The Kitchen Post: Tacos are tops

Photo by: William D. Lewis

Photo

One consistent feature of the menu at The Kitchen Post is a variety of soft tacos, including Cajun Mushroom and Potato (bottom taco) and Fish (top taco).

STRUTHERS

“OK doctor, where are we going this month?”

“I think we should check out The Kitchen Post in Struthers.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Well, it’s been open about four weeks and the menu changes daily.”

“How are we going to feature a Signature Dish on a place that has no history and doesn’t have a set menu?”

“You worry too much; let’s go.”

From the outside, The Kitchen Post has a rather nondescript appearance. However, once you step through the door, your eyes find something of interest in every direction. The setup is understated yet engaging.

On our visit, a Monday evening, business was surprisingly brisk, and we happened to know patrons from a few of the tables. The clientele included a group of foodies on their third visit to the place in the past week, a table of curious locals who wanted to see what the new place was all about and next to us a pair of lovely young ladies. All in all, a cross-section from the hip and beautiful, to us, the intrepid freeloaders.

Tonight’s menu, written in chalk on the wall, featured a quartet of soft tacos, a fish entree, a pasta, a soup and chicken wings. After staring blankly for several minutes trying to decide, we placed our order. “Well, how about a sampling of everything?”

The Kitchen Post is owned and operated by Ross Fowler. A graduate of the former Le Cordon Bleu culinary school in Pittsburgh, Chef Fowler decided at the ripe age of 24 to embark on creating his own establishment.

Fowler explained that the menu changes frequently because there’s no large area for storage, and he buys fresh ingredients almost daily. One consistent feature is always a variety of soft tacos (which we are sure will be a Signature Dish), featured on the wall.

First up for us was the Philly. A take on the Philly cheese steak, comprising tender flank, grilled onion and a cheddar cheese sauce. A nice interpretation of a classic sandwich.

Next was the Cajun mushroom and potato. They take cubes of potato and deep fry them until crisp, then sprinkle with a Cajun spice. This is then combined with sauteed mushrooms and onions and topped with salsa and crema. Very savory and slightly spicy. Different, but delicious.

Our third was a fish taco. This consisted of a fried cornmeal-crusted catfish filet topped with pickled onion, slaw and remoulade, a sauce similar to tartar sauce. The tartness from the onions and slaw contrasted with the creaminess of the remoulade and the crunch of the crust on the perfectly cooked fish. It was topped with a squeeze of lime and chopped cilantro, making a superb taco.

Last was the pulled pork taco, consisting of slow-roasted pork shoulder, shredded and mixed with barbecue sauce and topped with slaw and pepper jack cheese. The scent of lime and cilantro added freshness to this plate. We both are big fans of pulled pork, so this was one of our favorites. Very tasty.

We were next served one of the most surprising dishes we have had in quite some time, Watermelon Gazpacho. Gazpacho is a cold soup made of pureed raw vegetables and usually is tomato-based. Fowler serves his version made with pureed watermelon and cucumber and topped with corn, roasted red peppers, crunchy pork cracklings and thinly sliced jalapeno pepper and garnished with a fried basil leaf.

Upon the first bite you get a burst of flavors and textures. There’s slight sweetness from the melon, crunch from the cracklings and corn and a fair amount of spice from the jalapeno. You would swear there was tomato present, but the watermelon fools you into thinking this. The spice makes you crave the next bite, and before we knew it, the bowl was empty. This was an amazing dish.

The Kitchen Post usually has a few larger plates on the menu. We sampled two dishes. First was Pepper Jack Mac and cheese with mushrooms and fried chicken. Chef Fowler uses Pepper Jack cheese to give this pasta a little spice. He then takes chicken tenderloins, soaks them in buttermilk, does a classic breading and fries it crisp. The chicken was crunchy on the outside with juicy meat. It is the perfect complement to the creamy mac and cheese. Comfort food at its best.

The second entree we tasted was pan-seared perch with heirloom tomato salad, cornbread croutons, fried zucchini and remoulade sauce. The mellow fish was flaky and moist. The tomatoes provided some acidity, and the cornbread croutons were slightly sweet. The zucchini was lightly fried but had texture. This was a light summer dish with a satisfying combination of flavors.

Our meal closed with a tasting of a house-made dessert. We had a wonderful chocolate pot de creme topped with coconut lime cream. The lightness of the cream foam worked well with the depth of chocolate flavor. A sweet ending to an excellent dining experience.

The Kitchen Post offers something new and something different. A fellow patron remarked that the place has a feel of being outside the Mahoning Valley, a place you might find in a larger city when you want to stop in for a quick bite and be a little adventurous. Check their Facebook page to see what is on the current menu, and step outside your routine and give The Kitchen Post a try.

ABOUT Signature Dishes

Mike and Mark are on the lookout for the biggest, hottest and tastiest dishes in the Valley. Email them at BrothersInFood@gmail.com.