Thursday, February 14, 2008
Cajun comes to Vinton
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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I took a table-full of friends over Mardi Gras to give the Cajun Connection an appropriate try. It's no Jeffrey's (Jeff Fuller was one heck of a cook, if not an executive chef), but then the Connection doesn't try to be. The place is out to carve its own destiny and they're doing a pretty good job. I'd like to see a few more items appear, such as a muffaletta sandwich or an opelousas oyster loaf, but they're off to a great start.
We began the meal with crab bites, which may be one of the best appetizers I've had in years. You get four crab bites, lightly battered and fried.
These bites are light, with a sauce flavor built in; same with the crawfish bites. The rest of the appetizers you can find about anywhere. These two are a Connection specialty worthy of note.
My ravenous bunch tried numerous platters, sandwiches, and sides. The red beans and rice is not quite as spicy as I'd like, but it's a platefull of rice smothered with red beans in a tomato sauce with Polska Kielbasa slices throughout. What's not to like about red beans and rice? And heck, you don't even have to wait until Monday to get it. (For those who have never been to New Orleans, red beans and rice is a Monday-only tradition.)
The shrimp etouffee' was good, though I'm used to a more thick and buttery affair than they serve. In New Orleans, when the crawfish aren't in season, you'll have to make do with shrimp etouffee'. I like either one that features sauce blended with garlic, bell peppers, flour, tomato paste, thyme, basil, cloves, chili powder, lemon ... and topped with green onions and minced parsley. That's some eating. Rich. But unforgettable when done just right.
The oyster Po'Boy had us all giving it a try: oysters fried perfectly brown and lined up on an 8-inch piece of French bread with lettuce, tomato and mayo.
It was a real standout with this hungry bunch. I'm sure if you have the shrimp Po'Boy you'll love it as well. They offer two other Po'Boys: roast beef or American (featuring meatball, hamburger, or cheeseburger). You don't have to be "Po" to enjoy it.
A fellow diner, wishing to have her red beans as a sandwich, wisely chose a garlic herb wrap, without any guilt at all.
Other wraps include Cajun chicken, Jambalaya and steak. Wraps are easily a lunch bargain in the $6.99-$7.99 range.
We tried just about every side offered, lining them up in the middle of the table, and went at it. Worthy of note: dirty rice, cole slaw (creamy and obviously homemade), and the pasta salad. Not so inspired was the mac and cheese -- little flavor -- or the fried okra. Well, what can you do to make okra exciting? Of my extreme love affair with all things Creole and Cajun, nothing has made me an okra fan, though deep frying it is much better than finding it all slimy in a soup. Other sides -- potato salad (yes), baked potato, hush puppies (good recipe here), mashed potatoes and gravy, and side salad were delicious. Just about everything that came out of the kitchen is prepared there, with possible exception of the Cajun fries, now available just about anywhere.
Next visit, I'm going for the Jambalaya. The real stuff includes a pot of raw shrimp, ham or sausage, and a great mix of green peppers, parsley, garlic, tomatoes, broth, thyme, chili powder, salt and pepper, and long grain rice. Unlike red beans and rice, it's more like a soup than a sauce. It's origin is French and Spanish Louisiana. Jambalaya comes from the term jamba, which means ham (but not necessarily) and the Spanish word, paella. Usually it's a combination of seafood and meat, with the rice as part of the mix.
And I'll have to try the gumbo, which usually features andouille sausage. Here it's called "Pam's Famous Gumbo." One of my favorite old PBS cooks, Justin Wilson, used to say, "Ask your butcher to get you some andouille sausage. If for some reason your butcher was not educated in South Louisiana and doesn't know somethin' about andouille, forget about it ... and him!"
Dinner platters are reasonably priced with more than enough to please your appetite.
Desserts are homemade and tasty. They'll soon be offering beignets, the small square French pastries that are fried like donuts and dusted with powdered sugar. They never caught on at Jeffrey's but I hope you'll support this morning treat when they start serving them at the Cajun Connection.
THE CAJUN CONNECTION
515 2nd St.
Vinton, Va.
(540) 400-6130
Open daily from 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
