Utensils Are A Beautiful Thing
This is the plate on which Al’s catfish beignet appetizer was served this past weekend when we dined at Avanti’s (corner of West Eighth & Lincoln).
Avanti’s isn’t just a diner anymore. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, along with their more informal sandwiches, they also have an awesome menus of regular entrees, as well as some very spectacular specials. Like the catfish beignet appetizer. I’m not a big catfish fan, but I did have a couple of tastes and, if I did like catfish, I think I would have been in love with these little fried dough balls.
We didn’t have a reservation and the place was packed when we arrived, save one small table in the back and a few available seats at the counter. We chose the counter… just because it was different. It’s a BYOB establishment and most tables we saw had bottles of wine. Except for the one dude wearing his baseball cap backwards and drinking a Bud Light Lime. Other than that, everyone seemed pretty normal when we arrived.
However, after we had finished our dinners and were basking in the afterglow of gastronomical goodness (Al had the Caprese Lasagna, which was one of the specials that evening and I had the gnocchi with sausage in cream sauce), a youngish couple came in and sat down at the counter near us. They also ordered the catfish beignet appetizer… and proceeded to devour it sans utensils. Yep. They ate them with their fingers. Licking and slurping their digits after almost every bite. I’m glad Al and I had already finished eating. Otherwise, we might have lost our appetites.
Hopefully, the utensil-shunners are not regulars, because Al and I certainly plan on going back to Avanti’s.
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August 6th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
That reminds me of this time I’m Colao’s restaurant and this kid at the table next to us starts eating his spaghetti with his frickin’ hands. Holding it above his head and dangling it into his mouth. It made the the Blues Brothers scene when Jake and Elwood are a Chez Paul look like an etiquette lesson. The “kid” was around 18 years old and his mother is a big wig at a local bank. She sees him doing it and says nothing. Too busy emptying wine bottles I guess. Can’t remember her name but she’s got really short blond hair.
August 11th, 2009 at 11:12 am
Catfish. Mmmmmm. I can’t remember the last time I had it — it had to be at mom’s before she and dad moved from Westernd Kentucky.