Monday, January 16, 2012.
Miracle Repair. Fat Spoon.
Last Friday, my cellphone rang while I was on the air. I answered it to stop the ringing and kept on with the show, hoping that whoever called would realize what was going on. When I checked the number later, it proved to be KT Automotive, which has had my car and its numerous big problems for a few days. I called them today expecting to hear about the need for a new transmission, new clutch, and a new oil pan, which would come to something like $3209.45 and take two weeks because the parts had to be ordered.
Instead, they said the car was ready, and that nothing had been as bad as I thought. For example, the transmission problem was due only to worn-out cables. Everything else involved only minor parts and adjustments. They even did the brake tag inspection. Price for everything: $544. Well! A late Christmas present!
Mary Ann and I met for lunch at the Fat Spoon on LA 59, en route home from KT. The Fat Spoon opened a few months ago in a space that saw a previous restaurant fail. I didn't have high hopes for this one, either. I think they chose an unappealing name. Using the word "fat" in any connection with good food is a mistake. When I published the New Orleans Eat Book, I spent a lot of time finding a typeface for the big word "EAT" on the cover that wouldn't make it resemble "FAT." (Try this with some typefaces and you'll see what I mean.)
I'm not blaming this on the restaurant's owners, but the order we placed had strong fat-creating abilities. Onion rings, three sliders, a side salad, a plate of red beans and rice with hot sausage, and a roast beef poor boy. That's ridiculous for two people who are trying to keep their weights under control.
Instead of entering an orgy of self-recrimination, however, we were thrilled by the eats. The onion rings were a little too thick, but greaseless, crisp, and good. The sliders were thickish, grilled to order, and delightful. The red beans were clearly made in house (a shocking number of restaurants now buy them ready-made), with a good texture and flavor and a convincing link of butterflied, grilled hot sausage. The roast beef sandwich was a bit less impressive, but was obviously made in house too. Halfway through the meal we were already looking forward to the next one.
That might be breakfast, a meal they serve every day by Saturday, our regular breakfast day. They say it becomes a brunch on Sunday, though. We'll certainly try that. The place and the servers are pleasant.
And hey! My PT Cruiser runs great again! A fine day.
Fat Spoon Cafe. Mandeville: 68480 Highway 59. 985-809-2929.
