Cuisine Review

As any reader of this column can likely tell, I like to find the unknown places and dives. This place is more unknown than a dive, but most definitely not fancy. My workout friend had mentioned it to me several times – I think sometimes we talk more about food than we actually workout.

After his last recommendation was a bust, I was wary about this one. Gator’s Pitt, on Hurtel Street just off Michigan Avenue, more than met his description. Yes, white folks, it is OK for you to eat here.

Gator’s Pitt is two blocks down from Michigan, you turn at the Frank Boykin Towers just shy of the I-10 exit. They are open for lunch and dinner six days a week. I ate so much that I was in a coma at the end, and had to scribble down the menu.

Gator’s is a friendly place with familiar faces, at least on the day several of us entered. My favorite, colorful city councilman was eating along with a longtime friend in government. Not jumping on her, but when you see me out at a restaurant, can all of you try not to ask me loudly if I am reviewing them that day?

Most of the time I am not, I do eat many meals that are just eating. But, if I am, I surely do not want them to know. Not complaining, just requesting. But you can keep the good words coming. And now, back to the story. The place is simple, with metal chairs, straw sunburst wall hangings and simple paintings on the wall.

The menu is split between two areas of the restaurant. Behind the counter is a menu with hot dogs, burgers and chicken wings – do not remember anything else. My buddy told me the burger was awesome, but they did not have any burgers that day, kind of strange. I ordered some chicken wings (6 for $3) fried and smothered in sauce. So fryer-hot that we had to wait for them to cool. Well, we did burn our tongues. These were plump with meat and somewhat spicy, more than passable.

The menu of daily items is quite large – fried chicken, fish, ribs, meatloaf, turkey and dressing – all you would typically expect. You get two sides with each, and tea. The sides on our day were collard greens, corn, okra and tomatoes, big limas, cabbage, speckled butter beans, field peas and okra, rice and gravy and well “candid” yams – you know, they are the ones that tell it like it is.

I choose the turkey and dressing with turnip greens, macaroni and cheese and unsweet tea ($7.00). The other two – one choose the fried fish ($7), which that day was tilapia, with same sides as mine and the other ribs with mac and cheese and butter beans ($8.75) with tea. So much for me forcing others to order different things so we can get a full taste of a menu.

For drinks, there is just about every soft drink in the land offered from a cooler that just does not seem to fit the soulful character of the joint – unless some “Spreadhead” used to work there. All of the Phish and “Make love not war” stickers seem to have been purchased used from a Mellow Mushroom that went out of business or something.

Everybody these days just overloads on portions. Gator’s really piles it on. A true mountain of dressing was shrouded by white and dark meat roasted turkey. The turkey was so moist and tasty – better than Thanksgiving almost. The dressing and rich, simple brown gravy were not a disappointment either. Traditional in nature, the dressing was simply put together with some parsley and spices and not overly full of bread.

The macaroni and cheese was creamy, full of mild cheddar or American cheese. The turnip greens were not as tasty as I had hoped – but I cannot put my finger on why this was so. The fish friend was disappointed with her tilapia – so skip this and get something else. She copied me on the sides.

The rib dude was more than orgasmic about his meal. A rich, thick, tomato-based sauce stuck to the ribs – the ribs had really no fat on them, or just enough to make them tender. They almost fell off the bone. His butter beans were dark purple, with a crisp bite with mushy insides.

We were all about to just fall out and take a nap right then but two of us spotted some desserts. I had contracted “dun lops” disease, but somehow managed to drag my belly up to the counter to look.

A large pan of what looked like a cloud stood thickly behind the counter. A cake rested on a platter nearby. The cloud was the fresh whipped meringue topping banana pudding ($2). You all know by now that I have become a banana pudding convert. A year ago I would not touch a banana. The nice lady behind the counter brought out an oversized spoon and packed a medium sized to-go container full of pudding. So much so that fish girl thought we had been busted. Yeah, like they had a full stack of Lagniappes in there or something.

Then almost a sixth of the caramel cake ($2) was cut. I was such a pig that I mourned the fact I had to share my pudding with rib man, even though there was no way I could eat it all. I have lauded the others, but this one is the best, absolute best in town I have tried thus far. Hey, screw the best hamburger in town, let’s do a best banana pudding in town! The caramel cake was good, with a slightly cooked-just-a-second-too-long icing, but I like it that way.

I am full again just writing this one. Yes, we were “well-fed,” but only because we liked the food. That is the kind of review you can rely on.

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

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