In a modest strip center flanked by a convenience store and gas station sits the quiet and elegant restaurant called Miss Patty’s Southern Soul and Seafood Kitchen.
At 8330 W Bellfort, close to Gessner in the Brays Oaks Management District, the décor is full of musical soul and the place is always busy serving their loyal customers. The old record albums and 45s on the walls, and even a statue of singer James Brown, harken to a soulful era.
Owner, foodie, and chef Patty Jackson puts the soul in her food as well. With tried and true recipes for seafood and chicken dishes, the restaurant is a source of comfort food for many.
Jackson, known as Miss Patty, was born in Chicago and began working in restaurants at a young age. She watched what was going on in the kitchens and progressed to assisting in the cooking. She worked at seafood places and learned how to make the tastiest and best spices for shrimp and other seafood.
Moving to Houston, she started her business with a food truck in 2012, called The Food Patty Wagon, which she still uses for catering, and then added a second truck, Miss Patty’s Seafood-N-Chicken Cuisine, in 2015. After success with the trucks, she was ready for her first brick and mortar location.
Combination platters are big items on the menu. Served with any of the available sides and in combinations of chicken and various seafood, they are a bargain at a reasonable price.
I tried seafood and chicken dishes with a few sides. Their spices were enough to give a twang but not too strong a bite. Best of all, the seafoods and meats retained their moisture and flavor by being perfectly cooked.
The eatery excels at shrimp, catfish, fried chicken and even serves hamburgers.Pork chops are a popular item on their menu as well.
The side dishes are yummy, too. The macaroni and cheese casserole side is gooey and stringy with cheese oozing up with every forkful. This is not your average pasta served from a box. The consistency is thick, and it is quite tasty.
The garlic mashed potatoes too have a great consistency – not too overwhipped, and with just the right amount of garlic and seasoning. Of course, collard greens are on the menu and are also served up just right as well as dirty rice.
June just happens to be Soul Food month. There is no more soulful dish of rich tradition in this form of cooking than oxtails. Since the meat is rich with gelatin, it makes a wonderful broth when cooked. Miss Patty’s serves this dish in generous portions.
Finally, the desserts are also comfort food and very tasty. Homemade peach cobbler was a real treat, served warm, and not too sweet, chock full of fruit.
The menu is at www.misspattyskitchen.com
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. closed on Mondays.
— by Arlene Nisson Lassin
