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Type: Cajun
Hours: Mon.-Wed. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Thurs.-Sat. 11 a.m.-11 p.m., Sun. 3 p.m.-10 p.m.
Good choices: Fried okra; cornbread; jamabalaya; jazz combo; baked stuffed mushrooms; grillades; pecan breaded catfish; sweet potato pie.
Credit cards: MasterCard, Visa, American Express.
Access: Not handicapped-accessible.
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DIXIE KITCHEN
182 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston
(617) 536-3068
Restaurant reviewed 11/12/98 by Diego Ribadeneira
The decor was promising when we first walked into the Dixie Kitchen, just up Mass. Ave. from Berklee College of Music. The walls were adorned with New Orleans street signs, Mardi Gras masks, and a floor-to-ceiling Louisiana mural. Louis Armstrong, one of New Orleans's legendary sons, played on the CD player. The smell of pungent spices wafted through the air.
And for the money, this longtime bayou outpost delivered some fairly authentic Cajun dishes.
Dixie Kitchen draws a loyal and sizable clientele, including a good number of college students. The place gives off a hole-in-the-wall feel: simple metal tables covered with blue-checkered plastic tablecloths and, along one wall, red booths with plastic seats. Trivial Pursuit gamecards are available at every table, a good thing since our lunch became a drawn out two-hour affair.
Dinner at Dixie Kitchen, with its longer, more creative menu of appetizers and entrees, proved to be the restaurant's forte.
Baked stuffed mushrooms ($4.95) arrived in a cassoulet overflowing with white cheddar cheese and filled with peppery crabmeat and crawfish stuffing. One of the night's specials, corn and crabmeat chowder ($3.25 cup; $4.25 bowl), was thick and fragrant.
The Grillades ($9.75) was a finely executed entree featuring large chunks of pan-fried steak over a heaping portion of steamed rice accompanied by black-eyed peas and greens. The meat had a pleasant hint of sherry; the black-eyed peas and greens tasted better after a shot of Tabasco sauce.
The pecan-breaded catfish was a big hit. The fish was fresh, not dry, and topped by a zesty Creole mustard.
We sampled the restaurant's version of the famed New Orleans mufalleta sandwich ($5.95). It was a robust blend of salami, ham, mortadella, provolone, and Swiss cheese, punctuated by a marinated olive salad. Maybe we're gluttons, but we only counted one or two slices of each of the meats and cheeses.
The lunch offerings were a bit more uneven. With most of the 15 or so tables full and a steady parade of takeout customers, the two waiters had their hands full. But some culinary surprises were worth the wait.
Famished, we plunged into a plate of a Southern staple, fried okra ($4.95), served crispy in a light batter _ its slightly bitter taste blending nicely with a tangy remoulade sauce.
The Gumbo Ya-Ya ($2.95 cup; $3.95 bowl) was thick, with a generous helping of tiny shrimp, though we craved more crabmeat. Of course, we had to order the alligator tail ($5.95). The old refrain is true: It did taste like chicken, just tougher. The gator might have had a more distinct flavor had it not been overwhelmed by the fried batter. Still, an adventuresome choice.
One of our more conservative lunch companions ordered french fries ($1.95). Disconcertingly, they arrived glistening on the plate and, predictably, were soggy and greasy.
The entrees arrived heaping on the plates. You won't leave this place hungry. The jazz combo ($7.95), which is not for the health- conscious, featured fried shrimp, catfish, oysters, and crawfish surrounded by rice, black-eyed peas, and wilted greens. The seafood was fresh and moist.
The various hot sauces available as well as the Creole Gumbo File, a traditional Louisiana seasoning of finely ground sassafras leaves, fired up the greens and black-eyed peas. A good dose of fire would have helped the red beans and rice ($5.50; add $1.25 for sausage). The beans were overly mushy. The sausage, however, had a welcome, spicy flavor.
The Dixie ribs and zydeco wings ($5.95) came with a thick barbecue sauce that was too sweet; more spices would have helped. The pork and chicken meat, however, were juicy with a smoky barbecue taste.
Jambalaya ($4.95 half order; $5.95 full order), the revered Louisiana specialty, came brimming with smoked sausage, shrimp, and chicken atop a bed of rice. The sausage was pleasantly hot, the chicken tender, and the shrimp flavorful. A cold beer would have complemented it, but the restaurant doesn't serve alcohol. The cornbread was scrumptious _ moist and sweet and balanced by the heat given off by jalapeno peppers ground into the mix.
Desserts (all $2.95), a vital and decadent element of Louisiana cooking, were a disappointment. The key lime pie, chocolate bourbon pie, and bread pudding with lemon sauce tasted processed, as if they had been refrigerated too long. One bright spot was the sweet potato pie.
An aside: If you're pining to take home some bayou flavor, Dixie Kitchen sells beignet mix and chicory-flavored coffee from the Cafe DuMonde, a French Quarter institution. You can also pick up gumbo file and several hot sauces.
Tips & hits
