Northside Food: Adele's Authentic Cajun

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Adele's Authentic Cajun

I've been trying to broaden my horizons when it comes to eating out in Roswell and Alpharetta. I've definitely been in a rut lately. One of the places that's slowly working its way into my regular rotation is Adele's.

Shrimp creole

Owned and operated by Chef Marc Wegman, Adele's is an amazing addition to Roswell's food scene. We've been hurting for cajun since North of NoLa closed in 2011. The restaurant is small and tucked away in the shopping center at the intersection of Holcomb and Old Roswell. You'd think it's a weird place for a great restaurant, until you remember that the late, still lamented Little Alley Tapas used to be just a few doors away. But the space is bright and clean, with polished wood tables and lots of subdued mementos of Wegman's hometown.

Crawfish Étouffée

But what about the food? I don't claim to be any kind of expert on authentic anything, but this stuff is delicious. The iconic seafood gumbo is rich and savory, with spicy sausage and shrimp dotting the bowl. Shrimp creole is loaded with vegetables, slightly spicy and sweet and generous scoop of rice to soak it all up. There's a crawfish étouffée with big chunks of seafood in a savory sauce. I haven't yet tried one of the po'boys, but when I see them come out of the kitchen, they are giant sandwiches pile high with fried shrimp, roast beef or fried chicken. Guess what I'm sampling next. Adele's is also highly regarded for their beignet and they don't disappoint. They come as three pillowy mounds of fried dough drenched in powdered sugar.

Yum

Service has been hit or miss so far. A weeknight with a large party? There were a couple minor issues, quickly fixed. But a couple out on a Saturday, we had no issues and thought our waitress that night was one of the best we've had at a place we aren't regulars. But nothing so bad I'd hesitate to recommend Adele's if you're looking for a good cajun restaurant.