Courtney's Cafe

There’s a new man in town.

For the past few years Big E’s flourished off the beaten path of the downtown lunch scene on St. Francis Street near the Temple. But Big E got tired, and some say he just wasn’t excited about it anymore.

LoDa business owners tend to be cut from the same cloth. They are familiar with the crowd and what works. These people have come from other establishments, live and hang-out in LoDa. Newbies often fail. They usually come in one or all of three varieties: inexperienced, under-funded or bad business models.

The owners of Courtney’s Café are new to downtown, but do not lack experience or a business model. Billy Courtney and his wife Dorie are the daughter and son-in-law of Martha Rutledge, as in Martha Rutledge Catering of Springhill. Martha has reigned for some time as the doyenne of society caterers. Her style is reminiscent of that other Martha, without the Stewart attitude.

Dorie grew up working for her mother, and has a cheery disposition. She has experience ranges from planning large events, cooking for dinner parties and making cakes. Billy joined the business after marrying Dorie, utilizing his skills on the grill, smoker and deep-fryer. Billy and Dorie have left the comfort of “08” to make it in LoDa.

They are coming fast out of the gate in their first week. Most of the crowd the day I ate there, and another when I peeked my head in, were from up on the Hill on the edge of WeMo.

Now in my opinion, anything west of I-65 is WeMo. Springhill only began developing as a suburb after WWII, if not really until the late ‘60s. The city limits are not too far—it is on the edge. I digress because I am settling an argument right here. Springhill is WeMo. There is no catchy name for it anyhow. Anyway, it is nice to see some 08ers slumming downtown.

It was a beautiful sunny day and there was a slight line out the door on the day I tried it. Several nice patio tables with umbrellas are spaced along the sidewalk out front. The menu is not large, but it is diverse. Courtney’s has several fried baskets, standard sandwiches (a grilled BLT for example) and a grilled or fried chicken green salad.

I had three others in my party - one being our favorite Chicken Finger Girl from previous reviews. Her entire diet is chicken fingers and fettuccine alfredo. I figure by the end of the year we can definitely crown someplace for best chicken finger. The other two dining companions were more open minded. Everything at Courtney’s is made in-house - fresh potato chips, slaw and potato salad in addition to the main items.

All menu items come with one side with the exception of the fried baskets. Chicken Finger Girl got homemade potato chips, and the basket also came with cole slaw and hush puppies with her fried poultry ($5.35). Hand-cut thick strips of chicken breast are battered and fried to a tempura-like state. They were not greasy. The chips were pretty good, but not my favorite side, although CFG loved them. Potato chips are hard to perfect. I like them crispy and crunchy and while these were slightly so, they were soft in some places. I wouldn’t avoid them, however I just think their other sides are stellar. The chips do have a nice dusting of spices and I think Courtney’s is the only one making them in town.

All of the servings are generous. The chicken salad croissant ($5.95) has a large mound of white meat salad loaded with pecans, and is not thinned out with mayo. It is actually rather dense.

I ordered the catfish basket. Large, hot pieces of catfish in a cornmeal batter filled the basket. It tasted fabulous; in fact, it might be the best catfish I’ve ever had. Being piping hot helped, but the catfish was mild, not too fishy. Billy knows how to fry. The cole slaw was creamy and tasty, well above the pre-packaged type often found.

Attention to the sides sets Courtney’s apart. The potato salad is awesome. Like the chicken salad, it is heavy on substance, using just enough mayonnaise to bind it together. Chunks of potatoes are crammed together with the slight hint of mustard. The hush puppies are the only marginal thing on the menu. They were not as warm as the fish, and tasted fairly bland, laden with cornmeal.

The grilled chicken salad is huge. Healthy slices of chicken are piled on top of salad greens with cheese, carrots, green peppers and sugared pecans. It is the best and most bountiful salad I’ve seen in a locally owned establishment. Several in-house made salad dressings are found, all but blue cheese. The balsamic vinaigrette is tangy and pairs well with the salad.

By the time we got our drinks from the unlimited fountain and went to the table, the food was there. That is good service, especially since the food was hot. This is among the best lunches I have had—all around.

Courtney’s is bringing something else to LoDa - incredible cakes and take-away casseroles. You can order a slice of a few of their cakes - the poppy seed was as moist as pudding and full of lemon. There is an exhaustive list of cakes and pies—I can attest to the sinfulness of their buttermilk pie.

The casseroles range from $14-$16 and can make two meals for four. I bought a chicken lasagna ($15) that was creamy and just like everything else, generous with the chicken. We served it to another couple, and my family of four ate on it the next night.

For $15, a downtown worker can pick up dinner—lasagna, chicken and artichoke, shepherd’s pie, spaghetti pie or side items such as green bean casserole. Take advantage of this place, as I surely will. They will be an anchor for the north side of LoDa if you try it. I promise.

Kinnon Phillips is Lagniappe cuisine editor. Contact him at kphillips@lagniappemobile.com.

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