Bayou Cajun Smokehouse: something old, something new

In the beginning swells of the Mississippi River Hills, in a tiny town named after a Native American princess, lies a cinderblock building with a robust pavilion behind it. For many years, this was a business built and owned by a wonderful couple, who founded a restaurant called the Bayou Bar and Grill. They got to live out their dream of successfully running a Cajun restaurant and neighborhood bar. But everything changes with time, including life, and the Bayou has changed hands. It was with a little trepidation and nervous excitement that I stepped inside the Bayou Smokehouse, ready for a new experience in an old, familiar building. No comparisons between the two restaurants will be made here, for while serving similar fare, the two places are very different and can be appreciated individually for what they were, and are.

Bayou Cajun Smokehouse is located at 6611 County Road 532 in Jackson, but don't let the address fool you. While the mailing address is indeed Jackson, this place is deep in Pocahontas territory. With a new menu and fresh interior decorating, it seeks to honor the legacy of the people who dared to place a Cajun restaurant in this country, while putting its own stamp on Cajun cooking.

I'd heard some buzz online about the Tatties, so I ordered some to see what they were about. Round slices of potato, the Tatties were served breaded with cornmeal, much like what you would find on catfish. I have never, ever had potatoes breaded in cornmeal before, and found the whole thing unique. The potatoes were drizzled with a white queso cheese, and Swamphouse Ranch was served as a dip on the side. I just got the regular Tatties, but you can add sausage or shrimp and crawfish to them as well. It was unusual and new, and that may give you some insight into the creativity behind this menu.

There is a section of the menu labeled "Bayou Favorites," and this is where I had to go for my main course. I had just visited New Orleans for the first time this April, and so I, of course, feel like I am an expert in all things Creole and Cajun now. So, with a hefty half dozen authentic Louisiana Cajun dishes under my belt, I ordered Dat Gumbo with a critical eye.

Dat Gumbo came out in a huge white bowl with tall sides. The gumbo broth was all the way to the top, indeed, it was sloshed over the side of the bowl, it was so full. I could immediately see shrimp on top, a good sign that there was going to be plenty of the "good stuff" inside. I stirred the gumbo to see how much rice was on the bottom, and it was pretty much the perfect amount: enough to thicken and enrich the bowl, not enough to prevent the gumbo from being a true stew. According to the menu, Dat Gumbo contained smoked chicken, smoked andouille sausage, Ragin' Cajun rope sausage, and shrimp for the proteins. The other goodies that made up the gumbo were okra, rice and Holy Trinity rich broth, which I'm assuming contains the Cajun trinity of vegetables: carrots, onions, and peppers. It was served with Cajun garlic bread on the side.

Dat Gumbo from the Bayou, full of meat and smokiness and spice.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

So, visually, it was impressive. It smelled smoky and spicy. Time to taste, and I was starting with a shrimp. And boom! Smokiness hit me first, a rich heavy meaty smokiness. Then pow! The Cajun spiciness, just a little bite, not enough to deter me further and not enough to numb my lips. The broth was a symphony unto itself. Then there were chunks of chicken, two diameter sausages, lots of shrimp. This gumbo was laden with so much meat, I could barely believe it. And even the humble okra was special, for it had been seasoned and blackened before adding its flavor to the mix. You know when someone takes the time to make an add-in vegetable something special that they care about the food going out of the kitchen.

I could only eat the gumbo in the bowl down about an inch and a half. I took the rest home and enjoyed two more lunches out of it. I'm still thinking about it a week later and wondering if maybe I shouldn't go get some more, just to make sure it was as good as I remember it.

I bet it will be.