Upon seeing his obituary in the New York Times, the legendary Mark Twain quipped, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." For Tim Faul, owner of Tim's Cajun Kitchen in Huntsville, Alabama reports of his death have not yet started. However, Tim has had the need to post on his facebook page that, contrary to reports on Yelp, he's still going strong and in November of 2012 will mark 20 years of serving up Cajun favourites to north Alabama residents.
Among the most popular of regional American cuisine, Cajun/Creole restaurants can be found in just about any city with more than about 10,000 residents it seems. Creole being the more refined foods found in the city while Cajun being the "Peasant" food found in and around bayou country. Both cuisines are heavily influenced by French and African with a little Spanish, Italian and Caribbean thrown in for good measure. I've heard it said that the simplest way to determine which is which is Cajun doesn't contain tomatoes where as Creole does. Probably an over simplification considering the once fairly obvious differences. As the years have past and people have migrated towards city life, the once bold line between the two has been slowly blurred. One thing is for certain, Chain restaurants have gotten a hold of this cuisine and muddied the waters terribly. Dishes like "Blackened Chicken" and "Cajun Seafood Pasta" are simply marketing. This is one of the better articles I've found explaining the differences.
Tim's, much like most restaurants making Acadiana food has representatives of each. Mix in some more traditional Southern dishes listed as white board specials and it's a nice menu with a little something for everyone.
On the outside Tim's can be a bit daunting. Tucked away on the side of a hill just off the interstate in what I'm given to understand is an old Pizza Hut it's not exactly the most welcoming looking place. That's, as you find out, part of the charm. It's supposed to have a rustic, backwoods bayou feel to it and on this it delivers.
Inside the place is dark but reveals a sense of humour. The dining room walls are covered in caricatures of employees and customers going about their daily business. Cleaning, cooking, eating, etc. You get a seat, order, eat and pay in the front vestibule. In back there is a large bar area for nights when a major sporting event is on, this place can get very busy.
In the kitchen Tim is doing practically everything himself. Right down to smoking his own meats and making his own hot sauce. Said meats and sauce can be purchased from Tim either in the restaurant or at his butcher shop.
So let's see what's coming out of said kitchen. Keeping in mind that I'm by no means an expert on Cajun and Creole cooking save for crafting my own recipes at home. How they'd stand up to a scrutinizing palate from the region I wouldn't know but it seems that Tim and I are somewhat on the same page.
The Red Beans and Rice were terrific. When I make 'em at home there's a little more gravy but that's just a personal preference. Loving sauces and all. Outside of that, they taste very much the same. The fact that Tim uses his own smoked Andoullie in it makes it that much better. His sausage has a very pronounced smokiness that plays very well with the red beans. This dish was made even better with the addition of Tim's house made hot sauce.
The Cheese Grits were good but not great. I think they could've been cheesier but all in all there really wasn't anything wrong with them. Just good solid cheese grits.
The Cajun Corn, a recommendation by the waitress really was as good as she said. Corn mixed with tomato and holy trinity. The thing was, mixed with the grits it made both better. A match made in heaven.
While no one, and I mean no one can beat my SIL's SIL's deviled eggs, these ones were very good. Done in the Southern style with sweet pickle relish these ones were sprinkled with paprika. Very good. As I often do, I got a dinner roll for sopping up all that goodness left on the plate.
The Catfish Curls were nice. They seemed to be the perfect balance of fish to breading ratio which was a nice change. Usually the fish to breading ratio is much greater but there was as much fish taste as breading taste and I thought it worked really well. Partly because the corneal breading was tasty and partly because the fish could stand up to it.
The Crawfish Po' Boy was also very good. Amply filled with breaded mud bugs and with the standard remoulade, tomato and lettuce it was an all round tasty sandwich. The Fried Okra was good but this is something that's not my favourite. Mrs. Sippi loves it but I'm not a big fan.
So there you have it. Some mighty fine Louisiana based foods in the heart of Dixie.
You can find Tim’s at 114 Jordan Lane NW, Huntsville, Alabama.
View Larger Map
You can also find Tim’s on facebook and Twitter.
Well that’s all for now folks, see you next time in the food court.
