The Screen Door

It has been a long time since I've been back to The Screen Door.  In fact, count it 10 years ago that I dine on their Southern cuisine at their Burnside location.  It isn't as if I didn't want to go back, but since I'm only in Portland infrequently, there are just too many great places to dine at while I'm there.  Well, here I am back at the Burnside location to sample their wares once again.  Unlike last time, I wasn't sitting outside (which was nice btw) since it was rather cold (in Winter).

We started with a classic in the Crispy Fried Oysters dredged in cornmeal and served with housemade tartar sauce.  These were excellent with a uniformly crunchy exterior that was not heavy nor greasy.  It was properly seasoned as is, but the light tartar helped add creaminess, tanginess and brightness from the dill.  As for the oysters themselves, they were buttery and briny while just barely cooked through.  The juiciness was a nice contrast from the little nuggets of crunch from the cornmeal.

Of course we couldn't forget about their Chicken & Waffles right?  We opted for the 2 piece (breasts) that sat atop a sweet potato waffle.  Sporting little crunchy bits strewn throughout the exterior of the tender and juicy chicken breasts, the fried chicken was delicious.  It was texturally on point inside and out while properly seasoned as well.  As for the waffle, it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It was naturally sweet and also aromatic.

Another Screen Door classic is their Lowcountry Shrimp & Grits.  This featured plump and buttery shrimp that were completely seasoned by the rich meaty garlicky tomato sauce. The smokiness and richness oft he bacon really came through. This sat atop creamy cheddar grits that were smooth and the proper consistency (not too runny or thick).  To make it extra silky, we had 2 over-medium eggs as well.  On the side, we found a large buttermilk biscuit served with some jam.  This was buttery and crispy on the outside with a fluffy and slightly salty inside.

One of the more surprising items we had was the Fried Catfish Sandwich.  Thinking that we would be treated to some muddy flavors, we were delighted with the flaky sweetness of the moist catfish.  It was coated in cornmeal, which was crispy and not heavy.  It was served on a griddled bun that was crispy and held up to the wet ingredients well.  The sandwich was finished with a crunchy and bright lemon slaw, dill pickles and house hot sauce mayo.  Good combination of spice, tang, sweetness and saltiness.  Fries on the side were solid too being crispy with soft potato goodness inside.

One of the more basic (if you can actually call this basic) compared to the rest of the dishes was the Cajun Scramble.  This was a combination of andouille sausage, Cajun spices, onion & bell peppers and pepper jack cheese.  Yep, there was some heat from the spices and the sausage while the sweetness from the veggies provided some balance.  I would've liked the eggs to be a bit more fluffy though.  This also came with cheddar grits and a buttermilk biscuit.

The last dish I dug into was our de facto dessert in the Bananas Foster French Toast.  The griddled brioche was soaked in vanilla custard and hence, it was soft like bread pudding.  Nice caramelization on the outside, but further enhanced by the rum-flamed caramelized bananas as it added another layer of sweetness and aromatics.  The dish was finished off with cinnamon & whipped cream.

We also had a couple of cocktails in the Kentucky Bird and the Morning Mule.  Both were refreshing and a good relief from the heaviness of the food.  I thought the Kentucky bird had some great tang and sweetness.  We were also provided with a selection of sauces including the Tartar, Creole Honey Mustard, Parmesan Aioli and Buttermilk Herb Dressing.  I thought the aioli went well with the fries while I strangely liked dipping the fried chicken into the herb dressing.  Honey mustard was also great with the chicken.  Overall, the food at the Screen Door was great as usual.  If you are looking for some Southern eats served in big portions, this is the place to find it.  Maybe next time it won't take me that long to do a repeat visit!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Well-prepared Southern eats
- Large portions
- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:
- Well, of course this type of food is heavy, order a cocktail or beverage to wash it down

Dulan's Soul Food Kitchen

We do far too much Asian food while travelling and at home.  I guess there is something comforting about it.  Well, there is a different type of comfort food that we don't normally have the opportunity to access when we are at home in Vancouver.  Despite the diversity, there is very little-to-no soul food around.  But while in LA, we decided to hit up Dulan's out in Inglewood.  They are well-known for their large portions with all the classics as well as all the sides too!

