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NEWS:
To all of you Jazz enthusiast, the Uncle Darrow's family has great news
to share with you. Just released, a two CD set on the GRP label, called " The
Best Smooth Jazz Ever". A compilation of some of the best Smooth Jazz
tunes in modern times. Performed by a galaxy of Jazz musicians such as Grammy
Award winner guitar and keyboard players Jeff Lorber, David Benoit, Rick Braun,
Richard Elliot, and Jeff Golub just to name a few. Music legend and all time
music guru Bud Harner produced this incredible piece of art. There is a song
on this fabulous CD called "Uncle Darrow's" written by one of our
loyal customers Jeff Lorber and produced by another one of our loyal customers
Bud Harner and Rick Braun. This is a must have CD to go into your Jazz collection!
Available in stores now!
Also, look for our annual Mardi Gras West celebration in 2003.
Once
upon a time, a family from the Bayou opened an eatery after finding a 600-squarefoot
shack on Venice Blvd. The year was 1994, they named the restaurant Uncle
Darrow’s,
and featured their Cajun/Creole family recipes covering many generations,
luring the likes of Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne Barr, Johnnie Cochran and Quincy
Jones. It has since been replaced with their newest one at 2560 S. Lincoln
Blvd., Marina del Rey, a stone’s throw from Costco on Washington Blvd.
It’s not the Ritz, no glitz, but very popular with an “A” in
the window; and a patio for “take-out or sit-in” dining, with
stainless steel tables, and loads of free parking in the rear. For the generation
that missed the popularity of our Cajun restaurants, a bit of history helps
one to better understand this kind of cooking. The name Cajun comes from
a combination of two words combining Acadian; (those who came from the French
Colony of Acadia to settle in Louisiana) and their pronunciation of the word
Indian, which became “Injun”. Their food has a history of its
own, stemming from the finest blend of Spanish, black, French, and Choctaw
Indian herbs and spices. In New Orleans, when the Creole (Spanish-West African)
city cooking got a little boring, they’d get some new husky flavors
from the Cajuns, (French and Indian) down in the swamp country, better known
as the Bayou. This place really knows how to do it. But I believe this family
who started Uncle Darrow’s; Norwood J. Clark
Jr., Ronald Washington, Ronald Smith, and Samuel Small, Jr., “took
their first step on the moon” when
they decided to use fish and poultry only; leaving out the obligatory pork
and beef from all the cooking. You will never see additives, preservatives
or MSG in their kitchens; each dish is prepared to order, and all the ingredients
are natural. Even the catfish is farm-raised and grain-fed out of Mississippi.
The sausage used is 100 percent turkey or chicken with no fillers or cereal,
and they bake their own bread. Personal pride is also taken in the way their
red beans are prepared and cooked for 24 hours; plus the fact that all their
seafood is fresh, never frozen. And then there are those fabulous sweet tater
pies, kookies, karamel korn, Cajun “pa-cawn” candy, and peachy
cobbler. “C’est
bon comme lavie,” (it’s as good as life itself”). And as
the family often says, “so you won’t be embarrassed when your
knees start to buckle and your lips begin to quiver at the thought of tasting
the addictive flavor-filled glory of Uncle Darrow’s products, you’re
in good company.” Some high profile people who have become fans include
the cast of “Married With Children”, members of the Los Angeles
Lakers, associates at CNN America, Nordstrom, Neiman-Marcus, Bristol Farms,
Gelson’s,
Costco, Starbucks (for their baked goods), Magic Johnson Enterprises, and
RCA Record company. The portions are humongous with the “Big Easy supper”
served on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays ($16.99). It’s a jumbo platter
of lightly fried cornmeal coated farm-fed catfish, shrimp and oysters, sided
with jambalaya (a delicious blend of turkey and chicken sausage with rice),
along with the best potato salad on this planet, plus their homemade bread.
But there’s a combo supper served daily (without oysters), for $14.99.
Or you may select beanbalaya, a combination of red beans simmered in a spicy
sauce blanketed over freshly steamed rice, combined with jambalaya, ($8.99).
