Jumpin At Joe’s Essay, Research Paper

Jumpin’ at Joe’s

By Sarena Lee

On a crowded Friday night, I found a lively spot with sweet smells and even sweeter sounds. Joe’s Be-Bop Caf?, located on Navy Pier at 600 E. Grande, is a Cajun, jazz-inspired restaurant whose atmosphere separated itself from the noisy shuffle of the pier.

Upon entering the restaurant, I saw murals and collages on the walls that had a ’50s and ’60s style, and pictures of every jazz musician you can think of.

The Skinny Williams Band was belting out fabulous music, while he crossed the room, greeting the patrons of the restaurant.

My date and I were seated immediately, which seemed strange for a Friday night, but it was definitely not a reflection on the service. The waitress was very friendly, taking the time to explain that the shells on the crawfish in the etoufe were removed. For entrees I chose the crawfish etoufe and my date had the piles-of-rib-tips-really!

When she brought our plates five minutes later, I was astonished by the extremely large servings, especially because the prices are not so large. The crawfish etoufe was served over white rice with a block of sweet cornbread, and it was flavorful. When I think of Cajun food, my first impression is hot-for-no-reason. My meal, however, was prepared with a careful mixture of spices that I could taste in every bite, but that didn’t leave my eyes watering or me gasping for my date’s water.

The piles-of-rib-tips were also delicious. I enjoyed them for two reasons: (1) they were not drowned in barbecue sauce; (2) the meat was tender in every bite, even without being drowned in barbecue sauce.

As I stuffed myself, something came over me until I was eating and swaying and dancing at my table–to my comfort, so was everyone else.

Joe’s BeBop Cafe is definitely a fun place. You can walk in to have a great meal, listen to fabulous jazz and end the evening with a stroll along the pier.

For reservations or general information about Joe’s BeBop Caf?, call 312- 595-5299.