There was no doubt we would be ordering the Fried Chicken.  This recipe has been passed down generations and it was definitely solid in my books.  The chicken was fairly tender and had a crunchy exterior with rendered skin.  I wouldn't say it was super-flavorful, but it wasn't bland either.  For the sides, we had the Mac & Cheese and Collard Greens.  Soft & cheesy with a seared crust, the mac & cheese was pretty heavy.  This was certainly a comfort version of the dish.  I really liked the collard greens as it did have a beautiful smoked turkey essence.  It was mildly-seasoned and was great with the fried chicken.

Weighing a tonne, the Short Ribs were definitely fork-tender as advertised.  However, due to being rather lean, the meat was on the drier side.  It did have a natural meatiness to them and the stewing juices were sweet from the onions and full-of-depth from the meat.  For the sides, we had the Candied Yams and the String Beans with Carrots.  Soft and incredibly sweet, the yams were texturally-appealing and buttery.  A bit too sweet for me, but I'm sure others enjoy them immensely.  The beans and carrots were pretty typical being soft and naturally-flavoured.

Really enjoyed the Oxtail as they were tender and fell-off-the-bone.  Lots of gelatinous parts and there was plenty of umami meatiness.  Some fall flavors with the seasoning gave it lots of body.  We got the Mashed Potatoes and Corn Bread Dressing as the sides.  Loved the mash as it still had plenty of potato texture left.  The gravy was smooth and not too salty.  As for the bread dressing, it was soft and fluffy while being sweet and aromatic.

So our meals also included Corn Bread.  Really liked eating these as they were moist and fluffy while still having the typical cornbread robust texture.  It had a balanced corn sweetness.  Overall, the food at Dulan's was definitely comforting and you certainly won't go hungry.  Each meal could easily feed 2 less hungry people.  I particularly enjoyed the oxtail and fried chicken.  Most of the sides were good and the corn bread was solid.  So if you are hungry for comfort eats, Dulan's got you covered.

The Good:
- Solid comfort food
- Large portions
- Lots of tasty sides

The Bad:
- Shortrib was a bit dry

Yardbird Table & Bar

Despite the departure of Roanna and Eileen the night before, Jackie and I still had one more food adventure left on the schedule before our flight.  It happened to be Yardbird Table & Bar located in the Venetian.  I've been to their original Miami spot before and it was fantastic!  Loved their take on Southern comfort food!  However, given the inside location of this Yardbird, it had a much more elevated vibe due to the darker dining room and less bright sunny farm-themed decor.

To start, we had the Devilled Eggs with dill, chives and smoked trout roe.  These featured half eggs filled high with creamy and rich egg yolks.  There was definitely enough seasoning with the hint of mustard.  Loved the little pops of smoky brininess from the roe.  I also liked how the egg whites were delicate and not rubbery.  However, the thing that put the whole thing over-the-top was the drizzle of honey hot sauce.  That brought out sweet and spicy notes to go with the already delicious egg.

Yah, we couldn't do some Southern eats without doing the Skillet Cornbread with sharp cheddar, bacon, jalapeño and honey butter.  So from the description alone, this was obviously not your typical cornbread.  Well, the cornbread itself was excellent being fluffy and buttery with a crisp top.  With the added ingredients, we found a real savoury element with a salty cheesiness as well as spicy tang from the peppers.  Add in the honey butter, we had a good mix of flavors.

