Falling for catfish in the Mississippi Delta

Four kinds of locally raised catfish are served at Larry’s Fish House. The whole fried fish, upper right, is the one owner Larry Kelly encourages visitors to try. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

Chicago Tribune

Feb. 10, 2017 11:45 AM PT

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If it’s catfish you crave, make your way down to the Mississippi Delta, where this humble fish can be had fried, baked or sauteed.

A sticker on the front door of Larry’s Fish House makes clear owner Larry Kelly’s opposition to same-sex marriage, but he says he wouldn’t — and doesn’t — turn away LGBTQ customers. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

A wall hanging at Larry’s Fish House speaks to Southerners’ love of sweet tea. The Mississippi restaurant only serves soft drinks. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

A fiberglass sculpture of a catfish in a firefighter motif sits outside the fire station in Belzoni, Miss. Dozens of catfish sculptures grace the streets of this town in the catfish-raising region of the state. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

In addition to a popular restaurant, Larry Kelly operates a catering business that serves his catfish to people throughout the region. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)

Catfish feed on grain pellets at the U.S. Agriculture Department aquaculture center in Stoneville, Miss. The center is developing fast-spawning, disease-resistant catfish to keep American fish competitive in the world marketplace. (Jay Jones / Chicago Tribune)