The Bear Growls

Southern Gail

2012-01-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

OUT AND ABOUT

Southern Gail

2331 Broad St

Lake Charles LA

337-240-9880

Monday to Friday 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM Cost $1.50 to $11

This venue has been more BBQ places than I can name. The new tenants did a bang up job of renovating it. However since they have no public restroom everything has to be take-away. Their rather short menu includes BBQ chicken and ribs along with a sampler plate. Top of the list is smothered okra with shrimp and sausage. They also have a shrimp etouffee and the newest one is smothered ribs which I have not eaten.

As is my want I went for the BBQ combo. It contained a chicken leg and thigh, a large ribs and a link of sausage. The sides were potato salad and pork & beans along with garlic bread. Both chicken and rib showed a nice smoke ring. Both were tender and juicy. They had both been glazed in the signature BBQ sauce. It is a bit different from most around here but tasty. The sausage showed no evidence of smoking but was a tasty piece of meat. I enjoyed them all. The pork & beans seemed straight out of a can and the mashed potato style potato salad with chopped hard boiled eggs suited my taste. The garlic bread was a section of a French loaf

The smothered okra with sausage and shrimp over rice was some of the best stuff I put in my mouth in a long time. It rivaled my mothers. It was perfection on a plate. Neither too slimy or tomato. Needless to say I scarf it down with out hesitation

The etouffee here is a white one. I have never seen a white one before, plenty of red and brown and in between but never white. It was served with green beans and garlic bread. In the end I did not care for it. There was a flavor that was off putting to me. All I can say is that you will have to try it yourself, could have been an off day.

However I enjoyed everything else and I am sure you will too. I may go back for the smothered ribs. Sounds like something I would like. I think it is well worth a try and you will be supporting a small and local business.

Pink Pig

2011-12-26T13:00:00.001-08:00

OUT AND ABOUT

Pink Pig

1221 North Martin Luther King Hwy

Lake Charles LA

337-564-6753

Monday to Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM Cost $1 to $20

After a long hiatus this off shoot of Carlyss BBQ reopened under new management. It now has a dinning area but I went through the drive-thru as it is more convenient for me.

First time I noticed a smoked hamburger on offer. I could not resist. I ordered it along with some tamales. I really like the Carlyss ones. The burger can be ordered fully dressed but I prefer my smoked patty pretty plain although I did get a slice of cheese. The burger was thick enough it had a smoke ring but was not dried out at all. It possessed great smoky and meaty flavor. The tamales have a nice masa to meat ratio. The masa good and corny and the ground meat just right, makes for good tamale for me. They were a bit dry and I remembered I usually get chili with them. That would made them just like the ones I get in Carlyss.

Second round was a four meat combo. It contained brisket, chicken, ribs and sausage with rice dressing, beans and potato salad. Along side was a honey butter pistollete and sauce. While the brisket was cooked to perfection it had little smoke to it. When I mentioned it to the lady at the window she replied the pits here were a little different than at Carlyss and she would make sure it never happened again. The ribs and dark chicken quarter were smoky and had a nice glaze to them, tasty. The sausage again showed little smoke but was OK. The excellent beans seemed to have been cooked with onions which I liked. The mashed potato style potato salad had some sweet pickle relish in it. Again something I like. The fried pistollete had been injected with honey butter and proved excellent.

Last time I sorta grazed on the menu. I ordered a BBQ pistollete, garfish ball, boudin ball and a link of smoked boudin. All were great. The non greasy fried pistollete had been split half way and a nice bit of chopped beef put in it. I grew up eating garfish and these balls are very similar to the ones my mother made. They are more of a boulette style with ground gar and potatoes. A nice crisp crust and great rice to meat ratio made the boudin balls excellent. Lastly a nice smoky boudin link, I like regular but smoking it gives it another flavor dimension.

They have started off well and I hope it remains so.

Pantano

2011-12-25T02:33:00.000-08:00

I was given this bottle of cooking wine too try out. Unfortunately I do not cook as much as I use to. However I found a use for it. Cooking mussels in it.

Frozen mussels are just as good as fresh and do not go off

In the pot with the Pantano

Steamed open. They were delicious especially with the onion enhanced wine. I have had mussels many ways but I think this is my favorite. Follow the link for the story and recipes that the inventor has gathered.

Pantano

D Jon 5255 Florida Boulevard Baton Rouge, LA 70806-4128 (225) 935-0014

2011-12-25T02:25:00.000-08:00

Groupon stop. Did not work out so well. Below is their Seafood Gumbo Our gumbo is well seasoned and hold all the flavors of Louisiana. Served with a little rice and rounded out with crackers on the side. Unfortunately their interpretation includes copious amounts of sausage along with seafood, I have had this before and it is not bad if used judiciously. Not here and plus the sausage tasted as if it was ready to go off. Not my favorite

Shrimp Jennifer They take shrimp and saute them in butter with garlic, green onions, and parsley served on a bed of lemon butter sauce. Served with garlic french bread and parsley potatoes. Looks delicious and it would have been if the butter sauce would not have had a ton of salt. The shrimp were fine seasoning wise and perfectly cooked. But the pleasure of of sopping up the unctuous sauce was not. Finally I mashed the potatoes in it. It cut the salt enough that I could enjoyed it

Fresh Fruit Cobbler Made daily. Ask you server for today's selection. The cobbler was peach and it was peach of one. Fantastic flavor. Made the meal. Peaches sweet and loaded with sweet spices. The crust was more of a brown sugar crumble with sweet spices. I really liked it. I doubt I will return here but again there is that cobbler.

D Jon

Novrozskys 2706 Ruth St Sulphur, LA 70665 (337) 527-0041

2011-12-25T02:03:00.000-08:00

NOVO CHIPS Thin-sliced potatoes fried just right. They were right about that. Fresh chips hot from the fryer. They were great

AKAUSHI BEEF BURGER All-natural, highest rated beef in America. Lower in cholesterol than chicken, fish or buffalo. Outstanding flavor. Again a home run. Everything a patty should be. Moist and beefy flavored. If this is healthy let me have it. Even plain it was excellent

PEANUT BUTTER BACON BURGER With cheddar cheese. New Orleans favorite! Strike out. In my opinion this was just plain nasty. As for being a new orleans favorite I had never heard of this until after I ate it here. Soon after I read two articles that referenced it. Maybe they are better than this one. I will have to try if I ever get back to NO. As for here there are a lot more delicious variations at this venue. Try them not this one.

Novrozskys

Aucoin 7591 Highway 14 E Hayes, LA 70646 (337) 622-3582

2011-12-25T01:49:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the out of focus. A cup of seafood gumbo. I like that they bring the rice out separate. It was dark the way I like it. However it did have a slight burnt taste as if they had gone too far. It was not enough to complain about though

I got the seafood platter and they brought it out on a platter. It included stuffed crab, stuffed pistolette, hush puppies, an angel on horseback (fried bacon wrapped shrimp), a devil on horseback (fried bacon wrapped oyster), fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish and fried frog leg. I got onion rings instead of fries. For the most part everything was was excellent. Well fried with proper coatings. I did have a problem with the pistolette and the stuffed crab. This new fad of frying the pistolette then stuffing it I do not care for and fried stuffed crabs have to have a stuffing of more breading than crab to fry. I prefer the old fashioned broiled crab. Again what I wish and what I get are two different things. Those two item compared to the whole platter were minor.

Aucoin

A-Mazen 339 West Prien Lake Road Lake Charles, LA 70601-8452 (337) 478-1222

2011-12-25T01:27:00.000-08:00

Bread plate

I got a half dozen. They were reasonably priced and quite good. Nice and briny

Stuffed flounder, with cream sauce, green beans and mashers. I do particularly like this new fashion way of stuffing. Putting the stuffing either in between fillets or under the fish. The old fashion way imparts some of the stuffing usually crab into the fish. That said this was excellent. Flounder cooked moist and flake. The skin edible. The stuffing had a good crab to filler ratio. The beans a little al dente for me and the mashers nice. This is a wonderful place for seafood that I do not go to enough. Service can be difficult.

Katz 616 Westheimer Road Houston, TX 77006 (713) 521-3838

2011-12-21T09:14:00.000-08:00

This is no hole in the wall. It is a new construction made to look old. It is a 24 hrs Jewish style deli. I went at breakfast time so I got breakfast mostly. Below is scrambled eggs with lox and onions with a potato cake and challa toast. Not in the picture was tubs of sour cream and applesauce for the potato cake. Since I adore smoked fish I ate this with relish. The onion added a nice counterpoint for the salty smoked salmon. The potato cake was lovely also

Below is Matzo Brei. Matzo bread cooked like french toast. The unleavened bead did not make such a great french toast. Again I like to try new things or things that I have heard about. Not always a success.

Sorry for the out of focus but this was cold beet soup with a dollop of sour cream and potatoes. Actually quite delicious. Have to like beets however. The range of the menu was such I would return to try other stuff

Katz

Gatlin 1221 W. 19th St. Houston, TX. 281-804-4555

2011-12-21T08:59:00.000-08:00

Another hole in the wall place. Here there are maybe three tables inside but it does have a porch that has fans and heaters. Most seem to take it away. It had warmed up enough to sit at the picnic benches on the covered porch. I got a three meat plate with two sides. The choice was slim and got slimmer as it went. They kept running out of meats. They have had several write ups so I think they got overwhelmed. I ordered fatty brisket, ribs, and house link. Unfortunately the brisket had been cooked so long all the fat was cooked out. It was mostly tender but not meltingly so. One rib was wonderfully tender and just a little chew. The other was tough and too chewy. The links were a typical BBQ style product. Meat ground up with a big bang of spice. While I had problems with the textures the flavor and smoke was there. Can anyone tell me why Texas BBQ come with dill pickles and raw onions?

My two sides were baked beans using their sweet tangy BBQ sauce and cole slaw. Both were good. The beans with a nice kick and the slaw fresh with minimum mayonnaise. I would have to think hard about coming back here. It is way out of the way and my experience was not the greatest. However in the future it may be worth a try when the popularity dies down

Gatlin

Kim Chau 6806 Long Point Rd # I Houston (713) 683-8277

2011-12-21T08:39:00.000-08:00

This hole in the wall venue proved nice and cozy. Basic family style cooking. It was rather a blustery day so I got hot. The brewing vessel was so unique I just had to take a picture.

Below is Bánh Bột Lộc / Chewy Rice Cake. Pork and shrimp in tapioca flour steamed in banana leaves and served with a spicy fish sauce. Boy were they chewy. Nice flavor but not something I will get again. When you try unfamiliar stuff you run the chance of it being not to your taste

Bún Tôm Nướng Rice Vermicelli with our grilled shrimp on a bed of fresh chopped veggies As you can see the shrimp were boiled not grilled but other than that almost as good as my niece's bun. On top shredded carrots, chopped peanut and fried shallots. Then came the layer of rice noodles with lettuce, mint and cilantro on the bottom. Pour in the spicy fish sauce to moisten and toss. I liked it so much that I acquire another voucher when they did it again. I am looking forward to Pho and Bunh Mi

Kim Chau

Natachee 3622 Main Street Houston, TX 77002-9502 (713) 524-7203

2011-12-20T09:48:00.000-08:00

This place is an eclectic designed restaurant (virtually decorated with found stuff and music posters on the wall) with a down home menu that they bumped up. The full name is Supper n' Punch. Below is a split pea soup with ham and croutons. They had pureed it so it was creamy with loads of flavor. Best I have had in awhile

Below is the meatloaf plate. Two huge slices of fall apart meatloaf. They topped it with a red gravy, huge onion ring and a sunny side egg. The gravy was nasty to me. After I scraped it off the meatloaf and toppings were good. The loaf mainly meat with good seasonings (no filler). The huge pile of potatoes also proved excellent if a lot

I did not know the main plate was going to be so huge so I had ordered some sides. The one on the right is mac & cheese. Pretty pedestrian but tasty. The one on the left is a stir fry of vegetables that proved surprising. It consisted of tomatoes, spinach, and shaved fennel. I like fennel and I loved this.

Finally some Texas peach cobbler. Just what I would expect. Canned peaches in a spiced syrup under a pie crust top. Quite good. I liked the vibe. If you are into music you would love this place

Natachee

El Tapatio Dos 808 Sampson Street Westlake, LA 70669-5309 (337) 721-7685

2011-11-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

Sorry I overwrote the review but you can at least see the pics

Sakura and Mongolian Grill

2011-11-21T13:24:00.001-08:00

Since my amputation buffets have been difficult to assess since I need another person to be my legs. Recently I developed a stratagem that allows me to do it by myself. There have been two venues I would not go to before this. Here they are. Buffet like places are still hard to review because they have so much. Instead of presenting a long list of food I will instead try to give an overview and why I like or dislike them

OUT AND ABOUT

Sakura

3035 Gerstner Memorial Drive

Lake Charles LA

337-564-5249

Seven days a week 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM Lunch till 4 PM about $12 Dinner about $20

I had my doubts about this place. However once I tried it they disappeared. They have a giant square for serving purposes. On the side facing the entrance is the nigari and super rolls. Nigari is the style with the piece of protein on top of a small mound of rice. I think most people know what a sushi roll is. The nigari consists of some pretty ordinary seafood with a few unusual items. The large or super rolls are big and contain several items in them sometimes with items draped over them. They had a fried roll. At night part of this area has sashimi (raw seafood) featured. The corner has bowls of gari (pickled ginger), wasabi, eel sauce and spicy mayo. Turn the corner and there are smaller rolls. Most are inside out and have spicy tuna in them. The middle holds salads. Both regular ones and stuff like seaweed salad. A few I would not even hazard a guess. Signage is not good in this area. At night this also holds raw clams and mussels. The rest of the side is individual desserts.

The back side is desserts also with a lot of fruit and jello. At the very back of the restaurant is a hibachi station. You pick your protein and vegetables and they cook it for you. I did not try that. The other long side contains some Chinese dishes, American dishes and Japanese dishes such as stir fries and tempura. The corner has two soups.

In general I found the sushi and sashimi good and a bargain, nothing real fancy but tasty. The desserts were OK. The cooked side was not very good unless you caught them bringing out a fresh batch. In general they cook too much and leave it out too long. I will return for the cheap but good sushi, a great deal for me.

Great Kahn Mongolian Grill

1740 West Prien lake Road

Lake Charles LA

337-477-1377

www.greatkahngrill.com

Seven days a week 11:00 AM to 9:30 PM Lunch till 3 PM about $9 Dinner about $11

Another I had doubts about but have grown to love. When you sit down you are given two things. A laminated card with starch options (several types of rice and noodles) and a stainless steel bowl. Mark your starch preference with the dry erase pens found on the table. Then you take that with the bowl to the “buffet” line. This consists of raw protein, vegetables, seasoning, and sauces. Proteins offered include chicken, beef, sausage, fish, and shell fish. They upgrade a bit at dinner. They have a variety of salts, peppers, and other things to season your protein. Then the vegetables come next. This part I like because I do not care for broccoli or celery so I load up with cabbage and onions. I cherry pick a few more to add interest. Fill your bowl with as much as it will hold. The sauces come next. They have small cups to put those in along with tasting spoons to sample them. There are well over a dozen ranging from mild to screaming hot. I like a mixture of Thai sweet chile and garlic in soy sauce. The choice is yours.

Now you put the card, bowl and cup on the counter and return to your seat. They bring out the cooked food in a red bowl to your table. In general if you restrain yourself and try not to get a taste of everything it will turn out to be a good meal. Go hog wild and you run the chance of ruining good food. I would return to this place for a quick meal of my own choosing.

Five Guys

2011-11-21T13:21:00.001-08:00

OUT AND ABOUT

Five Guys

2950 Ryan St

Lake Charles LA

337-721-1903

Seven days a week 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM $2 to $7

They converted half of a movie rental place to put this venue in. It has the same philosophy of Raisin Cane. Do one or two things and do them right. The menu here is burgers, dogs, grilled cheese, veggie burger and fries. As usual just after opening they were swamped. Because of that and my physical limitations at counter service I held back. However recently I have a new stratagem for such occasions and I used it here.