Going for all the greatest hits, we also had the Fried Green Tomato BLT with  house-smoked pork belly, pimento cheese, frisée, smoky tomato jam and lemon vinaigrette.  Yah, these were addictively good with a firm green tomato slice coated in a crunchy breading.  It didn't eat heavy though.  On top, the dollop of cheese did its salty cheesy thing while the slice of pork belly was soft and smoky.  Add in the freshness of the frisée with the tangy vinaigrette and we had a balanced 2-biter.

Their signature dish, Chicken & Waffles, is a must order for anyone dining at Yardbird.  So yah, we got that too.  This featured chilled spiced watermelon, Vermont sharp cheddar waffle, 1/2 fried chicken, honey hot sauce and bourbon maple syrup.  This did not disappoint where the waffle was super savoury and crispy.  Oh man, the fried chicken was off-the-hook.  All the meat (including the breast) was juicy while nicely brined.  The outside was uniformly crunchy and well-seasoned.  It was even better with some honey hot sauce.  To bring it all back down, the refreshing watermelon did just that.

Staying with fried chicken to a degree, we had their Nashville Hot Yardbird Sandwich.  This featured a big Carolina reaper-rubbed chicken thigh that was fried up perfectly.  The crunch gave way to a juicy thigh that had some real spice to it.  Although the slaw was there to cool things down a touch, it was also spicy, so it just kept the theme going.  Nice crunch on it though.  Loved the toasted brioche bun as it was crispy on the inside and nicely charred.

Our last dish was also a classic in the Shrimp & Grits with seared shrimp, roasted tomato, Virginia ham,red onion, Nora Mill grits and PBR jus.  Another winner here with creamy, yet robust grits soaked in a rich sauce that had some remnants of the beer while sporting the unmistakable flavor of Virginia ham.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked with a caramelizing sear and having enough seasoning.  Well, if you have been paying attention, this meal was fantastic and brought back great memories of the first time I dined at their Miami location.  Food is prepared properly and the flavors are just dynamite.  You also won't leave hungry either.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:

- On point eats

- That fried chicken!

- Large portions

The Bad:

- For this location at least, it is a bit dark

The Roost

*Restaurant is closed*

My quest for the best Fried Chicken Sandwich in the GVRD had brought me to a place that is fairly new.  Taking over the spot on Denman that used to house Centro, The Roost Eatery & Drinkery sports a Southern-inspired menu featuring fried chicken, fried chicken sammies and sides.  They didn't bother to renovate the spot, but for me at least, it has this Bino-esque 80's theme complete in the typical browns and oranges for the era.  As much as I reminisce due to the decor, I was really here for the food.  

So without any delay or more words typed by me, let's head straight to the sandwiches!  We went for both the Basic Bird and the Dirty Bird.   These were essentially the same with a crispy buttermilk breaded thigh, with spices, garlic aioli, lettuce and pickle on a brioche bun.  With the dirty bird, it substituted chipotle aioli and added a spicy glaze.  Naturally, I gravitated towards the spicier dirty bird since it really did have a pleasant kick, even in its medium-hot version.  The bun was soft while keeping everything together.  I found the chicken to be moist and juicy where the batter could've been a bit crispier.

The other featured item on the menu was their Fried Chicken which was buttermilk brined and spiked with southern spices.  We decided to try the Mild and Hot to get a sense of all the heat levels since we already had the medium in the sandwich.  There was a nice mix of white and dark meat with our fried chicken.  Although the white meat wasn't exactly juicy, it was still tender and flavourful.  The mild spice was more on the sweet side with some spices.  It was quite tasty and would satisfy people who can't take heat.  With the drumsticks, the meat was predictably more moist and juicy.  The batter was fairly crispy and well-rendered.  Maybe our heat threshold is higher because we found the hot to be fairly mild even though it had a slight kick.

Looking over the menu, we knew we had to try the P & C Fritters which were peaches & cream corn fritters with peach habenero aioli dip.  These were advertised as crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  I would agree that the exterior was indeed crispy, but the middle was a bit too soft, almost seemed underdone (even if it wasn't).  Otherwise, I liked the flavour as it was sweet with more pops of sweetness from the corn.  The dip was the perfect accompaniment where it provided heat and cooling at the same time.