Davwud
So says the welcome banner on Rick’s White Light Diner in Kentucky’s capitol city, Frankfort. Quite honestly Rick could probably greet internet visitors with “Come for the food, stay for the lecture.” Yep, owner/chef Rick Paul knows a thing or two about just about anything you can imagine. And he’s not afraid to tell you about it either. 
Rick, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America has owned the White Light Diner off and on for years. He’s left for other ventures but has always returned. A little older, a little wiser and a little grayer in the beard. When not manning the kitchen or harassing employees, Rick can often be found perched on the back counter with his feet up on the front counter. Espousing his thoughts on life, politics, other restaurants, the weather and, well, you get the idea. He’s attracted a lot of attention from local media outlet and even CNN but what put the diner on my “To do” list was a visit from Triple D gang.
The tiny space perched on the side of a steep hill is the oldest restaurant in the state. Dating well back into the 19th century. The porcelain tiled two story building was once part of the “White Light System” which near as I can tell was a local hamburger chain. Much along the lines of White Castle.
8 stools line the counter and 3 four seat tables round out the dining room. The walls are covered in souvenirs, stickers, slogans and a whole host of other memorabilia. The perilous walk down the stairs to the restroom in the basement would make a mountain goat sweat. Flat out, this place oozes character.
Enough about the place, how was the food you wonder. First off, let me tell you that Rick uses local meats, dairy and anything else he can get his hands on making him Kentucky Proud.
We opted for the daily special, Jambalaya with a side of Mac and Bleu Cheese. As well, the Triple D Sample Platter featuring Crawfish Pie, Fried Oysters, BBQ Pork, French Bread and side of Fried Green Tomatoes.
I’d have passed off the Jambalaya except that it tasted pretty good. The presentation was rather odd in that it was an unattractive amalgam of rice, sautéed veggies, chicken and sausage. It’s then topped with a Creole sauce. It was a strange way of doing things based on my knowledge of the dish. Again, it was good but odd.
The side of Mac and Bleu Cheese was an interesting and quite good retelling of the old diner standard. Good job here.
One thing not mentioned on the menu that showed up on the Sampler Platter was the “Salad.” A small wedge of lettuce with some salad dressing. It was pretty tasty. The oysters were good but ultimately relatively “Dime a dozen” deep fried oysters. Nothing wrong with them but not outstanding. The BBQ had an interesting flavour (all spice??) and was good but again, nothing mind blowing. The Crawfish Pie was excellent IMHO. Crawfish etouffe baked into a pie shell. Delicious. Rick’s home made French bread was very good too.
The side of Fried Green Tomatoes were much like the oysters. Good but not special.
A little sign behind the counter advertised Deep Fried Oreo’s. Okay, I’ll bite. I mean, how could I not. Anyway, 3 chocolate Oreo’s battered with pancake batter and deep fried. Very good.
The Bourbon Pecan Pie was fantastic. A pecan pie laced with some of Kentucky’s finest.
If there wasn’t enough booze in the pie for ya, an atomizer of bourbon is at your disposal. To kick things up even more.
So all in all a good meal but in the pantheon of Triple D places I’ve visited, this one is at the bottom. Rick himself is worth the visit if not the food.
You can find Rick’s White Light Diner at 114 Bridge Street in Frankfort, KY.
View Larger Map
You can find then on the web, on facebook and twitter as well.
Well that’s all for now in the food court.
Davwud
Call it a submarine, a hoagie or a grinder. A sandwich on a long bun loaded with everything from meats, to cheeses to vegetables. In New Orleans they call it a “Po’ Boy.” Served on a French style baguette these sandwiches are filled with either fried seafood, roast beef or sausage. They are “dressed” with tomato, lettuce and mayo with pickle and onion being optional. Mustard, usually creole, is smeared on when the sandwich isn’t of the seafood variety.
Po’ boys are rumoured to have been invented in 1929 by one time trolley conductor, Clovis Martin at the family restaurant during a streetcar strike. Martin served his former colleagues, known to restaurant workers as “Poor boys” free sandwiches during the 4 month strike. The sandwich would earn the nickname and with the “Nawlin’s” drawl being what it is, is forever known as the “Po’ Boy.”
