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Monday, March 15, 2021

The Fearless Foodie

                  

By Scott Heiner
 
MayMoes 

Recently, we discovered a rarity: MayMoes a Southern Cajun BBQ Grill.  This place is the real deal, and more—right here in Logan Utah, of all places. 

Owner Jason Davis, grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, raised on in the rich Cajun and Creole cuisine there.  He worked in the mortgage industry, but in 2016, he walked away from that and moved to Logan.  There, he took the opportunity to pursue his real passion: Louisiana Cajun food.  He is self-taught, but he surely has the knack.  Jason not only captures the flavors of Louisiana to perfection, but he is a genius in inventing new dishes. 

For relaxation, Jason reads cookbooks, and closely follows cooking celebrities.  At home, he loves to experiment and tinker with interesting new food combinations, so the good ones show up at the restaurant.  Besides their standard printed menu, MayMoes has a large blackboard on the wall which features their daily specials.

Jason also relates to the locals by incorporating Utah foods in his menu.  For example, he actually colors his ranch dressing blue and calls it “Aggie Blue Ranch.”  He offers a Cajun Pastrami Burger—his version of the popular pastrami burger which originated in Utah--and also serves his own fry sauce. 

MayMoes smokes their meats which is essential in producing the Cajun flavors.  They have worn out two smokers and are on their third one now, usually keeping it going all day long.  They also get it right with their baked goods.  Their hushpuppies are spot on and their beignets are just like the ones from the French Quarter in New Orleans. 

MayMoes cultivates a happy and upbeat environment, frequently posting on Facebook about what’s new.  Jason keeps his prices low so as many people as people as possible can afford to eat there, so he doesn’t make much more than covering his expenses.  His only goal is to share his passion for good Cajun food with people to make them happy.   He insists on serving only top-quality dishes; if a batch of French fries has sat too long, he will throw them out and cook up a new batch of fresh hot fries. 

Last year, Jason and MayMoes were featured on The Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives,” hosted by Guy Fieri.  That episode highlighted MayMoes’ Blackened Chicken Pasta and their Marrow Butter Burger.  Using bone marrow sounds a bit weird but Guy certainly liked it.  Their menu describes it as “Smoked Bone Marrow compounded with butter and seasoning topped with American cheese on a hand pressed all Beef patty.”  That’ll be my order next time I get there.

Of course, the show really boosted their popularity and the place is always full.  MayMoes opened five years ago in a small space in the back of a service station in north Logan.  Two years later, they moved to a much larger spot.  Now, they are so busy that they are considering building a new dedicated restaurant.  Jason Davis doesn’t mind sharing his recipes, either; he has become so good and popular that he now offers monthly cooking classes.

We have eaten at MayMoes three times, but we have barely touched the wide variety of dishes they offer.  With their extensive menu and the new creations that they come up with, we will never run out of adventures there.  It is truly a Cajun wonderland right in the heart of a Cajun wilderness of Utah.  We really like their shrimp-n-grits and red beans and rice (both Louisiana classics), shrimp gumbo, and Blackened Chicken Pasta. 

Oh, the name, “MayMoes?”  That came from Jason’s young daughter who was “skinny as a beanpole, but always hungry.”  One day back in 2003, she tried to ask for tomatoes one day but all she could say was “maymoes.”  Jason, thought that was really funny and ever since, he has called tomatoes “MayMoes.”  Jason thought it would be a perfect, unique name for his restaurant. 

MayMoes’ 5-year anniversary is the end of April, so to celebrate, they plan a big Louisiana-style crawfish boil and barbecued alligator feast on Saturday 1 May 2021.  Put that on your calendar; it’s sure to be epic!  That’s paradise for a fearless foodie; I’ll certainly be there.

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