Lastly, another item we had to order was the Mac & Chz Bombs.  These large breaded and fried mac & cheese balls were appealingly cheesy (they didn't skimp with the cheese here) with a perfectly fried crunchy exterior.  I particularly liked the macaroni, which was al dente.  The one thing that would've made these absolutely perfect was a bit more salt.  Overall, we found the food to be good and worth a try if you were in the area.

The Good:

- Focused menu

- Reasonably-priced

- Decent eats

The Bad:

- Could be spicier

- A few tweaks here and there

Free Bird Table and Bar

Normally, when a new restaurant opens up shop, there is some form of media coverage, whether it be by traditional means (newspaper, TV, radio) or social media.  But one place opened up quietly during these Covid times and hence, I had no idea about it.  Free Bird Table and Bar, replacing the Irish-themed Ceili's in the Richmond Executive Inn, was not something I had on my radar when I first began my quest to find the best fried chicken sandwich.  In fact, when I finally heard about it, I thought it was related to the other Freebird in town.  Alas it isn't and in fact, joins a growing selection of elevated restaurants in the Executive Inn brand of hotels (such as Seaside Provisions and Hydra).  I recently stopped by to try their fried chicken sandwich as well as some other Southern-themed dishes.

Before we got to the meat of the meal, we went vegetarian with the Crispy Veggies featuring brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli, kale, lemon, parmesan, feta and pumpkin seeds.  What better way to make veggies sexier by deep-frying and then roasting them with cheese?  This dish closely resembled some of the other deep fried brussels sprouts offered in town except with the addition of other veggies to the mix.  There was a variety of textures and flavours including the tang from the lemon and saltiness from the cheeses.

We didn't get too creative with the next item as we got a half-dozen of Effinghams.  However, sometime simplicity yields the best results.  It was the case here as the oysters were fresh and properly shucked.  No shell fragments to speak of.  These had a subtle sweetness to them with plenty of brininess.  Background brightness and frankly, they could've been eaten without the supplied mignonette or cocktail sauce.  Maybe a squeeze of lemon and you are good to go.

Getting right to the dish we really wanted to try, the Nashville Hot Chicken Sandwich was fantastic.  I would call this the "sleeper chicken sandwich" because it is so under-the-radar, that most people would never even know about it.  I hope they do now since it just looked the part even before we took a bite.  With that jaw-stretching bite, we were greeted to a crunchy chicken breast that was well-spiced and tender.  Lots of heat and spices from the batter itself and combined with the chipotle mayo, we had layers of flavour.  The coleslaw was thick-cut and firmly crunchy.  Completing the sandwich was a sturdy, yet soft toasted brioche bun.  Really good and should be talked about more often.

We couldn't just try the sandwich and not also go for the Fried Chicken sporting buttermilk-braised chicken with waffles, pickled mustard seed, coleslaw and truffled honey.  This type of fried chicken is unlike what we usually see up here in Vancouver.  This featured a hard thick batter that was nicely seasoned.  The chicken underneath was a little dry since it had been cooked prior to the deep-fry.  I did enjoy the truffled honey as it added a pleasant sweetness to the chicken and soft waffles.   This was a lot of food though as this was essentially half a chicken on the plate.

So I've been to New Orleans before and so my expectations for Shrimp & Grits maybe a bit different than what we are familiar with locally.  Therefore, when the dish hit the table, I was confused at its appearance.  Thankfully, this ate well despite its "neat" plating.  Normally, it would be more rustically set upon the plate with the residual juices and oils from the blackening the shrimp and sausage.  With this version, the cheesy and creamy grits were good.  So was the spiced andouille sausage and the perfectly cooked shrimp (it could've been more aggressively blackened though).  The runny sunny-side egg did help provide moisture to the plate though.

