Kith and Kin
INTRODUCTION: Kith & Kin, (Southern for Friends & Family) opened last week in the in the former Paragon Dundee. It is southern cooking at its best, a niche menu not typically seen in the Omaha area. As we dined on their third night of business, they were working out some of the kinks, but very accommodating and definitely wanted to hear feedback. In summary, it’s all good. Some dishes had a bit more heat than we are used to. But definitely typical of southern cooking.
Reservations made through the Yelp app made our arrival super smooth. They quickly seated us and took our drink orders. Many interesting southern-inspired cocktails, which necessitated Sarah trying a Royal Bee (gin, lemon, honey, lavender bitters). Yum. She could have easily had a second one of these. Coke products by the can for Jim. Rick and Patty chose from some of the local brews and the southern craft breweries. All were pleased with their selections.
THE FOOD: Kith & Kin have an interesting Starters menus, so we tried orders of Hush Puppies ($8) and Crab Cakes ($13). Both were delicious. None of us are fans of Fried Green tomatoes or Oysters on the half shell, but those are reportedly popular items. Black eyed pea dip and Gumbo nachos are also available.
They have roasted bone marrow soup ($15), seasonal bisque and soup d’jour, as well as salads to choose from.
Sandwiches and entrées come with one side. Jim settled on the Fried Chicken sandwich ($11) made with buttermilk -fried chicken, chili aioli, coleslaw and a house pickle on a house made buttermilk biscuit. Southern-goodness. Jim was a satisfied customer
Sarah tried the Kentucky Hot pork sandwich ($13), breaded and fried tenderloin, served with lettuce, tomato, avocado, American cheese, Jalapeno bacon and Sriracha/Lime aioli on a House brioche bun. The quality of the pork tenderloin could have been improved on. The Jalapeno bacon put Sarah’s mouth on fire. Wow. (But she’s not one to try Jalapeno poppers, so she’s not much on heat). Brussel sprouts.
Rick tried the cold smoke pork chop ($18) served with grilled Peach relish and sour cream pan gravy. Rick wasn’t crazy about the peach relish, but he’s still talking about the pan gravy served over his choice of sides of creamed potatoes.
Patty tried the pecan wood smoked brisket ($17) with Granddaddy’s BBQ sauce served on the side. The brisket was tender, good flavor and a generous portion. Her side was the white cheddar grits.
All sides were good with choices from a starch list (White cheddar grits, molasses baked beans, hash cake, house fries), veggies (Corn medley, bourbon creamed corn, collard greens, creamed spinach, caramelized Brussels sprouts) and baked goods (Cornbread muffins, skillet corn bread, buttermilk biscuits, Southern Butter rolls). In addition to choosing one side, you could order extras for an additional price. We didn’t have room for the dessert menu but reports were good from that list also.
THE SERVICE: Was good and attentive. Most places it is not good, so way to go at the Kith and Kin !!
SUMMARY: Overall, Southern cooking has come to Omaha and it is definitely a great place to try. The owners had a visible presence. Come on down Ya’all. The vittles are ready, Paula Dean style- full fat, full flavor.