Toga Grill

Been awhile so I swung by to check the quality. Still up to par. Below looks like a scoop of ice cream but it is a falafel covered in spicy yogurt sauce with a slice of tomato, pickle, and pickled radish. Jamal was handing these out Wednesday if he felt you had been waiting awhile for your food. In other words I was not the only one to get this treat and it was a treat.
I ordered the Kefta Kabob plate. Kefta is ground meat traditionally lamb but probably beef here. It seasoned up with spices and vegetables and formed around a flat skewer. Grilled to perfection and taken off for service. Along with these tender and juicy tubes of meat I got Lebanese potatoes, hummus, pickles, taboulleh, and lentil/rice with yogurt sauce. All of it was as I remember. What makes this food standout it is made fresh daily from the owner's family recipes. Somethings might not be made yet just go on to the next thing because it is all good.

A whole pita bread cut in triangles came with the plate

I got a mamul which is a filled cookie. This one was filled with dates. The crust was like a sugar cookie. It was great with my complimentary Turkish coffee.

Jamal also wanted me to taste the baklava. This is the one made with phyllo dough. He makes another one that is a family recipe with semolina flour. The one below was walnut and as good as I have ever had.

Wine Dinners at Besh Restaurants

April Showers of Wine

Besh Restaurant Group Presents Three Wine Dinners in April


April showers are bringing notes of black cherries, soft bouquets, and great finishes to August and La Provence! Sommelier Michelle Gueydan of Besh Restaurant Group will gather oenophiles for three food and wine dinners this April.



Weygandt Wines

Wednesday, April 7, 2010; 6 pm at La Provence

$85 per person, all inclusive


Renowned importer, Peter Weygandt, will hand-select and present French wines from his celebrated artisanal and “boutique” wine portfolio to accompany a four-course spring menu collaboration between chef John Besh and his “Chef to Watch,” Erick Loos, highlighting ingredients from the farm at La Provence. Peter Weygandt is known both nationally and internationally for his selections and has been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times and Food & Wine Magazine.



Silver Oak Cellars

Thursday, April 8, 2010; 6 pm at August

$150 per person, all inclusive


“Life is a Cabernet” for Silver Oak Cellars winemaker, Daniel Baron, who will present the vineyard’s 2005 Alexander and Napa Cabernets as well as selections from Twomey Cellars paired with a five-course menu prepared by chef John Besh and sous chef, Mike Gulotta. The 2005 Alexander Valley Cabernet is full bodied, yet refined with a nose of black cherry, clove, cinnamon, lavender, and licorice making it seamless on the palate with a solid core of berry fruit, while the 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet boasts a complex nose of boysenberry, truffles, wild game, soy and black pepper presenting a silky mouth feel and elegant, long finish with slight tannic grip. A former board member for the American Society for Enology, Daniel Baron has been making wine with Duncan family wineries for more than 15 years after previous experience with Dominus in NapaValley and Petrus in Bordeaux, France.



Jordan Vineyard & Winery

Tuesday, April 27, 2010; 6 pm at August

$125 per person, all inclusive


Winemaker Rob Davis will pair a vertical tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon in vintages from 2002-2004, along with J Sparkling and Jordan Chardonnay with a five-course menu prepared by chef John Besh and sous chef, Mike Gulotta. The 2002 varietal begins with flavors of cassis, black cherry, cedar and leather, while the 2003 varietal carries notes of black cherry with a hint of blueberry and a nice mid-weight of oak and fruit tannin, and the 2004 varietal captures the flavors of cherry, raspberry, blueberry, plum, cassis, and spicy American Oak with an herbal backdrop to finish. Davis began his winemaking career in 1976, working hand-in-hand with famed winemaker André Tchelistcheff during Jordan Vineyard’s first harvest.



For reservations, please contact Christy Bradley, 504-299-9777, extension 304.



August – 301 Tchoupitoulas Street New Orleans, LA 70130 – www.restaurantaugust.com

La Provence – 25020 Highway 190 Lacombe, LA70445 – www.laprovencerestaurant.com


From Simone Rathle

Phares

ABOUT AND BEYOND

Phares
3502 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy
Lafayette LA
337-504-3002
www.pharesrestaurant.com

Tuesday to Friday 4PM to 10PM $2 to $25

Someone in the Lafayette area e-mails me when they discover a venue that they think worthy of my attention. This establishment is one of them. I have to agree. Situated just past Johnston St it occupies a former Italian restaurant. The centerpiece here is the brick oven left by the former owners which the current owners put to good use. They use it to finish baking the house bread. Sprinkling it with parmesan and slathering butter on, you get straight from the oven. It also sees duty roasting oysters.

On the first trip I got some Fire Roasted Oysters from it. They come to the table sizzling with butter, garlic and parmesan. Cooked to perfection they were still juicy complemented by the saltiness of the parmesan. The house bread proved handy to soak up the juices. The Seafood Gumbo proved delicious with a medium roux and a load of protein (four crab fingers, three oysters and four medium shrimp) in just a cup. This go round I went with the Softshell Crab Explosion. They start with a base of eggplant crab dressing. Then a split deep fried crab is set on it forming a valley that they fill with sauteed lump crabmeat. All these elements make for a delightful dish. Sweet and crunchy softshell, buttery and sweet crabmeat and the underlying spicy dressing with great eggplant flavor. Planked potatoes and grilled vegetables accompanied it. I cannot recommend the Chocolate Beignets. Mine proved to a rock solid piece of fried dough with a chocolate center and smothered in chocolate sauce. Talk about a sinker.