Lastly, we tried the Mini-Shrimp Po'Boys that once again, didn't resemble the ones I had in New Orleans, but were go in their own way.  Instead of a French roll, these mini-sandwiches were served on a buttered and toasted split brioche bread.  I personally love this type of vessel especially with lobster rolls, so that didn't bother me at all.  Inside, we found golden and crispy fried shrimp with a bit of honey mustard.  A few cucumber ribbons on top for colour and crunch.  Non-traditional po'boy, but tasty nonetheless.  Overall, Free Bird offers up Southern cuisine which is not commonly found in Vancouver.   Something a bit different and the chicken sandwich is the dish to have here.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:

- Something different

- Loved the renovated space, nice and bright

- That chicken sammie

The Bad:

- Fried chicken could've been more moist and flavourful

The Holy Crab (Brunch Menu)

Once an overlooked part of the menu that only existed by default, Brunch has become the thing to do on weekends (or any day of the week at some spots).  Sure, we can do Dim Sum or early morning Pho, but it appears that everyone is getting in on the action these days.  All the chain restaurants are on board and there are many independent options around town.  In terms of originality, that gets a bit more sparse as we find the usual 2 eggs with choice of meat, hashbrowns and toast as well as the classic eggs benny.  Trying to offer something a bit different, The Holy Crab is set to launch their brunch service on Saturday, November 30th.  I was given a sneak peak recently where they definitely put a Southern twist on the usual brunch menu.

Case in point, their Egg Bennies included such options as Blackened Catfish and The Holy Crab Cake.  Other than the different proteins offered (which also included smoked salmon and lobster klaws), the Hollandaise was Cajun-spiced.  Hence, there was definitely a smoky kick to dish.  I found the Hollandaise to be very rich and creamy with a smooth consistency.  All of the eggs were perfectly poached where they were super delicate and burst with a runny yolk on contact.  There was a choice of either English muffin or biscuit as the base of the benny.  I found the biscuit to be a little too dense for the concoction as it added even more heaviness to an already decadent dish.  As for the proteins, the catfish was flaky and moist where the blackening spices were apparent and impactful.  The crab cake was a little dense, but had a crispy exterior with fluffy crab.  On the side, we found crispy red potatoes and a salad.

The most interesting option on the menu was surprisingly the Toast Boards.  For $14.00, one could chose 2 of them to go with a side of black bean, corn and wild rice salad.  The Shrimp & Egg was loaded with cold-water crunchy shrimp tossed in a cajun-spiced mayo topped with soft-boiled egg segments.  This was all about the shrimp texture and spice contrasting the crunchy toast.   Straight-foward in construction, the Smoked Salmon featured cream cheese, capers, shallots and fresh dill.  Classic combination with buttery salmon with the saltiness of the capers and creaminess of the cheese.  My favourite was the Truffled Scrambled Eggs as it was silky smooth and barely cooked through with lots of earthiness and a touch of spice.  This was served atop fried tempura tempeh which offered crunch and heartiness.  Last one was the Vegetarian with avocado, cherry tomatoes, alfafa sprouts and radish.  Again, this was straight-forward except for the tempeh underneath.

There was a vegetarian-option on the menu consisting of poached eggs and Cajun Hollandaise on pan-seared artichoke hearts atop creamed spinach.  Named the Egg Sardou, this was indeed vegetarian, but also one of the heaviest offerings of the bunch.  Consistent with the eggs bennies, the Hollandaise was creamy and spicy while the eggs were super soft poached.  What made it extra rich was the creamed spinach.  It was really thick and despite being mild-tasting, it would not be easy for one person to finish.  Continuing on the theme of heavy, we had the Breakfast Poutine sporting shrimp and snow crab claws atop Cajun-spiced fries along with legit cheese curds, house-made gravy and a fried egg.  Since they had a base of their addictive crunchy and spicy fries, the poutine already was good from the start.  The crunchiness of the fries ensured they could stand up to the mild-gravy and runny egg.  

