Put it all on 18 Steak

A couple of weeks ago my Chief Confusion Coordinator, Blair Loup, and I got the chance to sit down to a wonderful feast at L’Auberge Baton Rouge’s 18 Steak with their PR Manager, Julie Collins. Hanging out with Julie at the Stadium Bar & Grill’s Jameson Dinner in March proved to be a lovely dining experience, so naturally we were pumped to get the invite to try out 18 Steak! I’ve had the fortune of being treated to some amazing meals at the Ember Grille & Wine Bar at the L’Auberge in Lake Charles a few times, so I eagerly anticipated what 18 Steak would have to offer. I had been to 18 Steak a couple times for private events like the Mount Gay Rum Dinner, but this would be my first time to eat off the regular menu.

The evening began at the bar where the ladies and I each enjoyed an Old Fashioned made with George Dickel Whisky - good stuff if you haven’t tried it. The dining room features something of a whiskey barrel theme. You can tell a lot of thought, creative use of whiskey barrels, and attention to detail went into its construction. Julie set us up with a really nice booth overlooking the river and the party commenced. By party, I mean I looked through their iPad wine list for days. The impressive selection entertained me for quite a while. Chef Samantha Foglesong grabbed my attention right away with some creative appetizers. I highly recommend stopping by to check out what Chef is slinging. Who knows... maybe you’ll see me there. I’ll be the guy with the Cowboy Ribeye sitting between two ladies gabbing and giggling about Harry Potter nonsense. At least, that's what happened on this occasion, but I loved it. 

Foie gras is essentially a fattened duck or goose liver that can be prepared in a number of ways. Pictured below is 18 Steak's take on liver and onions. Foie gras can be a texture problem for some, but the taste of this particular dish is well balanced. The fattiness of the liver combined with the crunch of the foie gras crouton and pickled onions sends a pop of flavors and consistencies to the palate. I enjoyed the pickling of the onions. It helped brighten up the heavy flavor of the foie gras.

Liver & Onions: Seared Foie Gras, Foie Gras Crouton, and Pickled Onions

The Lobster Spring Rolls were presented beautifully. The colors from the vegetables on the plate really made the dish stand out visually. Our server suggested we treat the spring roll as the filling in a lettuce wrap. This lit up the flavors inside the roll and made for a refreshing starter to our meal.

Lobster Spring Roll with Bok Choy and Cilantro

18 Steak tops their crab cake with a creamy lump crab ravigote. The crab cake featured a perfectly crunchy shell while maintaining a pleasantly succulent inside. Combined with the cool, creamy ravigote, the crab cake had all the elements of savory seasonings and textures you could ask for.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with Ground Mustard and Crab Ravigote 

The Corn Macque Choux is a classic dish at a southerner's gathering, but 18 Steak has given this classic a delightful makeover. The rich spiciness of tasso adds a new level of zing to this already delightfully zesty side dish. Presented in a corn husk, this is dish is a must-order for me.

Sweet Corn Maque Choux 

I'm a big fan of oysters so I had to try to the fried Gulf oysters Rockefellar! The oysters were skillfully fried with a nice crunch and juicy center. The wilted, creamy spinach underneath complimented the crunch of the oysters. If you're an oyster fan, you won't want to pass this one up.

Gulf Oysters with Rockefeller Pernod, Wilted Spinach, and Ricotta Salata 

New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp is a familiar flavor. Sometimes when outside of New Orleans recreating this classic is tricky, but 18 Steak hit the nail on the head. Jumbo Gulf shrimp were cloaked in a decadent, savory sauce and topped with buttery breadsticks. Definitely dip the breadsticks in the buttery mixture.

Wood Grilled BBQ Shrimp with Lobster Dumplings and Rustic Stone Focaccia Breadsticks 

"Where have you been all my life?" is the first thought that crossed my mind when I took a bite of the 18 Steak mac n' cheese. Not only was the macaroni thick and creamy, but the tasso ham added a pleasant saltiness and spiciness to the dish. On top is basically a fried cheese puff. Before you go thinking "that's too much cheese," please stop yourself. There is no way a dish with cheese in its name can have too much cheese. Also, the crunchiness of the crouton really adds something special to the much loved comfort food. If you try it and still think it's too much, send it my way.

Macaroni and Cheese with Tasso Ham and Fontina Stuffed Crouton

Julie had the Wagyu flatiron steak. Wagyu is a breed of Japanese cows and is known for it's intense and consistent marbling. This marbling helps create an extremely juicy steak. Pictured below is the Wagyu Flatiron with a Bleu Cheese Crust, a "Steak Enhancer" at 18 Steak and a harmonious pairing.

12 oz. Flat Iron Wagyu Steak aged for 45 Days and grilled over Mesquite, Hickory and Pecan woods with a Bleu Cheese Crust

While there were some incredible looking dishes to tempt me, I had to go for the steak. My top choice in steaks is pretty much always a bone ribeye. This time I went with the center cut ribeye. A nice sear on the outside out a charred crust on the gorgeous prime steak and I included some foie gras butter on the side.

