The Chocolate Bar 1835 West Alabama Street, Houston - (713) 520-8599

This establishment product all feature chocolate from cakes to ice cream and everything in between. Our original thick and rich European Sipping Chocolate blended with ice, topped with fresh whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles. The greatest cool chocolate drink known to man and woman! Got without whipped cream. Not very sweet but lots of chocolate. I think I would like better hot. May have to drop by during winter
They have 20 different chocolate based ice creams. I choose Orange Sunrise and Cool de Menthe. Hard to tell apart color wises however flavor as different as night and day. Orange Sunrise was orange flavored with slivers of candied orange peel and Cool de Menthe was of course mint flavored

The Chocolate Bar

Michael's Cookie Jar near 5330 Weslayan St, Houston, TX 77005 (713) 771-8603

Cookie assortment for the room. Top row where cake like cookies cooked in a muffin top pan and iced. Dipped macaroon and a lemon bar. Second row pecan chocolate, three flavors of ruglach and macadamia peanut butter. Third remnants of a palmier,walnut chocolate chip, ginger cookie and brownie. Shortbread heart in center. Had a goupon of course. It was my birthday trip and I ate well in the room.

Michaels Cookie Jar

Fatboy & Skinnys 303 S. 5th St. Leesville, La. 71446 (337) 404-3933

About six months ago was an article about this establishment. I had occasion to go to Shreveport and for sentimental reason took Hwy 171 up and back. I stopped here to try it out. They offer two size burgers. A Fatboy with two 1/3 lb patties and a Skinny with one. The owners resemble the name of the restaurant. Skinny is the cook and he make a mean patty. Intensely charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. The "gimmick" is a selection of toppings for both burgers and hot dogs. One half of a Skinny (one 1/3 lb patty) with mayo, sauteed onions and cheddar cheese
The other half had sweet relish,mustard and hot sauce. Turn very nice. Patty had nice char but not over cooked. Nice and juicy
A third lb dog barely heated on griddle with mayo, mustard, onions, slaw and sauerkraut with pickled jalapenos. Did not care for it. Did not like the slaw or sauerkraut and dog could have charred more. I think a chili cheese dog would be alright
All in all a nice place to stop. It is in an old gas station on the north main drag right after it splits into a north side and south side with businesses and housing between them. If I have to head up that way again I will get that chili dog and report

Fatboy & Skinnys

The Wild Truffle 815 West Bayou Pines Drive Lake Charles, LA 70601 (337) 439-8364

In the past 5 years or so it has become a habit bordering on a tradition that I eat Christmas Eve at the Wild Truffle. I do not take pictures because it can disturb the other guests and it disturbs me. I have come to value this time to wind down from the year and just enjoy myself. Most other meals are work for me. However I am not adverse to sharing my meal with my readers.

Quail Brik with fire roasted peppers, sun-dried tomato, artichoke & scallions, wrapped in a thin pastry dough with soft cooked egg, pan seared crispy in olive oil and served with fresh lemon
Brik is traditionally a dish from north Africa (Moroccan) encased in filo dough. Chef Chetto did an excellent job. Nice and crispy with wonderful flavors with the yolk of the egg making an excellent sauce

Roasted Beet & Shaved Black Truffle warm chèvre and beet greens. In general I do not care for salads but I will eat any one Chef Chetto cares to offer. The earthiness of the beets, sharp notes of the goat cheese and slight bitterness of the greens made for an interesting combo. The most unusual and perhaps best tasting was one several years ago of citrus segments and a dressing of olive oil and the juices sprinkled with gold leaf

Roasted Goose black truffle mashed potato, chestnut stuffing, asparagus, cranberry sauce, natural jus. I have never had domestic goose before. It was juicy and a bit chewy. The earthy mashed potatoes shone with truffle taste. Chestnuts are very starchy and so was the dressing.


Gala Apple Tart Tatin with Vanilla Bean Gelato traditional caramelized upside down apple tart. I am afraid the caramel in my tart was burnt. The gelato was good however

The Wild Truffle

The Seafood Palace 2218 Enterprise Blvd, Lake Charles, LA 70601. Tel: (337) 433-9293.

