Rudie’s was, if not the first, among the first
destinations I visited in the trendy revived East Nashville section of the
city. And why not, really? The Louisiana side of me obviously loves
seafood. The Midwest side of me loves
sausage. Add a taproom to it, and I’m
sold. As is turns out, the folks at
Rudie’s take all three very seriously, and it’s apparent they share a passion
for food and drink with their customers.
As a stranger in town, it took some searching to find Rudie’s location on McGavock Pike on a dark and stormy night. Parking seemed to be limited, but open spaces were hard to come by, which I took as a good sign.
Once inside, I naturally migrated toward the bar to the
left of the entrance. The actual bar
turned out to be quite a bit smaller than I anticipated, so with all seats
already occupied by local craft beer enthusiasts, I settled for a pub table
along the wall. The bartender was quick
to greet me, however, and after learning he was also from Illinois originally (and
highly recommended the jambalaya, as well) I felt immediately comfortable
there. I ordered a Blue Point toasted
lager from the tap – another bartender recommendation – and studied my
surroundings.
I quickly learned the owners had operated a popular delicatessen
and sandwich shop where Rudie’s is today.
They’ve since moved that successful business down the road, but I can
kind of imagine how they’ve re-purposed the old layout today for the oyster
bar.
I also got a quick appreciation for the proprietors’
sense of humor that adds to the cool vibe of the place. A framed picture of your pet for a free drink
sounds like an excellent trade-off to me.
Then there’s the men’s bathroom. With sausages painted all over the wall, you’d
be hard pressed to mistake this for the ladies’ room. I can only imagine what’s painted on the
walls of the women’s restroom, but given the restaurant’s specialties I bet I
can make a fairly educated guess.
Onto the food, the first item other than the jambalaya that
got my attention was the fried oyster platter under the “small bites”
section. From the oyster shucking in the
background to the variety of fresh oysters available on the menu – with an
emphasis on Alabama gulf oysters – I discerned this was no ordinary Midwestern
“seafood” restaurant – they knew their stuff.
My suspicions were true.
These beauties puffed up perfectly inside their cornmeal batter once
fried. One bite into them, and they
practically dissolved in your mouth. And
the spicy remoulade dipping sauce they provided was the perfect complement for
both the oysters and accompanying fries.
For the main course, the jambalaya proved to be a spot-on
representation of the dish I consider Cajun comfort food at its best. The andouille, sourced from a nearby Amish
pig farm, was seasoned perfectly and grilled just as well. Every bite of sausage provided a good “snap”
through the casing and a solid kick of flavor.
They weren’t light-handed on the seafood, either. I found a tasty crawfish tail in almost every
bite, and the light and flavorful whitefish blended well with the rest of the
dish.
All in all, this was one of the best jambalayas I’ve ever
had anywhere, including the heart of Cajun country. I think the fact that I even remotely came close to finishing my plate
even after enjoying a full oyster appetizer speaks for itself.
Jambalaya is a signature seafood and sausage combination
dish, and Rudie’s quite simply nailed it.
But I left with the impression that you wouldn’t go wrong with just
about anything here from the swine or seafood categories. And there are plenty of fine beverage options
to wash it down. Rudies’s Seafood,Sausage and Taproom is worth finding when you want a taste of what the locals
eat in the Music City.
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