16 oz. Center Cut Ribeye aged for 45 days and grilled over Mesquite, Hickory and Pecan woods with Foie Gras Butter

Bite and Booze Bonus: Seriously... don't skip on the Macaroni or the Corn Maque Choux - they might change your life. Also try the Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Fresh Sage, Brown Butter and Maple Syrup... a little sweet and very savory.

Ember Grille and Winebar at L'Auberge Lake Charles

Gator Bite with Spiced Bayou Rum

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the southwestern Louisiana city of Lake Charles. I've driven through the city countless times before on my to Houston and back from Baton Rouge, but other than a few stops at Darrell's for a Darrell's Special poboy (one of the greatest sandwiches in the world, by the way) and a handful of says at the L'Auberge property, I had never truly experienced the culture of Lake Charles. On the night I arrived with other food and travel writers we were greeted and treated to dinner at the Ember Grille and Winebar at our host hotel of the aforementioned L'Auberge Casino and Resort. The casino-driven destination is a one-stop-shop for a weekend getaway with a gaming floor, golf course, lazy river, spa, and plenty of culinary options. The Ember Steakhouse is the finest of them all and, having eaten there once before, I knew I'd be in for a treat! Upon arrival I met Trey Litel from Louisiana Spirits in nearby Lacassine and got a taste of his Bayou Rum in a refreshing cocktail. The Gator Bite had similar qualities to rum punch but utilized the spiced Bayou Rum to give it an extra Louisiana flair. After getting the night started with the cocktail, I readied myself for the onslaught of food that was about to come.

Foie Gras with Goat Cheese Stuffed French Toast

The barrage began with a round of appetizers that highlight the menu of Ember. We started with an amuse of lobster salad on endive. To the right is seared foie gras with goat cheese stuffed French toast and bourbon maple syrup. The dish seemed like an odd pairing but it worked incredibly well as savory richness met sweet richness to form an uncommon combination of succulence that needs to be experienced. Also present in the small plates round were the lamb lollipops that have been on Ember's menu since it opened as well as butternut squash ravioli stuffed with more foie gras and shaved white truffle on top. Quail and waffles were also presented as a play on the chicken dish but with a rosemary and roasted garlic waffle, micro cilantro, and vanilla syrup. To round out the appetizers we had the dish below, a pecan smoked bacon wrapped shrimp tossed in barbecue sauce with stone ground grits and white cheddar! All of the appetizers were incredible, and most of the table started to feel full after that course, but we had to power through three more courses of gastronomic delight like the pros we are!

Pecan Smoked Bacon Wrapped Shrimp over White Cheddar Stone Ground Grits

A Trio of the House's Most Popular Salads

To lighten things up our next course had a trio of the house's most popular salads. Starting on the left we enjoyed the mixed greens with Granny Smith apples and balsamic vinaigrette. Next up came a tuna tartare with avocado and cucumber carpaccio. Finally the Maytag blue cheese wedge with bacon crumbles filled the last spot. All three tasting portions were spot on with flavor profiles and pairings. I'd love to eat more salad courses like this!

After the salad my phone died and I had to put it on a charger for the next couple of courses. Needless to say, I didn't get many more pictures of the meal, but such is life! We had several main courses come out of the kitchen and on to our table. A piece of halibut accompanied by a porcini mushroom, port, and sherry reduction produced a lovely seafood option. I've loved halibut ever since I went fishing in Alaska in 2010! We also had a smoked rabbit loin

stuffed with panchetta over mashed potatoes. It packed a punch of flavor with the smokiness and tenderness of the rabbit. A couple side items came out as well like truffle mac and cheese and grilled asparagus. But the real highlight of the meal was a 40oz prime tomahawk ribeye, partially seen in the picture of me gnawing at the bone below. The gorgeous steak had a succulent flavor with superb marbling as it was cooked to a beautiful medium rare temperature. Thanks to Kerry Anderson at L'Auberge for snapping the photo!

Jay Gnaws on the Tomahawk Ribeye

Desserts by Chef Bill Foltz

As we moved to dessert I got my phone off the charger and was able to get a few more pictures. "Screw a trio," must have been the thoughts of pastry chef Bill Foltz as he came out with four tastings of signature desserts at L'Auberge. This guy has won serious pastry contests before, so I was pretty excited to eat his desserts which most definitely did not disappoint. On the left is the Key West, a key lime custard whipped cream with pound cake and mango. A little taste of the tropics, I could have eaten much more of that, but alas I just had to move on to the chocolate skillet cake with cream and caramel that sat to the right. Following that dish of gluttony came my favorite of the dessert options because of its originality, a citrus cheese cake mousse with pistachio twill and cherry sauce. The temperatures and textures all played off each other for a tremendous burst of flavor. Finally we had a creme brulee torched on the table.

