Du Jour: Shannah Spencer, Capitol Sports Restaurant Bar and Grill

Growing up in a rural area outside Donalsdsonville, Shannah Spencer and her family were all about family fetes with lots of food. Her grandmother lived on the same plot of land, and when Shannah’s four brothers (including New England Patriots Defensive End Jarvis Green), were out playing sports, Shannah was slipping into her grandmother’s kitchen for secret instruction. Georgina Caesar cooked by feel, and she had strong opinions about the way Southern staples ought to be delivered. Okra, for example, was cooked down for hours in the oven—not on the stovetop. Snap beans and black-eyed peas were enhanced by simple accoutrements, like onions and pork fat, then left to simmer until soft and mellow. “She never really used recipes, and neither do it. It just comes from experience,” says Spencer.

After Green moved to the Boston area, he missed home – particularly the food, says Spencer. It prompted the launch of a restaurant in the family’s home town of Donaldsonville last fall, named the Capitol Sports Restaurant Bar and Grill. The reference is for the brief period in 1830 when Donaldsonville was the state capital. Green asked Spencer to serve as head chef¸ who never attended culinary school, but had dabbled in cooking and catering over the last decade. The restaurant is set on historic Railroad Avenue in a former bus depot. Spencer says the decision to locate there is part of Green’s commitment to hometown revitalization. “It was important to him to do something here, and to help the town a little,” says Spencer.

The menu was largely concocted by Green, with Spencer overseeing the execution in the kitchen. The vibe is a hybrid of sports bar, casual dining and Sunday lunch spot. The after-church crowd is one of Spencer’s favorites to cook for – it reminds her of big family gatherings. “We always have a couple of different meats, and everything you can imagine to go with them.” For more information, call (225) 473-3988.

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