One of my favourite items was the Southern Fried Chicken and Pancakes for $14.00.  This was a considerable amount of food where the 3 cornmeal buttermilk pancakes were fluffy and substantial at the same time.  Fried until super crunchy and in a dark golden hue, the chicken thigh was juicy and moist with a touch of Cajun spice.  The combination of salty spiciness combined with the syrup made the dish even more appetizing.  Our last dish was the Grilled Cheese (also available with shrimp or lobster for $3.00 and $6.00 more) served with Seafood Chowder.  Constructed with a blend of mozzarella and cheddar, the sandwich was crunchy with plenty of melted goodness inside.  I would definitely add a seafood to give it more body and texture.  The side of somewhat thick chowder was full of seafood and was mild-tasting with a minor taste of the sea.  Overall, I thought the brunch items were pretty good and well-priced.  It also didn't hurt they were not shy in adding some spice too.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Something different
- Spice added to most dishes
- Well-priced

The Bad:
- Heavy, if you care
- Biscuit too dense for my liking

Notorious P.I.G.

After a full day at Yellowstone (probably not enough, needed 2 days at least!) and an overnight in Bozeman, it was time to make our way back home.  Our plan for the day was to drive west through Montana, then a small section of Idaho and ending for the day in Spokane, Washington.  Prior to that, we had a scheduled stop in Missoula, Montana for some lunch.   I guess we weren't the only ones with that plan as the place was packed and we settled on a table inside with crappy lighting.  Hence the below-average pics from my smartphone.

We ended up getting the Old Joe Platter where we could chose any 3 sandwiches plus a full slab of ribs and 4 sides for $52.00.  A good deal if you ask me!  So we ended up with the Tri-Tip Sirloin with Deviled Egg Potato Salad. as well as the Beef Brisket with Slaw.  They didn't mess around with the meats as they piled it on the soft ciabatta.  Smoky and tender, the tri-tip was not as dry as it appeared.  Loved the eggy potato salad as it was creamy with bits of tender potato. As for the brisket, it was also tender with enough moisture that it wasn't chewy.  Lots of smokiness and seasoning from the caramelized rub.  Slaw was fresh and crunchy.

Despite being super skeptical, we got the Turkey sandwich with Smoked Gouda Mac n' Cheese.  Normally, smoked turkey can be dry and lifeless, but this was super moist and dare I say, juicy.  It was flavorful and ultimately (gasp), our favorite of the bunch.  The side of mac was delicious with the silky smokiness of the cheese.  Yes, this was the best sammie, but the Full Slab of Ribs were also very good.  The meat fell off the bone yet retained its texture.  It was tender with a balanced amount of smoke and only the slightest effect from the rub.  A thin layer of tangy BBQ sauce added just enough moisture and added taste.  No wonder the place was so busy, the food was very good and the prices even better!  Great choice for a quick lunch while passing through.

The Good:
- Fair pricing
- Super-friendly service
- Well-prepared meats

The Bad:
- Seating is a bit limited, so you need to wait
- Parking was surprisingly hard to find

JuneBaby

The last time I was in Seattle, which was in August 2018, I had planned to visit one of the hottest restaurants in JuneBaby.  The reason?  Head chef Edouardo Jordan picked up 2 James Beard awards in 2018 - Best Chef Northwest and Best New Restaurant in the country.  Yes, those are some pretty big accolades!  I never got around to JuneBaby, but this time around I would not be denied, even if it meant going on a Friday night.  The plan was to arrive as it opened for dinner service at 5:00pm.  It worked, we got a table right away, but there was a lineup and the room pretty much filled up instantly.