Seem like there were a bunch of like minded people here Monday. I watched as bowl after bowl of gumbo made their way to the dining room. My usual accompaniment to my gumbo (fried oysters (some of the best in town)) was not available. So I went with a crab pistollette. What's not to like: fried bread and steaming hot spicy crab stew. Lovely

There it is. The best seafood gumbo in town bar none. Loaded with small shrimp (by far the tastiest if not overcooked) and shreds of crab meat. You do not need premium food products to make excellent gumbo. It is a poor man's meal made superior by the cook. The broth or juice (as our family called it) make the gumbo. Here it is rich and redolent of seafood with a dark thin nutty roux. Now the second thing that makes this the place for gumbo is that they bring the rice separate. I am sorry gumbo should not be eaten like rice and gravy. There should be more juice than rice. In fact if gumbo is made properly all the flavor is in the broth. I may add file or pepper vinegar later in the meal. These two things enhance the flavor in my opinion. I also will eat it with potato salad or a baked sweet potato (Opelousas style). Now if you poach some eggs in it I will always come to you.

Do you know how hard it is to take a picture of a steaming bowl of gumbo? This picture does it no justice

Isa's

OUT AND ABOUT
Isa’s
538 Alamo St
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5301
Monday thru Friday 11 AM to 7 PM $1 to $8

This cottage shop venue by the Latin Corner is owned by the same people. It serves a pan Caribbean cuisine that is strictly take-away. There are a few patio style chairs and tables just in back that allows you to eat there if the weather is good. They set up the menu in three basic sections. They consist of a daily plate lunch, stuff available every day including dessert, and drinks which include some unusual to us juices.

First time in was Parrillada (Friday). The plate consisted of Grilled Chicken and Beef with a potato/carrot salad and boiled cassava. Both meats were flavorful but not spicy the beef was a bit chewy. While unusual the potato salad did not suffer by having chunks of sweet carrots in it. The cassava was bland as I expected but an accompany sauce made it nice. I also got Pastelitos trio (small round fried flour turnovers) which about two bites each and very nice. I received one beef and two cheeses. I tried their Horchata (cinnamon flavored rice drink) and Cuarto Leches (four milk) cake which both proved excellent

Next time was Cerdo Horneado (Thursday). Baked pork loin slices topped with a finely chopped slightly sweet salsa. The plate also had saffron rice, fried green plantains and a carrot salad served over corn. The pork was tender and delicious with hints of citrus. The tostones tasted starchy as they should and the salad nice. I drank blackberry juice this time. I also got the empanada trio (chicken, beef, and cheese).
These possess a corn flour crust rather than wheat and are fried. Make for a crispy corny pocket holding wonderful fillings of beef and onion, chicken, and white cheese. This is about the third time I have encountered this variation and I am beginning to enjoy them immensely. The flan I got was very dense and the caramel burnt.

On Monday it is chef’s choice. Recently it was lentils (with a strong cumin aroma) and white rice with meatballs and fried ripe plantains on the side. The lentils cooked to perfection (still whole but meltingly soft) and the perfect rice combined well with the soft but flavorful meatballs (full of herbs) and the sweetness of the plantains. I got the rice pudding for dessert but it did not suit me as the rice was not totally cooked.
The sugarcane juice with lime tasted like a fine limeade.

Last time in I tried the Arepas. Similar to gorditas these thick corn cakes are split and filled with meat and cheese to form a kind of sandwich. The griddled one I ordered with pork and cheddar cheese. Here they come with lettuce, tomato and a slice of avocado. This one had a crust like a great corn tortilla (lusty but a little dry). The moist and flavorful chunks of tender pork made this one. The other arepas offered is made with the same dough as the empanadas and fried. I got this one with shredded beef and white cheese, whole different texture and taste. The frying brings out the corn flavor but in a different way than the griddled. I liked both but the fried one has a slight edge at this point. They offered guava juice that day and I thought I had died and gone to heaven as I love guava anything.

None of these dishes were really spicy but they carried great flavor. They may have sauces in the shop but I never went in. I called in my order and they were kind enough to bring it out to me. I can tell from the menu that some dishes are from different Latin countries. The owners are Venezuelan so I suspect they put some that influence in them. All I know the food is good and different. That is enough for me

Bakkhus Taverna Greek Restaurant & Bar, 605 6th St, Kemah 77565.

I was going to bundle this lunch and the Bailey's dinner for a review in the Lagniappe. But with the closing of the former, this was somewhat of an orphan. Really too small for print but just the right size for the blog. This establishment in Kemah features great food and atmosphere.

