Cajun food?

 I have been to the James St. Tavern on the North Side. This place has
 live jazz and attempts to put  on the "New Orleans" feel.  I enjoyed my
 visit and the food was excellent.  We had Blackened Red Fish fingers for
 an appetizer, a samon dish, and I had the crawfish etouffe (SP?).  All
 in all a good place.

 But I am sure there must other places that deal more in Cajun food.

 BOYD SAFRIT

 Julio R. wrote:
 >In article  Boyd Thompson Safrit
 <bs36+n
 rew.cmu.edu> writes:
 >
 > > I have been to the James St. Tavern on the North Side. This place
 has
 > > live jazz and attempts to put  on the "New Orleans" feel.  I
 enjoyed my
 > > visit and the food was excellent.  We had Blackened Red Fish
 fingers for
 <Snip>
 I would be very reluctant to call anything other than the Blackened
 Redfish good, let alone excellent.

 >> But I am sure there must other places that deal more in Cajun food.

 unfortunately,  I haven't found one.  But My experience was so bad
 there that I'll save my cajun hankerings for my trips to the crescent
 City. . .

 >The James St. Tavern is enjoyable, and as far as I know, it's the
 >only place in the burgh that serves up Cajun food such as
 > jambalaya.  However, the food there is very far from authentic
 >(there goes that word again!),so don't expect it to be particularly
 >spicy. As the owner of the place told me, "If we made it authentic,
 >Pittsburghers wouldn't eat here."   :-(

 Its just this attitude that pisses me off about this place.  If you
 don't know cajun they say its authentic.  If you do know Cajun they
 say they have to tone it down to get "locals" to eat it. Bullshit.

 >The place is also very overpriced. Expect to spend *at least* $40 per
 pers.

 AMEN to that.  They charge Haute Cuisine prices for working man's
 food.

 >What I enjoyed most about the place was the music -

 The Music *was* pretty good, BUT I didn't go there for music.

 <snip>
 >food that will disappoint if you're used to The Real Thing (TM).

 Please make that : "food that will DEFINITELY disappoint if you're
 used to The Real Thing (TM). And then the staff will diss you for not
 knowing what its "Really Supposed to Taste Like"

 Below is an excerpt from an e-mail to a friend . I wrote it in
 response to her asking why I would never eat at the James' St Tavern
 again.  It sums up my experience and opinion on this Psuedo-Cajun
 Catastrophe quite nicely . . . .

 I went to a dinner there since it's the only local example of Cajun
 Cuisine.  We walked in,  I was favorably impressed with the
 layout and Decor.  Waiter came up to us and Promptly gave us
 a seat for two on the far side of the dinning room.  It was not more
 than 1/2 full and I remember thinking :  "Why is he dragging us all
 the way over here when there are all these other open tables . . .?"

 We sat down and started to look at the menu.  As is my habit, I
 looked at the Appetizers first,  found some very interesting offers.
 None were extremely expensive.

 Then I looked at the Entrees.

  Except for a range of Sandwiches and "bar food" in the back there
  was not an entree available for below $14.  Now this was a
  "celebratory dinner" for my friend Bill (who just signed for his new
  apartment in the Mexican War Streets), so I didn't  let this put me
  off.

  But the only thing that grabbed me (besides some very good
  appetizers) was the Gumbo.  It was $16.95.

  By this point I was bound and determined to enjoy this.
  I had been after Bill to try this place for quite a while and his
  moving into the neighborhood (sorta) was the perfect excuse.
  So,  I choked down my dismay at $16 for working man's fare and
  chalked it up to James' St  banking on its novelty. (Not that I would
  pay $16 for  Pierogies in New Orleans)

 The appetizers arrived promptly and were actually very good.
 Then,  an inexplicable wait for our salads.  During which a band
 came in and began to set up @ 2 feet from us. . . .  I tried to catch
 a waiter and ask to be moved.  No luck.  Salads finally came and
 I asked about the band . . .   He said :  "No problem they won't  be
 ready for a while."  Plus, by this time no other tables were
 available.

 Waiter Leaves,   Band members ask us to move our table over a
 foot or two ! !  We decline. They move it for us, and continue to Set
 up.  Keyboardist fumbles setting up Keyboard stand and pitches
 keyboard onto our table . . .  Bill helps him straighten out the stand
 while I hold Keyboard . . .  We are then moved another  foot away
 (maximum move possible which still put me squarely back to back
 with the table behind me).  This move is done by the waiter.  Food
 comes shortly after the second move and waiter removes uneaten
 salads, without asking  (nasty dressing and no time to eat while we
 were helping the Band to set up).  Bill's Sandwich is fine.  My
 Gumbo is overcooked and under-spiced.  A flat, grey-ish, lumpy,
 bland tasting mass. . .

 Two bites into this foul concoction the Band began to play.  They
 were actually quite good.  If I had been sitting in the Bar section.
 This is when I discover that one of the Speakers is literally @ 8"
 above my head and 6" to my left.  Blasting directly into my ear !

 I am OVER IT at this point.  I tell Bill to finish his meal and I will
 wait  for him at the Bar.  He quickly decides he has had enough
 too and joins me at the Bar.  Waiter packs up our food and
 brings it over to us and hands me the check.  While I had the
 chance I grabbed the Waiter and Who I thought was the manager.

 I advised them that when paying in excess of $15  an entree for a
 meal I don't  expect to have : my table moved twice during the
 meal, to have to help the band set up and to get bland Cajun food
 on top of it all. . . .

 He advised that he was sorry,  But we should have asked to be
 moved if we didn't like our table,  That I was just probably
 unfamiliar with Cajun food and expected too much (ME !  I've
 been to New Orleans More often than I've been to Cleveland !),
 and that since we did Eat (some of) our food,  the Check was
 valid.

 I explained that we had no chance to get moved,  asked why we
 were seated there in the first place (they HAD to know a band
 was coming in) and explained that I was VERY familiar with Cajun
 and Creole cooking.

 Both  Waiter and Manager Stare at me with that fishy-car-salesman-
 waiting-game look and say nothing.  I say :
 "So that's it ?"  and he says "Well at least you have
 the Leftovers. . .  and you can enjoy those later . . . ."

 I pitched the container carrying my meal into the trash right at his
 feet  (Bill had already carried his to the car and was waiting
 outside, because he hates scenes),  Left $52 on the Bar ( the bill
 was $50 + change), Said I was VERY unhappy, would probably
 never be back, and left.

 He made no attempt to stop me or call me back.

 Now,  I feel it necessary to point out that none of this would have
 bothered me or even been out of place in a typical New Orleans
 Bistro.   EXCEPT for  three very important points.

 1)  we would have been asked if we wanted to be seated close
 to the band (which we would have been told was setting up later)

 2)  the food would have actually been fair or good if not excellent.

 3) the entire experience would have cost  @ $15 total instead of
 $50 + .

 that s my take on what is sadly the only Cajun eatery available here.
 Does anyone know about Mardi Gras ? I think its in the North Hills.

 take care, and skip the James'  St. Tavern.

 Steven