Cajun Kate's (Redux II)

Booth's Corner
1362 Naaman's Creek Rd.
Boothwyn, PA 19061
Website

It's no secret that Cajun Kate's is my spot for New Orleans cuisine. In all honesty, they are in my top three places to eat in the area. Probably ever.

The ambiance is hectic but laid back, much like the Big Easy. There are always a lot of people waiting to order, save for a collection of diners who grabbed a seat and are in no rush to leave. It's perfect. The feeling of supremacy when you secure a stool is what I imagine people who wait in lines for new electronics experience, but better.

Once seated, you will have to figure out what you want to order. It's a lot harder than it sounds.

I always go with the fried mac and cheese. It's unbelievable. Covered in a Creole tomato glaze, this variation was stuffed with crab, crawfish, and corn. The brininess of the crawfish and crab really came to light, and kept this extremely indulgent dish tasting fresh.

The crunchy outsides are just fried perfection, and the glaze is a sweet, tangy, barbecuey thing of beauty.

Although I admittedly like seafood po' boys best (their oyster and softshell crab weekly specials are to die for), the brisket gets it done.

Tender, juicy brisket, smothered with provolone, smeared with creole mayo, and accompanied by lettuce, tomato, and pickles make for one hell of a sandwich.

I just could not resist over-ordering (seems to be a running theme) so I got half of a muffaletta to go. But I ate most of it there.

Mortadella, genoa salami, cappicola ham, provolone, and olive salad all delicately laid inside a beautiful seeded roll. Don, (the man in charge) recommends it lightly toasted, and you best listen to him. The slight warmth applied really softens the bread, and the generous application of oil keeps it from being too dry. This is greatness.

As usual, Cajun Kate's EASILY takes the highest of Philly Phoodie honors, and I look forward to many more years of eating Cajun. As long as my arteries can stand the mac.

Catahoula update

I returned since my last post to try the fried oyster Po' Boy. $5 for a half during all Phillies games. The place filled up quickly, and many groups left when they realized that they couldn't come to a small neighborhood bar with a group of four or more during the Phillies playoffs with great food and specials on a Friday night and expect to get seats. I don't exactly know what they had anticipated, but it was amusing nonetheless. The Po' Boy was well executed. The oysters were fantastic, crispy on the outside but burst with brininess on the inside, as though they had funneled some crisp ocean water inside somehow.


The "pickles" were a melange fall vegeatables, cucumbers excluded, and were heavily seasoned with what I believe was five-spice. I am not a fan, and found the anise flavor overwhelming. However others I was eating with found them delicious. It depends on your palate, I suppose.


I had to go with the cornmeal crusted fried chicken again, and it was just as good as last time. With three flat screen tv's to watch the game, coupled with beer and food specials, this is a great place to watch the game. Cheers to Catahoula, I am glad to have you around.

Catahoula

775 S. Front St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 271-9300
Website

Well, I have been meaning to post this, but it is just too saddening to think that other people might find out about Catahoula - because then I might have to wait for a seat. Nevertheless, I think it's time I throw caution to the wind. You should try Catahoula. I have (so far) only been for happy hour, as it's an incredible deal, but I will be having a full meal there soon.


The Cornmeal Fried Chicken is basically chicken finger slices, battered, tossed in sauce and covered with smears of blue cheese. They are delicious, spicy, crunchy and the cornmeal is perfect. The sauce is hot, but flavorful, and wonderfully addicting.


A perfect way to quench your thirst while working your way through the happy hour food specials is a pint of Abita. They had the Turbodog on draft and it went down smoothly, especially with the $3 happy hour price tag.


The Cajun theme is strong here, I mean the bar is named after a dog bred in Louisiana, and the hush puppies were delicious as well. One of the biggest problems, in general, with hush puppies is their overwhelming density. Not a problem here. The interior was light, airy, and tough to stop eating when dipped in the Sauce Creole, which is basically a spicy marinara. They are a good choice when you want some real bang for your buck, and at $3 for 4, well, you just can't beat it.


Finally the Catfish Bites. Although catfish tends to be abused by the average fry cook, this fish was cooked to perfection. The flesh was bursting with moisture, and the cornmeal crust stood up to the truffled tarter sauce, no matter how overzealous I was with each dunk. Amazing.


They also give you some addictive, lightly spiced homemade chips when you first sit down. A fresh bowl of crispy fried potatoes is always welcome in my book.

Even though the chicken was definitely the standout dish, all were enjoyable, especially with those happy hour price tags. I will update with more menu options in the near future.