"GUMBO; Sure there's only a handful of chairs and service is slow, but the gumbo's
worth it.  Smoky and thick with a spicy roux base, whit rice, baby shrimp and chunks
of andouille sausage, it's enough to get Paul Prudhomme up out of that Rascal scooter. "

"First the bad news; a 20 minute wait for food and only eight chairs scattered around two high-top tables and a window ledge.  Decor?  Nada.  Now the good news: It's the best Cajun grub in town.  Smoky gimbo is thick with spicy roux base, white rice, baby shrimp and chunks of andouille sausage.  Jambalaya is no carbon-copy gumbo like at other spots - it's rich with tomato and bright with herbs.  Dirty rice is authentic and eathy from spleen; collard greens have heat and smoke from flecks of smoked turkey; and the shrimp po'boy is unforgettable - splig garlic toast spread with rosemary-tomato remoulade and topped with a heaping pound of perfectly crispy shrimp.  End with a slice of warm pineapple-caramel bread pudding, and your surroundings couldn't matter less..."

"In September 2000 Lagniappe opened in Auburn-Gresham, a location Madison finds hard to explain.  "God told me to go to this place on 79th Street and I could not understand it, " she says, "I would not have personally chosen that spot myself.  It was a step of blind faith. ...

..."Lagniape now offers seating for about 20, and Madison is contemplating the creation of a seperate catering division.  She's making plans for a booth this summer at the taste of Chicago, and in the next few months hopes to obtain her liquor license and offer outdoor seating and free WiFi."

Phone: 773-994-6375