Bruno Mars 
Gigi’s Kountry Kitchen, a Monroe eatery provides vintage soul meals that your grandmother or mom used to make.
Owned by way of Keith McFarland, Gigi’s provides quite a lot of vintage southern dishes, similar to smothered porkchops, fried catfish, baked rooster, cabbage and black eyed peas.
It is named after McFarland’s mom, Gloria McFarland, who used to be recurrently known as “Gigi” by way of her his nieces and nephews. McFarland mentioned his mom taught him the entirety he is aware of about cooking.
“I roughly took the identify when she handed and highlighted it,” McFarland mentioned. “Numerous the stuff that I do, I watched her do it however I put my very own little twist to it.”
McFarland mentioned he made up our minds to show his love for cooking into a facet hustle after being laid off from CenturyLink in June 2016. He started promoting plates out of his house sooner than buying a meals truck sooner or later buying a cafe in January 2021.
“I simply began cooking as a result of folks at all times instructed me that my meals used to be just right,” McFarland mentioned. “I simply roughly stepped out on religion and began promoting meals from my area. Phrase were given round and it simply grew from there.”
The eating place options day-to-day entrée specials between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Different menu pieces come with oxtails, pot roast, hamburger steak, lasagna, rooster and sausage combo, shrimp and grits, shrimp and sausage gumbo and seafood distinctiveness offers together with crab legs and shrimp. The eating place’s signature dessert menu contains peach cobbler and banana pudding.
The eating place has change into recognized for its fried catfish and purple beans and rice, and catfish New Orleans. McFarland mentioned relating to cooking his dishes, he most commonly “unfastened kinds.”
“I am not a by-the-measurement roughly man,” he mentioned. “I am going by way of style and scent.”
McFarland mentioned industry thrived right through the COVID-19 pandemic and is still secure, however is recently being suffering from inflation.
“Industry remains to be just right,” McFarland mentioned. “Caterings are just right however inflation has been dressed in out us although.”
The eating place caters occasions, weddings and events.
Gigi’s is open Tues. via Fri. and choose Sundays, 11 a.m. to two p.m. at 7129 DeSiard St., Monroe. For inquiries about catering choices, name (225) 223-4335
Observe Ian Robinson on Twitter @_irobinson and on Fb at https://bit.ly/3vln0w1.
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