We gave the Baton Rouge branch of New Orleans' Acme Oyster House a shot last night. I was hoping to sample the new Abita Satsuma Harvest Wit before committing to a six-pack, but to no avail. They did, however have one of the first local sightings of boo fries - cheese fries slathered in brown gravy, better known in the regular parts of the world as poutine. I have been starving for this seemingly easy but elusive appetizer since February 6, 2007 when my friend Lori took me and the world on a poutine tour of Los Angeles. That is a long wait for an appetizer.
I suppose one could make this relatively simple dish at home, but it seems more the kind of thing you would eat out, idiomatically speaking. It's like making a shrimp po-boy at home; I'm sure it would be good and fresh and tailored to your specific needs, but it would be just a little wrong. Acme's boo-tine was salt-licious and bar-magic but truthfully, given the Southern acuity toward fried delights, they could have kicked out the jams a little. Mix in some of John Folse's goat cheese of which he is so proud. Make a roux gravy and brag about it. Work some chaurice or andouille up in there. Jalapenos. Toss in some fried crawfish tails to drive the only-here point home. In short, rock that shit. There is no valor in holding back when you are talking cheese fries with gravy. Push this greasy envelope and I will sing your praises and direct hungry, drunken people to your door.
I don't want to be too harsh on Acme. A testament to the quality of its version of the dish will be that we ate all of it before I could think to snap a picture. The above snapshot was ganked from Tripadvisor.com.
They weren't called "Boo Fries" but we got a big cast iron pan full of these same great fries over in Asheville NC, at a fun place named Miss Anita and Captain Kutchie's Kutcharitaville key lime pie factory and grill. A little bit like Jimmy Buffett's place but a way Hell of a lot better. Prime Ribs and Bar-B-Q to die for. Their cheese burgers make Buffett's look and taste like McDonald's. Their key lime pies taste like something made in heaven. The best place for food, drinks and people you could ask for. We will definitely go back to Kutcharitaville anytime we are within 500 miles of it. That's for Damn Sure!
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