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Good Food
Good FoodKingfish Rules for Local Southern Food
By Zachary D. Lyons
Leslie (left) and Laurie Coaston, Kingfish owners, in front of a photo of their great-grandmother’s four brothers. Zachary D. Lyons photo. |
Sisters Laurie and Leslie Coaston opened Kingfish Cafe in April, 1997, and there have been crowds spilling out onto 19th Avenue ever since. As a flight attendant, Leslie traveled about the country and would encounter grand Southern restaurants. This was something the sisters could not find in Seattle, though their Southern roots drew them to it. Thus they chose to recreate the experience themselves.
The sisters are both UW grads, but their parents hail from Alabama and Kansas City, two areas famous for quintessentially American cuisine. Indeed, the sisters' family was spread out over much of the country, and their photos--dating back over an entire century--are displayed on the walls of Kingfish with pride. Upon viewing these photos, one immediately gets a strong sense of the family's elegance over the generations, and this family's elegance is at the very heart of the restaurant.
Elegance is perhaps the defining term for Kingfish, but it is a welcoming elegance--that which one would find in the balmy old neighborhoods of New Orleans. The restaurant was created from two old storefronts. A passageway was knocked through the wall between the two spaces is framed by a 10-foot high double door custom built from old doors. Iron gates have been added across the front of the inset entrances, between the huge glass windows. High ceilings with dark paint give way to walls only just a bit less dark, while each table enjoys its own tiny lamp or candle, providing an intimate, warm glow. One side of the restaurant features a lively, open kitchen bordered by a lovely tiled counted. The other side features a beautiful, enormous bar, with a bar-back that features a wine cabinet which towers up to the ceiling. Even the bathrooms are elegant--rich dark colors, fresh bouquets of flowers, candelabras.
The dining room is always full of energy here. The staff--many of whom have been here for years--are charming, knowledgeable, helpful, and, frankly, drop-dead gorgeous. They work together like a family, courteously and carefully working around one another in the tight corridors afforded them. That family feel carries over to their patrons, who themselves are treated like honored family guests, complete with all the silly banter and relaxed fun one expects at a family gathering. Meanwhile, the entire room is bathed in perfectly selected soulful jazz or classic R & B.
The menu at the Kingfish Cafe is soul food. Heck, everything at Kingfish is soul food! The recipes largely hail from their Dad's family's Alabama roots. Fried green tomatoes may be an obvious starter, but they are terrific here, topped with chipotle sauce, and sided with three excellent hush puppies. Kingfish house crab and catfish cakes can be ordered as a starter or an entree. Either way, they are a wonderfully unique departure from the normal crab cakes to which we are all used. Hoppin' John Griddlejacks, on the other hand, can be ordered as an entree, or as a starter. (We had 'em to start.) These honestly advertised 'scrumptious' cakes are made from black eyed peas, rice and roasted veggies, and come topped with a nicely complimentary tomato relish and sour cream, and sided with a well-dressed green salad.
The buttermilk fried chicken is a crowd favorite, and folks travel distances to eat it. I know I regularly find myself craving the stuff. The simply griddled catfish is a welcome parting from the usual deep-fried variety. It is fork-tender and delicious. But do stray away from the familiar classics on the menu, and your adventurousness will be rewarded. Miss Choo Choo's Company's Comin' Ribeye Summer Steak is delightful. And Geraldine's Kissing Cousin's Lamb and Rice--a cumin lamb shank and curried ginger rice--arrive in a bowl straight out of a Flintstone's cartoon, with flavors just as large. First, you chuckle at the spectacle. Then you roll your eyes back, stomp your foot on the floor a few times, and melt into your chair as the dish simply sweeps you away.
I could got on and on, but suffice it to say, it's all good. And dessert! From coconut cakes to red velvet chocolate cake to sweet potato-pecan pie, boy howdy, do they know how to lay on the sweets. The desserts are all house-made, and they both vary nightly and tend to run out late in the evening, so stake your claim early. Kingfish also serves lunch and Sunday brunch, if the evening lines intimidate you.