For Slidel, Louisiana native Donnie Thigpen the restaurant business was not his game. He was a builder. Settled in Huntsville, Alabama with his wife Marie (yes Donnie and Marie) they decided that the restaurant scene was lacking in the food on which Donnie grew up. With only a dream in their hearts, they opened a small New Orleans style café in an old house that would serve the staple food, po’ boys. Initially the only two employees, Donnie manned the grill and the effervescent Marie undertook the rest of the operation. Slowly, steadily the word got out. Business improved. And improved. So much so that an addition to the main building would follow. A second building next door was purchased to handle over flow on weekends and a large full time staff is now employed.
The Thigpens, are committed to high quality food at reasonable prices. They import as much from Louisiana as possible and make the rest. Making the 12 hour trek to Patton’s in Louisiana for the hot sausage for example. Their own “Hot damn” sauce made the al.com list of Huntsville’s “20 Most Distinctive Dishes” this last summer. We had a short wait at lunch before being seated. The efficient staff keeps things moving at a pretty good pace. The cozy dining room is practically a shrine to all things Louisiana, New Orleans and LSU Football. The non descript building outside is a dress in Mardi Gras style.
So without any further adieu.
We both had the Scruffy’s Special. A sandwich (which comes with fries) and choice of side. You can’t go to the Po’ Boy Factory and not order po’ boys right??
I went with the spicy sausage and gumbo side with Mrs. Sippi selecting the crawfish and ettouffee side. The crawfish is a little milder flavour than I’m used to and was nicely battered. The sandwich came with lettuce, tomato, mayo and was very good. I loved the baguette. Soft enough that the innards didn’t squirt out the back yet still chewy enough.
The ettouffee was fantastic. Nice and rich with a good shrimp flavour to it. A touch of Tabasco complemented it perfectly.
The sausage was just plain excellent. Patton’s sausage is almost a staple in southern Louisiana and it’s no wonder why. Not overly hot but very seasoned it just plain tasty. The bread is of course the same and as it was not a seafood po’ boy came with creole mustard. I added some of the hot damn sauce as well.
The gumbo was nice and complex with a good amount of chicken and shrimp. It too was complemented nicely by a few shots of Tabasco.
I wish I could say the “Hot Damn” sauce was damn hot but alas it’s not. It had a subtle afterbite but Marie assures me that as it ages it gets hotter. The mayo based sauce was made that morning and a batch will last at least a couple days. By the time the next day rolls around she says it’s very potent.
We skipped desert but a gorgeous looking chocolate layer cake was on display at the counter. Next time perhaps.
You can find The Po’ Boy Factory at 815 Andrew Jackson Way in Huntsville, Alabama.
View Larger Map
You can also visit them on the web or become a Facebook Friend.
Well that's all for now, see you next time in the food court.
Davwud
On the outside Tim's can be a bit daunting. Tucked away on the side of a hill just off the interstate in what I'm given to understand is an old Pizza Hut it's not exactly the most welcoming looking place. That's, as you find out, part of the charm. It's supposed to have a rustic, backwoods bayou feel to it and on this it delivers.
Inside the place is dark but reveals a sense of humour. The dining room walls are covered in caricatures of employees and customers going about their daily business. Cleaning, cooking, eating, etc. You get a seat, order, eat and pay in the front vestibule. In back there is a large bar area for nights when a major sporting event is on, this place can get very busy.
The Red Beans and Rice were terrific. When I make 'em at home there's a little more gravy but that's just a personal preference. Loving sauces and all. Outside of that, they taste very much the same. The fact that Tim uses his own smoked Andoullie in it makes it that much better. His sausage has a very pronounced smokiness that plays very well with the red beans. This dish was made even better with the addition of Tim's house made hot sauce.
The Catfish Curls were nice. They seemed to be the perfect balance of fish to breading ratio which was a nice change. Usually the fish to breading ratio is much greater but there was as much fish taste as breading taste and I thought it worked really well. Partly because the corneal breading was tasty and partly because the fish could stand up to it.
The Crawfish Po' Boy was also very good. Amply filled with breaded mud bugs and with the standard remoulade, tomato and lettuce it was an all round tasty sandwich. The Fried Okra was good but this is something that's not my favourite. Mrs. Sippi loves it but I'm not a big fan.
