Fodor's Expert Review Alluette's Cafe

Alluette Jones has coined a new genre of cuisine—"holistic soul food"—which she prepares at her eponymously named restaurant. It's simple, fresh, local, and organic, drawing from Geechee-Gullah origins, and has earned well-deserved praise. And guess what? You won't be able to find any pork products here. Her hearty soups (lima bean, for instance) contain nary a trace of the traditional Southern accoutrement: ham hock. Plus, Alluette cooks some of the city's best fried shrimp, which arrive butterflied and lightly battered after simmering in organic oil. It's a pleasant, newfound perspective on Southern food.