Dixie Kitchen: Southern cookin' in the city
Chicago may be a thousand miles too far north, but the South comes to the city thanks to Dixie Kitchen. This southern cookin’ spot serves up all the classics, including fried green tomatoes and red beans and rice, with a bayou atmosphere and warm hospitality to boot.
With two locations (in Evanston and Lansing), Dixie Kitchen aims to offer yanks all the best southern comfort foods, morning, noon and night. Brunch specialties include eggs Sardou (poached eggs atop fried green tomatoes with cornbread croutons), country fried steak, Cajun biscuits and gravy, and even fried catfish and eggs. Chilaquiles (corn tortillas with chorizo and guacamole) or sweet beignets (pastries with powdered sugar) are also favorites here.
Lunch and dinner starters include catfish strips, breaded fresh oysters, sweet plantains, fried okra and delectable crawfish and corn fritters. Dixie wings come in five different styles (hot, sweet jalapeño, Jamaican jerk, peach glazed and blazin’ Dixie), and southern salads include smoked salmon, southwestern or blackened chicken.
There are pastas (Cajun chicken, catfish, seafood) and burgers (hickory, Cajun), and southern sandwiches galore. Po’ boys include oyster, shrimp, catfish and tilapia, all served on a French roll with remoulade. There’s also North Carolina pulled pork, BBQ chicken and Cajun chicken too.
Other classics include gumbo, shrimp creole, crayfish etouffe, jambalaya, seafood cakes, Dixie ribs and trout pecan, many served with a choice of delectable sides like black-eyed peas, mashed sweet potatoes or cheese grits. For dessert, there’s peach cobbler, pecan pie, key lime pie, or bread pudding with whiskey sauce.
All of the delicious southern, Cajun and Creole dishes definitely make Dixie Kitchen a stand-out, but the kooky décor complete with southern antiques and a tin roof “bait shop” alcove make this place a real treasure. Patrons of all ages will enjoy a visit to Dixie Kitchen, a trip to the south without ever having to leave the city.
Posted by D.J. Siegel
