Out to eat: Knotty Pine

The shrimp boil at Knotty Pine on the Bayou goes for $19.95. (Credit: Joseph Fuqua II | Metromix)

Let's get over the whole shock and awe of actually finding this place first. Knotty Pine on the Bayou is out in the middle of who knows where. You will see the hills begin to roll as you approach it. You will think you hear a banjo playing in the distance. You will suspect you've driven past it, and you might just do that, unless you slow to a creep on Ky. 915 and notice the line of cars along one edge of the road and a nondescript little building along the other.

Knotty Pine. Here she is.

The mood: I'd heard great things about its Cajun food, but standing outside the place, I felt little but trepidation. It looked like a shack. And it served frog legs. My stomach felt like it was trying to hide behind my lungs.

Still, we forged ahead ... and were immediately charmed. Inside, the place was all warm lights and rich wood paneling and old, sloping floors (kudos to the genius who balanced the tables). We were seated on the spacious enclosed deck overlooking a neatly manicured lawn and the swiftly moving Licking River. "Interesting crowd," my friend noted, looking at the high schoolers on a date, the older foursome splitting some kind of meat platter, the well-dressed couple with big bowls of gumbo.

The drinks: The wine list was pretty standard, so, in the spirit of things, we ended up with some Louisiana beers. Abita Amber for me, Dixie Blackened Voodoo for him. We poured them into tiny chilled glasses and soaked in the view while contemplating the menu ... and those dreaded frog legs.

The food: Oh, what the hell. We started with three sautéed frog legs and cups of red beans and rice and Cajun gumbo. The gumbo packed just the right amount of heat, and the beans were hearty, filled with hunks of smoked sausage. The frog legs looked, well, like frog legs. My friend dug into them with gusto while I picked the meat from the bones. It squeaked between my teeth and tasted like butter. We don't need to do that again.

For our entrée, we were torn between the two specials - grouper and étouffée. Our server made it easy for us, bringing us the fish atop a generous scoop of étouffée. The grouper was delicious, crisp and buttery and so rich that even between us we could only manage half. We were both very blah about the étouffée, but red potatoes and collard greens made for some tasty side dishes.

Our server ran down the list of desserts - opera crème cake, chocolate kahlua crème pie, Key lime pie - but it was hopeless. Knotty Pine had defeated us.

The verdict: Beautiful, serene location, delicious fish, great rice and beans. Just don't expect any low-cal fare. This is rich food with no shortage of butter - the way it should be.

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