Paula Kirk, owner of Downtown’s Paula’s Cafe since 1989, is loyal to her fellow chefs. When I tell her that Jean Robert de Cavel honked angrily at me for jaywalking at lunchtime, she rushes to defend him and eventually makes me feel grateful that he taught me a lesson in good citizenship. Hey, wait a minute, here! Well … maybe she’s right.
CityBeat: What was the last great thing you ate and where did you eat it?
Paula Kirk: If I can’t say “a burger at Paula’s Café,” then I’ll go with the truffle fries at the Quarter Bistro. Really wonderful. And I loved their green pasta (pasta verde) too — angel hair with puréed vegetables. I don’t eat out often, but when I do go out, I want someone else to cook as well as I do!
CB: How do chefs make their dining decisions?
PK: Chefs are the hardest customers! We’re good at what we do, and we have high standards. And we know everything that goes on in the kitchen. So we choose by who is cooking — are they a friend, or really talented — and what they have to work with, the quality of their ingredients.
PAULA’S CAFE, 41 E. Fourth St., Downtown; 513-381-3354 or
