A caller to the radio show is very enthusiastic about a place in Arabi called The Kitchen Table Cafe. Since this caller gets around, and since I like his contributions, I felt safe making the trek there to see what so thrilled him about the place.
It is located in a strip mall and is frankly, not all that appealing from the front. But when I started to park on the side of the building I noticed a large back parking lot. When I went over to see why this was, I realized there was a much more appealing entrance to the place, through a large patio where most of the restaurant;s seating is.
There is nothing particularly exceptional about the patio, which is concrete with metal tables and chairs, but it is completely enclosed with a bit of adornment, and it has enough charm. Inside, I would describe the vibe as a New Orleans joint.”
Service is very friendly, and the menu is extensive. They are fond of duck here, and I am fond of their duck. We started with a duck gumbo, added duck fat fries, and had a duck entree. The only other thing on the table was spinach and artichoke dip.
We had all three appetizers on the table at once, which was fine. The duck gumbo was very good, with lots of tender duck and ample andouille sausage. The spice level was pretty perfect. We only ordered one of these to share, but almost got another one.
The reason we resisted was that the portion of duck fat fries was enormous. The were golden brown, crispy and sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. There is an odd program here: if you get duck fat fries they are housecut. If you skip the duck fat, the fries are frozen. Since the duck fat is healthier than oil frying, I see no downside to this. The fries were great.
I was a bit less impressed with the spin dip. With its ingredients of cream, Parmesan cheese, artichokes, and spinach, how could there be such a thing as a bad spin dip? It was fine, just not up to the goodness of the rest of what was on the table. What was special about this dish was the dippers. Very thin and crunchy crostini with a great flavor of garlic and herbs was piled high next to the dip. Another large amount of toasted pita was part of this ensemble. The dip itself was luscious, with maybe a slight overdose of cheese, but I’m just nitpicking.
The crispy duck entree with jasmine rice was really tasty. Crispy fried duck was covered with a sticky glaze that was delicious, and I am not usually a fan of sweet glazes. The rice was the perfect foil to this sweet glaze, the meatiness of the duck added to the interesting contrast of textures and flavors, and some crispy wontons added crunch to this terrific mix. Loved this!
I had plate envy as I saw food going to other tables. This is a large eclectic menu of dishes that are nicely executed. Is it brilliant? No. Gourmet? No. But it is very good, and good enough for a return visit. All the way down there.
