Strictly Business: Dahns Kitchen serves authentic Trinidadian, Caribbean cuisine
PJ Tuitt laughs when he recalls a certain first-time customer who visited Dahns Kitchen in the Haymount section of Fayetteville.
Tuitt and his wife, Dhan, own and operate the restaurant that features such authentic Caribbean and Trinidadian cuisine as curry chicken, jerk chicken, jerk ribs and, when available, stewed oxtail.
"We had a customer who got off the bus and came up here," he said Friday afternoon from the office of the restaurant. "She said, 'Oh, Lord!' when she saw the food. She started to dance."
He smiled when he said the customer keeps coming back.
The Tuitts opened the brick-and-mortar Dahns Kitchen at 115 Oakridge Ave. on Sept. 5. It follows their original Dahn's Kitchen on the Go mobile food truck that dates to 2016.
Their truck used to participate in the Food Truck Wednesdays at Festival Park, which were sponsored by the Center for Economic Empowerment and Development.
Though the truck now only goes out about twice a week, primarily to locations on Fort Bragg, Dahn said COVID-19 "put a stop on us like it did everybody else."
"It did well," said Dahn, who cooks from the truck.
More:Strictly Business: Niko's FreshEats near Fort Bragg offers diverse menu
Dahn and PJ Tuitt first located to New York 21 years ago after migrating to this country from Trinidad. There, they opened and ran the Trini Flavas restaurant for a couple of years before she said they experienced some problems with the landlord.
They moved to Fayetteville because Dahn Tuitt's sister has lived here for a quarter of a century.
"When we moved to Fayetteville, it was a little hard at first," she said from behind the counter while preparing a Mr. Griffin combo. "I love the people. I'm not going anywhere."
Mr. Griffin, which is $15.99, offers a sampling of everything from the steaming food line. A Mrs. Griffin is the vegetarian combo version and is also $15.99.
"Everything's from scratch," Dahn Tuitt said. "I don't play. This is what I love to do."
The menu also includes such fare as brown stew chicken, curry goat, curry shrimp, a veggie platter and doubles. Prices range from $2.99 to $15.99.
Doubles are basically a snack-size sandwich made of two flatbreads (known as bara) and filled with a curried chickpea filling, or channa, as it is known in Trinidad and India.
"All the food, it sells," she said when asked what's most popular with patrons. "There's not one particular food."
"Our food is the best," PJ Tuitt offered.
While Trinidadian food is multiethnic, many of the Caribbean nation's popular dishes are Indian in origin. The food also has West African, Syrian, Chinese, French and English culinary influences.
"We have melded down into something all its own," Dahn Tuitt said.
Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday. It is closed on Sunday and Monday.
"I believe it is a good move," Dahn Tuitt said of opening the restaurant. "I have very big customer base because of the military, and they follow me."
Chicken tortilla soup returns to Chick-fil-A
This week was a memorable one for Strictly Business: The seasonal chicken tortilla soup is back for a limited time at Chick-fil-A, along with the popular peppermint chip milkshake.
Chick-fil-A's chicken noodle soup — available throughout the year — is always good. But the hearty chicken tortilla soup takes things to another level.
Customers can opt for a small or large serving, pay a little extra, and forgo the waffle fries when ordering a combo.
This is wintertime comfort food at its best, and a meal in itself with crackers. The soup features shredded chicken with navy and black beans — all in a white creamy base with a blend of vegetables and spices.
Why Chick-fil-A doesn't serve it year-round has always been a head-scratcher for me. I'm told that customers love it.
So now I know where I'll be eating at least twice a week until the restaurant takes it off the menu sometime next year.
McAlister's Deli serving at FSU
McAlister's Deli has a new location in Fayetteville. It's on the campus of Fayetteville State University.
The deli, at 1015 Murchison Road, opened Monday, according to a news release.
McAlister's Deli is home to handcrafted sandwiches, fresh salads, stuffed potatoes and its signature sweet tea.
The McAlister's Club is one of the restaurant's more popular sandwiches, a combination of smoked turkey, black forest ham, bacon, sharp cheddar, Swiss, spring mix, tomato, mayo and McAlister's honey mustard on wheat.
The deli at Fayetteville State is serving guests daily from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Fayetteville's first McAlister's Deli operates from 1940 Skibo Road.
The McAlister’s brand has more than 470 restaurants in 27 states. The company is headquartered in Atlanta.
Support local journalism with a subscription to The Fayetteville Observer. Click the "subscribe'' link at the top of this article.
See something sprouting up or closing down around town? Have tips, questions or comments for Strictly Business? Contact staff writer Michael Futch at mfutch@fayobserver.com or 910-486-3529.