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| - I love Cajun/Creole food - good, bad or indifferent. I first became acquainted with it when I was in the service in eastern Texas in Galveston. Coming from Washington State, it was a brand new experience for me - the flavors were wild and exotic. And since we had nothing like it in Washington, I taught myself to cook it - gumbo, jambalaya, barbecued shrimp, etouffee, red beans and rice - I loved it all. I bought every cookbook available, and this was prior to Paul Prudhomme, Emeril, and Justin Wilson. My children grew up eating Cajun, and even now they ask me to cook it for them when they come home.
So I had a craving for Cajun food, and headed off to Baby Kay's. I finally found it tucked away in a mall on Camelback. The inside is inviting, and there is a patio adjacent to it. When I came in there was an old man playing blues at the front entrance, so I knew it was the right spot.
I sat at the bar and sampled their shrimp etoufee, chicken and sausage gumbo, and jambalaya. Of course, I had to sample the Turbo Dog beer. Sad to say, the beer was the best part of the whole meal.
I was disappointed in the flavors of the food. It seemed that they had toned the taste down, so as to appease the general public. Cajun and Creole food is simple, yet can be made quite complex with the spices added - and I don't mean just Tabasco Sauce.
I have to give them credit - the food was obviously prepared correctly - the gumbo was made with a roux, the jambalaya was not swimming in tomato sauce. I loved the etouffee - if I had just had that and the Turbo Dog beer, I would have been satisfied.
So I will go back - but only if I have a craving for Cajun/Creole food - and only if I can't find any place better.
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