Patti and I must have looked puzzled as we pondered the menu at Little Coyote (3950 Tennessee Avenue, littlecoyote.com), a stylish Texas-style barbecue joint about 3 miles south of downtown Chattanooga. Server Kaila Scarbeck immediately stepped in to save the day. “What do you really like?” she asked. “What do you swear you will never eat?” That’s all she needed to know. “Leave it to me,” she said. “I’ll curate your meal.”
She was so engaging and so confident that we put ourselves in her hands. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit back, enjoy a glass or two of wine, and let someone else make all the decisions. To be honest, I can be a little timid in my choices. I figured Kaila might push me out of my comfort zone.
One great taste after another
For our first course, Kaila brought tender smoked pork ribs with a mezcal mop sauce, something that I definitely would have ordered on my own. I was more skeptical of the half avocado stuffed with turnip and served with mini corn tortillas. The freshly-made tortillas were the real stars, but the dish convinced me that avocados are good for more than mashing into guacamole or spreading on toast.
I’ve eaten a lot of great food in Mexico, but I’d never encountered a pescadillo. “It’s like a puffy taco,” Kaila explained as she set a couple on the table as part of our second course. Basically, a pescadillo is a folded corn tortilla filled with fish and then deep-fried. At Little Coyote, the chefs fill the pescadillo with mild and slightly sweet Gulf redfish and serve it with a side of avocado crema. I like to think I would have ordered it on my own. I certainly will next time I see pescadillo on a menu. I often gravitate toward vegetable dishes, so I know I would have ordered the perfectly charred asparagus with queso fresco.
Patti and I could have called it quits and been perfectly happy. But Kaila said we should really try the grilled queso with tomatillo strawberry jam. She was right. Nor should we miss the smoked brisket enchiladas with Texas red gravy — a perfect marriage of Mexico and Texas. Right again. (See below.)
So how could we say no to white chocolate ice cream with strawberries and cream? Thank you, Kaila.