We got things started with the Nashville Hot Chicken Livers and the Fried Pig Ears.  Looking pretty wicked, the livers were served on a Nancy Lee roll, pickles & coleslaw.  Fairly crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the livers were fried beautifully.  Each moist nugget was flavorful and of course with a kick.  They weren't overly spicy which meant we could enjoy them without asking for milk.  The pickles were not merely a garnish as they added a nice crunch and acidity.  We only wished there were more.  Light and almost airy, the pig ears were crunchy and exuded plenty of "porkiness".  This was amped by the spicy honey and cooled slightly by the pecan butter.  Pickled grapes added both sweetness and tang while the Asian pear added a light crunch.  This was a great snack with my Standard Sour.

Something that they are known for is their Buttermilk Biscuits with pure cane syrup.  These were indeed good with fluffy and buttery internals surrounded by a firmly crunchy exterior.  Although the crunch was super appealing and texturally on point, some parts were actually hard which made for a tough mouth feel.  Loved dipping it into the pure cane syrup as the sweetness was a nice compliment while the depth of sweetness was somewhat complex.    For our side, we chose the Southern Rice of the Day with Fried Shrimp.  This was plenty flavorful with red and green peppers, onions and little nuggets of shrimp.  There was a minor brininess that went with the sweetness of the peppers.  The rice itself was tender while retaining a bite.  I found the fried shrimp to be perfectly cooked with a meaty snap.  Unfortunately, they were a tad salty.

For our mains, I went for Momma Jordan's Oxtails with root veggies and king trumpet mushrooms.  Plated with 3 large oxtails, this dish looked fantastic and appetizing.  I would say most of the oxtail was fork tender and fatty.  As usual, the softened tendon of the oxtails were silky and delicious.  However, some parts were rather dry.  I know this will upset Momma Jordan, but I'll have to say it - the oxtails were far too salty.  If it were served with white rice, I think it would've worked, but this was not the case.  With the same salty oxtail, my daughter's Burgoo was quite tasty.  When we mixed the oxtail with the rice, broth, veggies and chicken, it added both depth and impact to a relatively mild dish.  Loved how it was hearty and full of meat.  Definitely a meal in itself despite being moderately priced.

Viv had the Smoked Turkey Breast with golden chanterelle, squash and kale which was completely different than what we had in our minds.  This was actually a good thing because the dish had some good surprises.  First, the turkey was moist, tender and smoky with a well-rendered crispy skin.  Second, the broth/sauce was rather acidic which brightened up an otherwise mild-tasting dish.  The play on smoky and tangy was an unexpected, but tasty combination.  Unfortunately, the kale (like the shrimp and oxtails) was too salty.  My son ended up with the most impressive dish with the Brisket Dinner featuring white bread, BBQ sauce, home fries and sautéed cauliflower.  The large slices of brisket were reminiscent of the one we had at Franklin (according to him).  I tried it and it was smoky, peppery and melt-in-mouth tender.  Yes, I would have to agree with him.  The BBQ sauce was more on the vinegary side though, went well with the home fries.

For dessert, we shared both the Chocolate Apricot Bread Pudding and the Spiced Apple Cranberry Betty.  As the name suggested, nestled within the soft and slightly dense bread pudding, there were nuggets of dark chocolate and apricot.  It wasn't overly sweet where we could taste the slight bitterness of the chocolate combined with the sweetness of the apricots.  The orange Anglaise went really well with the bread pudding as it was lightly sweet and citrusy aromatic.  For me, I loved the Betty as the crunchy bits were a lovely contrast to the soft, sweet and tart berries and apple.  Again, this was not an overly sweet dessert despite the visuals which meant the ice cream could stand on its own where the end taste of bourbon really came through.  To add another layer of sweet tang, the lemon curd did just that.  These were 2 nice finishing touches on a pretty tasty meal.  Yes, it wasn't perfect and some might even think that JuneBaby doesn't live up to the accolades, but I am more pragmatic.  Considering the price point, it was still an enjoyable experience.

The Good:
- Reasonable pricing
- It is soul food, it has a story
- Great service

The Bad:
- A little salty
- No reservations for smaller groups, you have to wait in line