NEW NAME, SAME OL’ SOUL

Connie Aucoin
July 27, 2017
Lafourche releases sites for Night Out Against Crime parties
July 27, 2017
Connie Aucoin
July 27, 2017
Lafourche releases sites for Night Out Against Crime parties
July 27, 2017

A local restaurant has a new name in its second year, but it still has the same family feel and menu full of rich flavors.

Rosemary’s Soul Food Kitchen, located in Gray, was formerly Big Meats Soul Food Cafe. Terrebonne Parish Council Member and Big Meats owner Arlanda Williams chose to change the name in March of this year to honor her grandmother. According to Williams, her grandmother was sad after losing a sister, so she decided to change the restaurant name to help lift her spirits. Williams said her grandmother told her she always wanted to open a restaurant named Rosemary’s but was not able to do so.

Williams said her restaurant, which opened in April last year, has had to struggle as a new business and one opening in the middle of the Bayou Region’s economic malaise. She credited local support as key factors in Rosemary’s ability to stay afloat in the hard times.


“As everybody else, we’ve seen some tough times,” Williams said. “But we’ve seen some resilient times, too, because this is an area of resilience, and people love to eat, thank God. It’s a good thing. I love it.”

On Monday, Rosemary’s was serving red beans and rice with sausage as well as green beans, pork chops and other offerings. The business has also started serving up breakfast before transitioning into a lunch menu. Williams conscripted her son who cooks in the kitchen at Rosemary’s, Jo, with making a crab stew. After he expressed hesitation regarding the dish’s ability to sell, his end product became one of the most popular dishes. According to Williams, the crab stew and lasagna are two dishes people call for every week, even though they do not generally fall under the “soul food” umbrella. Jo said Rosemary’s will also be adding a variety of new chicken wing flavors for football season.

The ever-changing menu at Rosemary’s is partly the work of the restaurant’s namesake. According to Williams, her grandmother taught both her and Jo everything they know about cooking. However, the Williams family cooking is supplemented and elevated by a revered veteran of the Houma culinary scene. Jacquelyn “Jackie” Clay started working as the head cook at Rosemary’s last October. Before that, she had spent 33 years cooking at the popular restaurant The Lion’s Share, which closed a year ago. Williams said her friend recommended Clay, who is her friend’s aunt, as an addition to the restaurant, and she reached out soon after.


According to Williams, Jo’s culinary education may have begun with her grandmother, but it is continuing under Clay as he learns from her. She said the two complement each other well in the kitchen, much as they may cut up as they get the work done.

“You don’t mess with Ms. Jackie’s kitchen. That’s just how it is,” Williams said with a laugh.

Williams said Rosemary’s is looking to be more than just a restaurant. As part of that, Williams is extending the family operation outside of the kitchen when her daughter hosts an event for incoming college freshmen. The event will have recent college graduates talking to the freshmen about what they can expect going into their first year of college. Williams said her daughter wants to prepare those students, many who will be moving away from home for the first time, about the realities facing new college students. Rosemary’s is co-sponsoring the event and providing school supplies for the incoming freshman. The event starts at 6 p.m. on Aug. 3 at Rosemary’s.


Jo Williams, son of Rosemary’s Soul Food Kitchen owner Arlanda Williams, prepares red beans and rice for Monday’s lunch crowd. The restaurant in Gray is in its second year of operation.

KARL GOMMEL | THE TIMES