A recent second visit I started with rich but light Crab and Corn Bisque. Excellent broth not killed by adding heavy whipping cream just a bit of dairy. I followed that with Phares Oysters. Fried oysters sitting on top of a kind of spinach and artichoke dip served with tortilla chips. The crispy fried oysters played well against the creamy and cheesy flavor of the vegetables. The Fried Eggplant with Cajun Remoulade also proved excellent. They slice the eggplant lengthwise and then into huge sticks. They were not greasy and full of creamy eggplant flavor. The sauce accentuated that. Last but not least and the reason my informant loves this place, raw oysters. These were a bit on the small size but plump and juicy with a nice briny component. I declined the side condiments as I truly like the flavor of oyster and don’t want it hindered. I did not risk the beignet again but went with the bread pudding. It appeared at the table topped with thick pecan streusel and berries in a buttery rum sauce. My first thought was “a repeat of last time”. However after scraping off the entire gunk, the bread pudding proved ethereal, thick, light, and custardy. They got it perfect. Why do people persist on trying to make it more perfect? Beyond my comprehension. Despite my personal dessert problems this is a lovely restaurant with great service and even better food. Don’t hesitate to go there.

http://tinyurl.com/yb5246a

Daigle Sausage

OUT AND ABOUT
Daigle Sausage Kitchen
726 East Russell Ave (Hwy 90)
Welsh, LA
337-734-2500
www.daiglessausagekitchencom

Monday to Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM $1 to $10


This is now my favorite plate lunch place. Albeit 20 miles away but worth the jaunt. It features good Southwest LA country cooking. They also use ingredients you seldom see elsewhere. It is situated on Hwy 90 south of Welsh on the east side of town. Just a cinderblock building, it’s small but homey dinning area feels like your grandmother's kitchen. After entering go left. A display case features meats and sausage. At the end is where you get the plate lunches. The nice thing about this place is the menu rotates around a bit so you seldom have the same thing on the same day. They post the week’s menu on the website so you know when to come in to get your favorite

One thing they offer every week is Beef Tongue. You get the entree and two sides of your choice. With my tongue I received gravy and rice. I choose red beans and sausage and yams. The tongue was exceedingly tender and beefy with gravy to match. Almost as good as my mother use to make. The sweet potatoes looked to be fresh from the field and the beans and sausage tasty with just the right spice.

Second time in I got Shrimp Casserole, Macaroni Salad and Corn. The shrimp dish proved to be shrimp and rice with good seasoning blend. A little moist for my taste however the great shrimp favor and spiciness made it easy to consume. The corn was a great smother down job. The unusual to me macaroni salad was simply mayonnaise with chopped hard-boiled eggs. Next time it was Bouie or Debris as some call it. A mixture of internal organs my mother made many times. I got smothered okra with tomatoes (another favorite my mother made) and applesauce crunch cake. While for the most part very flavorful some of the pieces of protein were a little large and seemed under cooked. However you could not beat it overall. The tasty okra and the sweet cake made a great meal

The last time in but certainly not the last time I will visit I came for the Shrimp Stew with Egg, potato salad and strawberry cake. Most shrimp stews and gumbo I have encountered will have hard-boiled eggs plopped into them. These people like my mother slide raw eggs in and poach them in the gravy. It was like I was back home in the kitchen enjoying this with my mother puttering around the house. The potato salad was mashed potato style and the cake white with strawberry jelly and cooked down strawberries

Don‘t worry they do normal plate lunches also along with short order items such as hamburger, corn dogs, etc. I also bought boudin, smoked boudin, headcheese, and green onion sausage from them. While the regular boudin is a little mushy for me the smoked proved just right with an intense smoky flavor. The headcheese is the real deal using bits and pieces from a boiled head and the gelatin to set it. Combined with vegetable seasoning and a little spice it reminds me of my beloved aunt’s one she made when they butchered the hog.

While not the most convenient place to go to, if you are in the area give it a try for down home Cajun cooking its best. I know I will frequent it as often as I can

http://www.daiglessausagekitchen.com/

http://tinyurl.com/ydh9n6l

O B's

OUT AND ABOUT

OB’s
1301 Ryan St
Lake Charles, LA
337-494-7336
www.obsbarandgrill.com

Monday to Friday 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM $3 to $15
5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

After not serving food for awhile a couple of months ago they started up again. Sources told me the new guy liked to do things from scratch. I made an exploratory trip. The menu and quality were such I decided on a full review

I started with a cup of gumbo. A Chicken and Sausage one with deep dark roux, loads of flavor and medium spice. Rice came separate, which is a plus in my book. Next up were in-house Boudin Balls. Using a quality boudin there were hand formed balls of delight with a crisp coating and not grease soaked. Best I’ve had in ages. Ribeye and Swiss on Jalapeno bun consisted of sliced ribeye steak and melted cheese. The slices proved tender, juicy and beefy with the bun adding a nice spice note. The in-house onion rings I got with it were perfect.

