Fond Memories And Food

Today was one of those beautiful fall days that demanded an outside adventure. Hubby Tony and I decided to combine a walk somewhere different and lunch out. But where?

An internet search for "good lunch restaurants" offered a list of many places I had been before. They were good, but I wanted something different. As Tony and I were throwing out ideas he mentioned one which was close to where he grew up, and were we lived after we first got married. He suggested we could walk around the area and past the old house. 

All of a sudden our plans were set. Tony fed the cat while I gathered my things and we were out the door in fifteen minutes. Our trip took us north on the interstate and east on Page Avenue, a large arterial street. When we arrived at our destination I parked in the lot of the church Tony attended as a young person, we attended as newlyweds, and where Son Tony was baptized. I locked my purse in the car and we started walking. 

The first thing we passed was a city park on the location that used to be the original church, school, and rectory. 

We continued walking, came to a main street (Midland), and turned right to head back. This area was Tony's old stomping grounds. As we passed different houses Tony would reminisce about people he knew and things he did. It was fun to listen to his memories

When we reached the house we lived in together, there was a tall wooden fence blocking the back yard. I was nosy and peeked through a gap in the fence to see that the gazebo were we hung out in the warm weather was still there. 

We crossed the street and walked around the strip mall on the corner, and Tony told me what was in every storefront back in the day. After a couple more blocks we realized we were both hungry. It was time for lunch.

Descriptions

Our destination was FUFU n' Sauce, a restaurant which features Togolese and West African cuisine. Adjo Honsou, the chef, started with a food truck in 2023. She was the winner of Season 3 of the Great American Recipe show on PBS. Earlier this year she opened a brick and mortar location.  

Since this was the first time for Tony and me to try West African food we asked the person at the counter for suggestions. He was extremely friendly and helpful, offering samples of several items. 

Each entree came with a serving of fufu (similar to mashed potatoes, except made with plantain and yam flour) or jallof rice (cooked in a tomato-based sauce with west African curry). 

Even after my samples everything was so good it was hard for me to make a decision but in the end I ordered egusi, a tomato-based stew cooked with roasted pumpkin seeds and spinach in palm nut oil with rice. Tony chose oxtail in palm nut stew, (the winning “Great American Recipe”dish) with fufu. We added an order of fried plantains to share, and we each got mixed hibiscus and ginger tea to drink. 

While the food was being prepared I took in the ambiance of the restaurant, which was decorated with West African art. The restaurant was takeout only, which we hadn't counted on, but there were comfortable places to sit while we were waiting. There was music playing that I assumed was West African and I couldn't help but sway along to its beat. 

We took our food to the park from the beginning of our adventure. The carefully-plated entrees got a little sloppy looking from the walk, but the appearance didn't detract from the taste. As we do, we shared our meals with each other. Tony's oxtail was fall off the bone tender, and the large piece was covered in a savory sauce. It was perfect mixed with the fufu. My stew had ground pumpkin seeds, large pieces of colored peppers, and nice amount of chopped spinach. I enjoyed the rice, but if I ever get back to the restaurant I will choose the fufu. The fried plantains were the best I've ever had. Cut into bite-sized chunks, they were caramelized on the outside and soft on the inside.

plantains, egusi, oxtail stew

 I'm not used to having such a large lunch. Hours later I was still full, so dinner was more of a snack than a meal.

Five years ago: In Search Of...