Looking at the family photos on the wall, including third-cousin Langston Hughes, one cannot help but recognize the artful elegance in the family gene pool. Sisters Laurie and Leslie Coaston have clearly received and capitalized upon those family genes. The Kingfish Cafe awakens your soul as well as your taste buds, and you will leave with a grin that will stick with you for days. Like the grin we cracked to Ike and Tina wafting through the room as we left. Not a groove thang was left unshaken in the place.
The Kingfish Cafe, 602 19th Avenue East; 320-8757; Lunch Monday, Wednesday - Friday, 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Dinner Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.; Sunday Brunch 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; no reservations; no credit cards.
Reader Comments
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| Michelle Ko | Apr 10, 2003 | Brisbane, Q.L.D. | |
| Jerry AndrÈ | Nov 24, 2003 | Federal Way WA | Tech Designer |
| It is unfortunate to see your remarks following reading such a delightful dissertation. It makes me wonder of the truth on any recorded history.. But, truth or not, I have to thank you Michelle, now for your contribution. My live experience matches Zachary D. Lyons description above. The ELEGANCE of atmosphere and taste is worth any truth or lie at this Southern Home-style refuge. However, I had to bring much patience for the wait due to others wanting the same thing. Thank you, KingFish Staff for providing this place in out town.. Jerry 'n Dori AndrÈ | |||
| Paul Riek | Feb 26, 2004 | Seattle | Advertising |
| Great review... This place is wonderful, service matches the quality of the food and my family looks forward to many future meals. I found the remarks below the review to be sad and pathetic. | |||
| DeMarco Best | Mar 21, 2004 | Tacoma | Flight Simulator Engineer |
| I had my family out from the East Coast, when they ask if there was a restaurant the served real food (That would be soul food for those that are not privy to the African American lingo). I was pleased to find your restaurant with a search for soul food in Seattle. Up until that point, I had never thought of going out to buy what my lovely wife made for me at home. However, with the number of people and the insistence of my family we went out to save my poor wife from another day in the kitchen. I found the atmosphere quite pleasant. The quarters were a little cramp but adequate. At the time we went, only breakfast was available. The waiter was very engaging and helpful. He had on excellent manner, which is contrary to what I have become accustomed in other restaurants out here on the West Coast. After deciding on the food, we had a minimal wait before the service began. The food was in huge proportions, which was great. The toper of the early afternoon meal was the food was delicious. Even for my grand mother it was good because she said that ìIt was alrightî, for my grand mother that is ringing praise. I look forward to my next visit. I have not been sense July last year but I plan to go back soon. | |||
| Jon Chatelain | Apr 13, 2004 | Walnut Creek, Ca | Project Manager |
| As a former Seattle resident I truly miss the Kingfish. The atmosphere, the food....makes my mouth water just thinking about returning for what I consider a truly "home cooked meal" when on the road. To Ms. Macrea, (I assume it is Ms. since you seem so bitter) executive chef: it is sad that you must take the road that you do. Hopefully you can get assistance with your internal issues and be a more positive person in the future. | |||
| Michael Ching | Aug 16, 2004 | Honolulu, Hawaii | Security Officer |
| Had dinner at Kingfish last November during Thanksgiving Vacation. My Sister and Brother"s took me and I had the best time ever. The food was awsome vewry ono, ono ono means very good in Hawaiian. I order the Steak. I think next time i'll order the chicken. Also the deserts was the best. | |||
| Eddie Benote | Dec 03, 2004 | Seattle, WA | Teacher |
| Did the Chef create the menu or the menu create the Chef? Well, I chime in that the Chef created the food menu that allowed the KF to make big dollars off of a market that is underexposed to up-scale black business and presentation. Is the food good at Kingfish? Yes. What choices do you have for comparison? In Seattle, nearly none, unless you know a real black person who cooks these foods at home. I feel that the positive responses to the Kingfish are only relevant to a location that has NO other real, white-accessible format for "homecooked" i.e. cooked by smiling black people, food. The Coaston sisters (family and friends) have created the KF with the help of some VERY dynamic, Very hardworking people (mostly black women) and it works...but that ain't sayin much being that we are in Seattle. P.S. Don't let the flavor taint your reality. | |||
| an easterner | Jan 24, 2005 | boston, mass | |
| Someone said go there, I did and three years later Im still thinking about it enough to look it up on the web. One word, _awesome_. Petty reviews stay petty. | |||
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