My first time in my thought was that they should put up a warning sign for people with peanut allergies. Between of boxes of peanuts in the shell and using peanut oil in an open kitchen (if you can smell the fries there is vaporized oil in the air), people with peanut allergy could experience some serious effects. After the process was explained to me I went with a Little Bacon Cheese Burger with mayo, grilled onions, tomato, mustard and hot sauce. I also got fries and a drink. Like some people I experienced sticker shock. It was the size of a McDonald’s plain burger. When it arrived I broke it open. I found a lovely hand formed patty cooked to perfection with melted cheese on the top bun. Four half strips of crisp bacon and grilled onions on the bottom bun. I could not wait to take a bite. Then came the let down. I took that bite and then another. The bread squished down and did not spring back. It had no integrity and wound up tasting like wads of dough in my mouth. Both texture and the taste were a no go for me. The bread is an integral part of the burger experience for me and this was just plain terrible for me. Also their practice of overloading the fries into the bag did not sit well with me. I am a single and do not need a double portion of fries. It pained me to leave most of them as I hate to waste food. Don’t get me wrong they were good just too much. Also dumping them loose into the bag makes it virtually inpossible to get to your burger without burning yourself.

I returned to get a Grilled Cheeese and a Kosher Dog. I ordered the grilled cheese plain. I admired the way they utilized the hamburger bun for it. They flip it so the cap and bottom become the inside with the cheese while griddling the interior sides. Good move but still the bun still showed the flaws of the first time. I was hopeing my first experience was an anomaly. The dog was more sausage like than we are use to here. I got mayo, mustard, relish, and grilled onions. I think I would have liked it better without the bread. It still had that texture of balls of dough when compressed by eating the dog.

I admire this concepy but I hate the bread. I am unlikely to return there. However you need to try it yourself. I know from passing by at lunch with its parking lot full that a lot of people like it. If you do love don’t listen to me. I am as peculiar about bread as I am about rice.

Bartrella 214 East 4th St Dequincy, LA 70633 (337) 786-8600

2011-11-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is a bargain bee deal. I do not mind going out of town if fact I enjoy it but I like to have a menu to look at before hand. This had one and an interesting item. Bartrella Triple Delight. It was three different chicken salads on a plate with spring mix and crackers. Starting at the bottom and going counter clockwise. Nanny's Chicken Salad made with roasted chicken, celery, onion, eggs and pickles. Next Candied Jalapeno Chicken Salad with roasted chicken salad with a sweet and spicy surprise. Finally Fruit Stand Chicken salad with grapes, strawberries, and apples in the chicken salad. It made for a nice progression. The standard followed by the spicy followed by the sweet and cooling

They also had a interesting dessert. A Creme Brulee Muffin. Using cinnamon roll dough they created a wall in a muffin tin. The well was filled with a custard then cooked. To finish they bruleed the custard. It was just the right size and satisfying without being too much

I took a leisurely afternoon trip up Hwy 27. It was quite nice. Some of the trees showing some color. I wound up in a lovely place and ate good food. You cannot ask for anything more.

Bartrella

Burgers in Houston

2011-11-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

Back in July Groupon had a number of inexpensive burger offers. I took them up on three of them in Houston. I did a one day run and did all three.
Cliff's Grill

I do not have photos of the burger here. It is situated on the bottom floor of one of the medical towers in the medical center on Main. By the time I figured out where to park in the garage I was so frustrated that I forgot the camera and did not feel like returning to get it. What I got was the Murphy Burger beef patty, grilled onions, bacon, cheddar cheese and hickory sauce
The bun was pretty standard and the burger satisfied. Just the right amount of sauce. Recommend it if you can get to it

Bernie's Burger Bus
I went with The Principal. Traditional approach to the classic American burger with mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, pickle, thin sliced onions, shredded lettuce, and slow roasted garlic tomatoes
Electives: Texas Cheddar • Bacon • Bernie’s Caramelized “Tipsy” Onions. I cut the pickle, onions, lettuce and added all the electives. As you see below pretty messy but a treat. The garlic tomatoes really added to the overall flavor and the electives made for a type of burger I love. I highly recommend but you have to find it. Consult the web site

Chelsea Grill
The Ginger Carrot Soup here was delicious. I love both and they delivered. Sweetness from the carrots and snap from the ginger kept it interesting all the way through.

The Texas Bacon Cheese Burger contained Hickory Smoked Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Fried Red Onion Rings & Hickory BBQ Sauce. I could have done with a little less sauce. The side of shoestring potatoes in white and sweet were a nice touch and delicious. The bun was a sweet sourdough and stood up to the messy burger. I like this place so much I just purchase another groupon for it and I am looking forward to a return visit

Sabine Pass

2011-10-25T11:15:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT

Sabine Pass Crab Shack

345 Broad St

Lake Charles LA

337-721-2777

Wednesday to Friday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM $2 to $25

Wednesday to Saturday 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM

If you go to this venue, you must have a love of seafood and like it fried. It is a fry shack pure and simple. 95% of it’s menu is seafood and 90% of that is fried. You must also deal with its eclectic hours and loud bands in a small space on the weekends. They seem to use amplifiers which are not appropriate.

Since they adjusted their menu essentially negating one of my visits and their hours and location made it hard for me to eat a meal, I am just go down the list of items I ate. An appetizer of fried crab fingers in a black pepper flecked batter was excellent. Not over fried or over battered a delight with the in house tarter sauce. They served fine burgers which have disappeared never to return. However the onion rings have stayed and are delicious. A fine to medium cut coated in flour and fried to perfection

The Captain’s Platter is a meal and a half. It contains, shrimp, catfish pieces, oysters, crab cake, stuffed crab, frog legs, hushpuppies and a BBQ crab. All of the above is fried. I opted for the potato salad and sweet potato fries. The shrimp and frog legs were coated in flour and great. The catfish and oysters in corn flour/meal are also great. The BBQ crab as good as I have ever eaten. The stuffed crab was OK. However the crab cake was an abomination of a pre fabricated product with a thick crust and surimi in the middle. Why restaurants put these on their seafood platters is beyond me and I had them on every seafood platter I have eaten in the last few months. I like the sweet potato fries (thin stick like) and did not care for the dilly potato salad.

The unfried option of grilled shrimp and catfish filet was ok but too salty for me. The slaw I opted for was wonderful. The cabbage was thinly cut and lightly dressed so it retained a great crunch. Except for chicken fried steak the menu is just variations of the seafood I sampled on the platter. My steak came out fried rock hard with gravy on the side and texas toast. Again I opted for sweet potato fries. Not a happy meal

I would suggest you stay with the fried seafood which was excellent and delicious except for the fried crab cake. You will leave happy and satisfied

Huddle Up 1103 W Prien Lake Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 656-2905

2011-10-25T07:18:00.000-07:00

I really like this place and it's owner. He keeps putting out Bargain Bees and I keep coming. Below is a six piece bone in wings with his special sauce which is both sweet and spicy, my favorite. He fries the chicken naked so you get the flavor of the sauce on the meat itself.

Rodeo Burger came next. This is a new one. A half-pound burger with lettuce, tomato, mayo, Cheddar-Monterey Jack blend, BBQ sauce, & topped with fried onion rings. Good concept but it failed a bit in the execution. The patty was slightly overcooked but taste. As is my wont these days I cut the lettuce and tomato. The onion rings were fine but it was a bit light on the BBQ sauce. I like curly cue fries and these were not exception. I was good but it could have been great

This is a new dessert idea here. The owner brought out some free samples for me. Using his pizza dough and toppings for the bunt cake with streusel on top. Below is raspberry and chocolate. Good utilization of ingredients he already in house and not bad tasting

Huddle Up

Mom & Pop's 4102 North University Avenue Carencro, LA 70520 (337) 896-8778

2011-10-25T07:06:00.000-07:00

On the way back I popped up north of the interstate to this local chicken shack. Good fried chicken is delicious hot, room temp or cold. I basically had my three piece for supper. The crust was still crispy and nice with a good level of spice. The chicken nice and tender with good flavor. A real nice large and tender biscuit and the standard mashed potatoes and gravy. They do so much more than fried chicken here also. But I would definitely return for the chicken.

Serranos 3347 Highland Road Baton Rouge, LA 70809-1970 (225) 344-2354

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

I went to lunch at this long time favorite of Baton Rouge situated at the gates of the university next to The Chimes. The tortilla chips were fresh and I liked the salsa. Good start

I got the Ceviche for starters. Fresh flounder, onions, serranos, citrus, avocado and pico de gallo. This was arranged like a deconstructed dish. I swear Blue Coyote must have come here for inspiration as this is the stupidest way I have seen ceviche done. All the components were good but they would have been better mixed together. However the serving dish was so small and the portion so large you could not do that.

Next was Dos Cubanos "The Two Cubans" The perfect combination of Cuban steak and marinated Cuban pork roast. Cuban Pork Carnitas is a marinated pork roast with garlic, spices, and grilled onions topped with our signature orange and lime mojo. Cuban Steak is grilled skirt steak topped with sautéed onions and finished with our tequila lime marinade. These two were excellent. Tender and full of flavor. I especially loved the grilled onions. Again the problem was too much food in too little a serving vessel. I struggled to cut up the meat.

I got the Chile Lime Grilled Corn cobette and the Sweet Fried Plantains as sides. No complaints here.

For dessert surprise Tres Leche A rich cake soaked in condensed milk, whole milk, and evaporated milk. I know but I cannot pass it up and this one was worth it. Fully soaked and delicious. I would return here no problem except I would ask for a plate to mix thing on.

Serranos

Rocco 3358 Drusilla Ln # 2 Baton Rouge, LA 70809-1877 (225) 248-1999

2011-10-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Back story on this place. Boy grows up in Chalmette helping his grandfather in a po boy shop. Goes off to college at LSU. Goes out for football. Decides to open his own place. Rocco’s Roast Beef hot roast beef and our home made brown gravy. Just like in New Orleans. The roast beef was very good but not too sloppy. Seemed not to be deli meat but sliced off a roast. I did like the bread that much. There was a choose between white and wheat. They brought me wheat. It did not have the crusty crust of a true New Orleans bread.

I opt for the bread pudding for sweet. It was loaded with cinnamon and bread was well broken up to the point of being crumbs. It made for a slightly dense but tasty portion. Maybe I hit it at a bad time but this place seemed so sad it is unlikely I will return.

Rocco

Brewbacker 5580 Government Street Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6032 (225) 927-8131

2011-10-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

Expedition to Baton Rouge with a stop-by in Lafayette. Shrimp Remoulade boiled and chilled shrimp on a bed of lettuce topped with chives and a sliced egg served with homemade remoulade sauce on the side. This turned out excellent. Perfectly boiled shrimp with some spice. Flavorful horseradish based sauce. The eggs were good also. Did not partake of the lettuce

Battered onion rings. Good while hot. I will have to stop ordering them when they are in the appetizer column. They send out too much. Enough or a table of four.

Bacon Cheeseburger Grilled hamburger topped with Cheddar cheese and bacon dressed with mayo, mustard, lettuce and tomato. I 86ed the lettuce and tomato. These days I just want a straight burger. This one was excellent. The patty juicy and flavorful. Bacon crisp and smoky. Cheese melted with a nice cheddar flavor. I prefer cheddar to American. All in all a nice experience Would go back

Brewbacher

Johnny T and B&B BBQ

2011-10-05T06:27:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Johnny T’s
2020 Ruth St
Sulphur LA
337-313-3105

11:00 AM to 10:00 PM Everyday $2 to $13

This new venue is housed in the old Bonanza building. As I never went in there I can only say it is nice inside now. BBQ seems to be a major component here so I went with the Sampler Platter to get as many tastes as I could. It comes out with ribs, sliced brisket, pulled pork, regular sausage, and jalapeno cheddar sausage. You can order two sides. I opted for baked beans and Cajun corn. Also appearing was dill pickle, raw onion and Texas toast. The meats possessed a light smoke to them. The brisket has a slight smoke ring. It was tasty and fall apart tender. The pulled pork was juicy and tender. The ribs had a little tooth to them but great flavor. The regular sausage was good. The jalapeno cheddar proved flavorful but I could only eat several bites before the spice sent me packing. I am just a medium spicy guy not a chile head. I loved the sides though. They were great. The beans were cooked with the brisket trimmings and had that sweet/tart flavor I love. The corn was cobbettes that had been seasoned then fried to a perfect delicious sweetness. The bread used for the Texas toast was a sweet sourdough virtually soaked in butter. It came like French toast. I could have eaten it for dessert.

Next time in I started with Spicy Corn Nuggets. The combination of the sweet corn and the spicy chile flakes makes for a powerful bite. This is the kind of contrast I love to eat. I ate them all and enjoyed the pleasant after burn. I followed that up with a Seafood Combo. I got the Grilled Shrimp and Grilled Catfish with Cole Slaw and Potato Salad. That wonderful Texas toast comes along for the ride. Although I suspect the seafood was griddled, they possessed a wonderful coating of spice and butter while being perfectly cooked. The potato salad contained large chunks of what I considered undercooked potatoes, not my favorite. The cole slaw however tasted like it had just been tossed with a light mayonnaise sauce with vinegar punch, crunchy and not too cloying.

Last time was burger and onion rings, my favorite combo. The rings were thick cut (good) but heavily battered (bad in my eyes). I could only eat a few. The Bacon Cheeseburger was stupendous. A moist and tender patty (huge) topped with cheddar cheese and sturdy bacon with mayonnaise, thick sliced tomato and hunk of raw onion. It all came on a sweet sourdough bun. A singe bite with all the components made for an explosion of flavor in my mouth, everything a burger should be. A definite place to stop by if you are across the river at meal time

B&B BBQ
3584 East Napoleon
Sulphur LA
337-625-6653

Monday to Friday 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM $1 to $15

The shack these people are in has a long history of being a take away venue. They also seem to be following the Five Guys model. There are five meats available on plates or po boys, drinks, and chips. This is it and all take away. I got them to give me a combo with all five meats. It took two boxes. The first held sliced beef, rice dressing, baked beans, cole slaw, sauce and a hunk of French bread. The beef was not brisket but roast beef. I was a bit dry and had no smoke to it. I mixed in the BBQ sauce (tomato base with a vinegar tang) and made a sandwich, good. The fine rice dressing had a definite liver note. The beans possessed bacon bites and tasty like I make it. The cole slaw was ok, a little too much mayonnaise for me. The second box contained dark chicken quarter, ribs, pulled pork and sausage. All had a dark heavy smoke on them (I suspect pecan). Chicken was moist and tender with tasty skin. Ribs were fall off the bone with excellent bark. Pork proved itself moist and tender. The sausage was OK.

All in all good BBQ and I would not hesitate to stop there again

I Monneli 4017 Johnston St Lafayette, LA 70503 337-989-9291

2011-09-30T16:17:00.000-07:00

This time the Bargain Bee led me to an authentic treasure. Perhaps the finest Italian food I have had in a while. Fresh ingredients and simple but precise cooking make it so. Below is the bread basket and butter.

Next I got an Oyster Rockefeller soup. The only oyster was the fried one you see floating. The soup was a creamy spinach with nice taste. It was like eating liquefied rockefeller base. It was a perfect riff on the dish in soup form. I enjoyed every spoonful

Sorry the mozzarella came out looking little yellow. This Salad Caprese was perfect. The perfectly ripe romas and fresh mozzarella with the pesto sauce tasted as a Caprese should taste. No fiddling around just clean pure tastes from the field.

I love mussels and the simpler the prep the better I like them. A simple lemon and butter sauce with tarragon. Great I would have been happier if they had been fuller but sometimes they are not. Nothing that can be done with them. I used up the rest of the bread to sop up the broth.

