Dinner at Clara B’s? Find out what the Belleville restaurant owner has in mind
Most of you already know about Clara B’s Kitchen Table, the popular restaurant located inside LongStory Coffee.
But do you know about Clara B’s Supper Table?
Clara B’s will open the kitchen for one night each month to host an exclusive dining experience, according to the Clara B’s Kitchen Table January newsletter.
These events will consist of a five-course menu featuring fare inspired by the upbringing of chef and Clara B’s owner Jodie Ferguson.
Ferguson said in a phone interview that she’s been planning these events since last summer.
Current hours are Clara B’s are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Customers have asked her multiple times to also be open for dinner.
Ferguson said she doesn’t have a large enough staff to include dinner hours on a daily basis, so these monthly events are a precursor to see if it’s something they could do successfully in the future.
Her main concern is to be able to consistently provide quality meals at “a level the community deserves.”
The first of these events takes place Thursday, Jan. 18, at the old train depot with the theme Winter Season, Southern Comfort.
The menu features ingredients from local farmers and purveyors. The meal will include a curated selection of beer from Shoehorn Brewing and a wine list she selected to compliment the menu.
Crafted cocktails will also be available for an additional price.
The January menu starts with a course of chicken fried pork belly with cola BBQ sauce atop a grit cake and collard greens.
The other courses consist of:
Salad of arugula, beet, pickled fennel, oranges, pecans and farmer’s cheese;
Cornmeal crusted grouper, house tagliatelle pasta, tomato, onion, parsley and dill, caper mousseline;
Southern-style oxtail hotpot, winter vegetables, Carolina gold rice and fried cabbage;
Apple caramel and brown butter upside down cake, honey, vanilla bean Bavarian and sopapilla tuile.
Ferguson said that the January menu took about a week to put together and she’s currently finalizing the recipes.
Clara B’s is known for its southern-inspired comfort foods, such as shrimp & grits, biscuits with duck fat gravy and a variety of breakfast foods, salads and sandwiches.
Each month’s menu will represent both her upbringing and the season.
Menu selections will feature foods she grew up with, but Ferguson takes into consideration foods that folks in the area are familiar with and what is in season and available.
She said that February’s menu will be influenced by both Valentine’s Day and Mardi Gras.
Tickets for the January event are limited and available online at clarabs.com. Click on “Clara B’s Supper Table” at the top of the homepage to purchase tickets.
Tickets will be available until Jan. 18 or until the event is sold out.
About Clara B’s Kitchen Table
Ferguson moved her business from its downtown location at 106 E. Main St. to a brand new kitchen inside LongStory Coffee at 732 S. Illinois St. in Belleville.
Clara B’s held a soft opening in late April 2023 and fully opened for indoor dining in May.
In addition to its variety of comfort foods and hearty meals, the business still provides catering and food truck services.
For more information about Clara B’s Kitchen Table, call 618-416-1812 or visit clarabs.com or the Facebook page.
