Kool Beanz, Open for Business

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with Kool Beanz at all. I am not related to any employees there. I have no financial interest in the restaurant.

Unless you are speaking of wishing I had more finances to eat there more often.

The husband and I rarely go out for meals any more. We used to go out every Friday night, come rain, shine, or hurricane conditions. But we live farther from town now and it's just easier to stay home, throw something together to eat, have a drink on the porch, and enjoy what we have right here.

So when we do go out to eat, it is a real occasion and frankly, the food better be killer.

Which is why we always go to Kool Beanz Cafe. Almost always. Sometimes we drive down to the coast, but that's not really for the food. That's for atmosphere and adventure.

For food, for a really good meal that's worth leaving home for, my money is (quite literally) on Kool Beanz. (By the way, I really don't like that name, but what can you do?)

The restaurant was shut down about six weeks ago due to a fire in the kitchen and during that time, we went out to eat only once in Tallahassee and it was a grave disappointment and it cost a ton of money and no, I won't say where we ate, but I will say that any restaurant which claims to be French should know how to make a Nicoise salad. In my opinion, anyway.

So last night we put on our goin'-out drag and went to Kool Beanz for its reopening and we sat at the bar, which we always do, because we can watch the chefs do their thing and I can flirt with the dishwasher who has the prettiest smile in the entire world. I am not kidding you.

And we were so happy to be back. The husband got a fried chicken, black-eyed pea, collard green, mashed potato dinner that came with the best fried okra I have ever eaten in my life. In fact, that fried okra may have been the best thing I've ever eaten, period.

I got some outrageously good tuna with new potatoes, Greek olives, spinach and tomatoes.

We split a salad and were able to eat only half our meals, so we came home with enough for lunch for two. I've already eaten my leftovers and they were just as good today as they were yesterday. So good that I was inspired to sit down and write this.

I feel blessed to have this restaurant in our community. The menu changes daily and shows creativity and respect for the freshest ingredients. The chefs are geniuses at using local seafood and produce and coming up with dishes inspired by other cultures' cuisines. They're also terrific at putting new twists to old favorites without ruining them with ridiculous and pretentious cheffy bullshit. They know how to cook collard greens, they can fry oysters that'll compare with any you'll get on the coast, and don't get me started on the okra.

Kool Beanz. Worth every penny.

And oh yeah- best servers in town. They're friendly, knowledgeable, remember what you drink, and don't ask you to leave when you start making sounds of ecstasy that are really best heard only in the privacy of your own home.

And one more thing- the only key lime pie I've ever tasted that was better than mine comes out of their kitchen.
Their new, restored kitchen.

I'm so glad they're back.