2018 has not been, I freely acknowledge, a great year for restaurant coverage on this blog. First the book – whose manuscript is in but whose galley proofs are still a-borning, apparently – and then the wedding of the first Lemons grandchild are the primary causes of my dereliction. In the tradition of her father, who is my older child, and my daughter-in-law and their wedding, the two families did the food for the reception. This time, we fed about 200 people, and you may be sure I was part of the cooking for that. Then one more run to the East Coast to finish up a couple of deliveries, and we now, finally, return to what I hope is regular programming.
And while this first-in-a-while review is brief, there’s a great lead in the story: I just had the best gumbo I’ve eaten in quite a while. My BFF and I went to Kathy’s Kitchen on South Florissant Road for lunch, and we kicked it off with what they call a cup of gumbo. First of all, if this is a cup, they may serve the bowl of gumbo in a gallon jug, because it was a soupbowl by most descriptions. Cathy Jenkins calls it Memphis-style gumbo, and I’m not sure exactly what that means, but it’s killer. Surprisingly creamy, it’s packed with chicken, shrimp, the occasional bay scallop and half-moon of andouille sausage, which adds a little pepper to things. The okra isn’t cooked to shreds, and the scoop of rice in the middle, Creole-style, is just right. (Are you aware that in some parts of Louisiana, there’s often a scoop of potato salad plopped into a bowl of gumbo?) It’s a remarkable soup, and if the idea of gumbo doesn’t appeal to you – I know someone to whom this applies – just call it seafood soup and carry on. The first bite was so good I forgot to haul out the camera, unfortunately, and just kept eating.
The seafood theme carried on with catfish fillets breaded in cornmeal, well seasoned and not overcooked. The fried shrimp is in a milder batter, also used on the chicken wings. Fries are standard, but arrived hot and fresh, and a cup of coleslaw with creamy dressing was also a standard but very acceptable version.
Servings are large, but we carried home dessert, the banana pudding cake, which was almost a tiramisu but with cake instead of ladyfingers, a real Southern charmer, and the caramel cake. I’m more accustomed to caramel cake being a layer cake, but here it’s a single layer made in an angelfood cake pan with the caramel frosting poured over it to languidly drip down the sides. Very good – a wee bit dry near the bottom of the cake, but a nice frosting.
A happy nod also to the lunch crowd. Things were hopping and it was the sort of mixture that brought me back to the glory days of LaClede Town. People of all ages and ethnic backgrounds were digging in and digging it. A lovely feeling. The menu is as mixed as the crowd was, so there are many other options to explore. But it’ll be hard for me to pass up that gumbo
Cathy’s Kitchen
250 S. Florissant Rd., Ferguson
314-524-9200
Lunch and (very early) dinner Mon.-Sat.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Fair
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