It was a stormy afternoon in Columbus when I made my way into Jessie Mae’s Southern Creole Cuisine on E. Livingston Ave.
Although there was a small seating area, it filled up pretty quickly before we got the chance to order. Little did I know, there was nothing that was going to keep me from eating the delicious food I was about to experience, even if I had to eat in the car or the parking lot.
When you go into Jessie Mae’s, you’ll likely be greeted by other customers, as well as the kindly gentleman behind the counter.
The menu covers a variety of Creole dishes, and I was having a hard time deciding what I wanted. Scratch that. What I needed. After careful consideration, I settled on the Seafood Jambalaya, while my fiance went for the Jerk Chicken Wings with Mac and Cheese and Green Beans.
As I ordered my Jambalaya, the man behind the counter asked about my “spice level”, on a scale of 1 to 10. I said 4, knowing that I’m not that tough when it comes to hot food. Something about this place told me, it was going to be spicy.
After handing us our food, he asked that we be sure to check our orders, to make sure he hadn’t left anything out. After glimpsing our delicious dinner, it was incredibly hard to close the lid and not just eating it standing in the restaurant, but we put on our brave faces, closed the boxes, and headed out to the car.
Usually, I loathe styrofoam containers. However, something about the combination of the heat and the moisture made the food look, if possible, more appetizing when we got home.
Once at home, I discovered a piece of Texas style toast in our bag, which was the perfect addition to the jambalaya.
Overall, the food was amazing. The Jambalaya was spicy and flavorful, and the wings were perfectly cooked, crispy and full of that jerk flavor. The green beans reminded me of the kind my grandmother used to make and the mac and cheese was out of this world!
Jessie Mae’s had a massive menu, and I saw about a dozen things that I will be trying on my next trip. Oh yes, there will be a next time. And a next time. And most likely a time after that.