Among several “po’boys”, the popular “zeek” gets
attention with a platter of catfish, shrimp and their fabulous tater salad
($8.99). However, you may have an order of chicken links, catfish, or shrimp
priced from $5.95-$8.95, respectively. Try breakfast for much less than $10,
including flap jacks, Cajun waffles topped with pecans, biscuits and mamma’s
gravy, chicken sausage patties, salmon croquettes, catfish, shrimp, Cajun
turkey bacon; or two ranch eggs with taters, grits, rice and French bread
or buttermilk biscuits. There’s also mini meals, chicory coffee, and
a whole bunch of good stuff and new tastes. It’s no wonder that Uncle
Darrow’s
has been featured on KABC Channel 7, Elmer Dills; KABC radio, Merill Schindler;
The L.A. Business Journal, and L.A Weekly. Major credit cards accepted; free
parking; catering. 2560 Lincoln Blvd., Marina del Rey; (310)306-4862. P.S.
Don’t ever miss their Mardi Gras! It comes with entertainment, and
it’s
free! If you love Cajun bands, you will love the day. -
April 2008
"It's
down home…it's slow and easy…it's palate -pleasin'. It's considered
the best Cajun/Creole food west of the Mississippi River. This is quite
a compliment, from the connoisseurs of New Orleans who have a passion
for great Cajun fare."
CALENDAR WEEKEND - GUSTO REWARDS PROGRAM - JANUARY 2, 2002
“C’est
bon comme la vie,” (it’s as good as life itself’)…the
food is fabulously Cajun, a no-fuss exceptional experience. “This
Could Be The Start of Something Big.”
BEVERLY PRESS - By
Shirley Firestone - February 2001
“…every
time I’ve ordered catfish at Uncle Darrow’s, it’s been
faultless. The same goes for the shrimp, which are always fresh and crunchy.”
By Charles Perry - March 2001
Congratulations!
Uncle Darrow’s Cajun Creole Eatery has been nominated the best Filé Gumbo
in Southern California by the…
L.A.
Times Magazine - By Irene Virila - June 2001
A
point in time when a decisive change occurs…”Uncle Darrow’s
restaurant garnered so much success at its first location on Venice Boulevard,
the owners opened a second spot in the trendy Marina del Rey.”
By Sibylla Nash - Spring 2001
“Much
of the cuisine at Uncle Darrow’s is based on Louisiana-style family
recipes that are finding their way into chains like Starbucks and Fatburger.”
By Daniel Taub - November 1998
“What
keeps me coming back are the delicious, rural-style Cajun cuisine…and
the genuine friendliness of the folks who work there.” 1998
Uncle Darrow's Cajun/Creole Eatery
“You Can Try It Before You Buy It”
Uncle Darrow's Cajun/Creole Eatery is truly “Love at first Bite”. Considered by the indigenous hard core connoisseur of New Orleans style cooking, as the best Cajun/Creole food west of the Mississippi River. That speaks volume from people from that part of the country. There is no other city in the western hemisphere that people are so judgmental and have such a passion for cooking than folks from the “Big Easy”.
Even though, Uncle Darrow's reached celebrity status here in Los Angeles , the “family” still remain true to its roots. Uncle Darrow's genealogy dates back to the Commander's Palace in New Orleans, which is considered the “créme de la créme ” of restaurants. Past members of the Uncle Darrow's Family had over 27 loyal and dedicated years there. Now you are saying to yourself, that makes sense, it's like having an epiphany of the Cajun food kind. Uncle Darrow's flavor symbolizes what the South is all about. It's down home…it's slow and easy…it's palate-pleasin'.
Uncle Darrow's decided to put a different spin on Cajun/Creole food without compromising the olé traditional flavor. Uncle Darrow's does not cook with any beef, pork or lard. All the seafood is farm raised and grain fed except for the Blue Crab, that's in the award winning Filé Gumbo. The chicken and turkey links are all hand crafted with no fillers or cereal. The French Bread that melts in your mouth is baked daily. The Red Beans are a 24 hour process to prepare. The Jumbalaya is cooked with chicken and turkey and it's not soupy. All hail the “Zeek” Po' Boy, it's catfish and shrimp on a bed of spicy potato salad all on French Bread. To satisfy the most insatiable appetite, Uncle Darrow's merged together the best of all possibilities in creating the jackpot of Cajun dishes, the “Big Easy” . Oysters, shrimp, catfish, potato salad and your choice of Red Beans, Jumbalaya or the Beanbalya along with French Bread.