Hot Cajun, Almost Famous and the Georgia Peach
Local food you’ve got to try
Y’all know that from time to time I like to talk about some of the good food in this town.
I guess I love food so much that I want to share it with readers. These are some items at local eateries. You may have had a couple of these already but I’m hoping that there’s at least one thing on this list you haven’t tried.
I always encourage people to try different things and new places when it comes to local food. There’s a lot of great places to eat in our community.
Mixed shawarma at Mid
dle Eastern Cafe — first of all, Middle Eastern Cafe moved to Broad Street just recently. They used to be over off Shorter Avenue near Buffalos. Well now they’re on Broad Street right next to El Zarape. Anyhow, the restaurant is big and spacious and the food is excellent. I had the mixed shawarma the other day for lunch. Shawarma is a roasted, seasoned and usually shredded meat and it’s really good. The mixed shawarma was beef and lamb and it was delicious. I highly recommend it. Plus, I think Middle Eastern Cafe brings some great variety to our already interesting and colorful Broad Street. So stop in and have a meal.
Cajun sauce at Jefferson’s — So every time I go to Jefferson’s I get the double dipped wings. And I always get a couple sides of dipping sauce to go with ‘em. I usually got the regular hot sauce and the Asian zinger. Well, the other day, I tried the Hot Cajun sauce and let me tell you, it’s now my go-to sauce. It has a robust, smoky Cajun flavor that makes you feels like an LSU fan just kicked you in the jaw ... but in a good way. And I like it so much that I’ll order extra and take it home to use as a dipping sauce with other food. So now I eat ramen noodles with Hot Cajun sauce or Totino’s Pizza Rolls dipped in Hot Cajun sauce. I’m sure you’ve been to Jefferson’s a million times but if you haven’t had the double dipped wings with a side of Hot Cajun sauce, do yourself a favor and try it.
Rib sandwich at Moe’s BBQ — Since that place opened I’ve been singing the praises of their smoked wings and delicious crispy pork rinds. But I branched out for the first time the other day and tried something new — the rib sandwich. It was incredible. In my head I expected a rib sandwich to look like a McRib from McDonalds (don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about because we’ve all had it and loved it and sucked our fingers dry after that sauce overflows the sandwich). But this rib sandwich had the rib meat shredded in there and mixed with their barbecue sauce it was like heaven. Please go there and tell them I sent you. They won’t give you a discount or anything, but maybe they’ll name a menu item after me.
The Georgia Peach at Spar
tan Smoothies — My buddy Jeremy always posted to social media whenever he visited Spartan Smoothies (near Shane’s Rib Shack) and I had never been. Now I’ve gone over there a couple times and the Georgia Peach is refreshing and delicious. But I’m a peach lover. If you’re not, there’s a bunch of different flavors and ingredients to choose from and to mix and match. I’ve heard the Peanut Butter Blast is also pretty tasty. But be warned. These smoothies aren’t weak. They’re packed with protein and energy boosters and all sorts of tasty stuff.
Chicken gravy biscuit at Bojan
gles — This isn’t a new menu item by any means, but it’s new to me. My buddy Ben told me about it. Legend has it that Rome residents Bruce Ingram and Brandon Brown actually invented this menu item many years ago based on knowledge passed down to him by the spirits of their ancestors. So I guess I have to thank them for this gift from Heaven. If y’all thought the Bojangles chicken biscuit was good, try it smothered in their delectable gravy. I’ve always just gotten either the chicken biscuit OR the gravy biscuit. Well this is the best of both worlds. And I like to sprinkle some hot sauce on there for good measure.
Breakfast at Almost Famous — If y’all haven’t tried it, please get over to Almost Famous. It’s in Armuchee where Mr. D’s used to be. I’ve been for lunch and had some great burgers but recently I went there with Connie (my friend who is addicted to estate sales). We had just come from an estate sale and stopped at Almost Famous because Connie said the breakfast was good. Well as usual, Connie was right. She can sniff out a bargain a mile away and I guess she can sniff out great food too. I had scrambled eggs, hash browns, bacon and a pancake. Everything was delicious. And the prices weren’t bad at all.
If there are other menu items at local restaurants you think I should try, let me know about ’em. I’m always up for trying new things and your suggestions may end up in a future column.