Below is Keftethes. Handmade beef meatballs topped with avgolomento (lemon sauce). Very tender and redolent of oregano, the sauce added a rich (it has eggs in it) citrus kick that made this the perfect lead into the next dish

That dish was Greek Bar Trash. It was an amalgamation of Octopus, Kalamari, Shrimp, and Scallops all grilled and brushed with seasoned olive oil then finished with fresh lemon.
Served with fresh toasted bread. This was excellent and its size make it perfect for a one person meal or appetizer for four or more. Except the octopus body the tail on shrimp, squid bodies & tentacles, scallops and octopus tentacle were tender. All were infused the with olive oil, lemon and oregano grilling sauce. Oopah

I ended up with Galaktoboureko. Homemade Greek custard baked in a flaky crust then drizzled
with honey syrup and dusted with powdered sugar. What I got was the custard in a crepe. Still very sweet and good

Being on the east side of Houston the trip here is less than two hours. It seems to be a fun place with lots of shopping in the town. Just make sure you eat here. They have an extensive menu here at Bakkhus Taverna

Bailey's American Grille

Another one that ain't there anymore. Not my fault. It had excellent food and was packed when I went there a month before it closed. It was a family owned and run establishment. From some newspaper articles I ran across it seemed that one family member had been skimming and neglecting to pay vendors and employees. Strangely the same article talked about a new establishment to be opened in Kemah in the future.

Below is the bread plate with whipped butter in the center surrounded by french bread slices and a yeast roll with sun dried tomato in it.

I followed that with Texas “Tornadoes”. Beef Tenderloin Bites topped with Roasted Jalapeno Goat Cheese and Jumbo Lump Crab with Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce. Served with Smoked Tomato Relish. The photo is a bit washed out. A chance you run using a flash in a dark restaurant. However the flavor was not washed out. Nice combination of beefy, spicy,tart, sweet and smoky.

I always like to taste the gumbo especially in southeast Texas. Most times they are a disappointment but this Filé Gumbo with Shrimp, Crab, Andouille Sausage, Dark Roux was as good as I have ever tasted. You can see the richness from the pic.

The Texas Tomato Salad was a flop. It supposedly consisted of Homegrown Vine-Ripened Tomatoes, Shaved 1015 Yellow Onions,Goat Cheese and Saba Dressing (whatever that is). While the salad components and dressing were good the tomatoes were not ripe.

For my entree I ordered pan sauteed red snapper fillet topped with crabmeat with a lobster vanilla cream sauce with andouille risotto

The fillet was cooked perfectly, crisp skin and succulent moist flesh. The lump crab topping was good. The sauce made all the difference. It tied the savory of the fish and sweetness of the crab together. The risotto was wonderful to my surprise. Usually it is cooked Italian style (undercooked as far as I am concerned) or overcooked which makes it really mushy. This was right in the middle

For dessert it was brown sugar cake with spiced blueberry compote

Nice light cake with brown sugar flavor that went well with the blueberries flavored with cinnamon and cloves

Ain't I a stinker. Tempting you again with food you can not get now. Such is life

Denny's 928 hwy 146 south, la porte texas 281-867-0030

I was spending the night next to this Denny's. It did not seem like the usual one. The facade was all chrome colored and the outline was like 50's diner car. Intrigued I went to breakfast. The menu seemed like the regular one but the floor space about half. This being Texas they had a special menu for that. Ribeye Migas with grits was one of those options. Standard scrambled eggs and fried tortilla strips bumped up with avocado cubes and pieces of ribeye steak. It was great. I have been on the lookout for these new concepts but have yet to see on other than this one.

Cochon Butcher 930 Tchoupitoulas Street New Orleans, LA 70130 - (504) 588-2123

I went in to New Orleans earlier this year. While I will combine two stops into one review this one was a bit small for a full review. However I did not want it to be sweep under the carpet. This operation is a combo butcher/deli shop/ sandwich place. One of the things I bought to bring home was the Sweet Potato Habanero Sauce. It is wonderful with a heat level about super jalapeno with lots of fruit notes. I fell in love with it and was able to get a few bottles through connections. They sell only at the store. I look forward to when the Lafayette site opens so it is only 60 miles to get it.

On the wooded platter is charcuterie course. These are becoming very popular in New Orleans. Some restaurants use commercial or artisan offering. Places like Cochon make and cure their own. From left to right clockwise are Braesola (an air dried beef), green olives, Cochon mustard (grain mustard made with Abita Amber beer), soppersetta (dry cured salami that is usually spicy), cotto salami (a less dry sausage with mild taste), duck rilletes (a sort of pate made with cooked duck meat mixed with the fat of the cooking and chopped fine). All were excellent with their own nuances. I loved the dry beef along with the rillettes best.

