Dinner at LL Dent
Tonight we had dinner at LL Dent, a new discovery for all. LL Dent describes itself as "American cuisine with a Southern flair." It is run by a black family from a small town near Augusta, Georgia so some might call it a soul food restaurant. It is located in a strip mall about ten miles from us, a drive through suburbia to Old Country Road. It could be called Old Mall Road, as there is no visible country in sight. There is a certain symmetry to this two mile area as it is all restaurants and shopping, with no car dealerships or gas stations. LL Dent is sandwiched by a Red Lobster and a Five Guys.
It's a nice and comfortable place. After being seated the owner, Lillian Dent, came to our table to welcome us and chat for a few minutes. What attracted my attention at first was the music, gospel music, that came from the restaurant's sound system, not too loud but not too soft. "I want to see my Jesus someday", a beautiful sound sung by who knows who. Not me. It reminded me of the Gospel
Tent at Jazzfest.
Cornbread came as we looked at the menu. I had forgotten the taste of really good cornbread. K said she could have it for dessert. She ordered a tossed salad and pan-seared salmon with "the best grits this side of the Mason-Dixon line". It was topped with kielbasa sausage, spinach, onions, and red peppers. I ordered deep fried cornmeal encrusted catfish with hush puppies and sides of collard greens with smoked turkey, hoppin' John, and cole slaw. We finished with homemade pineapple coconut cake, that's fresh pineapple.
This food was good. K's salad came with some kind of creamy peppery dressing that was stupendous. It was made by Lillian's daugher. K's grits were out of this world, and the garnish described was perfect. I had two hush puppies on my plate and she ate one and a half of them. My catfish was completely without any grease and exceptionally fresh tasting, with a tartar sauce that was special. I like tartar sauce. The cole slaw was recognizable to any southerner, not the sour stuff that is served so often up here. The slice of cake to share came and was the size of Mike Tyson's fist, a healthy portion the waiter noted. We could eat about a third of it and the rest came home with us as well as at least half of K's entree.
The restaurant has really interesting old and new family pictures along the counter and in the hallway toward the bathroom. The bathroom itself had two framed sayings. One was something about the central focus of FAMILY, and the other said "I can deal with anything if I have the right shoes."
We'll be walking in again soon.
It's a nice and comfortable place. After being seated the owner, Lillian Dent, came to our table to welcome us and chat for a few minutes. What attracted my attention at first was the music, gospel music, that came from the restaurant's sound system, not too loud but not too soft. "I want to see my Jesus someday", a beautiful sound sung by who knows who. Not me. It reminded me of the Gospel
Tent at Jazzfest.
Cornbread came as we looked at the menu. I had forgotten the taste of really good cornbread. K said she could have it for dessert. She ordered a tossed salad and pan-seared salmon with "the best grits this side of the Mason-Dixon line". It was topped with kielbasa sausage, spinach, onions, and red peppers. I ordered deep fried cornmeal encrusted catfish with hush puppies and sides of collard greens with smoked turkey, hoppin' John, and cole slaw. We finished with homemade pineapple coconut cake, that's fresh pineapple.
This food was good. K's salad came with some kind of creamy peppery dressing that was stupendous. It was made by Lillian's daugher. K's grits were out of this world, and the garnish described was perfect. I had two hush puppies on my plate and she ate one and a half of them. My catfish was completely without any grease and exceptionally fresh tasting, with a tartar sauce that was special. I like tartar sauce. The cole slaw was recognizable to any southerner, not the sour stuff that is served so often up here. The slice of cake to share came and was the size of Mike Tyson's fist, a healthy portion the waiter noted. We could eat about a third of it and the rest came home with us as well as at least half of K's entree.
The restaurant has really interesting old and new family pictures along the counter and in the hallway toward the bathroom. The bathroom itself had two framed sayings. One was something about the central focus of FAMILY, and the other said "I can deal with anything if I have the right shoes."
We'll be walking in again soon.
posted by John Borden at 8:46 PM
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