A Tale Of An Ambling Aardvark And Other Menu Musings

The aardvark is a nocturnal, solitary creature and is always on a diligent quest for food. At The Kingfish Cafe, sister/owners Laurie and Leslie Coaston are having aardvark problems. Each table setting at the popular Capitol Hill restaurant includes a bottle of Secret Aardvark Habanero Hot Sauce, which Chef Kenyetta Carter claims is a perfect complement to the extensive array of Southern influenced dishes, many drawn from the sister's family recipes. However, bottles have been emptying at an alarming rate. While spring is the season when many aardvarks amble off looking for romance, others speculate that the small Portland, Oregon based company's product provides just the perfect mouth kick and is totally addicting. Hence, the vanishing act.

"As the Secret Aardvark Sauce bottle says, use it on everything!" says Leslie. "I love it on the Barbecued Beef Ribs which just returned to the Cafe menu as well as on our Red Rice and Beans, while Laurie prefers it in the Gumbo or even on the French Creole Egg Torte that we serve for weekend Brunch. Just like aardvarks in the wild, the sauce seems to literally leap out of the bottle!"

The sisters assert that the sauce, which is made with Habanero peppers and roasted tomatoes, has been witnessed adorning everything except the Strawberry Shortcake and Red Velvet Cake. It is sold for take-home by the bottle at the Cafe for $6.
The Kingfish Cafe is open for dinner seven days a week, with lunch served Monday through Friday, Brunch Saturday and Sunday, and Happy Hour from 4 to 6 pm Monday through Friday. For information call (206) 320-8757.