Also popular in New Orleans are cheese boards or trays. The majority are composed of cheeses from a new cheese shop in the city, St James Cheese Company. Below from left to right are pickled mirleton (made in house), green olives, toasted baguette slices Rouge River Blue (US cows milk) , Selles sur cher (French goats milk), La Welsho (French cows milk). It is customary for cheese trays to have some form of pickled vegetable. I am such a neophyte with cheese I can only say I liked them but not why.

I also had a sandwich with a processed and cured meat that is a little unusual. GLT Guanciale (cured and smoked hog jowl) lettuce and tomato. I have liked hog jowl for a long time. Way before it became the darling of the gourmet world it was popular for country cooking because it used a portion of the hog that was not that popular. I've bought mine from Burger's Smokehouse for the last ten or fifteen years.
Definitely a place to visit when in the city. Cochon the restaurant is just around the corner. Eat there and take something home from here.


http://www.cochonbutcher.com/

The Foundation House

This falls in the realm "Ain't there no more". I noticed the signs at the Foundation House blues club on north Enterprise Blvd at the beginning of the summer. There never seem to be any cars there at lunch. I called to be sure they were open. Both times I went there were no other customers either there or picking up. First time in.

Smothered turkey wings and necks, corn, cabbage, rice & gravy, sweet potatoes, corn bread. Two necks and third joint (tasty but not a lot of meat), sweet potatoes right out of can, cabbage good but spicy, same with corn, cornbread very sweet. There was always plenty of food but some of it was way too hot for me.
Second round was smothered pork chop (tender), okra and tomatoes (super hot) and green beans with a roll and rice. Again lots of food good flavor profiles and lots of spice.

There never was a third time. I got caught up in something I remember not By the time I was able to go back the signs were down and no one pick up the phone at lunch. So I now get to torment you my readers with what might have been.

Chili's 317 S Cities Service Hwy Sulphur, LA 70663-6405 337-625-3837

I like Chili's for certain things. Especially if I have a coupon as I had for this. Below is a new item as least for me. SWEET CORN SOUP Topped with corn and green onions. A great vegetarian option. It was lovely. Corny, sweet, and toothsome with a nice taste. I especially love the burgers here with the triple thick bacon. Below is the SOUTHERN SMOKEHOUSE BACON BURGER With maple bacon, smoked cheddar, mayo, crispy onion strings and ancho-chile BBQ sauce. If you can get your mouth around it the various flavors and textures are great. The burger is moist and flavorful. The bacon meaty with a nice smokiness along with the cheddar.
Now the reason for going there. A coupon for a BROWNIE SUNDAE Warm, rich chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. In general I do not like most restaurant's habit of putting ice cream on every dessert. However if it is an essential part I do not mind. This one called for it. Rich thick warm chocolate brownie with warm fudge. The melting just made that much better which it was intended to do

Nowfe

Press Release that I got a couple days ago.


Tickets for the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience are on sale now.
The five-day bacchanalia, which will take place May 24 – 28, 2011, will feature dozens of nationally recognized local chefs and highlight the region's many indigenous ingredients. Thousands of wines and champagnes from over 175 wineries will be paired with food from more than 75 restaurants at various events throughout the extravaganza.



Featured events of the 2011 schedule include:
Effervescence Everyday
Discover world-class sparkling wines made in the Champagne method and see how they match up.

Eat, Stay, Love
Join local chefs as they prepare culinary delights from their unique restaurants that just happen to be situated in hotels. The lovin' is up to you.

Kindred Ingredients
Louisiana Crawfish and Rice seminar presented by Chef Donald Link (Cochon, Herbsaint, Cochon Butcher)

Honing your Craft
Forever change the way you think about serving and enjoying craft beer presented by Spiegelau & local brewmasters.

Bubbly Personalities
A comparison look at the Champagne House's personal style and some of the vintages they have created.



Visit NOWFE on Facebook


The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience is a non-profit organization. Proceeds from the 2010 event benefited the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation, The University of New Orleans, School of Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Program, The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation's ProStart Program, The John Fol se Culinary Institute, Delgado Culinary Arts School, Cancer Crusaders, Girls First, New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (NOCCA), Southern Animal Foundation (SAF), Coach Sean Payton's Play It Forward Foundation, and Fore!Kids Foundation.