Not many restaurants bring a palate cleanser to the table these days. But they did. A lemon sorbet or sorbette.

I have a soft spot for soft shell crabs and these were prepared perfectly. Fried with a light coating and topped with lump crab to bring out the crab flavor. The simple and delicious butter sauce helped that along. The squash was great also.

I did not much care for my hazelnut mousse. It was fine but I was looking for tiramisu or cannoli to end this superb meal.

I would certainly return anytime to fabulous venue

I Monelli

Guadalajara 4414 Dowlen, Beaumont, Texas (409) 924-7718

2011-09-30T13:51:00.000-07:00

I do not know if this place is related the Guadalajara recently closed in Sulphur. When I reviewed it certainly did have the same menu. The chip were just out of the fryer, hot, thin and corny. The salsa a little cold just the way I like it and a bit spicy. Perfect

Below is one of my new favorites in Mexican cuisine. Tostadas de Ceviche. Two tostadas with ceviche (shrimp, tilapia, and calamari) sour cream,lettuce, and shredded cheese topped with sliced avocado. Unfortunately their too much shredded lettuce. I knock most that off. They start with a tostado. The sour cream comes next in a thin layer. Then the marinated seafood, lettuce, shredded cheese (white fresca) and avocado slices. It is a surprising combo that works for me. Crispy, creamy, tart, and unctuous

I know this as Coctel de Camerone but they call it Shrimp Cocktail here. 12 jumbo shrimp in our special cocktail sauce with pico de gallo and sliced avocados served with crackers I dived right in but it did not have the heat level I am use to. It dawns on me that the Valentino sauce they brought with it (bottle hiding behind the goblet) was so I could spice to what level I want. I made one mistake however. I did not mix it enough. There was a tomato pico at the bottom which should have been brought up to the top in the beginning. I was left with it and no shrimp. Still very good and I would order it again

Tres leches cake was thoroughly moist and the best I have had in awhile. Another plus for this place

Guadalajara

Dippity 815 S. Main St., Lumberton, Tx (409) 755-3632

2011-09-30T13:49:00.000-07:00

Had to return to try The Texas Tummy Tackler. Below is the excellent onion rings. Cut medium in a batter. You must eat it first because it goes sideways after they cool off. One of the disadvantages of using a batter

Here it is. I liked this big burger rather than two or three patties stack as they throw of the balance of bread and burger. They started out as a donut shop and bakery. No donuts but they bake their own bun every day. As you can see a nice patty crisp on the edges with nice melted cheese and three crisp pieces of bacon. These day I 86 lettuce and pickles and am about to forgo tomatoes. In future it will be just mayo, mustard, and onions. If this place bargain bees again I will purchase it. The burger is that good

Dippity

Bella Figura 2207-I Kaliste Saloom Road Lafayette, LA 70508-6671 (337) 216-6660

2011-09-23T08:21:00.000-07:00

Another high end Italian in Lafayette. It was good but I prefer I Monelli. One nice thing here is they ask you if what white or wheat baguette. I went with wheat which turned out to be a multigrain half baguette. I know it is par baked but still delicious.

Below is the dipping sauce of olive oil and balsamic. Why the shredded parmesan beats me

Next comes the Arancini Riso. Crisp golden risotto balls stuffed with spinach & Italian cheeses, lightly battered and flash fried with homemade tomato sauce . I love this dish. The balls were not quite the size of oranges and lacked the peas I am use to but they were good as was the marinara sauce under it. Obviously freshly cooked but not over cooked.

I then had a Pear and Gorgonzola salad with Mixed Greens, Spiced Pecan and an Herbed
Cane Vinaigrette. Very nice especially the vinaigrette which was both sweet and tart

Now the big gun a Braised Pork Shank . Slow-Cooked Pork Shank served with Spicy
Italian Polenta and topped with a Chipotle au jus. They also surrounded it with the cooked vegetables. It is basically a pork osso buco. The meat very tender and the chipotle sauce adding just the right. Under it one the best polenta dishes I have eaten. Truly a masterpiece.

The creme brulee had the perfect crust but the custard was too thin and over cooked

Bella Figura

You Don't Know Jack

2011-09-21T15:26:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
You Don’t Know Jack
504 North Beglis Parkway
Sulphur LA
337-528-5881
www.wix.com/wongfamily/youdontknowjacksulphur#1

10:00 AM to 10:00PM Everyday $3 to $25

I am sure that many of you ate at Chinese King Downtown until it closed its doors. After a short hiatus Jack Wong is back cooking. This truck stop casino restaurant carries a dual menu. One side is Cajun with burgers, fried seafood and such. The other side is Asian including some dishes from his original establishment.

On the Cajun side none of his appetizers stuck me. I went with a Small Combo seafood platter. It consisted of two oysters, four shrimp, a huge fish fillet and a fried crab cake. Except for the crab cake they were all coated in the same standard corn flour/corn meal mixture. Good for the oysters and fish less so for the shrimp. The oyster were moist and the fish perfect, crispy crust and moist interior. The shrimp were fried properly but the coating still bothered me. The crab cake had surimi in it. However the coleslaw proved wonderful. It seemed to have been made fresh with a slightly sweet mayonnaise dressing and still crunchy. The tartar sauce was too dilly for me. The real disaster was the vastly overcooked crème brule. Maybe it was just a bad baking day. Another customer was noshing on a really nice looking beef sandwich with au jus to dip it in.

On the Asian side I got Pot Stickers. They turned out to be vegetarian but delicious. The spicy soy based dipping sauce certainly helped that. Then a Spicy and Sour soup came out. It lived up to its name being nice and spicy with a sour vinegar kick. It contained tofu, mushrooms, green onions, etc. A bit off putting at first but it grew on me. For the entrée I got Tong Cho Chicken. I love Tong Cho sauce but I have never had it with chicken before. This turned out to be a delight. Boneless white and dark meat cut up and flash fried then put into a dark spicy/sweet sauce. The chicken pieces held their crunch and the contrast with the sauce made for fine eating. Spicy/sweet happens to be my favorite combo. I ate every bite of chicken then used my rice to sop up the sauce. I was very happy. I tried the other dessert on the menu, Fried Ice Cream. I found the rice cereal like crust off putting. It came with a sweet vanilla sauce.

The menu on line is more extensive than the one they handed me the last time. They may be expanding it or maybe it shrunk. I do not know but I will try to go back in about a month and find out. The on-line menu had some interesting stuff. Watch the blog. This however is a golden opportunity for devoted customers of Chinese King to relive those days.

Cotton's 2001 Oak Park Blvd 337-477-9759

2011-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

An old favorite comes up with a Bargain Bee. One of the few places I know when I order an hamburger steak that it will be made from fresh ground beef and not a pre-fab slab of meat. It met all expectations with it's grilled onion topping and string onion rings with just a flour coating. The salad was ok as was the Texas toast but the real star was the perfectly cooked beef. Also perfectly seasoned.

They have Mrs Johnnies pies, tea cakes and planks. I eat at every opportunity I get and have never been disappointed.

Cotton's

Cafe Piquet 5757 Bissonnet Street Bellaire, TX 77401 (713) 664-1031

2011-09-14T15:53:00.000-07:00

This a Cuban restaurant. Below is Tostones (Fried Green Plantains) with garlic oil on the side. You peal an unripe plantain and cut into sections. The longer the section the larger the tostone will be. You pan fry the cylinders but not all the way through. Then it is squashed into a round and refried. They are not sweet but have a lovely starchy flavor. The garlic oil adds a new dimension.

I then order a combo platter called the La Rumba. It contained Ropa Vieja, Pernil, Picadillo,arroz blanco, yucca con mojo,platanos maduros That translates to Shredded beef, pork roast topped with garlic and Cuban ground beef served with white rice, yucca with garlic and ripe platains. Going around the rice at the top is the pork. Hunks of braised pork in a Mojo (sour citrus marinade) with the garlic in oil on top. Tender and tasty. Next is the beef. Very much like shredded pork but beef. It came with onions on top. Ok. Next is the boiled yucca with the garlic oil on top. Very starchy and now I know I prefer the fried kind. Then comes the ground beef dish. It is basically ground beef cooked with peas, potatoes, tomatoes and carrots with capers. I really liked this. I have fixed a similar dish. Last is the fried sweet platains. They were quite lovely. Sweet and little greasy but in a good way

I had Tres leches Three milk cake for dessert. Nice presentation but the top third of the cake was not soaked and tasted like it had been hanging around awhile

All in all a nice restaurant and I would go back because there is so much more on the menu. I just wanted to hit the traditional stuff.

Cafe Piquet

The Kitchen 417 Prewitt Street Lake Charles, LA 70601-6014 (337) 436-1444

2011-09-13T15:28:00.000-07:00

I have followed the three incarnations of this place over the years from the shack (plate lunch out a window no interior seating) to the present location. I do not frequent as much as I should. That is why I loved it when they went Bargain Bee. Below is the cornbread and cake you get with a plate lunch plus an extra piece of cornbread because I knew I was going to need it. Cornbread slightly on the sweet side which I love. Cake some moist lemon bunt

The reason I only g0 here on Tuesdays. Ox tail my favorite. Here they have it sliced unlike most places that do by the joint. Fork tender and flavorful like usual. I got mustard greens and cabbage hence the need for two pieces of cornbread. Both well smothered and spiced.

Instead of rice or mashed potatoes I got sweet potato in a cinnamon syrup

The Kitchen

Pappy's 2627 Ryan St # A Lake Charles, LA 70601-7325 (337) 436-2813

2011-09-12T15:56:00.000-07:00

Bargain Bee time. The gumbo here is consistent and good. Nice dark roux, fair amount of boneless chicken and a decent sausage. The rice is cooked to my taste and the potato salad has sweet relish. Virtually all my favorite flavors. Garlic toast a nice touch.

This out of focus kibbie probably deserves to be out of focus. It consisted of 90% bulgar shell with 10% meat. Not good

I have not had the shrimp remoulade po boy in years. Again as good as it ever was. I just wish they would toast the bread a bit more. I am not one for lettuce on po boys and hamburgers but this shredded lettuce worked for me. Listen I am so old that I remember Pappy's as a convenience store with a huge magazine area which had a nice selection of naughty mags.

Auntie Chang 2621 South Shepherd Dr # 290 Houston, TX 77098-1596 (713) 524-8410

2011-09-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

A recent foray into Houston and I had a voucher for a dumpling house. They had a number of condiments on each table to mix up your customized dipping sauce. They contained plum sauce, mustard, ginger oil, red chile oil, jalapeno oil, and soy sauce. I loved it.

To eat up all of the voucher I went old school and they obliged by being old school with the Shrimp toast. A layer of shrimp paste on plain bread in the right proportion. Tasted wonderful

Hot oil sesame noodles was an attempt to replicate a similar dish I have had in Houston. However not the same but good. This was sorta of like Bun but with heat hot sesame poured over noodles and finished with chopped peanuts. It was mildly spicy.

On to the dumplings They had Pork dumpling pot stickers which were good. I had fun creating different dipping sauces from the pots.

They had a combo of 2 each steamed pork, chicken, spinach, and shrimp dumplings. I really prefer steamed. Same pork mixture as the pot sticker. The chicken was ok. Spinach was surprisingly good and the shrimp really nice. Interesting menu and I would return to other things

Auntie Chang

Big Al's Fried Chicken 3669 5th Avenue Lake Charles, LA 70607 (337) 478-0818

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

Again I found myself on the south end of town heading home and hungry not wanted to fix anything at the house. I pop by my savior on such occasions. This time I went with a three piece mixed fried chicken. As wonderful as the first time. A simple seasoned crispy flour crust. The meat juicy with some evidence of marination. The heat level is just below medium and compliments the meat rather than overpowering it. I will continue to go here as long as they are open

Big Al's

Creole Cream Cheese

2011-09-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

My favorite so far. Creole cream cheese is a product that was as far as I know a New Orleans phenomenon. Back 4o or 50 years ago every milk company in the city made their own version . It slowly faded out but had a rebirth when Maute family started making it again and selling at the farmers market. Several family dairies jump on board as did John Folse. It is made by separating the cream from the milk. Then the milk is coagulated. The curds are drained until a soft product is obtain. It is then put in a container and the cream added back to it. Some just pour the cream over the proto-cheese while others give a little mix. Either way you wind up with a creamy rich product with a pronounced tang. In the day most was eaten for breakfast either with fruit or salt and pepper. These days in New Orleans you see a lot of ice cream and cheesecakes made with it. This is the best of the ice creams. It maintains the integrity of the product while giving a rich creamy mouthfeel. Again the tartness cuts through the taste bud cloying of the cream to allow you eat it spoonful after spoonful. I have been very busy but I hope to run by Albertsons to see what flavors they have. Adrian I am ready for my next shipment.

Cajun Rum Raisin

2011-09-09T08:28:00.000-07:00

I saved my two favorites for last. I have tasted both before. I like this one because of the add ins go figure. The raisin are a dried fruit and absorb the rum so they are tender with no chewy skin. The rum which is made in New Orleans in especially smooth with no raw alcohol taste. But the killer add in is the cayenne pepper. They use just the right amount. First taste is the creamy ice cream then a faint heat after you swallow. Just a pleasant warmth that cut through the creamy mouth feel of the ice cream. For me that prepares my palate for the next spoon. I do not get that taste bud fatigue of a constanly sweet and fatty taste spoonful after spoonful. I just love it. If you have not figured it out yet I love spicy sweet.

Cedars at the Prien Mall Food Court

2011-08-30T16:05:00.000-07:00

Another BB semi disaster. The Ceders outlier offers a shorten menu from the main restaurant. It cover the basics. Below is the Kibbe. It was great. Nice medium thick bulgar coat fried to perfection. Inside moist spicy meat with pine nuts and onions. Could not ask for better.

Here is the disaster. The falafel were fried rock hard and were so overworked to be as dense as concrete. Don't try these

In my opinion not worth the effort. Better venues to buy from.

Tampico 5713 Johnston Street Lafayette, LA 70503-5302 (337) 988-0102

2011-08-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Here is the result of a run to Lafayette for a Bargain Bee. Below is the chips and salsa. Chips were fine and hot but so was the salsa. Heat hot that is which is definitely not my favorite. Pretty much skipped on it.

What came next was up my alley. They were Sopes. Mini corn masa boats topped with picadillo served with two salsas. I am corn masa nut. These little platforms (thicker than a tortilla) unfortunately were just filled with taco meat not picadillo (meat with things like potatoes and raisins). They were still good. The red salsa was a creamy tomato one with some heat and the green one creamy tomatillo with considerably more heat. The meat was topped with lettuce, tomato, grated white cheese, and sour cream. A mini boracha

Next came stuffed avocado with crab salad. To be honest I was not expecting two avocado halves but this was so delicious I devoured both in a hurry. Perfectly ripe avocado stuffed with a fantastic salad of lump crab, minced vegetables (carrot celery peas) and capers held together by mayonnaise. Also surprising was the assortment of accompaniments. I suppose the tortilla chips and crackers were suppose to bases for the crab salad. It was too good for that. I also ignored the cheese. Now the grapes I found useful. The sweetness and juiciness help cut through the richness of the avocado and mayonnaise laden salad. My sister would make a meal of this

Main course was their Delmar Platter. It consist of Shrimp Ranchero (cooked in a ranchero sauce with onions and peppers) at the top, Shrimp Flore (stuffed shrimp wrapped in bacon, battered and fried smothered in queso), and shrimp and rice (grilled shrimp on top of spanish rice smothered in queso) along with some grilled vegetables and pico de gallo. The flore was spectacular with sweet shrimp, spicy jalapeno in the middle, crisp smoky bacon and the unctuous cheese sauce. The shrimp and rice were good also although the shrimp were a bit overcooked. They had good flavor and the cheese sauce made the dry spanish rice a treat to eat. The ranchero sauce was great also with good spice and lots of onion and peppers. It needed either rice or tortillas. Again although flavorful the shrimp were overcooked.