I then went with a Fried Shrimp Dinner. I could tell they were hand-battered. I prefer just seasoned flour on mine but these grew on me. Fresh and from scratch makes a difference. French fries were OK but went south as they cooled. They do a daily plate lunch. Check the website or call for it. I happened on BBQ Brisket Tuesday. I received three perfect slices of smoked meat (nice smoke ring) with a sweet sauce on the side. They were accompanied by excellent baked beans (smoky BBQ flavor) and a decent potato salad.

I tried the Jalapeno Burger next. To my surprise no jalapeno slices. However it comes on a Jalapeno bun, with Jalapeno mayonnaise and pepper jack cheese along with sauteed onions. I added bacon. The lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles come on the side. It turned out to be a nice juicy beefy spicy mouthful without totally wrecking your taste buds. Last by not least an Open Face Steak sandwich. This is a hand pounded hand battered chicken fried steak on a bun. It was cooked to perfection and non-greasy although the batter proved a bit bland. It did come with a little tub of cream gravy. I just put mine on the meat. I guess you could dunk it also.

All I can say the food is back at this popular bar and it is bad (excellent of course)

http://www.obsbarandgrill.com/

http://tinyurl.com/yz5nj5x

Easter at August

Full of Easter Promise

August Offers Easter Brunch


August is full of Easter promise on Sunday, April 4, 2010 with a brunch menu that flourishes with spring’s most popular choices – freshwater seafood, farm-raised eggs, young tender vegetables, and of course, dreamy desserts.



The four course prix-fixe brunch menu for $45 combines the finest local ingredients with spring flavors for dishes such as Beignets de Morue, Salt Cod Fritters in Emmentaler Crust with Spicy Red Pepper Aïoli; Stuffed Artichokes with Jumbo Shrimp, Local Crab Mean and Warm Saffron Vinaigrette; Roast Breast of Label Rouge Chicken with Sweet Pea Pesto, Morel Mushrooms and Pea Tendrils; and Ragoût of Belle River Crawfish Tails and Fava Beans over Fresh Semolina Pasta. And for the little ones under 12, gussied up in their Easter best? A selection of chef favorites that are mindful of a child’s palate is available for $18.



The Easter Brunch at August is available from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. For reservations please call 504.299.9777 or visit www.restaurantaugust.com. Price is per person, excludes tax and gratuity.
From Simon Rathle

Jubans Baton Rouge

Wednesday on our way back we stopped in Baton Rouge at Jubans for lunch. We had eaten there several years ago and found it great. Below is their signature sweet potato chips they bring out to snack on. Perfection. Probably the best I have had. The Chef's honey bourbon at the top was one reason we stopped in. Nice stuff. As driver I could only get a sip.
I opted for the soup of the day which was a crawfish and corn bisque with a ball of the crawfish stuffing usually put in the carapace. It was not a traditional brown one but a cream bisque. Makes sense since this is a Creole restaurant. It was light and tasty with a nice spice bite.

The bread basket which was baked pistolettes.

The Chef went with Juban's Smoked Chicken, Roasted Duck & Andouille Gumbo. We exchanged plates. Halfway across the table I could smell the smokiness of this dish which brought a smile to my face. The taste was even better. The smoke did not overcome it. An excellent dark roux with a rich broth and tasty bits of meat. Could eat it every day

What they call a sensation salad. A side salad of mixed greens with the in-house garlic vinaigrette finished with parmesan cheese

I got the Wednesday Lunch Special, Seafood Stuffed Mirliton. It consisted of Louisiana crawfish, shrimp, and crabmeat stuffed in a boiled mirliton served with a crawfish rice pilaf and fresh vegetables. The seafood was in a cream sauce topped with cheese. A little spicy but something that matched well with the somewhat bland and vegetative mirliton (vegetable pear, chayote). I was quite pleased and ate every bite. The vegetable was a mixture of haricot vert and sugar snap pea. Light and refreshing. The rice added an additional seafood note.

The Chef went with the Honey Bourbon Center Cut Pork Chop. A 12oz. center-cut pork rib chop broiled with Juban's honey bourbon glaze. This continued the theme of the honey bourbon he was drinking. By the way they make this magic elixir in house. My taste proved tender and juicy with an underlying sweetness. Right up my alley

He also got the vegetable of the day along with roasted potatoes which also proved excellent. I caught him dipping them in the sauce. A great move in my opinion.

I went with the bread pudding which was the only off note at this meal. It was too dense for my taste and had raisins which I hate in bread pudding. The sauce was nice though. It seemed to have a nice citrus note

The chef went with a Creme Brulee. It was tarted up with whipped cream, berries, and a chocolate twig. The crust was crispy with just enough burnt caramelized sugar to make it interesting. The custard flavor was spot on but a little loose for my taste

This is a great place and will return here as often as I can.

http://www.jubans.com/