Jackson's Deli

OUT AND ABOUT

Jackson Deli
3607 Legion St
in the Exxon Station
Lake Charles LA
337-513-9987


Monday thru Friday 5 AM to 2 PM $2 to $6.50


Sometimes the best food comes from the most unlikely places. This place used to serve only fried food and now it does not even have a single fryer. It now serves great tasting relatively health food and uses as much locally sourced product it can. That is because the man behind it believes in such things. I worked with him and can attest to his desire to go local and also the skill he brings to his kitchen to assure that the food you get will taste fantastic. If you go in the venue, you too will feel the warmth and enthusiasm of him and his co-workers. It makes for a friendly atmosphere to pick up your order or eat it there. There are just a few tables in the space but I tend to want to eat at an establishment if I can rather than take it away. Sitting there I can feel the friendly give and take between the people on both sides of the counter. All are treated with respect. These days there are lots of customers because they have heard of this fabulous place from their co-workers and friends, nothing like word of mouth to build a faithful clientele.

My first meal exemplified many of the attributes here. A pork shoulder roast had been braised until plastic fork tender and flavorful. I received a substantial hunk and was well pleased. Some grilled vegetables along with Kurk Unkl’s special rice accompanied it. A great example of a local source, this rice is nationally known but locally grown. You can pick it up at the Cash and Carry Farmer’s Market on Tuesdays. One rather nippy day I went with the spicy tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwich. The soup was delicious with just the right level of spice. Not enough to kill your taste bud but enough to make you sit up and notice. The grilled cheese on a hoagie bun held three different cheeses. Another day it was the Parmesan Chicken Sandwich. The in house breaded chicken breast pieces pan sautéed then layered on a hoagie with a made from scratch tomato sauce topped with mozzarella and parmesan cheese prove exquisite. I savored every bite wishing for more when I finished. I got a lagniappe of garlic sautéed green beans with it, great. Also some where down the line I got a gratis serving of baked Mac & Cheese which was lovely. There are no leftovers here. Everything is made fresh each morning.

They do a breakfast trade also consisting of croissant and biscuit sandwiches along with breakfast burritos. They also do the standard stuff along with an unusual thing, breakfast pizza. I went for this. It is a mini pizza on standard dough topped with parmesan cheese sauce, sausage, potatoes, eggs and cheese. I loved it, both nutritious and tasty. I also got a side of grits. I can tell a lot about a place by their grits. These proved exceptional, cooked from scratch and finished off with cheese and a bit spicy. Just the way I love it.

They offer Breakfast, Fresh Salads and Sandwiches along with a daily special plate and sandwich. Well worth the trouble to seek them out. Nice place for grabbing a lunch to go.

Rosita's 2401 East Napoleon Street Sulphur, LA 70663-3702 (337) 533-9077

My traditional starter here. Probably one of the few things that is just enough for one person. They seem to be adding things to it. I loved it as just mayo and limed shrimp but now it has avocado, sour cream, and salsa made with serrano peppers. Therefore it is a little more spice. I like spice but not particularly in this. Will have to ask them them to hold the salsa. Otherwise it is just perfect especially the amount. A 4 or 5 bite appetizer to stimulate the appetite

Here is their menudo. The broth looks angry and spicy but it is actually pretty mild. I put the roasted tomatillo sauce in it to give it a kick. This one had pork shank bones, honeycomb tripe, another stomach tripe and posole. I enjoyed it to the very last drop. I cannot explain my liking for this except I have a love of certain textures that both the Chinese and Mexican people like and cook.

Here are the accompaniments. I usually use all the onion and lime and just part of the raw jalapeno along with only a little cilantro. This is the large and cost $9. A deal in my opinion. I got up well sated.

Jackson Deli 3607 Legion St in the Exxon Station Lake Charles LA 337-513-9987

This is a post review breakfast at Jacksons. The review with pictures will be up in a few days. This is their standard egg breakfast. I go eggs scrambled, bacon, toast and home fries. Everything was fresh and cooked to order. The home fries with sauteed with onions and peppers were very good. No frozen hash browns here.

