The Louisiana Bayou has come to Knoxville, where Saint Lucille's Kitchen, located next door to Crafty Bastard Brewing, serves up authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine.
The restaurant is a collaboration between Michael Frede and Tracy Frede, owners of Last Days of Autumn Brewing Co., and Aaron McClain, owner of Crafty Bastard Co. The three have known each other for nearly a decade, and ever since McClain opened Crafty Bastard Co. in 2015, they had wanted to open a full-scale restaurant on Emory Place, just north of downtown.
When the space at 8 Emory Place became available in September, McClain jumped at the opportunity: He invited the Fredes to join him and start a counter-service restaurant, with Michael Frede naming the restaurant after his friend's grandmother, St. Lucille.
“I do the cooking and he does the beer, and it works well for both of us,” Michael Frede said.
Saint Lucille's Kitchen quietly opened on May 18th, with the owners planning a grand opening for June 1st.
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Filling a “void” in Knoxville by serving authentic Cajun and Creole cuisine
The owner had three things to say about his food: “Authentic, authentic, authentic.”
The first customers to be seated were some Knoxville transplants from Louisiana, who had bottles of Crystal hot sauce ready and open in preparation for the “bland” dishes that would come out of St. Lucille's kitchen.
“He said he'd never touched the bottle,” Frede said.
The menu features Frede's twists on Cajun and Creole classics such as chicken and sausage gumbo, red beans and rice, praline cream cheese spread, blue crab cake sandwiches and roasted cauliflower po'boys. Frede's favorite is the Andouille po'boy.
“Honestly, this is one of the first menus I've ever made where I really love everything on the menu. There's nothing I really don't like,” Frede said.
The only dish over $16 is the Maffuletta sandwich, which costs $19, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options are available.
Many ingredients will be shipped in from Louisiana, including Andouille sausage from Cochon Butcher, red kidney beans from Camellia Beans and bread from Gambino's Bakery.
Don't worry, the food is spicy.
“There's a big void in Knoxville for this type of cuisine,” Frede said. The other two Cajun restaurants in the area are Fred's Beans & Rice at Knox Brew Hub and Storming Crab on Kingston Pike.
Crafty Bastard is supplying beer, including a premium French pilsner called Marquis de Pils. St. Lucille's Kitchen plans to add wine soon, along with the KNOLA cocktail, a New Orleans cocktail with a Knoxville twist. Two cocktails McClain mentioned are the Hurricane, made with Knoxville-grown prickly pear cactus, and the French 75, made with Crafty Bastard sparkling wine and Postmodern Spirits gin.
Creating a St. Lucile kitchen in a 19th century building
Mr McClain said the building, built in the 19th century and owned by former deputy mayor Duane Grieve, had previously been used as offices but that Mr McClain was happy to strip out the interior.
Messrs. McClain and Frede updated the interior with checkered tile, teal paint and blue pine walls; all that remains from the building's days as offices are a few sections of drywall that housed wiring for lighting, HVAC and sprinklers.
“It seemed like just a headache and a big challenge, but it ended up being something really cool. I'm really glad we didn't remove it. It opens up the view,” McClain said of what remains of the old building.
The renovation process revealed two bonuses: original brick walls and a skylight. For this project, McClain channeled his inner “interior designer,” decorating the walls with artwork from the Lilienthal Gallery, including the mantelpiece, the old Miller's department store sign, and a giant three-piece painting set above the counter. The gallery also designed some of the tables.
Emory Place has grown into an arts district with galleries and French Fry Vintage, and McClain wanted something to match that energy.
The Future of St. Lucille's Kitchen
McClain and Frede plan to set up a service at Crafty Bastard, where customers can order from the brewery and have food delivered to the store next door. Private events are also in the works, and Frede said he plans to create a brunch menu and eventually open for lunch.
They are taking each expansion one step at a time.
Saint Lucille's Kitchen is currently open Wednesday to Friday from 4pm to 9pm, Saturday from noon to 9pm, and Sunday from noon to 8pm.
Keenan Thomas reports to Knox News' Business Growth and Development team and can be reached at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.
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