I ended up with Tres Leches. Moist mexican cake with three types of milk. Unfortunately only the bottom half of the cake was moist. The top half had drained out and was dry. It also had a strange taste like it had been sitting out for awhile. Would not recommend it.

I would however recommend the restaurant. Both the exterior and interior bring you to Mexico. The atmosphere and service were great. If you like good tex-mex and mexican food this is the place for you

Tampico

Louie's Diner 209 West State Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 (225) 346-8221

2011-08-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

I made a run into Baton Rouge. Two restaurants will be grouped together for a Lagniappe review. This one is just not long enough. It is famous through for most people that attended LSU. I just took a minor taste of it becauses the voucher was only for $10. I did meet a nice couple at the counter stools and if I ever return I spotted a few things I would get. Below is my cinnamon raisin french toast which really did not need syrup although since they did have Steen's I slather one piece with it.

Below is cheese with grits. Not any grits. Anybody who has been to the Red Stick Farmers market know Papa Tom's trailer. He sells the best stone ground grits and cornmeal around here. How do I know for sure they are Papa Tom's. I will tell you why. He made a delivery while I was eating breakfast. This hole in the wall joint with limited parking is well worth it not only for the food but watching the man who has cooked here for 20 years work his magic

Louies

Coffee & Chicory

2011-08-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

This particular pint suffered a tragedy getting to me. Somewhere between the manufacturing plant and the organization that shipped it to me, it suffered a defrosting and a refreeze. That made the texture like sherbet with ice crystals. While that was a bit off putting I consumed every spoonful. I love coffee and chicory. The flavor was particularly great since CoolBrew is used to make it. It is another New Orleans company that makes fresh gourmet coffee concentrate. Using unique Cold Brewing methods they extract the full flavor from the finest Arabica coffee beans, without the bitter acids. It is available both food service and retail.

Nectar Soda

2011-08-29T16:26:00.000-07:00

This flavor is a New Orleans classic and virtually seen only in the city. The pharmacist I.L. Lyons created nectar syrup in the late 1800s and was a main supplier to the now defunct K&B pharmacies. As soda fountains disappeared in the 1950s, so did nectar syrup. It was and is bright pink and tastes like almonds and vanilla. Recently a company started manufacturing the soda again. This ice cream tastes like cream soda with a strong almond note and a shocking pink color that did not translate when I photographed it. Looking at the color you think bubble gum flavor but the taste buds go to a totally different place. It is a bit on the sweet side.

White Chocolate Bread Pudding

2011-08-29T16:25:00.000-07:00

Here is another one that did not work for me. Again it was the add ins. The ice cream was a lovely vanilla with bourbon back-notes that enhanced the ice cream. The bits of bread pudding were just weird to me. My tongue and taste buds just did not know what to do with them and eventually came to the conclusion "not for me".

Happy Hippie

2011-08-23T15:56:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Happy Hippie
329 Broad St
Lake Charles LA
337-421-1717

Wednesday to Sunday 11:00 AM to 10 PM $2.50 to $21

Housed in the old Rikenjacks Bar and Brewery, the vibe here certainly reflects the hippie era as explained by colleague Brad Goins. Seating is picnic benches or booth with simple wood benches. The feel good mood is infectious

My first foray saw me eating their Pesto Cheesy bread. It is basically a quarter pie with pesto covered in mozzarella with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. It comes out on the medium thick crust. I found it delicious, tasty and well balanced. You get a side of marinara if you desire to dip which I did not. Not that the marinara was bad I just like the bread as is. I also ordered a Roasted Stuffed Poblano. Being a fan of Chile Rellenos I liked the concept of this dish and the fact it was not fried. They take a large pepper and split it open removing the seeds. A layer of protein (in my case smoked brisket) is laid in and topped with mozzarella then put in the screaming hot oven to roast. I enjoyed the result. The roast flavor of the pepper combined well with the cheesy unctuousness and smoky brisket flavor. They do Hot Dogs here also and they struck my mood that day. I got two types. The Blue Dog (blue cheese, bacon, and red onions) and the Chili Dog (chili, cheese, and onions) were my choices. Nothing fancy about the dogs or buns just good old fashion dogs. They brought back fond memories. Odd choice for a pizza place you might say. Traditional American pizza is not a favorite of mine so I was building myself up for it.

They have a nice selection of sandwiches including a Roasted Vegan/Veggie. While I am not a vegetarian, but an omnivore, I like a nice vegetable dish once in awhile to break it up. However I found the title a bit of a misnomer as there were only one roasted vegetable in the sandwich. The best way I could describe it is “a salad on a baguette”. Realizing that and coming to terms with it, it turned out to just fine

Last time in was for the pizza. Although what I chose most people would not consider a pizza. The thing is I have a love/hate relationship with tomatoes. If I am in the right mood it can be wonderful. However on things Italian I tend to avoid them. I ordered the White pizza with garlic olive oil, mozzarella, and red onions to which I added bacon and roasted garlic. I went with the half pizza. When it came out it also had either basil or spinach leaves. It also possessed a super thin crust. Again I generally do not care for thin crust as it usually ends up soggy. Not here though for two reasons. First is the high temperature they can get in their oven which gives a very crisp product. Second is that here toppings are not piled mile high but judiciously laid on. The crust remained crispy. I think they could give Neapolitan pizza a run for its money

One last note is that the bar here serves great beer both in bottles and on tap. They have the usual suspects but also carry products from some regional breweries. They include St Arnolds from Houston, La31 from Ville Platte, and Lazy Magnolia out of Mississippi. I tasted a few and they were excellent. Great beer and good pizza, what more could you ask for.

Happy Hippie

Mary Ann's

2011-08-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Been around for ages. My sister went to it when she worked for Muller's. I like but don't get around to it. Somewhat tough place for me to access. That is why I am loving the social networks. This was a Seize the Deal one. Unfortunately the oil was a little old and the rings came out with a burnt undertone. I was there in the afternoon so really not their fault.

The bacon cheeseburger made up for it. Nice juicy patty, well melted cheese, slice of crisp bacon,griddled bun, crisp onions and a nice slice of tomato. It made for a great burger. I acquired another one to try the breakfast

Toasted Coconut

2011-08-21T15:39:00.000-07:00

Sorry Celeste this was my least favorite so far. It is not the flavor. It is there and I like coconut flavor. It is a textural thing for me. Too much coconut flakes in it. I am a bit fussy about coconut flakes and nuts in certain desserts. All I can say if you are like Celeste and love coconut flavor and flakes this is certainly the one for you. Too many other flavors I love. I will pass on this one in the future

Bananas Foster

2011-08-20T16:22:00.000-07:00

In contrast I did not taste the alcohol here. They must have cooked the bananas in it which made most the alcohol dissipate. The ice cream was again rich and flavorful. As caramel is one my favorite flavors I really enjoyed this. The banana added a depth of flavor with the dark rum backnote of sweet spices coming out. Deft handling that reflects the flavor of that classic New Orleans dessert. Owen Brennan would be proud.

Cherries Jubilee

2011-08-20T16:21:00.000-07:00

This is definitely an adult ice cream. The alcohol in the cherries pack quite a punch. I am hyper sensitive to alcohol. To me the cherries are so full of alcohol I can barely taste the flavor. Add to that in some cases the alcohol toughen the cherry skin and made them chewy, this part of the ice cream I did not care for. Fortunately this did not carry over to the ice cream itself. Smooth and rich with a pronounced cherry flavor. If you like that alcoholic kick and cherry flavor this one is for you.

Beau Reve 4400 Atlantic Road, Port Arthur, TX 77702 409-962-2422

2011-08-16T16:34:00.001-07:00

This BB is sort of a destination. It is an old plantation like mansion that was moved to this site via water. Behind itis a bayou. While the owner lives in the main house the grounds and an outbuilding are set up for weddings and receptions. The reception building is open for lunch Monday through Friday. Dinner is served only on Friday night. The end facing the water is glassed in and makes for a nice view. The atmosphere is lovely even though set up for weddings. If they are not busy your server will give a short tour of the house. Below is a salad not out of a bag.

They call these Crab Croquettes Two croquettes of fresh lump of crab meat seasoned with our special blend of veggies then lightly browned to a delicate crispness and served with a lemon & garlic butter sauce. This what Sha Sha's crab cakes should be. Dice onion and peppers mixed with lump crab meat then pan sauteed. They were loaded with crab flavor and not greasy. The butter sauce on the side gives you the option to dunk or not.

Corn & Crab Bisque Savory cream soup loaded with lump crab meat and corn. This was OK. It seemed to be reduced heavy cream with a ton of corn kernels and the only crab was what was on top. It was a bit too rich. I prefer one made with seafood broth with just enough cream to make it smooth and somewhat rich

I got the Grilled Tilapia for my entree Pan seared in garlic butter with a fresh Mango Sauce with poblano peppers and sides of steamed veg and sweet potato pudding with praline sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked with a nice seasoning blend on it. Just spicy enough. The fresh mango puree with the chopped poblano peppers in it made an excellent foil for the fish. A somewhat sweet/tart sauce with a little kick. The steamed veg was good and the sweet potato dish excellent. Nice and smooth with a caramel high note.

You don't often see Buttermilk Pie on a menu. Our freshly made Cajun treat When I do I get it to compare to my aunt's one. This one is a bit unusual in that it is served hot. I prefer mine room temp but the flavor was there. Sweet with a tart undernote.

My roots lie in upper Cameron parish where my mother and father were raised and most of my kinfolk once lived. Based on some items on the menu and what I ate I would venture to say that the chef's roots lie in Southwest Louisiana possible Cameron parish. Good food and a relaxing time. I would go back here maybe for dinner on Friday night

Beau Reve

Cafe Ahnvee 610 East Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, LA 70508-2545 (337) 234-4647

2011-08-16T16:31:00.001-07:00

Having had my meze I went here for the main event. Below is seafood gumbo. The rice was hard and the stock had what I assume was their house seasoning. I did not like it and hardly ate a few bits. It forebode the whole meal.

next up the Shrimp & Crab Boulettes Shrimp and Crab blended in a seasoned stuffing, lightly floured and deep fried. Served with Remoulade Sauce. The fry job was great but the interior was just too wet and mushy for my taste. I only took a couple of bites and I was finished. Sauce was fine

Grilled Shrimp Plate Large gulf shrimp grilled and served with your choice of side. I chose shrimp and eggplant dressing. Again encounter the house spice but the grilling had tamed it enough so that I could enjoy the shrimp. The dressing was excellent. Here is the funny part. The consistency of this was the same as the interior of the boullettes which I did not care for. But as a stand alone I loved it. The flavor was great and the consistency what I expected. I just do not expect interiors of fired things to be mushy.

Dessert was a cupcake as they did not have any of the desserts on the menu. A peanut butter cup flavor agreed with me. The size was also good.

Cafe Ahnvee

Poseiden 103 Kaliste Saloom Road, Lafayette, LA 70508-3876 (337) 235-9154

2011-08-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

A successful BB. This Greek restaurant serves a different sort of stuff than Cedars or Zeus which is mainly Lebanese. The names are the same but the execution differs. Take the pita bread below. The other ones are thin and seem to be nuke. This one was fat and fluffy and heated on the grill. Great

I went the meze route. Below is the Appetizer Platter - Mousaka, spanakopita, hummus & grape leaves. The mousaka was very interesting. On a layer of sliced potatoes was a mixture of eggplant and ground meat topped by a layer of mashed potatoes and cheese. Sort of like a Greek shepherds pie. I liked it. The spanakopita was phyllo dough with a spinach and cheese filling and very satisfying. The hummus was very disappointing. Very thin and a bit acrid. The grape leaves wonderful. Nice rice and ground meat filling and as I found out later fresh grape leaves grown for the restaurant by a friend. No brined leaves here. God it was good

To supplement the platter I also ordered a Kibbeh - Cracked wheat filled with ground meat and a fried Meat Pie - Spiced ground meat wrapped in dough. Both served with tzatziki. The kibbeh was pretty standard and good. The meat pie had some Lafayette influence as it was very much on the spicy side. Both were great and I was a happy camper. Definitely a go back to place

Poseidon

Popeyes

2011-08-16T16:26:00.000-07:00

This latest item from Popeyes is great. They take a whole breast and cut it so its has strips attached to a base. It is battered and fried. The batter wonderful and spicy The chicken moist and flavorful. The only thing that does not work for me is the ranch dressing served with it. Too much vinegar. Other than that it something that I would get again

Big Als 3669 5th Avenue, Lake Charles, LA 70607 (337) 478-0818

2011-08-16T16:25:00.001-07:00

Not a BB. Just having to run an errand on the south side of town and coming up 5th ave hungry. They do plate lunches and it sounded good. In the lid is there grilled chicken which looks nasty but is wonderful. Heading down is a salad and peach cobbler. Last is a layer of white beans over rice. A very Creole dish for a Monday if you are not doing red beans. They were wonderful, cooked just right and a little creamy. This is my go to place when I have nothing at the house cooked and I am starving. They have good food and because they are sorta out of the way usually no line.

Balls Fried Chicken 606 Enterprise Boulevard, Lake Charles, LA 70601-4573 (337) 433-0226

2011-08-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

Another Bargain Bee. I got the Super Sampler to eat there and a two piece to go to use up the voucher. Below is everything in the sampler except the chicken. You get a small salad, boudin ball, three shrimp, and fish with a roll and side. I opted for fried okra. The boudin was non greasy as were the fish and shrimp. The interior was perfect and contained good boudin with a good ratio of meat to rice spiced just right. The shrimp had the same coating as the fish and were OK. The fish had a mustard smear under the coating and was great. Fried okra which I suspect was a pre-fab was ok.

Below is the chicken from the sampler and my to go order. It was like a remember it. Nice crisp crust with moist meat and a little on the spicy side.

I got red bean and rice for side with the two piece. I wish I had taken a picture before I mixed it up. It consisted of a layer of whole red beans over rice that had been mixed with the juice. The beans were perfectly cooked and the spice level ok. I just prefer the creamy kind.

Cajun Cafe 329 Pryce Street (formally Lawrence), Lake Charles, LA 70601 337.439.3722

2011-08-16T16:21:00.000-07:00

Cajun Cafe does hamburgers now. I took one to go to use up my Bargain Bee. Funny thing is they do not have the pricing anywhere. Not on the wall, not on the weekly menu nowhere I could see. I ordered a bacon cheeseburger and as usual the server only heard cheeseburger so that is what I got. It was delicious and would have been better with bacon. The patty was thick and juicy cooked just right. The bun was standard and as usual for me no pickle or lettuce. I do take tomato and onion but I thinking of just going with the onion. This burger is well worth whatever price it was and I would return for a repeat.

With each plate lunch you get a piece of cornbread and a yeast roll. My roll was very dense but had that flavor you can only get with a true yeast product. It would have perfect if allowed to rise a little more. The cornbread had an underlying sweetness which is what I grew up on. Therefore I loved it.

I got the meatloaf because you can tell a lot about an establishment. These people are just meat and no filler type. You have to be good as even a slight overworking of the meat will leave it like a brick. To tell you the truth I do not mind some filler as long as it is not overboard. I personally like the texture better. However they did a fine job here. The flavor was good. The gravy and mash were ok. The cabbage was fantastic. Every thing it should be. The greens although from a can were doctored up with vinegar and spices. Another thing not on the board is that you can get a small or regular. Below is a small. Also that you can get a vegetable plate. Sometimes I want just that. It is a case of the regular customers knowing the rules and the newbies and infrequent not knowing them.A bit of sweet and I mean just a bite. They must use a jellyroll pan. It was about an half inch thick but good

I like this place and would frequent it more but it is out of the way and somewhat difficult for me on my crutches. They do a good job not as good as Red did at the old place.

