THE KIDDIE GOURMET
J
— by Barbara Blackburn
vor was influenced by pork,
e Ne Sais Quoi
Je
Ne
Sais
Quoi
and yams. Those yams were
features Soul Food
1673 Hertel Ave.
sweet enough to be in a sweet
Cuisine. Its name
Buffalo, NY
potato pie, with a taste I rec-
translates into “something
(716) 440-1065
jenesaisquoibuffalo.com
ognized as vanilla. “Y” here
that’s hard to put into words,”
stands for yummy yams.
but it definitely tastes like
~ SPOONS ~
Also, here the cornbread is on
something — something
FOOD
4.5/5
the sweet side.
good. Although this tradi-
tional African-American fare
To order extra sides, it’s
has long been popular in the
$3.50, and others include
SERVICE 4/5
South, the term itself is rela-
Mac & Cheese, Rice, Cole
tively new (circa 1960). The
Slaw, Tuna Salad, Pinto
expression “soul food” is
Beans, Baked Beans, Cab-
FAMILY
FRIENDLY 3.5/5
thought to have derived from
bage, Corn, and Potato Salad.
the cultural spirit and soul-
The food merited more
satisfying flavors of black-
spoons than the service. The
American food. Some of the
waitress was competent and friendly, but
dishes commonly thought of as soul food
the wait was long. Not too long though to
include ham hocks, grits, chitterlings,
discourage us from ordering dessert, after
black-eyed peas, and collard greens.
ogling the pedestal cake stands with their
On the regular menu is a Kids Meal
deal, either $5.50 or $6.50. The soul food
drink is Kool Aid, free with dine-in, oth-
erwise $1.50. The four choices include
Chicken and one side, Fish and one side,
Ribs (2) and one side, or Shrimp (4) and
one side.
Talking about the sides, that’s where
my favorite tastes are, particularly the col-
lard greens, like a cross between cabbage
and kale. Cooked Southern style, prob-
ably with a chunk of bacon or salt pork,
the veggie rewards you with vitamins A
and C, calcium, and iron. (You don’t have
to tell that to your kids!)
I ordered the Fish Sandwich, $8.50,
with lettuce, tomato, onions, and tartar
sauce, on a good roll, choosing catfish.
The attractive golden brown slice of cat-
fish was crispy and moist, displaying the
cook’s skill in deep frying – not burned
and greasy like the fried chicken I had or-
dered in another restaurant.
Anyway, Dad’s chicken (choosing
fried over baked), $13.50, revealed an-
other golden, not greasy quarter breast
and wing. Other choices are thigh and leg,
six wings, or one-half chicken ($15.50).
His sides were green beans whose fla-
Let’s
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t
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varieties of pound cake; those caught my
attention after we had been seated. (Yes,
there is some seating for kids.)
Peach Cobbler, Banana Pudding,
and Sweet Potato Pie, among several oth-
ers sounded promising, but I love a good
pound cake. We were more than satisfied
with our choice of 7-Up Pound Cake over
Lemon Pound Cake. For $3.50, any of
these desserts, though all not available
every day, is a good deal.
The menu cites the Mission State-
ment: “...to provide our customers with
a memorable experience that combines
the elegance of fine dining with nutritious
comfort food that is exquisitely delicious
and impeccably prepared.” I might agree
with this, while thinking that the elegance
is a bit overstated. Nevertheless, Je Ne
Sais Quoi turned out to be a culinary
delight, where the fare, particularly the
sides, had personality and memorable
tastes.
For an extensive tour of the food,
there is the Sunday Buffet: Adults -
$22.50 and Kids 10 and under - $11.50.
Check out Barbara Blackburn’s food blog
at culinarrations.wordpress.com.
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April 2019 WNY Family 79