Daigles Sausage Kitchen 726 East Russell Avenue, Welsh LA 70591-4844

I fondly call this place 20 mile cafe. It is one of my favorite places if not the favorite place I like to eat at. The reason is that it is fantastic SW LA home cooking. It puts me in mind of my dear mother's (may her soul be at peace) cooking. I may not go often any more but it is great when I do. I got some smoked boudin for home. He puts a nice heavy smoke and the casing is crisp enough to eat. I do love a heavy smoke on anything. I ate it like a ravenous dog.
The reason I went. Crab and Shrimp Gumbo with poached eggs. Little evidence of crab except in the broth which is fine with me. For me the broth makes the gumbo. If done properly all the goodness is there and you need nothing but the juice and rice. However the shrimp and egg were a nice addition and cooked to perfection. Rice just OK

You get two sides. I opted for a sweet potato casserole which was quite delicious

and the potato salad. A semi mashed potato style with chopped boiled eggs and mayo.

Next time I may ask them to 86 the rice and I will eat it with the potato salad and sweet potato. Around Opelousas they eat gumbo with a spoon in one hand and a baked sweet potato in the other.

Popeyes

I love this time of year because they do crawfish. I think the fried ones are good especially with the horseradish sauce. Obviously I would buy it again but not often.
I also think the etouffee is not too bad except for the cardboard rice. I generally eat the crawfish and sauce with as little rice as possible.

Dominios

Since my main objection to the pasta in the bread bowl was the lousy bread and since they have switch to a better dough (at least in my opinion) I decided to try it again. This time it was decent but still had a few problems. Too much dough in this case. I did like the pasta so I think next time I might just try it without the bread bowl

Booda's Bistro 345 Broad Street Lake Charles, LA 70601-4223 - (337) 564-5402

Went there for Sunday brunch. They offer the whole menu with a few specials. Eggs Benedict and Shrimp & Grits which seems to be the hot idea for brunch around here recently. In this part of La it should Grillades and Grits. Shrimp and grits is basically low country (Gullah) food. The low country in question is the Carolina coast. Gullah is their version of Creole food in the broadest sense.

Below is Joe's version. Four 10-15 boiled shrimp folded into a cheese sauce with onions, bell pepper and mushrooms atop a boat of white grits. Very rich and very filling but to tell you the truth I would rather have smaller shrimp that had been cooked in the sauce. Still not bad for the price.

Pho Tien 4415 Nelson Rd Lake Charles, LA 70605-4135 (337) 477-8556

It has been awhile since I have eaten but it is still one of my favorites. I started off as I usually start off with steamed dumplings. Both the dumplings and dipping sauce seem different. I am not too sure I care for them.
I got one of the pho. I ordered meatball and soon regretted it. They were like rubber balls although the soup and noodles were great. I had never had the meatballs so I was game for them. The add in which I use all except the raw jalapenos. I just cannot go that route

I also got a banh mi. Basically a po boy type sandwich. I got the grilled pork. While the meat was great what make this sandwich is the pickled vegetables (carrot and daikon) along with the crusty bread. I wish they made the version that has pate and pork meatballs. Can't have everything so enjoy what you have.

Brick House

Last month the local LRA (Louisiana Restaurant Association) meeting was held at the Brick House. As usual it was served buffet style. As usual someone at the table kindly bought me a little something. Below is a salad with two dressing ranch and thousand islands.
They had ham, roasted potatoes and green beans. The ham was a really good one with lots of ham flavor and a crusty exterior. I think they put a mustard glaze on it. The green beans were their standard of bacon and brown sugar. A real indulgence. Potatoes were ok as well

This may look like ordinary bread pudding but I could tell the difference the second I put in my mouth. It was made with donuts rather than bread. That gave it a light ethereal texture with enough sugar to instantly rot you teeth or in my case a diabetic coma. The Irish whiskey cream sauce was not to bad either.

I have eaten at The Brick House Catering operation several times. They generally do an excellent job except for the food always seem to be room temperature or cooler. I suspect that just the size of the place is responsible for this. I must say this is not a minus for me. Warm is my preferred temp with super hot a turn off

Meat Markets

I am doing something out of the ordinary for me. I will be doing a comparison of two local meat markets item to item

Sonnier’s
1224 North Simmons
Lake Charles LA
337-564-4137


Monday to Friday 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Saturday 10:30 AM to 3:30 PM


The boudin here I consider excellent. It has all the characteristics I prefer. Well cooked rice without being mushy and almost equal portions of shredded pork. They also put green onions in it. The mild has a nice gentle heat to it. Nothing mouth searing but pleasant warmth. My former go to boudin place was in Iowa. This one is a lot closer and just as good. The smoked boudin here is excellent also. It possesses a light smoky flavor that does not overpower the rice and meat. The slow smoke also dries the rice mixture just a bit. I like boudins that are bit drier. The casing became nice and snappy without being too tough

I have never encountered the style of head cheese they do here. It seems to be finely ground with parsley and green onion. They put just enough gelatin to hold it together without being rubbery. The consistency is that of a pate terrine. It possesses all the wonderful flavor of the meats and such that is on and in a hog’s head, just my speed. I will be getting it again. The green onion sausage is lightly smoked and well dried. It has chunks of meat and fat. It would make a great gumbo.

