Tallahassee Restaurant Review: A&J Blues Cafe

A&J Blues Café entered Tallahassee's dining scene less than six months ago and is making an impression. The restaurant has already earned four hats (out of five) from the Tallahassee Democrat and earned a Tally Award for best catering business.

My co-workers, Brenda and Sharon, and I recently visited A&J Blues Café for the Creole and Cajun lunch buffet. I filled my plate with collard greens, rice topped with étouffée, fried catfish, tilapia, macaroni and cheese and sweet and sour pork.

Brenda and Sharon filled their plates, too. Although there were plenty of dishes to choose from, the buffet itself was poorly lit. This didn't detract from the flavor.

There wasn't much conversation around the table, except for "mmmm's" and "oh's" as we tried each dish. Yes, there were second trips to the buffet line.

Brenda grabbed a piece of red velvet cake (it's a Southern dessert). Unlike most red velvet cakes, it was a dark brown color versus bright red. Brenda took the first bite and exclaimed, "You've gotta taste this! It's so freakin' moist!" She was right.

A&J Blues Cafe's Executive Chef is Frederick Lee from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He accents traditional American fare with Creole and Cajun flavor to please 21st century palates. Chef Lee's clients have included President Nelson Mandela and Vice President Al Gore.

Proprietor Anthony Franklin is originally from Huntsville, Alabama and ended up in Tallahassee via Los Angeles. He told us his career has included cooking for celebrities as Jamie Fox, Snoop Dogg and Burt Reynolds and opening 30 restaurants for General Mills and Darden Restaurants (owners of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, among others).

He "wanted to own a restaurant different from the next one," and decided Tallahassee was the place. He built a home here and finds the area a "good place to raise a family."

When asked about the difference between living in Tallahassee and living in Los Angeles, he smiled and said it's about "peace of mind."