sweetness, a little tanginess, a tiny bit of heat. It's a nice combination and the tacos would be enough for someone looking for a light lunch.

Sandwiches come with a choice of fries or homemade potato chips. Choose the latter, which come to the table hot from the fryer. Most of the chips were perfectly crisp, though too many of them were still soft. Nonetheless, I like the freshly fried chips.

The po' boys are served on soft but appropriately chewy bread. They're standard versions -- fried and adorned with lettuce and tomato, but the Cajun mayo is a nice deviation from the standard remoulade sauce.

If you're lucky, you'll be served by 9-year-old Donzel Scott, the grandson of owner Willie Bell Scott.

He takes his job seriously and he has opinions.

I asked him to recommend a side for the grilled jumbo shrimp.

"My dad's spaghetti. It's the best."

Well, why not? I never knew I'd like catfish and spaghetti together until I tried it.

The shrimp were plump and tender, butterflied and served tail-on. Four seemed a little skimpy for $8.99, though on the lunch menu the shrimp and one side come with a drink, too. On the dinner menu, you get six shrimp, two sides and hushpuppies for $10.99, which seems to be the better deal. You can order from the dinner menu at lunch (hours recently changed and the restaurant is not serving dinner at present).

The spaghetti sauce was made with ground beef, but a generous hand with the basil and oregano give it enough flavor to compensate for the lack of Italian sausage.

Desserts are made by Grandma's. Daily selections vary between sweet potato and pecan pie, cheesecake, and Italian cream, caramel and red velvet cake.

We turned to Donzel for advice again. He stared at me, eyes and mouth wide open, when I turned down his suggestion for sweet potato pie. I told him I didn't like sweet potatoes.

"I've never heard anyone say that," he said, shaking his head.

Then he told us he really liked the red velvet cake the best, but hesitated when I ordered it. He walked away and came back.

"OK, you can have one," he said. "I had to be sure there was enough left for me, but we've got four."

Addendum: As I was finishing this review, Scott called to tell me that he's started a lunch special of all-you-can-eat catfish with one side and hushpuppies from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. It's $7.99.

ON THE RIVER

Address: 51 S. Main

Telephone: (901) 522-0052; (901) 277-0837 (the first number is the permanent number and should be operational within the week; meanwhile, call the second number)

Hours: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Open first and third Sundays from 2-6 p.m.

Price: $

Handicapped access: Yes

Alcoholic beverages: Beer only

Don't miss: Gumbo, fish tacos, po' boys (particularly the oyster)