Ink

Kansas City must be raging for some Cajun.

Three new Creole-inspired spots recently popped up around the metro area — Cafe Roux in Leawood, Danny’s Big Easy at 18th and Vine and Fat Fish Blue in the Northland.

These restaurants offer hearty helpings of crawfish, gumbo, jambalaya and all that jazz.

So, what’s with the sudden Cajun invasion?

“It’s definitely a little bit of a novelty,” said Todd Leinenbach, managing partner at Fat Fish Blue. “It’s really about the party atmosphere.”

Factor in that festive spirit of the South, and you’ve got a Fat Tuesday celebration every night of the week.

Cafe Roux

If you order the crawfish boil at Cafe Roux, a new Cajun restaurant in Leawood’s Park Place, you’d better be prepared to get your hands dirty.

The steaming plate of tomato-red crustaceans — which look a lot like miniature lobsters — isn’t something you can eat with fork and knife.

You’ve got to grab a hold of one, crack it in half, then extract the sweet, buttery meat from the tail. It’s worth it, unless you’re the squeamish type.

Owner Jen Coniglio said some people like to suck the heads, too — “but I wouldn’t recommend it.”

Coniglio, who’s worked in the corporate restaurant industry for years, teamed up with her brother Marty Coniglio, a meteorologist in Denver, to open Cafe Roux.

“We’re best friends,” Coniglio said, “and we’ve always wanted to do something like this.”

She said she’s always liked Southern cooking because “it has an attitude” and it draws from so many great cuisines — mostly Spanish, Italian and French.

The food: Coniglio said Cafe Roux, which opened last month, has lighter fare than most Cajun restaurants. So not everything on the menu’s blackened and deep-fried.

The cafe specializes in fresh seafood dishes such as the crawfish boil ($13), roasted flounder ($18) and pan-roasted trout ($17). But there’s heavier comfort food on the menu, too, in the form of buttermilk fried chicken ($15) and Southern fried dill pickles ($7).

The atmosphere: Cafe Roux is dark and cozy, save for the big, sunny windows facing Ash Street. Dark wood, brick walls and deep red vinyl on the furniture give the cafe a rich, masculine feel.

The drinks: A long bar spans one wall of the cafe and serves up beer, wine and specialty cocktails such as the Sazerac, $9, a famous New Orleans drink made with Pernod absinthe, Wild Turkey Bourbon, Peychaud’s Bitters and a sugar cube. If you’re feeling adventurous (not squeamish) try the Oyster Shot ($8) — a raw oyster swimming in Absolut Peppar vodka, tomato juice, Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce.
— sarah benson
 
What: A new casual Cajun and Southern restaurant in Park Place.

Where: 11554 Ash St. in Leawood

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Info: 913.400.3478, or on Facebook

Danny’s Big Easy

Jazz and jambalaya go hand in hand. So it makes sense that Danny’s Big Easy, a restaurant with Louisiana roots, would move to the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District.

Partners Paul “Danny” Gosserand and Jean Stephens had operated the original location in the Crossroads Arts District for about six years before shutting down shop in 2005. After a four-year hiatus, the eatery reopened in its new spot in mid-April.

“We’ve always wanted to be here on Vine,” Stephens said. “This just fell into our laps.”

Even without a liquor license (which they say they’ll be getting soon), Danny’s was packed on a recent Friday night. Stephens said they’ll eventually book blues and jazz acts and stay open as late as 1:30 a.m. once they begin serving alcohol.

The food: All of the old signature favorites have returned — plus a few healthier options, including a salmon wrap and a grilled-vegetable plate.

Menu mainstays include down-home fare from old family recipes: po-boy sandwiches, catfish, Cajun mashed potatoes and the shrimp Creole ($9.95), a flavorful stew with a spicy kick.

If you’re feeling adventurous, order the frog legs ($6.25), an appetizer even Stephens won’t touch.

The fried croaker tasted like chicken with a briny, sea-salt flavor, served with a tangy remoulade sauce.

The atmosphere: Family photos hang on maroon walls beneath intricate pressed-tin ceilings. A gold-hued bar sits across from a bank of windows that overlook the historic block. Pale wooden floors are topped with tables swathed in black-and-white checkered cloths. The restaurant provides a casual lunchtime ambiance by day and a sexy date spot by night.

“All of our old friends and customers are coming back,” Stephens said. “People are happy we’re back.”
— monica watrous

What: A Cajun spot in the historic 18th & Vine Jazz District

Where: 1601 E. 18th St.

Hours: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

Info: 816.421.1200

Fat Fish Blue

Todd Leinenbach said he’s gained 10 pounds since the kitchen at his new restaurant began dishing up cinnamon-roll bread pudding.

Those from-scratch crab cakes have done him in, too.

“I had to go up a belt size,” said Leinenbach, managing partner at Fat Fish Blue. The national New Orleans-inspired chain opened in the Zona Rosa shopping center last weekend.

The restaurant features live blues, rockabilly and jazz acts five nights a week, along with a diverse menu of Cajun and Creole favorites with a sophisticated twist, from Cajun crawfish ravioli ($17.99) to bayou blackened beef ($21.99).

The atmosphere: The walls of this eatery are coated in vibrant hues and loads of flair — musical instruments, blues memorabilia and street signs.

The rectangular bar seats 40, and the stage can accommodate a 10-piece band. Local and national touring acts play Wednesday through Sunday.

Tables are clothed in brown paper, so patrons can doodle in crayon while they wait for their meal. Napkins are ringed with Mardi Gras beads. A watermelon Jolly Rancher comes with the check.

The drinks: Slam the drink, keep the glass. Specialty cocktails, including Fat Fish Blue’s signature versions of the hurricane and rum punch, come in souvenir sippers. Try the Shrimp and Crab Bloody Mary ($8.99), made with a secret recipe and your choice of vodka. The bar also features a house brew on tap and exclusive blends of wine and coffee.

The desserts: Save room for the Carpetbagger ($6.99 or $11.99), a chocolate sack of sponge cake, fresh fruit and white-chocolate mousse.
Of course, you could also order that addictive cinnamon-roll bread pudding ($5.29), drizzled with a buttery bourbon sauce. But don’t say we didn’t warn you.
— monica watrous

What: A jazzy bistro with New Orleans flair in Zona Rosa

Where: 7260 N.W. 87th St.

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. to midnight Sunday

Info: 816.759.3474

Jazz: A Louisiana Kitchen

What: A Cajun chain featuring rum runners and hurricanes, live blues and jazz and weekly specials on oysters and crawfish.

Where: 1823 W. 39th St. and 1859 Village West Parkway

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Friday and Saturday. The Legends location stays open until 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

Info: 816.531.5556, 913.328.0003