I have just touched the surface of this shop. It offers both processed meat and raw cuts of all kinds. With the friendly staff it is well worth the trip.




Roy’s
4313 Common Street
Lake Charles LA
337-564-5705


Monday to Friday 7:00 AM to 5:30 PM
Saturday 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM


The boudin here has many qualities that I consider good. Well cooked rice, shredded pork, and nice spice. However it is way too wet (read mushy) for my taste. If you like your boudin like this this is the place for you. The smoked boudin has been highly smoked to the point that the casing is hard to bite though. Even then the rice mixture is too wet for me. The head cheese, a more standard type, with its bigger chunks of meat and such proved a failure with me. It had a strong vinegar tang and an off putting smell. I did not care for it at all. I could not get just a link of green onion sausage here so I went with the all pork. The meat was finely ground like a hot link sausage. It had good smoked flavor and I would not hesitate to BBQ it.

One thing they have here that I did not see at the other place is a plate lunch. That day it was Pork Steak, gravy, rice, macaroni salad and corn. While the meat was tender if they would have braised it more it would have been fall-off-bone tender. The sides were as good as you get these days. The rice and gravy proved outstanding. If you are in the neighborhood, it is worth a visit for an inexpensive and tasty lunch. They also have a vast array of processed and raw cuts of meats including goat,

Donald Link

Chef Donald Link Cooks on Delish.com

Chef Donald Link and his producing partner Francis James of Perception Films are proud to announce the launch of “Taste of Place,” a new 48-episode original MSN Video series that will examine the connection between fresh, local ingredients and the people connected to the land and waters that produce them. Working in partnership with Delish.com a top 10 online food destination operated jointly by Hearst Magazines Digital Media and MSN, the “Taste of Place” series is now available on Delish.com at tasteofplace.msn.com. “Taste of Place,” will take viewers on a tour across the country to visit local ranchers and farmers, artisan bread makers, fisherman – people who understand that “place makes the taste.”

Chef Link kicks off the first episode in California on a tour of the BN Ranch, where he and owner Bill Niman discuss how raising free-range turkeys produces a more natural product with more flavor. The second episode features Hanzell Winery, where Chef Link delves into the winery from grape to bottle, and talks with winemaker Michael McNeill about how environment creates the perfect wine for Link’s Thanksgiving me Received from Liz Goliwas-Bodet

Red Onion Seafood & Mas

ABOUT AND BEYOND

Red Onion Seafood & Mas
12041 Northwest Freeway (Hwy 290)
Houston, TX
713-957-2232
www.caferedonion.com

I love ceviche. This establishment on the northwest side of Houston specializes in them. For lunch they offer 13 different ones. They also have a full menu to boot. But I was there for the ceviche. They have a deal called Red Onion Ceviche which lets you choose five of the thirteen. I went with that

Instead of tortilla chips and salsa they bring plantain chips cut lengthwise sprinkled with chile sauce. This is a nice change. Since they do this with unripe ones they were more starchy than sweet. The chile sauce really helped make this special. You also get a different sort of bread plate. The rolls are made with coconut milk and coconut meat. Instead of butter they come with a bowl of red pepper jelly and a bowl of sour cream with herbs. The slightly sweet rolls play well with the sweet/spicy jelly and the tangy sour cream.

The ceviche came out as five scoops on a skinny oval platter normally used for serving a side of cured salmon. Sesame Tiradito Lettuce Wrap was snapper in a sour orange marinade with red onions, cilantro and tomatoes. Placed in a lettuce leaf you ate it like a taco. I found it tasty and not too tart. El Coco Loco with fresh yellowfin tuna in pineapple, coconut milk and spearmint proved my least favorite. The tuna was too dense and chewy. Ceviche Mixto had octopus, flounder and shrimp tossed in a Peruvian marinade (mostly lime) with choclo (giant corn kernels), diced sweet potato, and red onion. The varying consistency in texture (soft, chewy, crispy, sweet) made this the most intriguing. Mango Salmon tossed with olive oil, grapefruit juice, mango and red onion became my favorite because of the rich oily salmon, definitely a keeper. Caribbean Ceviche with its tilapia, red onion, and diced tomato marinated in lemon, lime, and grapefruit juice was also a winner with the tilapia soaking up all the flavors. Plantain chips for putting the ceviche on and Chinese soup spoons of hot sauce completed the dish. I was highly pleased and full.

