Hopefully you caught Monday's blog announcing this month's Classic Author feature is Altimexis' story, The Cajun Asian. Okay, so I don't do this often, but this section of the story just SMACKS for the title that grabbed my attention when I was picking a story to feature for Altimexis.  Usually I do an excerpt that has a big more of a vague aspect, something to just highlight a character or special scene. ⚠️ Just a warning... there's a bit of a spoiler about the characters if you're looking to read this but haven't yet. ⚠️

Quote

 

Laughing, he replied, “You probably didn’t recognize me when I ate here last week. I make it a point to come unannounced when I review a restaurant, and I do my best to blend in with the crowd. I’ve been known to show up unshaven, in ratty jeans and a T-shirt,” he added.

“I certainly remember you,” I responded, “Particularly since we spent so much time talking to each other. It’s a bit unusual for a patron to order multiple entrées on top of the buffet, but I just thought you were being eccentric and I never once thought you were a food critic. No offense, but you seemed so ordinary, like someone I could’ve passed on the streets of the Lower East Side, hundreds of times and not noticed.”

Laughing, Mr. Wells said, “That, young man, was the intent. When there’s a buffet, I usually stick to the items on the buffet, but your menu includes some highly unusual items that I just had to sample, even though it made it more difficult for me to blend in.”

“Asher’s mixed background gives him a unique ability to combine Asian and Cajun approaches to cooking in unusual ways,” I explained.

“Anyone, myself included, can serve raw oysters or boiled live crayfish,” Gary chimed in, “but how many chefs can make a spicy shrimp and sausage creole as a stir-fry with snap peas and water chestnuts? My wife’s Chinese and I work in her restaurant, yet I’d have never thought of it.”

“They call it fusion, but this Cajun Asian chef is my fusion boyfriend,” I said as I pulled Ashe into a half-hug.

“Hold that pose!” the photographer exclaimed as he shot several photos of us.

As the delivery trucks arrived and Asher and I prepared the food for the lunch crowd, Mr. Wells interviewed us in depth and the photographer shot a bunch of pictures, seemingly photographing every square inch of the restaurant, inside and out. He also photographed pictures of Gary, Ashe and me, separately and in various combinations. As we began setting out the food for the lunch buffet, the photographer shot photos of each of the dishes and of the buffet from various angles.

When we opened the doors and the first customers arrived, Mr. Wells thanked us and then left, but Gary stayed. The first words out of my boyfriend’s mouth were, “Well that was unexpected. When do you think the review will run?”

 

Want to read more? Click here (I think you should... just what do YOU think the results of that review will be?!)