La Cayenne II Restaurant

The sign says «American and Caribbean» food, but to be more specific, this is a Haitian restaurant. I have always wanted to try Haitian food, since many of my friends are from Haiti and I have always wanted to know what the food tastes like. The interior is all large ceramic tiles from floor to half way up the walls and there are some booths and table seating.
They have Watermelon Soda ($ 1.50) and Lemon Juice ($ 2.50, which is a large glass of really good homemade lemonade.
The Poule ($ 9.50) is tender whole pieces of chicken stewed in a flavorful tomato sauce. This dish is normally served on top of rice, but we asked for plantains as well with rice on the side. The plantains are pounded flat and then deep fried. We also had the daily special, which was the Crab Meat Balls ($ 13.00), which would have to be the best crab cakes that I have ever had in my life. The outside was crisp and brown; the inside was tender with tons of crabmeat seasoned with garlic, onion, scallion, and red bell pepper.
The side of rice is a whole other story– amazing! The rice is savory, thoroughly mixed with black bean gravy with a touch of coconut milk to make it slightly chewy, then tossed with green peas and lima beans. I believe that one side dish is a two cup serving of rice. It was so good.
All of the entrees are served with fried plantains, rice of your choice, and a very large house salad. Make sure to ask for the super hot pickles on the side.
I believe that our waitress was actually one of the owners, since she was not very experienced with waiting on people. When someone pays with a credit card and is filling out the tip portion, I do not recommend standing over them and watching them. The best thing to do is to leave and come back to pick up the paperwork.