Ponchatoula Strawberry

2011-08-16T16:20:00.000-07:00

In this case the color reflects the contents. Wonderful rich strawberry ice cream with strawberry pieces. A great ratio for me, more ice cream than strawberries. The nicest thing about the strawberries were they were not super sweet but had a little tangy strawberry flavor. That complimented the rich ice cream. Fans of strawberry you need to try this, pure strawberry flavor at its finest. You will notice they use local products when they can. The true Ponchatoula
is a wonder. Unfortunately these days some growers have switched to a more marketable (does not bruise easily) but less flavorful berry.

Praline Crunch

2011-08-16T16:18:00.000-07:00

See what did I tell you, colorful. Must be a LSU fan at the company. If you like pecan flavored caramel you will go nuts like I did. I was apprehensive of the "whole caramel pecans" but they were lovely. 90% caramel and 10% nut. The caramel coating was crunchy and delicious. I love a good caramel and this one was great especially with the pecan notes in it. Digging into these cartons are like finding gold. I am looking forward to tasting them all.

Vanilla Bean

2011-08-16T16:16:00.000-07:00

I tried taking pics of the ice cream itself but that did not work out. Because of the lack of artificial colors they are about the same shade of off white. I have not had time to get to Albertsons but will eventually. As you can see the cartons are colorful. The ice cream is speckled with vanilla bean seeds and a strong vanilla presence both in odor and taste. The texture is thick and creamy as a premium ice cream with little overrun. As I stated in the previous post I think the buttermilk is cutting through the fat to give a clean rich taste. I would think that is one flavor Albertsons is carrying. Go and try it out.

New Orleans Ice Cream Company

2011-08-16T16:15:00.000-07:00

Many years ago at a Grand Tasting at The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience I met Adrian Simpson. He was handing out samples of ice cream made by The New Orleans Ice Cream Company. The samples were Vanilla Bean and Chocolate City after the famous comment of then Mayor Nagin. Both were delicious. In the ensuing years I met Adrian time and again at NOWFE and food shows both broadliner and the LRA Food Expo. We became friends talking about his product and me making comments to fellow restaurateurs at these events. He would e-mail asking if I would promote it here. I was a bit slack about it and finally last month he offered to send me samples if I would post my comments on the blog. I of course said yes and I received 10 flavors from him with a promise of 10 more in the future. I found out just the other day that the Albertson's on Ryan carry six flavors. I have not been able to make it there to see which they carry but when I do I will let you know. Many of the flavors have a south LA or a New Orleans flair and made from local products when available.

This a super premium product and you will pay for that. However it is entirely worth it. It is dense and creamy with hardly any overrun. This when people like Blue Bell pump air into the product under the guise of making it smooth when they are actual increasing the volume for profit. I feel like I am eating air. New Orleans Ice Cream uses all natural products. The milk base is skim milk, cream and buttermilk. Buttermilk you say. I asked and Adrian said they feel it adds to the richness. My thoughts are that buttermilk is tangy and brings out the flavor and richness like salt added to pastries brings out the sweetness. The thickeners and stabilizers are product of trees and seaweed. Another thing they are judicious with the add ins not going overboard like Ben and Jerry where there are more add in than ice cream. The main focus with these products is the ice cream with some add ins to enhance the flavor. Stay tuned for flavors starting with Vanilla Bean

Jo's Creole 2202 E. Broad St Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 433-3744

2011-08-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

One thing I like about Bargain Bees is that they sometime afford me the opportunity to return to places that I enjoyed when I reviewed them but have never returned because I have to review the next one. Such is the case here. Below is corn muffin (slightly sweet the way I like it) and a sweet pickle potato salad (excellent)

The main dish was some wonderful moist and flavorful baked chicken and smothered okra with tomato and sausage over rice. I have not tasted okra that good since my mother passed many years ago. As I pass this venue coming home from work I do not know why I do not stop in more but such is life.

Moz Grill 11845 Highway 62 N Orange, TX 77632 (409) 745-5551

2011-08-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

In and around Southeast Texas are several of these places. They are housed in the same building as a gas station/convenience store. The double cheeseburger below while quite good was the straw that broke the camel's back. This is the one that finally drove home something I had been coming to realize. While I can certainly eat a mutipatty burger I was not enjoying them. I had got caught up in this bigger than your head eating contest. A good burger for me is all about the ratio of the of the meat to bread. One's like this is just off kilter. Single burgers for me from now on.

Fried green beans because they did not have what I really wanted. They were all right but not something I would get again unless forced to.

Some packaged carrot cake because I do like a little sweet after my meal.

Sometimes going to a place for the first time and you do no know the routine can result in not so satisfactory results. However the results are interesting enough for a return visit. Such is the the case here.

Celeste's Tamale 3102 Saba Ln, Port Neches, TX 77651 409-722-1172

2011-08-03T09:14:00.000-07:00

This establishment was just a bit strange. When I got there it was obvious it was intended to be a take away place yet they had a dinning room. Everything I got was package in to go containers. Like below the tortilla chips in the bag were pulled straight from a refrigerator as they were ice cold. No salsa but a hot sauce probably intended for other things. I did a side of guacamole that was pretty good.

To use up the coupon I got a soft taco (flour). The taco meat was well seasoned and overall as good a taco as I have ever had

Below is a tamale dinner with three tamales in a chili gravy, rice and refried beans. I loved the tamales. The ratio of the meat to the masa was perfect. The meat was the same as the meat I got in the taco and the masa well hydrated and not dry. This chili gravy I have not encountered before but it had nice flavor and I liked it. The rice was dry as the desert and the beans liquid. Some I combined the two which made it OK and ate. If I ever return here I will just buy a dozen and take away

Honey B Ham 506 East Prien Lake Road Lake Charles, LA 70601-8509 (337) 478-3354

2011-08-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

Another disaster. I got a ham salad sandwich on sourdough wheat and it was OK. However the potato bacon soup smelled good but the chunks of potato were huge and not cooked all the way. I should have put the coupon to a ham.

The BBQ combo plate was as bad as when I got it 5 years ago. I was hoping for improvement. The brisket was tough and barely smoked and the sausage seemed to have been under a heat lamp as it had developed a skin. Such is life

Jenni's Noodle House 3111 S Shepherd Dr Houston, TX 77098 (713) 523-7600

2011-08-03T09:10:00.000-07:00

What I got here is a truly unusual soup. Mama Tran Shrimp Soup. This Vietnamese spicy and sour soup contains bean sprouts, okra, pineapple, tomatoes and fresh shrimp with a side of rice. I got a side of buckwheat noodles because I had never tasted them. The taste of the soup is beyond description but it struck a note with me. Well balance in a South East Asian way (sweet, spicy, sour and salty) The noodles were interesting but probably better in some sort of dish. The menu contains many interesting things

Jenni's Noodle House

The Broken Spoke 1809 Washington Ave Houston TX (713) 863-7029

2011-08-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

You would think with a name like this it would be Texan food but instead it is a Belgium restaurant. Below is the bread basket. A nice mini baguette of French bread.
Here are the six beers of the tour La Route de Bruxelles which consisted of 18 Assorted Mussels and these 6 Beer Samples. All were Belgium with names I can not pronounce let alone remember

The mussels consisted of La Moule Marinière, Mussels steamed with butter, celery, onion,
and white wine. La Moule à l' Escargot Mussels in garlic butter sauce La Moule Provençales
Mussels in a tomato sauce La Moule Roquefort Mussels in a creamy blue cheese sauce La Moule Curry Mussels in a curry sauce La Moule Diable Mussels in a spicy tomato sauce La Moule Estragon Mussels in a creamy tarragon sauce La Moule Crème Mussels in a cream sauce

As in Belgium the fries come with mayonnaise not ketchup

I enjoyed my mussels but am doubtful I will return. Another restaurant hard for me to get to and in. It is amazing how many places are not ADA compliant

The Broken Spoke

Farrago 318 Gray St Houston, TX 77002 (713) 523-6404

2011-08-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

This place has a sort of a multicultural menu serving food styles from many countries. To start I chose Posole A latin american pork & hominy stew with green chilies, fresh cilantro & grilled baguette. Most soups like this come with lime wedges and chopped onions. No chopped onions this time but a rather clever way with the lime. In the soup itself so it was warm and pliable in order to get the maximin juice out of it. It was mildly spicy with a warming pork broth and the starchiness of the corn. All it need was some tripe and it would have been an excellent menudo.
I went vegetarian with the Portobello “Burger”. A grilled Portobello topped with gorgonzola & crispy onions. The density and mouth feel of the mushroom more than make up for no meat on the bun. It ate like the real thing. As I have said before I am an omnivore and I like a little veg every once in awhile. The fries were Ok

For dessert I went with Bread pudding. This one had a little apple in it. I like the idea of individual ones but two is just too much. I would have been happy with just one. It was well made with the bread being thoroughly soaked with the custard. A raspberry and vanilla drizzle accompanied it. Despite being a little tough for me to get to I enjoyed my meal

Farrago

Yelapa 2303 Richmond Avenue Houston, TX 77098 (281) 501-0391

2011-08-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

This is the beginning of a series of Houston restaurants that will not make it to the column. The reason for this one is the same as the last time I went there. Just after eating the current chef left for someplace else. I must say the last put out food I liked better than the first one. Below is the chips and salsa that hit the table. Pretty much standard red and green and tasty
Below is a Watermelon Gazpacho liquid composed of watermelon juice and tomato water. The tower consists of chopped cucumber, watermelon, jicama, tomato and avocado. The tower came out in the bowl and a steel teapot held the juices. You poured as little or as much as you wanted. It was refreshing with the sweet/tart liquid and the various textures and flavors of the tower. Something very creative and I would order it again and again

I followed that with a ceviche done Peruvian style (just tossed with lime juice). It contained avocado, mango, tomato, lime juice with escolar and shrimp. It was drier than most I have had but tasty especially the contrast between the oily avocado and sweet astringency of the mango

They had fried tempura style Fish Tacos on the menu so I took another chance. This one turned out well. It was closer my ideal that many I have tried over the years On this one the cabbage slaw consisting of carrot ,cabbage jicama, carrot in pasilla chile mayo made this a delight.

I cannot f0r the life of me remember what they called this dessert. My take on it was a spicy chocolate woopie pie with chocolate coating and duches leche drizzle. Light and delicious.

Yelapa

Frey's 919 North Lake Arthur Avenue Jennings, LA 70546-4629(337) 824-6004

2011-08-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just to show you that not all Bargain Bees are disasters here is one I loved. The salad was OK because they used both bagged lettuce and unbagged lettuce.

Here are some hush puppies I have not encounter before. They had onions and black pepper in . I like black pepper in some applications and it worked here. Nothing I like better than a good hush puppy

Here is the real treat. Eggplant Supreme. They slice the eggplant lengthwise into a plank. They batter and fry it like a piece of fish. A shrimp and cream sauce goes on top. The shrimp were large and grilled before they were added to the sauce. I got a sweet potato on the side and they provided some cinnamon sugar for.

It had been awhile since I have eaten here and I am happy to see that the food was still great

Freys

WOW Cafe & Wingery 509 Bertrand Dr Lafayette 337.269.4669‎

2011-08-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Another BB adventure that went wrong for a variety of reasons. Below is Ms Naomi's Gumbo This traditional Louisiana favorite is a collection of flavors and spices that reflect the diversity of our Louisiana culture and Cajun heritage with onions, celery, garlic, bell peppers, spicy cayenne, smoked andouille and our secret blend of spices. Served over steamed rice. Sorry this is no way indicative of my Cajun heritage. To me this is the ultimate nasty a** thick Creole New Orleans variant with a really horrible spice blend. The description should read "Served under a pile of rice" One bite was all I could take

In the Chopped Salad area I got the Kentucky Club Lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, mixed cheese, croutons & honey mustard dressing. First of all the chopped part was good. However someone needs to explain what a chopped salad is. In it everything is chopped to about the same size including the lettuce. You do not plop stuff on a bed of lettuce. If it had been a true chopped salad I would have liked it better. The basic components were good.

I ordered The Bayou Blues Burger. Blackened to juicy perfection with our special signature spice and topped with crumbled bleu cheese. It came out room temperature, was not juicy and had the consistency of shoe leather. The onion rings were also room temp. Now I will tell you why. I got here about 1:30 PM. There were just two other tables of customers both of which had their orders. This burger came out within 10 minutes of my order. The only way that could happen was they precooked things for a busy lunch and did not use them all. I got the remains that had been sitting under a heat lamp for lord knows how long. NOT GOOD

Finally a 6 piece bone in wing with Mexican sauce which is the Chipotle sauce garnished with fresh cheese. Again room temperature so pre-fried and sitting around. The flavor was very good. I like that smoky taste you get with chipotle. However this was way above my comfort zone. Some of the spiciest chipotle I have ever had. I ate as much as I could. What you see is the remains

This is a place I will never return to unless forced by being in a group that wants to go there. They were just wrong foisting their lunch remains on me and not cooking it fresh.

La Suprema 3105 Highway 365. Nederland, Texas 77627 (409) 722-2880

2011-08-02T15:07:00.000-07:00

A Bargain Bee adventure. A very popular place. I got there right at 11 and there were cars in the parking lot already waiting for them to open. The interior was a bit shop worn but they have been open since 1970 so that did not concern me. Below is the chip and salsa brought to the table. A medium thick tomato based one with nice level of spice.

Here is where it started to go sideways. This Roy’s Chili Pie A “19th hole favorite,” mound of chips covered in chili con carne, cheese and jalapenos. Perhaps I should have read the description more carefully but when I see Chili pie I assume Fritos will be used. Not here. Their standard chip buried in a rather good chili with yellow cheese on top. As far as I am concerned they should have called chili nachos and I would have chosen something else. Good by not what I was looking for.

The main reason I came here was for the Fish Tacos Spicy fried or grilled tilapia served with cilantro pico in a corn tortilla with a side of black beans. Orders of 3 I like a fried fish taco. Again it went sideways. The fish was fried in a seasoned flour that gave it a nasty tasting crust and the size was too big. An Americanized dish if I ever saw one. This again was not what I was looking for. The black beans turned out to be the best thing on the plate. Tender and smoky.

The other reason I came. Menudo - Mexican tripe soup served with tortillas, onions and lemons (Breakfast of Champions). What was good with this one is that it was served in a small bowl. Most times it is like Vietnamese Pho served only in a swimming pool size bowl. This was excellent with honeycomb tripe and a great pork broth that was not too spicy It made the trip worthwhile. I doubt I will return.

La Suprema

Jolie in Lafayette

2011-08-02T14:56:00.000-07:00

ABOUT AND BEYOND
Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro
507 West Pinhook Road
Lafayette, LA
www.jolieslousianabistro.com

Lunch Tuesday to Friday 11 AM - 2 PM

Last year returning from a food show I and a couple of co-workers had lunch here. While it is decorated with George Rodrigue’s work none have the blue dog. Since that is the theme at the sister restaurant it is unlikely I will dine there. I despise the blue dog paintings with a purple passion.

A plate of linen wrapped bread hit the table. It was along the line of a ciabatta and wonderfully warm and tasty. A black cherry and sage butter occupied it. The predominant flavor was cherry.

