CityView Magazine

50 May 2021 The essential appy: Warm crab dip with 'naan' bread, fresh from the oven. oven. It's a great pick for sharing. Fried oysters with a chipotle-lime remoulade and calamari tossed in a sweet chili sauce also are included in the appetizer section. If looking for non-fish alternatives, the choices are few. Try the deep-fried wings with a choice of four dipping sauces, chicken tenders from the kids' menu or some of the side dishes. Clearly, seafood is king at this casual, rustic restaurant with well-spaced tables and an outdoor patio on which to escape under the sun. Chef Judy will tell you that her travels are oen a source of inspiration for dishes that make the menu, such as her favorite whole red snapper, which she first tasted on a trip to one of her favorite destinations: Jamaica. Chef Judy will tell you that her travels are often a source of inspiration for dishes that make the menu, such as her favorite whole red snapper, which she first tasted on a trip to one of her favorite destinations: Jamaica. Designed for "three hungr y people," the Riverboat steamed platter features snow crab clusters, shrimp, lobster tails, sweet corn, sausage and red potatoes. It is just one of a variety of steamed seafood platters offered at the restaurant east of downtown Fayetteville. Weighing in at 1½ pounds, the whole red snapper is lightly breaded and deep-fried to golden brown perfection. It is served with house-made cole slaw and french fries. Chef Judy's own culinary journey goes back to age 9 when she began cooking for her large family in Chicago. As a teen, she joined the Army and honed her skills as a cook. Aer she got out of the service, she went to work as catering manager for Fayetteville State University for two years and then embarked on entrepreneurship. Now 41, she is upfront about her "successes and failures," including how the pandemic has forced her to shut down some businesses and rethink others. Pre-COVID, she owned as many as seven combined restaurants and catering companies. Today, she is happy with three. In addition to Riverside Seafood, she owns the enormously popular Uptown's Chicken & Waffles in Ramada Plaza off Owen Drive and Let Me Cater To You at Pope Army Airfield. e concept for Uptown's was conceived by her business partner and "fellow foodie" RaShawn Moore, whom she also credits for much of Riverside's momentum and for keeping ideas flowing. Business also has turned into a family affair. A single mom, Chef Judy is proud of 19-year-old daughter, Destiny, who is now one of the managers of Uptown's.

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