I finished off with an excellent Tres Leches cake, sweet and moist. The rest of the menu is very tempting but I had ceviche on the mind. I would however recommend this venue for people seeking a taste of the Lain cuisine of Central and north South America along with the Caribbean.

Harry's Chuckwagon

OUT AND ABOUT

Harry’s Chuck Wagon
2555 Hwy 171
Moss Bluff LA
337-217-0106


Seven days a week 11 AM to 11PM $1.50 to $13


This venue is a truck stop/casino restaurant. It has seen several names. It was the Cadillac Ranch for awhile. I stopped in to check it out. It offers enough stuff to rate a review plus I found out I know the proprietor. The former owner of Chuckwagon BBQ he showed me quality product there. They offer plate lunches Monday thru Friday. The same exact ones he offered at his previous venue so I know they are good.

First time in I ordered the Shrimp and Crab Gumbo and a Hamburger. While the gumbo was a bit thick for my tastes it held good flavor and the rice was decent. You get potato salad and a fried pistollete with it. Unfortunately the potato salad was so sour (I think they use the vinegar from the dill pickles) that I did not care for it. The pistollete was excellent, warm and non -greasy. I added bacon and cheese to the burger and got onion rings as the side. It would have been great except the patty was dry and chewy from being overcooked. However the onion rings made my day. Thick cut with a light flour coating they were perfectly cooked. Everything an onion ring should be. I ended with a pie crust topped peach cobbler which was decent.

Second round I went with Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. Thin dark broth with shredded chicken and rounds of a nice sausage proved excellent. This I could eat this again and again, potato salad still too sour for me. I ordered the Catfish and Shrimp Combo with fries. While the shrimp sported a corn flour coating (not my favorite) they were well cooked (in other words not overcooked) and tasty. The catfish fillets slathered with yellow mustard and coated with coarse corn meal stood out. Just the way I love it. The fries were not too bad also. However the nasty beyond words Cinnamon Roll killed the buzz of joy.

Last time in I got the excellent Beef Vegetable Soup. Tender melt in your mouth chunks of beef in a tomato broth with all kinds of vegetables. Again something I would eat time and time again. I then went for the Half Rack of Ribs. While the rack was OK it was no where as good as when he ran the BBQ place (no smoke). I should have known when it came out smothered in BBQ sauce. What BBQ people do when they know the meat is not great. I liked the sauce though. It was extremely sweet at first but finished off with a moderate spicy note. Ok but not what I was expecting. I had not noticed his mobile pit around which should have been a dead give away. The onion rings that I got met the previous batch. I finished up with in-house banana pudding that on previous occasions never was available. It turned out to be very good.

This is a laid back place with a friendly and efficient server/host. A steady flow of customers indicate the countryside is taking note of this inexpensive but good eatery. A convenient stop if you are heading north or south on 171.

Abes Tamales?

Going home I pass by the former Abe's grocery on Hwy 14 virtually every day. Yesterday I noticed there was a Coca Cola sign saying Abe's Tamales. I break for tamales. Unfortunately they were Mickey Brown's tamales. Did not like them. They had a stone ground cornmeal outer layer and a nasty tasting interior. They kept repeating on me all night. The nasty taste I think was an over abundance of cumin. The good news is that part of the Abe's building is still inhabited by Abe's cashing checks and selling things like boudin, Tony Chachere frozen goods produce here in LC by Abe's, and two of my favorite brands of pie (Mrs Johnny's and Cajun out of Lafayette). Reason enough to stop in every once and awhile

Poblano Pie

Lets face it I am lazy and generally like easy recipes. Below is a Bisquick impossible pie which are about the easiest to make. This one uses canned whole green peppers as the crust with a quiche like filling of bisquick, cheese, eggs, and milk. I have added some Mrs Renfro's peach salsa to the top. Was not half bad and I will make it again but add some sauteed onions and bacon to the filling.