For appetizer we talked them into giving us a Charcutrie Plate normally offered at dinner. It contained crostini, pickled asparagus, an air dried sausage, and duck pate on in house pickles. Both pickled vegetables were great with a spicy kick. The pate lived up to all expectations. However the sausage was unnecessarily chewy as it was cut too thick. We also got a Roasted Duck Crepe with Boursin (a type of soft cheese) cream. They consisted of pulled duck breast, spinach and halved pear tomatoes, very nice except the sauce was bland. The fatty duck paired well against the acid of the tomato and slight bitterness of the spinach/

One fellow ordered their Caesar Salad with Sautéed Shrimp. It held romaine, argula, croutons with a creamy parmesan dressing. He seemed to enjoy it. My other companion got a house specialty. Zapps Crawtater crusted Gotreaux Tilapia with a Crawfish cream sauce and buttered broccoli. The philosophy of this venue is to source everything they can locally. Zapps of course is made in Louisiana and the tilapia is from a local organic farm that has fish ponds actually huge tanks as part of their system of farming and recycling. I got the BBQ Shrimp in an Abita beer reduction over roasted corn and smoked paprika grits. The sauce was wonderful with a trace of Worchester sauce and the grits a nice consistency with a smoky note. Unfortunately the shrimp were overcooked and rubbery

Service was good and I would return as it has a wonderful menu. Take a look into it

Southern Spice Moss Bluff

2011-08-02T14:54:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Southern Spice MB
227 Hwy 171
Moss Bluff LA
337-555-0010

Monday to Saturday 10:30 AM to 9 PM $10 to $30
Sunday 11:00 AM to 2 PM

Where a Mr Bills was once is an outlier of Southern Spice. I have reviewed numerous establishments in this space. I hope this one takes as I tired of coming here

I started off with the Thursday plate lunch, Fried Pork Chops. I usually get the smothered most of the time but I decided to treat myself. Unless you have a huge appetite get the small plate lunch. The regular is trucker size. I received two chops pounded flat and fried perfectly, large scoop of mashed potatoes, corn and black eyed peas. The corn and peas were good, above standard. The potatoes seemed a little gummy. The chops were tender and not dried out but oddly bland. They seem to have not been seasoned not even with salt. This held true for the crust. I generously doused them with the house seasoning that was on the table. It made them better but not as good as if they had been seasoned before cooking. The lunch comes with a two bite dessert. It was cake that day. It is small but it is nice to finish on a sweet note.

Next time I came at dinner time. I started with a small Shrimp and Crab Gumbo. Nice roux with a good broth, a fair amount of shrimp and some crab meat but as usual to much rice. Gumbo is not rice and gravy it is gumbo. Please put the rice on the side. I ordered the Seafood Platter. It came with the usual salad from a bag. The platter consisted of shrimp, oysters, catfish, stuffed crab and shrimp. I got smothered potatoes as my side. Nice size shrimp in a flour coating and nice sized oysters and catfish in cornmeal just as I love them. The crab had a nice stuffing with good clean crab flavor abet a bit bready. The stuffed shrimp seemed a bit odd. When I tried to bite or cut into it the crust had a consistency I can only call leathery. The shrimp and stuffing came out and I was left with a pouch of crust. The smothered potatoes proved excellent. Not exactly a stew but more like great home fries with loads of pepper and onions. I finished with a huge slice of humming bird cake, delicious.

I was looking forward to my last visit. I had spotted a Cajun Cheeseburger on the menu. Sautéed onions on the top and cayenne pepper inside and not a Jalapeno in sight made this a must have for me. I received disappointment. An odd patty half overcooked and half OK with no heat or spice to it at all. The cheese, sautéed onions and bacon that I added soften the blow a bit. I doused it with Tabasco and went to it. Now the onion rings were perfection. Medium cut and fried with just flour, my favorite.

I would expect a branch of an established restaurant would send out a few seasoned veterans to teach the new guys how to do it. However the inconsistencies that came out the kitchens seems to indicate otherwise. Hopefully this will straighten out with time. I hear they will be doing breakfast in the future. Nice addition for Moss Bluff folks

Mr Bill's at Harrys

2011-08-02T14:52:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Mr Bill’s at Harrys
2555 Hwy 171
Moss Bluff LA
337-217-0106

9 AM to 9 PM Daily $1 to $18

Yes you are reading that correctly. Boo Guillory of Mr Bill’s fame is back in the game. He comes fully loaded and delicious. For me the test of an establishment like this is the plate lunch. The one I had here was fantastic. It was a deep dark and flavorful Chicken Stew. It seemed as if the meat had been cooked on the bone and then hand pulled. It proved tender melt in you mouth with a mountain of flavor. The stew also contained onions, carrots, and potatoes over a heap of rice. The sides of corn and black-eyed peas held a lot of flavor. A fried pistollete topped it. A truck driver’s dream if ever I saw one.

Next I went after the “Who Dat Burger. This would put a whopper to shame. Starting out with the bottom bun they add jalapeño, mustard, tomato and chopped onions then start building high. They pile on a half pound burger, pepper jack cheese, bacon, and a large onion ring. They follow that by a repeating it topped off with the bun and mayonnaise. It shows up with a table knife stuck through it for stability. Even if you try to squish it down it would not fit in your mouth. I began thinking this would be a K&F job (knife and fork). However inspiration hit. I took the second patty to the bun and just ate like an open faced burger, twice. Oh what a burger it was. The patties were cooked perfectly remaining juicy with lots of beef flavor. The gestalt of the all the ingredients lead to a wonderful experience. I opted for onion rings with it. They do a medium cut with a flour batter and they were good. I finished with a new creation, The Cajun Puff. A fried pistollete split open and then filled with vanilla ice cream with a chocolate drizzle, magnificent

My last time in I got informed after my meal it was complimentary. I guess they figured out who I was. I ordered a Seafood Pistollete and a Meat Pie for appetizer. The pistollete again fried and split with shrimp and crab meat in a cream sauce put inside. The lushness of the filling was cut by a lovely spice level. The handheld pie was fried perfectly and the ground meat filling steamy and moist with nice kick. I also received from the kitchen a five bone rack of BBQ ribs that was the special of the day. They proved fall off the bone tender with a nice smoke ring and a sweet & spicy glaze. I enjoyed a few and not all because I knew what was coming next. The Seafood Platter with sweet potato fries. It comes with a standard iceberg lettuce salad. On the platter is fried shrimp, fried oysters, fried catfish, fried crab cake, fried stuffed shrimp and fried stuffed crab. Both the shrimp in a flour batter and the catfish in cornmeal were perfect. The oysters in cornmeal were a bit small (not really the season) but tasty. Both the stuffed shrimp and crab had great stuffing even if the crust was a little hard. However the crab cake held disappoint for me as the crust was so thick there did not seem to be any crab. The sweet potato fries were excellent. They were a sort of steak house cut and came with sugar cinnamon butter.

All I can say is the man knows how to cook and I would eat anything he would put on the table. It is too bad I will not be able to get there for awhile as I have loads of venues to review.

Coffee Houses

2011-08-02T14:45:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT

Village Coffee
111 West McNeese
Lake Charles LA
337-478-4448
www.zeuscafe.com

Monday thru Saturday 6 AM to 9 PM $1 to $5

This small niche of a place is in the Kroger’s shopping center on McNeese on the west side of the Rite Aid. In this space you get all the comforts of a coffee house. Wooden tables and chairs, sofa and chair, Wifi and great coffee drinks make it so. They no space to really cook but they have made it beverage central with hot, iced, and blender drinks of both a coffee and non-coffee variety. There is small selection of bagels, scones, biscotti, cheesecake, and croissant sandwiches if you are feeling a bit puckish. I started with Café au Lait. It was good but I would rather scalded milk rather than steamed and a darker roast coffee. However this and other coffee house versions are quite acceptable in a pinch. Here they have some signature drinks which are uniquely theirs. First up is the Village Charger. A double shot espresso with Irish Cream and French Vanilla. I am not a big coffee person but I took to this one immediately. I had the Bushwhacker (Kahlua, coconut and half & half) frappe style. In other words put in a blender with ice and zing till smoothie consistency. This one had a big hit of coconut and it exceedingly rich but refreshing. A kind of drink would revive you after a long hard drive or day. They also do smoothies with fruit concentrates. I got a Peach, Pear, and Apricot that truly hit the spot. This is a one stop establishment for whatever non-alcoholic beverage you have in mind

Stellar Beans
319 Broad
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5739
www.stellar-beans.com.com

Monday thru Saturday 7 AM to 3 PM $1 to $8

This long large space has a great coffee house feel. They also have enough area in the back to do food. They do breakfast, soup, and sandwiches. I again sampled the Café au Lait and found it to be as good as any coffee house. I had it with their Breakfast Casserole. It seemed to me to be a cross between a Spanish Tortilla and an Italian Frittata. It consisted of eggs, sausage, cheese, potatoes and peppers. It had nice flavor but the salsa side made it pop, a nice filling breakfast. For lunch I did Soup and Sandwich. That day one of the options was Mushroom and Brie. It proved wonderful with a rich and creamy broth with loads of mushroom flavor. I opted for a Tuna Salad on ciabatta with red onions hold the mayonnaise because I thought the tuna would be mixed with it. I was wrong. The sandwich came out with chunks of water packed tuna, fine quality, and that’s it. It was good but dry. Learn from my experience order this with dressing. I think it would be wonderful. Because of the heat I got one of their Fruit Tea Smoothie. A concentrate of green tea and fruit (you can add whole fruit). I went with peach because peaches are nearly here. It was delightfully peachy and refreshing. This establishment is nice blend of coffee house and as they say edibles with room enough for entertainment on the weekends.

The Porch
4710 Common St
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5769
www.theporchcoffeehouse.com

Monday thru Saturday 6 AM to 8PM $1 to $8

In this small space they are trying to be a coffee house, bar, café and music venue. The seating is very close with little room to maneuver. There seem to be more seating outside. Again I got the Café au Lait and again as good as any coffee house can make it. I ate their Breakfast Pie with bacon, red onions and provolone. When it came out I finally twigged to what it was, a miniature quiche baked to order. I think this is really a good idea. However mine was overcooked almost the point of being inedible, still a great idea and worth another try. Next time in I was ravenous. I started with Roasted Red Pepper and Gouda soup. It was delicious but tasted to me like Tomato Basil. Also due to a miscommunication I got the bowl instead of the Soup in the Pie Crust. Next up was Meat Pie Bites, small turnovers with a spicy and moist beef filling. They bake them here which are fine with me as I prefer them that way. Unfortunately there was a couple not quite baked enough (doughy). I ordered The Porch Special sandwich. It contained sliced roast beef, ham, turkey, Swiss, and cheddar with lettuce, tomato, red onions and pickles. I opted for the Jalapeno Cheddar Sourdough bun. It was delicious. Sort like a Darrell’s but not as messy. The sweet and spicy bread brought it all together. Everything in it seemed fresh and tasty, wonderful.

Jackson Deli 3607 Legion St 337-513-9987

2011-07-13T14:25:00.001-07:00

Following Eric Cormier lead as expressed in his weekly column I headed to sample the cheeseburger here. As is my wont I added bacon and got provolone for the cheese. As all of Chad's food it was delicious. The side was a bit unusual but delicious. It was cornbread salad with tomato, corn, and green onions. Sorta like a rice salad with the cornbread taking the rices place. I would get it again. I do not go here frequently enough.

Big Als 3669 5th Ave., Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 478-0818

2011-06-28T16:39:00.000-07:00

Recently they have started doing plate lunches. They have no set menu that I know of. I just pull through and ask. On this date it was meatballs and gravy with smothered corn and peach cobbler. I am thinking they are utilizing things from their regular menu and bulking them out. They meatballs were 100 times better than the meatball po boy I got for the review. Larger and hand made. The gravy was excellent. The corn quite tasty and to my liking and the cobbler decent. They never seem to busy so I consider this a viable option for lunch cravings.

Big Al's Eatery

Steamboat Warehouse 525 North Main Street Washington, Louisiana 70589 337) 826-7227

2011-06-27T15:38:00.000-07:00

I have heard of this place for years and have wanted to go there as long. My Bargain Bee voucher prompted me to do that. Below is the Steamboat Seafood Gumbo - Fresh seafood and okra using Louisiana white crabmeat, shrimp and crawfish. It was wonderful just the way I like it. Thin broth with a dark roux but just not enough to satisfy at the price.

Sidesaddle Angels - Four jumbo shrimp stuffed with oysters, wrapped in applewood smoked bacon, Broiled golden, served with our house remoulade. Gold Medal winner! Again nice flavors but the oysters were so small I could not find them on my first shrimp. Again a little for a lot of money.

Salad from a bag

Sauce Diane in this Establishment is a creamy seafood sauce that you can get extra. It was ok.

Softshell Crabs deep fried. They used to pan fry them which I would have preferred. I got two perfectly fried crabs, some honey glazed carrots and smothered potatoes. It was good but not outstanding.

The feeling that I got here was that they are living on their reputation and coasting. The wait staff was lackadaisical, portions skimpy, and things on the menu not available especially the desserts. Asking what the homemade dessert of the day was got the response "We don't do that anymore" Asking for bread pudding "out of it". The rest of the dessert menu obviously pre -fabricated cheesecake I declined.

Steamboat Warehouse

Dippity 900 S Main St Ste 948 Lumberton, TX 77657 (409) 755-3632 7

2011-06-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

Another BB voucher. This place has an interesting back story. It started out as a donut place that added a burger. The burgers got so popular that the donuts went away. They still make the buns from scratch. They off old school style burgers, the kind that drips with flavor. Hand formed meat patties – Dippity’s beef is ground fresh daily! and has some of the best homemade onion rings you have ever tasted. I certainly liked the onion rings. Thick cut and flour coated my favorite. You do get a large order.

I got a double meat burger add cheese and bacon. It proved delicious. Not that impressed with the bun. It was certainly fresh but it need to be more substantial. It just sort of fell apart.

Cut in half. It was good enough I will go back and get the Texas Tummy Tingler.

Dippity no 1

The Brisket House 5775 Woodway - Houston,TX 77057 281-888-0331

2011-06-27T15:30:00.000-07:00

Surprisingly this place occupies a slot in an upscale strip mall and does its smoking in a modern enclosed pit. The Houston Post reviewer recommended this place and I followed her lead and got a three meat BBQ PLATE of fatty Brisket, Pork Ribs, and Chicken with Cole Slaw and Baked Potato Salad. All the meats had wonderful smoke flavor with all being moist. The brisket literally melted in my mouth it was so tender. It packed great flavor also. The ribs were not quite fall of the bone but very tender and very smoky with a great rub. The chicken was the pleasant surprise because it tends to dry out and the skin get rubbery at some places. This was moist and tender with slightly crispy skin. The side were so-so. The baked potato salad was not any better than a standard one and the cole slaw was too watery. However I liked the fact that the sauce was not put on the meat and came in a syrup dispenser. It was a spicy vinegar based sauce that I did use eventfully as the it cut the richness of the meat. Would definitely return here

The Brisket House

Crawdaddy's Kitchen 9370 Mansfield Rd. Shreveport LA, 71118 (318) 688-7532

2011-06-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

Recently went to Shreveport with some goupons in my hand. I could not pass this one up as I like to check out places that claim to do Cajun food. Most times I am disappointed but this place was the real deal. I go their CRAWFISH SUPREME. A serving of Crawfish Cornbread topped with a generous portion of Crawfish Etouffee. The etouffee was about authentic as you could get. Smothered crawfish is the trinity with a light roux and full of flavor with just the right note of spice. The cornbread under it was great also. Full of crawfish and onions and moist and cornbready. I would get again in a heartbeat

Not so on the ONION RINGS which was a pre-fab with breading which I hate

MOMMA'S CARROT CAKE was good but I doubt that momma made it.

All in all a good experience

Crawdaddy's Kitchen

Burger Palace 2800 Sage Road #1100 Houston, TX 77056 (713) 877-9700

2011-06-27T15:20:00.000-07:00

This is a Mango shake made with real mango they say. It had a pronounced mango flavor if a bit sweet. I need water to cut the sweet.

I got the Texas Cheeseburger which had Cheddar Cheese, Jalapeno, Caramelized Onion, Applewood Smoked Bacon, Spicy Mustard & Garlic Aioli on a fairly standard bun. The patty was American Kobe or Wagyu.

