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Part 2 of our Touring Acadiana Series
Suire's Grocery & Restaurant
I was intrigued when I heard about this little family grocery store in Kaplan, Louisiana whose turtle sauce piquant was so good it had been written of in the New York Times by the legendary globe trotting journalist and food critic, the late Mr. R.W. “Johnny” Apple Jr. I had never heard of the place. How did Johnny Apple find it? There had to be a good story there and I wanted to know that story. So on a hot summer day, we loaded up the truck and headed for Kaplan.
After encountering a little trouble with my back road navigating, I stopped at a hardware store for directions. The friendly salesman was forthcoming with both directions and an opinion concerning Suire’s Grocery and Restaurant. When asked if the food was still good, hands went to hips and he answered as only a Cajun can, "OOOhhhhh yeeehhhh! It’z always good!"
Finally pulling into the lot, Suire’s was not much to look at. An old wood framed building that has seen better days. The exterior has been spray painted by a local artisan with a Cajun theme. And the menu is found written down the front exterior wall. Upon entering, my eyes took it all in. The wooden floors were worn from eons of footsteps. The walls were lined with mementoes of family and community. Coolers and wooden shelves stocked with groceries were found to the right, tables neatly covered in plastic table cloths to the left. Work gloves and car oil here, hot sauce and napkins on tables there. Comfortably cluttered, it was my kind of place.
Joan Suire and her sister, Lisa Suire Frederich, greeted us warmly. They have been working here since they were kids. Lisa does the cooking along with the help of a few employees. Joan works the counter and handles the groceries, both putting in the long hours required of a family business. The business, they explained, was once run by their parents, Mary Oels and Newton Suire. Both have now retired due to poor health. The girls carry on.
How, I asked, did you come to be written up in the New York Times? They were happy to tell me the story I had driven so far to hear and as the story flowed, so did the food, dish after steaming dish.
It was Momma, they said, that had the vision. Suire’s was originally just a small country grocery store. About twenty years ago, Momma, a deeply religious woman, felt God had spoken to her. She envisioned placing one table off to the side of her little store where hungry patrons could be fed the wonderful recipes honed through years of family gatherings. Not one to ignore such a heaven sent idea, the family agreed and an eight seat table was built and placed. And so it began.
Just as Momma had seen, hungry patrons filled the seats each day. God had spoken to Momma and those recipes spoke to everyone. Local cane farmers, hunters, families, friends all came to eat heartily of their simple but well prepared home cooking. After a couple of years, those eight seats were staying pretty full. Momma had another vision. This one propelled her to dismantle a number of the wooden grocery shelves and use the planks to build more tables. Less space for groceries, more for the diners. And those seats came in handy as their reputation kept on growing. It wasn’t long before their clientele included more than just the locals.
Which brings us to the next part of the story.
Daddy had a friend named Paul McIlhenny. Mr. McIlhenny was the CEO of his own successful family business making Tobasco Hot Sauce nearby in Avery Island, Louisiana. Being as his hot sauce was, and still is, world renowned, Mr. McIlhenny had many friends in the food industry. Among them, the late great journalist and food critic, Mr. R. W. “Johnny” Apple.
Mr. Apple was famous in the hoity-toity food scene back east. He had made his reputation as a political journalist, moving among men of power as history unfolded during the ‘60’s,‘70’s and ‘80’s. But in the latter part of his career, he turned his attention to those things he enjoyed the most, good food and wine. Traveling the world he dined at all the finest restaurants and wrote of his experiences for others to enjoy.
In 2002, Mr. Apple traveled to Avery Island to visit with Mr. McIlhenny. He was there to take a look at the Tobasco hot sauce operation and to explore the local Cajun food that his friend Paul McIlhenny thought so much of. During that visit, Mr. McIlhenny mentioned the wonderful Turtle Sauce Piquant he had eaten at a little country grocery store, urging Mr. Apple to try it for himself. So he did.
The Suire sisters told me they remembered Mr. Apple coming in but they didn’t know he was famous. They didn’t know he had covered the civil rights movement for the New York Times or that he had won an Emmy for his work on the Huntley-Brinkley Report. They said he was just as “nice as he could be” and very hungry. They talked a bit as he ate. He asked a few questions about the food which they answered. They could tell he wasn’t from the area. But he seemed to really enjoy his meal.
The resulting article, published December 4, 2002 in the New York Times Dining Out section, covered a number of wonderful, authentic Cajun restaurants. It was entitled, "It Takes More Than Crayfish To Make A Cajun Wiggle." And there, prominently featured was the humble little grocery where Momma had her vision.
The article was brought to their attention by Mr. McIlhenny and a friend soon turned up with a framed copy which hangs on the wall of the restaurant. Momma, though ill from a stroke and unable to speak, was tickled pink.
So now I knew. It was a wonderful story, well told in the lilting Cajun cadence of our hostesses.
And the food that was served as I listened? Aiyeee! Johnny Apple I’m not, but let me tell you about the food.
The fried catfish may be the best I’ve ever tasted. The batter was light and crispy, giving the most perfect, satisfying crunch when bitten. The size of the filets were not too thick, not too thin and appropriately seasoned with just a distant taste of mustard.
Next we had the Turtle Sauce Piquant. Spicy, thick and chock full of fresh turtle meat and tomatoes, it was the kind of dish that you knew had been tended on the stove for hours as the flavors melded. Very enjoyable.
The shrimp and egg stew was classic Louisiana country cooking. Simple, flavorful with nice, medium sized shrimp and whole boiled eggs. Just like Mom used to make it. We also enjoyed the pistolettes, both crawfish and shrimp as well as the fried shrimp which were just as precisely done as the fried catfish.
The dessert tray was impressive for such a small establishment. The offerings reminded me of the dessert table at any family reunion in South Louisiana. The favorites were all there, Pecan Pie, Fig Cake, Peanut Butter Fudge, Peanut Butter Balls, Cream Cheese Bars, and Heavenly Hash …. just to name a few.
Of distinction, the pecan pie floored me. It absolutely floored me. I adore pecans, but more than once I’ve been disappointed with the first bite of this dessert as it is so often overly sweetened. Not the case at Suire’s. Their pie contained just the right degree of sweetness. The chewy, golden brown Bergeron pecans were cradled within a crust so flakey, so buttery good, I imagined it could be enjoyed alone with a steaming cup of café au lait. The trip to Kaplan would be worth it just to taste that pie. Delectable.
I left Suire’s with a great deal of respect for the Suire sisters. Their dedication to Momma and her vision, their hard work and culinary talent and their incredible hospitality all left me feeling as if I’d just experienced something very special. No trip to this area should be without a visit to this wonderful little restaurant.
Click the photo below to enjoy the photo gallery.
Suire’s Grocery & Restaurant
3 miles south of Kaplan, LA
on Hwy 35
337-643-8911
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