Tumey's Travels
January 8, 2007 - "Denham Springs Cafe"
You've heard of mom & pop restaurants. Well, Pop is just about the
only member of the family who isn't here. Mom's here. So are the son and
daughter and daughter's fiance. It's a crowded kitchen. It has become
a crowded cafe--"Taste of Louisiana Cafe" at Range and Railroad
in downtown Denham Springs. Out of the tiny kitchen come big platefuls
of good stuff like seafood stuffed potatoes, shrimp au gratin.
Crawfish Mouton is a house specialty--crawfish cornbread dressing topped with a creamy crawfish etouffee. Customers love the family service. So does the family.
Co-owner Amber Hampton says, "I have to tell my mom. It's different. You're not just telling my boss, you're telling my mom. It's a different expectation. I think you strive harder when you're working for family. You want your mom to be proud. You want your dad to be proud, and you're proud of yourself because it's a circle that continues to go. I think it just pulls us up further."
The kitchen at Taste of Louisiana may get crowded, but never disorganized. Everybody knows Mom's the boss. And that's the way they like it.
Taste of Louisiana is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 AM till 9 PM. It's at 105 N. Range Avenue, next door to the Glass Slipper. That's the shop with the bright pink doors.