Here it is opened up and denuded of lettuce and some of the jalapeno. I have found I do not like lettuce on my burger and I am not a chile head but I like some heat. The patty was moist and tender and had lots of beef flavor. The bacon and cheese went well with it. All in all a good burger

Below is an Austrian Dog with a side of Tomato Sauce with Crispy Onions and Spicy Mustard. It was a large dog made with Wagyu. It was not to my taste and until recently I could not figure out way as I love hot dogs. The bottom line is that it is too big and the ration of the bread and meat is off. If offered it as just a sausage I would probably like it. If you want to taste the beef that becomes Kobe in Japan this is the place. They have a wide range of burgers.

Burger Palace

American Sector

2011-06-27T14:56:00.000-07:00

The American Sector
945 Magazine Street
New Orleans LA
504-528-1940
www.nationalww2museum.org/american-sector.com

Dinner 5 PM - 10 AM

This John Besh operation connects to the WW II Museum in New Orleans. The name really refers to the section of New Orleans settled by the people of the United States after the Louisiana Territory was bought. The food here is mainly a riff on the food eaten at home during WWII rationing. It also includes some up scaled items of New Orleans area country cooking that Chef Besh grew up on. Catch his new cooking show on PBS on Saturday at 2 PM.

First up was Shrimp Okra gumbo. It is like my mother okra gumbo except with a darker roux. I love the flavor that a dark roux gives (smoky) a dish. This preparation was no different. Instead of bread you get a half pint mason jar of in house pickles. It is what is called a half pickle that had dill and spicy kick. The vinegar had such a kick I used in the last of my gumbo to kick it up. Then I got Rabbit Pate. It came out in a tin reminiscent of a sardine can with celery root slaw on the side and crackers wrapped brown paper. Pate was excellent and the slaw made a nice foil to cut the unctuousness of it.

Next came a black eyed pea, fried head cheese, poached yard egg and micro greens salad. The peas made the base topped by the head cheese with the poached egg and greens on top. The yolk of the egg was the final component of the dressing adding richness to it. Do not be afraid of the head cheese as it contains no meat from the head just some pork meat in gelee. It was an elevation of a country dish that might be thrown together in a south Louisiana farm kitchen

I followed it with some more up ticked country fare. Pork cheeks, cornbread and braised black eyed peas. I rarely come to New Orleans these days and for the past couple of years have seen pork cheeks on the menus of establishments I admire. I jumped on the chance to taste it. They had been braised tender and finished off by pan sautéing to give a nice crust, fork tender to say the least. It is brought to the table in a bowl with a piece of corn bread. The peas are in a tin can and then poured over the meat and cornbread. I nearly swooned. The tender and unctuous cheeks, sweet cornbread and perfect peas made a great combo. I also ordered a side of Jalapeño Cheddar Grits. Need I say more, creamy, cheesy, spicy and delicious.

For dessert I got the cupcake with bacon. I love the taste of salty smoky bacon with anything sweet. Seems like a natural match. I get that combo whenever I can. In this case it was a vanilla cupcake with sugar icing and a slice of caramelized bacon in it.

If you visit the museum, stop by for lunch. During the day they offer po boys, unusual sandwiches and in house hot dogs. I would certainly return as it offers a wide and varied range of items. As with all John Besh operations anything they can make in house or source locally is done.

American Sector

Zeus

2011-06-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Zeus
409 West Prien Lake Road
Lake Charles LA
337-439-7094
www.zeuscafe.com

Monday thru Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM $2 to $27
It seemed like forever for this outpost of Lafayette Zeus Café to open. I had never been to one but I know people who love it. One day as I was passing by I noticed it was open. I therefore contacted my group and set up a time. My sister, our baking friend, our enthusiastic friend and our internet friend joined together for a late lunch. Our baking friend got an Appetizer Sampler which included hummus, baba ganoush, feta cheese, a meat grape leaf, a vegetarian grape leaf and mujadarah. My sister and our enthusiastic friend went with a version of the Lunch Vegetarian plate with spinach pies, Grecian dip, rice pilaf, feta salad and hummus. Our internet friend ordered the Lunch Fish which was a pan sautéed tilapia fillet sitting in a lake of mushroom cream sauce. I also ordered the Sampler and a few other items to do a Meze. I expected small plates to come out which I would pass around. What I got after a long wait was a platter of cold items. They included meat pies, spinach pies, kubbies, fried eggplant, and meat grape leafs with Grecian dip. The comments around table indicated the food was good but not great. The one exception was the fish with the marvelous sauce. I found out later that they had only been open two days. Taking that in account I would think such kinks are being worked out

In for lunch a week later I ran into my particular friend and his artistic wife. They were at the bar as the restaurant was full and I joined them there. They were well into their beef kabob and lamb kabob and had nothing but good things to say about them. I ordered the Lunch Fish as it had looked so good before. It did not disappoint. A perfectly cooked fish appeared. It had soaked up the fantastic flavors of the mushroom cream sauce. There was enough sauce to coat the rice that came with it and the salad was good also. It made for a nice filling meal

Next round I ordered Manakish Zatar. The grilled pita bread came out seasoned with Zatar and chopped fresh bell pepper. It proved a delight. The salad topped with feta crumbles and tossed in an oregano spiked dressing proved a delight also. The main entrée Vegetarian Eggplant Royale however was a disappointment. Under the lovely layer of mushroom cream sauce I encountered a layer of stringy cheese that made it hard to get a bite. That hid a mixture of mushroom, peas and carrots. The same frozen peas and carrots used in the pilaf. They lay in a pool of oil in the hollowed out eggplant. By the way there was no eggplant in the stuffing. The only thing that saved it for me was the cream sauce. I hope this was just an off night for the kitchen

Not wanting to finish on a sour note I went for one more meal and kept it simple. I got the Vegetarian Moussaka which satisfied my eggplant craving. A little different in that it had more of a brown sauce than a red sauce but it was delicious, I then opted for the Mixed Grill choosing Chicken Schwarma and Kefta Kabob as my meats. You also get a skewer of vegetables over rice. The chicken was moist and flavorful with those mid east spices. The grilled vegetables add more flavor. Kefta is ground meat seasoned and formed around a flat skewer then cooked. Think of it as a long hamburger patty, also a winner. I forsook the rice for pita bread making variations of the ingredients into sandwiches. I feel that the glitches I encounter here will be worked, just be patient. I now have another place to get my Middle Eastern coffee. Hooray

Zeus

Jo's

2011-06-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Jo’s Creole Creations
2502 Broad St
Lake Charles LA
337-433-3744
www.tacotaquito.com

Monday thru Sunday 6 AM to 9 PM $1 to $13

This truck stop venue has been through several name changes although it always seemed to have Creole in the mix. I waited a few months to make sure that this one would stick. The ones before it promoted New Orleans. The latest I found out was a home grown Creole lady retired from her job of 30 years and an empty nester. She then set out to do what she had dreamed off, having her own restaurant.

The first round was less than auspicious. It was a plate lunch with a so-so protein. The sides were some great black-eyed peas, mashed potatoes, and greens with a cornbread muffin. I discovered later that this particular item caused other problems and the vendor was changed to get a reliable product.

The second round was better. I got a Mark Special Burger. It consisted of a jumbo patty, bacon, American cheese, and a fried egg. I have always liked fried eggs on my burgers and will get one if I run across it. This one came with a griddle bun, mayonnaise, a thick juicy patty, melted cheese and bacon strips. They top it with an over easy egg. The breaking yolk makes a wonderful sauce for the burger and quite a mess. It is one I am willing to deal with. The onion rings were of the breaded variety. Next time I got a sandwich that I have been seeking for awhile. The New Orleans Hot Sausage Po Boy is made with sausage patties made by Patton out of New Orleans. They look like breakfast sausages but have different flavor profile with a red pepper flake kick. Laid out on a bun with mayonnaise and melted American cheese they proved very good and I enjoyed every bite

For breakfast one I went down memory lane. My mother made what she called “egg rice” with leftover rice. The item on the menu here called Breakfast Rice is very similar to it. I got it with bacon. It is basically rice sautéed in a little grease and then an egg scrambled into it. It is very simple but delicious and for me nostalgic.

The last time in she proved her Creole chops. I received an excellent shrimp stew (full of flavor in a brown sauce), fantastic Mac n Cheese and again great black-eyed peas along with a corn muffin. This combo screamed with flavor and had that Creole flair. That day they had bread pudding for dessert. It was full of pineapple and raisins. I prefer a plain Jane type but it was decent.

I totally recommend this venue. It is on my way home and it takes every ounce of will power not to pull in every day. However I have other venues to test and cannot do this.

Jo's

Leftovers

2011-05-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

Over the weekend I did a pork tenderloin that lemon pepper marinade on it. Straight from the store. I ate medallions off it for the first meal. I then cut it in half. I made one half into fair sized cubes and the other a small cut. The meat had been in the marinade a long time and was very juicy and a little mushy. With the little cuts I sauteed them in oil with a little seasoning and dehydrated trinity plus garlic. When I had a little color I add some Pace's pineapple & mango chipotle salsa. I reduced until thick. Next I warmed some corn tortilla. I made a taco with the pork topping with a Mexican cheese blend and some sweet and spicy jalapeno slices. Kind of a bastardized version of taco pastor. Nice and smokey with good kick
With the larger cubes I did a sorta of hash. Again I sauteed the cubes with seasoning. Then I added a bag of Alexia Sweet potatoes with vegetables cooked in a chipotle oil. Good product look for it in the freezer section with the potatoes. I know Walmart carries it. Again nice smoky flavor with a bit of a kick and some sweetness due to the potatoes.

Not too bad for off the cuff food using ingredients from the frig

KD's 240 W Prien Lake Rd (337) 479-2009

2011-05-27T15:03:00.001-07:00

You have guessed it anther BB. Below is there gumbo. While I like mine a little darker this one great if not an overabundance of meat. To me the heart of a gumbo is the broth. Based on the gumbos I get at most restaurants everybody else thinks it is the meat.
The potato salad was way to dilly for me. Only ate a couple of bites. It seems as if they used the vinegar from the pickles as well. If you like dilly vinegary potato salad this place is for you.

This is their blackened shrimp. While covered with spice it had good flavor and was not overcooked. A big plus for me. I got hash browns because I don't really care for french fries and was not in the mood for baked potato. It worked well with the shrimp

The following is pre-fab but it the best 0f pre-fab desserts you can get from a broadliner especially. It has been around for at least 5 years because that was about the time I first tasted it. It is a lemon and berry cake with mascarpone icing and it is a delight. Get you a piece if you ever see it on a menu.

I don't often go here but when I do it seems have good food.
K D's

Dairy Barn 4453 Nelson Rd (337) 478-5007

2011-05-26T13:24:00.001-07:00

Another BB. This one for a place I love. I did the drive thru and got this Bacon Cheeseburger. Wonderful as usual.

In future I am going to try and take a picture of the burger cut in half. It looks better than my normal practice of opening it up

The only thing better than the burgers is their fried combo. Shrimp in a flour coating and catfish in a cornmeal coating as it should be. Fabulous onion rings and so so fries with some texas toast finish it up.

a Mano

2011-05-23T18:40:00.000-07:00

ABOUT AND BEYOND
A Mano
870 Tchoupitoulas
New Orleans
504-208-9280
www.amanonola.com

Dinner 6 PM - 10 PM

This Italian in the warehouse district is the brain child of Adolfo Garcia of Rio Mar and La Boca fame. He sent Joshua Smith off to Italy for a year to soak in the Italian philosophy and style of cooking. Much of the menu is made in-house and all items that can be sourced locally are. This is a trend prevalent in a lot of higher end and chef driven operations. The bread basket contained an in-house sun-dried tomato Italian round loaf. You could taste the long fermentation and the sweet-sour of the dried tomatoes. I went with Affettats Misti Board which had a range of house cured meats and pickles. You can see the glass door to the curing room from the dining room. I received Mortadella studded with pistachios. Good but lacking the pieces of fat that I love. Beside it was hard salami and spicy salami bracketing a double well dish of caponta and pickled vegetables. Slices of dried duck breast and smoked prosciutto came next. The fun in tasting these things is combining the stuff in different ways. My favorite was the duck breast.

Second course was Trippa alla Romani. Honeycomb tripe cooked in the roman style with tomatoes, onions, chile, and pecorino cheese with bread toast. Well cleaned and well cooked it just melted on the tongue in a spicy sauce. I savored every bite. Next up pasta prepared as it should be. Pici al’Aglise is a hand rolled round pasta with a notch running down the length cooked in olive oil, chiles, parsley and breadcrumbs. My favorite way to eat pasta, simple and flavorful

The main course Conlglio della Cava was rabbit from Mississippi cooked two ways. One was leg quarter roasted with cured olives, garlic and lemon. It tasted wonderful but a bit dry. The other was pounded and crusted white meat pan seared then finished off with lemon juice, wine, capers and marinated artichoke hearts. It proved wonderfully tender and delicious with a nice crisp crust and melting meat inside

I ended with Panna Cotta (non-egg custard) with pan sautéed pine nuts and bitter Sicilian honey surrounded with figs. All components worked except the figs that were under ripe. The creamy custard and crunchy pine nuts provide textural contrast while sweet cream and bitter played the flavor note, I would return here if they have solved their handicap access problem. The current solution is no solution.

Taco Taquito

2011-05-23T18:31:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Taco Taquito
2618 Derek Drive
Lake Charles LA
337-474-2684
www.tacotaquito.com

Monday thru Sunday 10 AM to 10 PM $1 to $8

This establishment has taken over the former Backyard Burger building. They painted the outside a deep red and yellow, very festive. Inside got the same colors although much remained the same. They are also a counter service venue so there is a new menu board. They utilize the drive thru also. They seem to be a fast food version of a Taqueria. They offer a limited menu of what I consider street food. Nothing fried here and don’t think of it as a Taco Bell, it isn’t. They offer fresh corn tortilla, flour tortilla, jumbo taco (quesadilla like), and strangely fully loaded baked potatoes. You can get the taco one at a time, orders of 2 or more and the combo. The combo consists of a certain amount of tacos, half a baked potato, charro beans, and a drink. Unfortunately they offer no aqua fresca just the standard fountain drinks. You can order five different meats. They have beef fajita, bistek (beef similar to fajita), pollo (chicken), molleja (sweetbreads (thymus glands)) and tripa (tripe (small intestines)). All of the above are typical of “Street Stall” cooking.

I went the drive thru route the first couple of times because of time constraints on my part and went inside once. First time I got a half order of corn tortilla with one being fajita, one chicken, and one sweetbread. Tacos consist of two small griddled tortillas together with a line of meat, chopped onions and cilantro down the middle. The accompanying grilled onions, salsas, and lime wedges allows you to dress it how you like it. The two salsas are a spicy roasted tomato and pepper one and an atomic tomatillo and pepper one. I experimented with all of it settling on a combo I liked and ate every bite. Next time through I tried a jumbo taco combo. It was basically a 10 inch flour tortilla folded on the fillings and griddled quesadilla style. I got tripa which was combined with mozzarella cheese and avocado. Along with the salsas I received half a loaded baked potato and some charro beans. The potato had butter, cheese, sour cream, and bacon melted on it. There were few beans and much more liquid. However the broth was so flavorful I just drank it up and was satisfied

The venture inside proved all right. It is as I said counter service and you get your own drink. However you get a number and they bring the food out to you. First they bring you a cup of charro beans on the house. This one had more beans but still brothy. Not a problem for me. What beans it did contain were cooked perfectly. Still whole but melted in your mouth when chewed. Salsas are on the table in squeeze bottles. I got a half order or corn tortilla with sweetbreads and single flour tortilla with bistek. An eight inch soft tortilla folded over with again a line of meat, onions, and cilantro. The plates had the grilled onions and limes on them.

Be forewarned the sweetbreads taste of liver and the tripe is not honeycomb stomach but small intestines. Both are cleaned well and have no barnyard smell or taste. Early on the meat which is chopped small and griddled seemed to come out dry and chewy. Later on only the tripe had this problem which I suspect is inherent to this protein. It has to be braised a long time to get it tender. The meat itself is seasoned mildly with the intention of you adjusting it to your taste and heat level with the condiments. I encourage you to try this place at least once to see and eat this street food. It may not be to your liking but you can never tell. The drive thru makes it easy on me to come back.

