Tom's Folk Café - 204 Boston Ave El Paso, TX 79902

           I haven't written a blog in awhile because I have had a lot on my plate (pun intended) since starting this but recently we as a family have chosen to go completely or as completely as possible organic to include grass fed beef and local produce. Tom's was a natural choice for us to go out to eat since their food is all local and as close to organic as can be expected AND they are listed on UrbanSpoon as Vegan friendly.

         

         Well my wife and I went to Tom's yesterday for lunch and as I walked in I noticed this place was very small and PACKED but had a very cool vibe to it. I noticed that up on one of the walls it showed their different ingredients were all within 12 hours distance from El Paso and they were very proud of that fact. I believe this is one of the factors in why the food was so good. When we were seated at the only table left we told the waiter we only had 45 minutes to eat and he assured us that it was absolutely no problem. We looked over the menu and selected the picnic sampler, the hunter's salad and the blood orange cheesecake. 

         Within about five minutes the picnic sampler came out it was on a long fine dining plate in three small bowls. The first thing we tried was the crawfish mac & cheese: it was absolutely superb. I could taste a little bit of the muddiness from the crawfish (which I adore) and the macaroni and cheese tasted just like Southern style baked macaroni and cheese I had as a younger man. It was definitely one of the best things I have ever eaten. Next we tried the sweet potato gravy fries which when dipped in the leftover crawfish mac n cheese sauce was absolutely to die for. Last thing up was Tom's fried chicken. I had such high hopes for this fried chicken but aside from the being spicy but not too spicy, it fell flat. The chicken almost seemed like it had been steamed instead of fried or from my previous experience in the fast food business it almost seemed like it been sitting out for a little bit too long in a warmer.

        
  
            Right after we finished the fried chicken the hunter's salad came out. It had lettuce, roasted duck, andouille sausage and a light dressing that I couldn't place my finger on. The richness of the duck and the spiciness of the andouille sausage really complemented each other and made the whole salad a raving success.

           
            Next came our blood orange cheesecake. This, this I tell you was the absolute best cheesecake I have ever in my life tasted. I couldn't tell you what was different but the graham cracker crust was little bit lighter then any other graham cracker crust I've ever tasted but it was oh so delicious. The cheesecake was so creamy and had a light sweetness to it. My wife was convinced that it was made with goat cheese and that was probably what made it taste so amazing to me. The blood orange sauce on top had just enough tartness to it that it almost made you pucker and scream out in delight. 

            Altogether, our meal, including drinks and a good tip to our wonderful waiter, only came out to $51. This was a steal for the quality of food and hospitality we received. I have rarely ever been so satisfied with a meal as I was at Tom's. It was all southern comfort food with a twist of fine dining and it didn't make you feel guilty for eating it. If you're ever in the Cincinnati District area I implore you to come into Tom's, sit down and their small dining room and eat your heart out, I might even be sitting there myself.