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Dining 2001 DINING REVIEW
Delcambre's Ragin Cajun has food fit for a president What sets Delcambre apart from other restaurateurs (aside from his sure touch with the hot sauce) is the fact that he's deaf and legally blind. CODY WALKER, FOR THE OLYMPIAN Originally published August 3, 2001
SEATTLE -- As U.S. presidents
go, Bill Clinton isn't particularly known as a gourmand (all those
trips to McDonald's disqualify him). But as a boy growing up in Hot
Springs, Arkansas, Clinton would've learned how to stuff a muffuletta
or season a pot of gumbo.
So it's no surprise to learn that Clinton, on a visit to Seattle,
once requested a meal from Delcambre's Ragin Cajun.
The low-key restaurant, situated one block from Pike Place Market,
offers an array of Cajun and Creole delights. Clinton ordered the
red beans and rice with Andouille sausage; other choices include
jambalaya, catfish etouffee and blackened chicken salad.
Owner and chef Danny Delcambre grew up in New Iberia, Louisiana;
he interned with the legendary New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme.
After opening the Ragin Cajun in 1992, Delcambre was named Small
Employer of the Year by the state of Washington.
What sets Delcambre apart from other restaurateurs (aside from
his sure touch with the hot sauce) is the fact that he's deaf and
legally blind. Some of his staff members are deaf, and all can communicate
by sign language.
Such a commitment to the deaf community results in a restaurant
space that feels unusually intimate. The staff members obviously
like and support one another; their good cheer transfers to the
customers.
It doesn't hurt that the food is wonderful. My favorites include
the jambalaya (packed with Polish sausage and black-eyed peas) and
the shrimp gumbo (accompanied by jalapeno bread or cornbread muffins).
Clinton's choice, the red beans and rice, also deserves a stump
speech.
Delcambre flies in his Andouille sausage from Louisiana. Vegetarians
can choose the meatless jambalaya or the Cajun bean trio (a near-patriotic
mix of reds, whites and black-eyed peas).
Those with a sweet tooth will be led to the pecan pie or the peach
cobbler (a dessert so massive that a friend and I together couldn't
finish it).
The restaurant gets lots of foot traffic from the market, and outdoor
seating is available (weather willing). On days when a Big Mac and
fries won't cut it, New Orleans chicory and Cajun quiche await.
Cody Walker is a writer and teacher who divides his time between
Olympia and Seattle. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous.
Meals are paid for by The Olympian.
Delcambre's Ragin Cajun
Four forks: Very Good
- Location: 1523 First Ave., Seattle, (206) 624-2598.
- Food: Very good. Expertly prepared jambalaya, gumbo and red beans
and rice.
- Value: Very good. The lunch menu tops out at $8.25; dinner is
a few dollars more.
- Beverages: Beer, wine, Italian sodas, soft drinks, orange juice,
milk, mineral water, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, chicory.
- Service: Very good. An unusually friendly staff.
- Atmosphere: Good. Chili-pepper lights and snapshots cover the
walls. Exposed pipes and light bulbs add to the laidback ambience.
Fans whirl as fast as fingers.
- Hours: Lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday to Saturday; dinner 5 p.m.
to 9 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday.
- Reservations: No.
- Credit cards: Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
- Smoking: No.
- For children: On this occasion, a child was racing around with
a model jet (bound for Louisiana, no doubt).
REVIEW GUIDE
Five forks: Excellent
Four forks: Very good
Three forks: Good
Two forks: Average
One fork: Fair
The Olympian Copyright 2001 |
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