Street Breads

2011-05-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Street Breads
3475 Nelson Rd
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5360
www.streetbreads.com

Monday thru Saturday 6 AM to 9:30 PM $1 to $7
Sunday 8 AM to 9:30 PM

I have held off on this review not because they are not good, they are. It is the fact that they are evolving as I type. This is a grade “A” top notch operation that would be successful in any city, large or small. A lot of thought was put into this. From the artisan breads sourced from all over the country to the inventive condiments call Sauce Toppers made every day from scratch. The same can be of the dressings. The Signature Sandwiches and Salads sing with some unusual combination of flavors. The Breakfast Sandwiches are no slouches either. Add to that you can designate your own bread and ingredients to build one that is truly yours. The breads come in a state called par-baked (frozen and partially baked finished off on site). They will sell you the bread so you can finish it off in your own oven, nothing to dislike about that. They also carry John Folse ice cream and yogurt for dessert, good stuff. I have not been in for a couple of weeks so no telling what they have come up with.

Here is what I had. For breakfast the Anytime Bacon on a rustic club with double bacon, oven fried egg and pepper jack cheese. Mine was tasty but dry. I should have taken the guy’s advise and add Cajun Remoulade. I also partook of the Southwest Frittata also on a rustic club with egg, sausage, cheddar, black beans, jalapeno, corn relish, chipotle sauce and salsa. There is nothing wrong with this one, tasty with a nice kick to it. Off the regular menu I tried the Argentinean Sierra Beef on ciabatta with roast beef, pepper jack, argula, red onion, chimichurri, texas caviar (black beans), grilled onions and peppers. The chimichurri made the sandwich sing of South America. For the vegetarians out there the Mediterranean Portabella is for you. On Foccacia they put roasted portabella, grilled eggplant and zucchini, feta, sun dried tomato and pesto hummus, romaine lettuce and olive tapenade, delicious and filled with sunny Mediterranean flavors. I made up a sandwich I call Aztecan Turkey. On a wheat sitrato roll I had turkey, pepper jack, chipotle sauce and corn relish put on by them. It turned out pretty good. Last but not least I got the Blue Apple salad with greens, blue cheese, granny smiths, cranberries, red onion, croutons and bacon with Apple Vinaigrette. I am not much of a salad person but this was great. There are a couple of salads I would not mine trying

Along the way I got recognized and received some lagniappe. If they have put the “lost bread” on the menu get it. Baked egg soaked challa can not be bad. I got to taste the slaws and potato salad, both good and made fresh daily. They also plied me with John Folse products. If this place was not across town I would probable be there more. However be fore warned it inhabits the strip mall south of the Wal Mart and behind Starbucks. Parking is scarce. I fully intend on getting a couple of the bread and will report back on the blog.

Big L's

2011-05-23T18:26:00.000-07:00

OUT AND ABOUT
Big L’s Soul Food Hut
1109 13th St
Lake Charles LA
337-564-6619

Monday thru Friday 6 AM to 9 PM $1 to $9

In a space that started out as a tamale joint, this genuine hole in the wall deals out soulful plate lunches. They range from Beef Stew to Pig’s Feet & Tripe depending on what day you come in. While mainly take away there are three tables in front of the counter. They also do a few short order things and offer BBQ plates every day

First go round I opted for Liver and Onions, a favorite of mine. I received two nice slice of beef liver smothered in onion gravy along with yams, mustard green and cornbread. Sometimes mature beef liver can be tough but this had been cleaned properly then cooked correctly. I adored the fork tender texture with a nice liver flavor. The gravy stood out also. The greens proved a little too vinegary for me and the yams ranged from soft to hard. However the cornbread was like my mother use to make, a little on the sweet side. You can bet I loved that

Second time I went for the Oxtails. The flavor was beefy with some kick to it. The gravy followed this model also. While not exactly fall of the bone it was tender and made gnawing on the bone enjoyable. I am a bone gnawer from way back. Oxtail in my opinion is the third beefiest part of the animal with cheeks in first and heart in second. I went with the same sides and got the same result. They also have individual pies here. I got the sweet potato one which featured a crisp sweet dough crust along with sweet spice sweet potato filling, tasted perfect.

I branched out to the BBQ next. I ordered the Pork Steak. The sides include potato salad, beans, and dirty rice. They drizzled some excellent sauce on the excellent meat. It was not enough to drown the meat but compliment it. The meat itself was tender and smoked throughout. The potato salad and rice certainly met the common standard. The beans were soft and had an almost refried texture with nice flavor. I enjoyed ever bite of this dinner.

Last time was Wings & Red Beans. The size of the wings being on the smaller side offered an excellent ration of skin to meat. The crispy crust contained black pepper rather than the red pepper on most fried chicken in this area. This made for a different spicy flavor and one I liked. The beans were cooked but still a little firm for my personal taste. However the flavor and spice made up for this. A major contributor to this was the discs of sausage that they used for seasoning.

Come to this nice friendly place to get some good food and enjoy. I recommend it. Also not a bad thing, they are on the way back to my house from work.

O B's 1301 Ryan Street (337) 494-7336

2011-05-18T11:30:00.000-07:00

Another BB (Bargain Bee) deal. Recently they have been serving really decent food. The boudin balls below is an example. Quality boudin with right portion of shredded pork to cooked rice. It is has a nice thin flour coating and fried non greasy.
I opted the ribeye wrap with onion rings. Tender seared juicy meat with lettuce, tomato, and onions in a jalapeno cheddar tortilla. It was great and I ate every bite. The rings were ok but I have had better ones here. For some reason the flour coating was coming off. Still delicious however. While not a every day stop I still like to come in every once and awhile. I will continue to so as long the food is this good.

OB's

Siro's 920 West Pinhook Road Lafayette, LA 70503-2455 (337) 233-7476

2011-05-06T12:25:00.001-07:00

I recently made a run to Lafayette. I was cashing in some BB's at a couple of meat markets. So I decided to hit another BB for lunch. Below is the Shrimp Salad- Our unique shrimp salad with mayo, lettuce, tomato. I got it on a croissant and also some potato soup. Nothing remarkable. Small shrimp in a rather bland dressing. The soup was bland also and had large chunks of potato which is not my style.

To eat up the full value of the coupon I also got Spinach & Lump Crab Quiche. Rather than a slice you get an individual portion fresh. I like that concept. They had just baked then so mine was piping hot. I prefer room temp as the cooling process seems to enhance the flavor in my opinion. However it was very tasty. Rich with the custard, sweet with the crab meat and a nice spinach tang

While I would not seek this restaurant out again, it would make a nice stop if you are shopping in the oil center and need a nice quick lunch. The service was friendly and the atmosphere nice in this hole in the wall tucked into this raised building on Pinhook

Siro's

Whisk and Ladle 3301 Ryan Street, Lake Charles, LA 70601337-478-4336

2011-05-06T12:23:00.001-07:00

Again a BB. I made my order just before they stopped doing lunches. I was able to get a lunch sandwich tray and the dinner for one. Below is the salad that I got for both lunch and dinner. Nice mix of greens and grape tomatoes but I found the balsamic vinegar a bit acidic for me.
The French Onion with its cheese crouton was as good as any I have had. Nice deep broth with great onion flavor

The sandwich was basically a caprese salad on bread. The grape tomatoes wonderfully sweet and the fresh mozzarella a bit tangy all brought together by the pesto on some great focaccia bread. I loved it

The dinner had another container of salad. The entree was a braised pork steak with Gorgonzola potatoes. Not a hit. The pork was tough and chewy. The potatoes undercooked although the sauce was ok

The fruit dessert below was assorted berries with a big galump of brown sugar on top. Just plain disgusting

These people do not seem to cook to my taste so it is unlikely I will order from them again.

Whisk and Ladle

Big Al's 3669 5th Avenue, Lake Charles, LA 70607 (337) 478-0818 ‎

2011-05-05T12:00:00.001-07:00

I had not made a pass here for awhile but I had the envie for their fried chicken. When I pulled up I notice some menu additions and went with them. Below is the seafood combo. Catfish and shrimp. Both were well cooked and nice although I would have preferred separate batters. Both had a seasoned corn flour crust I have seen before. But as I said well cooked and delicious.
I always get the red beans and rice as a side. I do not know if they do it themselves or get a pre-fab product but it is always and creamy style like I love. I just wish they would change over from converted rice.

I am sorry to say the pecan pie had been hanging around for awhile and had turned rancid

I recently pass by and saw they were doing plate lunches. I will have to pull in and sample.

Big Al's

Leornard's 1708 Gertsner Memorial Dr (337) 494-0618

2011-04-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

Another BB. This one through the drive thru. I got the seafood combo which consists of fried catfish fillet, fried shrimp, shrimp etouffee, salad and garlic bread. The catfish and shrimp were perfect. The right coatings (cornmeal for fillet and flour for shrimp) and not greasy. I would not call it shrimp etouffee but I would call it delicious. It was more like a creamy shrimp piquant and I would eat it again. In fact I would eat this meal again and again. I now realize that I can get my perfect seafood dinner on my way home and not get out of the car. I just have to remember to call it in.
I got several other things to make the break point on the coupon. They included this great piece of cornbread

These less than perfect boudin balls. The crust was too thick and therefore a bit greasy

And an OK Sweet potato pie. I prefer the sweet potato cake that they have but they were out

Leonard's

Ox Tail

2011-04-25T15:58:00.001-07:00

I have gotten several Bargain Bee for local meat shops. At one I picked up some oxtail. I floured and seared them. They then went into the crock pot with dehydrated trinity and garlic and chicken broth to cover. They sat overnight on low. Below is the deboned meat over rice. Good eating.

Cajun Tales 501 N Adams S tWelsh, LA 70591 (337) 734-4772

2011-04-25T14:29:00.001-07:00

This is the meal served at the Louisiana Restaurant Association Southwest Chapter. I do not know if these are on the regular menu but if they are I suggest you get them. Below in the out of focus pic is a slaw that had nuts (pecans) and fruit. The dressing brought it together. These were set out on the table and I saw a few people getting another serving from empty seats. It was that good The main entree was a inch and half pork T-bone cooked to medium and just as tender, juicy, and flavorful a cut of meat that I have ever had. Sides were succotash, rice pilaf and a roll.
They were OK but the meat was divine. I love pork and have had many cuts but never this one and never cooked as perfectly as this one

Dessert was a Sysco summer favorite. It is a lemon mascarpone cake with berries. As wonderful as when I first tasted eight years ago. Light and refreshing

Cajun Tales

Fuji 3241 East Prien Lake Road (337) 480-3788

2011-04-19T12:08:00.001-07:00

I have been neglectful of the blog. I had a full plate at work and had other things at the house. Also a form of writer's block. Hopefully that is done with. I have a stack of unfinished posts ie pictures but no words. I plan to knock them out ASAP

I had a Bargain Bee for here. I am using them as an excuse to visit old places. Below is the Seafood Soup (Mussel, Shrimp, Crabmeat & Vegetables). It was quite lovely and to tell you the truth the best thing I had there. Fragrant broth with everything cooked just right
My favorite thing to to start off. Sweet Shrimp (Ema Ebi). Not so nice this time. Both the shrimp body and fried head has a slightly fishy taste as if they had been kept around too long
Next came Chirashi Chef's Choice of Assorted Fresh Fish Over Sushi Rice. I hated this presentation. One of the reason I get this dish is that it usually has an abundance of rice. Not this way. Since when is the rice more pricey than the fish. Pretty but I am not into pretty.

Not likely I will be returning unless for a social obligation

Fuji

Fausto's 173 N Hwy 171 Moss Bluff, LA 70611 (337) 855-2043

2011-04-16T10:10:00.000-07:00

Another BB(Bargain Bee) voucher. I have eaten at both the Moss Bluff and Iowa Fausto's over the years. I normally get burgers and seafood up at MB and Robbie Vandcour marvelous plate lunch in Iowa. For the first time I got the chicken. It made me sorry I had not tried it before because it is great. Except for the spicy skin it is exactly like the fried chicken my sister used to make. I had lots of chicken growing up but Mama never fried any. My sister when her boys were growing up fried chicken for them. I occasionally got to eat some and loved the simple flour crust. That how it is at Fausto's except for the kick in the crust. I am about to eat the last of it for lunch today. I love cold fried chicken and I expect this to be great

To eat up the rest of the voucher so to speak I got a Cajun Burger to eat there. Not as nice as the one I had there several years ago. You see I have a pet peeve about Cajun Burgers. Most I have encounter load it up with jalapeno slices and declare it is Cajun. Wrong in my opinion. That make it a Tejano burger. Texas is known for jalapeno and Louisiana for cayennne pepper and maybe tabasco. Years ago the Cajun here had a cayenne pepper sauce relish sorta like a chow chow. It made for an excellent burger. Now they pile on the jalapeno and douse it with a cayenne pepper sauce. Makes for a very sloppy burger. The person who made the relish must have moved on and took the recipe. Now I grant you that LC is close enough to Texas that some Jalapeno flavor should creep in but not on a "Cajun" burger. Other than that is was delicious burger. The griddled bun had a sweet note that went well with the spiciness. The patty itself was thick and juicy and cheese a welcome addition.

Fausto's Moss Bluff

2011-04-12T15:42:00.000-07:00

Swirl, Savor & Sip In The Crescent City This Summer! Three culinary festivals sure to satisfy every taste-bud this summer New Orleans, Louisiana – There are three delicious reasons to visit New Orleans - one of Travel + Leisure’s “America’s Favorite Cities”-- this summer. The 19th annual New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) kicks off summer with its five-day extravaganza May 24 – 28, 2011. Long sultry days are welcomed with an abundance of fresh Louisiana seafood at the 4th annual Louisiana Seafood Festival June 11 – 12, 2011. And the 9th anniversary event of Tales of the Cocktail is sure to raise the spirits of any summer-loving, food and spirit connoisseur July 20-24, 2011. The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is nationally recognized as one of the most prestigious festivals of its kind and features over 175 wineries, 1000 wines, dozens of international wine and food experts, and now continually raises over $125,000 annually for local charities. Grab your fork and corkscrew - the five-day bacchanalia is packed with extraordinary wine and food seminars, wine dinners at some of the cities most celebrated restaurants, one-of-a-kind wine tasting events, and two Grand Tastings. The popularity of NOWFE has grown so much over the past 19 years that many events sell-out. Event tickets and special hotel packages can now be reserved at www.nowfe.com. The Louisiana Seafood Festival takes place in the heart of New Orleans and celebrates the abundance of seafood that plays a tremendous part in the heritage and culture of the city. Festival attendees can feast on a variety of Louisiana seafood from alligator to oysters and everything in between. From the traditional Louisiana shrimp po’boy on fresh baked French bread to classic New Orleans favorites like crawfish étouffée. The event features local restaurants and local music within the atmosphere of the historic French Quarter. Louisiana leads the nation in production of both hard and soft-shell crabs, more than 90% of the nation’s crawfish come from Louisiana, 70% of the oysters harvested in the US are from Gulf waters, and 69% of the domestic, US shrimp are harvested from Gulf waters. Therefore, the Louisiana Seafood Promotion & Marketing Board knew there was no better place than New Orleans to enjoy a seafood festival. Tales of the Cocktail, an event produced by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, is an internationally acclaimed festival of cocktails, cuisine and culture held annually in New Orleans. The event brings together the best and brightest of the cocktail community—award-winning mixologists, authors, bartenders, chefs and designers—for a five-day celebration of the history and artistry of making drinks. Each year offers a Spirited Dinner® series, demos, tastings, competitions, seminars, book signings, tours and parties all perfectly paired with some of the best cocktails ever made. Special ticket packages are available now for a limited time only at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com. Press Release by Liz Bodet