The entire meal may have put me in a food coma, but all I had to do afterwards was sleep then wake up and eat again all day. I'll have more of that to come because the following day included dining around Lake Charles complete with a horse and carriage ride, a Mardi Gras museum, and much more!

"Month of Salads" Post V: Stroubes Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Stroubes Salad with Grilled Shrimp

Stroubes has a been a great downtown dining destination for years now so it seemed fitting that went I went there for lunch recently I tried their signature salad. The Stroubes salad starts with fresh field greens, then loads on bacon-shallot vinaigrette, blue cheese crumble, spiced pecans, cherry tomatoes, and pickled okra for $8. I opted for a handful of grilled shrimp to top my leafy lunch for an additional $8. Obviously, this step could be avoided, or you could choose the chicken, sirloin, salmon, or fried oysters instead. The salad did me right for lunch as Michele was able to join me on her break from Jury Duty across the street. The bacon-shallot vinaigrette highlighted the salad because of its flavor that added a little substance to each bite. The blue cheese and grilled shrimp also played nicely with each other on the bed of greens. Another salad, another successful August lunch!

Bon Repas Truck and a Pink Party!

Sommer Wadsworth on the Bon Repas Truck

In case you've been living under a rock during past couple months, there's a new food truck roaming the streets of Baton Rouge that you really can't miss. Bon Repas is currently a bright pink mobile food vending establishment that came over from nearby Lafayette.  Owners Chris and Sommer Wadsworth started the truck in the heart of Cajun Country slinging wraps. However, when Chris took a gig as the Executive Chef of Restaurant IPO in downtown Baton Rouge, Sommer and truck came along for the ride.  They re-branded the truck with the pink facade and a deep fryer for homemade empanadas.  The pink truck is definitely and ode to girl power as it sports a crew of women with serious chops to run the truck.  They also use the pink as a sign of charitable giving to support breast cancer research.  You really can't go wrong eating an empanada for a good cause!

An Empanada from the Bon Repas Truck

I recently tracked down Bon Repas at a Wednesday Food Truck Wround-up where I ordered my first empanada from Sommer.  I opted for the Blue Pig: a mixture of chorizo and blue cheese stuffed inside a delicious pastry shell and deep fried until golden brown.  The empanada dough had a magical balance between being tender and flaky and being rugged enough to hold up to the fillings.  The chorizo had a great spice blend then contrasted beautifully with the blue cheese.  I'll be back for more, for sure!

The Blue Pig: A Chorizo and Blue Cheese Empanada

Meanwhile, Chef Chris Wadsworth at Restaurant IPO is doing his part as well.  On October 18th he's doing his first ever Pink Party cooking demo upstairs at The Office bar.  You definitely shouldn't miss this great event.  Check out the details below and sign up now before it is sold out!

Beausoleil Celebrates Their First Anniversary!

For the past year I've been raving about how Beausoleil is not only one of my favorite new restaurants in Baton Rouge, but also one of my favorite restaurants period.  Owners Jeff Conaway and Chef Nathan Gresham have breathed a fresh breeze into BR's restaurant scene with their blend of casual atmosphere, soulful dining, and local ingredients.  Their brunch, lunch, and dinner menus change with the seasons and always impress.  Plus, every dining experience begins with fresh pork rinds delivered to your table instead of the traditional bread and butter!  With a bar menu featuring custom cocktails like the Aviator and craft spirits along with boutique wines, Beausoleil is really doing things right!

I recently had the pleasure of attending Beausoleil's One Year Anniversary Wine Dinner featuring a five course meal from hors d'oeuvres to dessert.  Wine pairings came from the Vending Machine Winery which has a local twist as well.  The winery, which is in California, is owned by some excellent Louisianians and is currently only distributed in Louisiana!  The passed hors d'oeuvres featured barbeque rabbit turnovers and shrimp mousse on endive.  The turnovers had a superb texture contrast between the moist and tender rabbit on the inside and the crisp doughy outer shell.  Similarly, the endive had a great natural spice and crunch to it that complimented the creamy shrimp mousse.

When we sat down at our table I knew we were really in for a great evening all around.  My guest Hannah Lane and I were seated at a table with newly weds Brian and Ashley Thom as well as the O'Connors and a few other people.  Pork rinds awaited us at the table, but I knew that I had plenty of eating to do so I didn't overload on them.  I'll admit though, they are incredible hard to resist!  The Premier course brought out a lobster bisque with ghost pepper caviar.  I thought that the bisque would be a little spicier with ghost pepper in the name but Chef Gresham did a marvelous job of incorporating the true flavor of the pepper without leaving behind the intense heat that would have taken away from the delicate lobster and flavorful bisque.  The soup came with the "Loula's Revenge" Chardonnay that contrasted the soup very nicely and left the palate longing for another bite, then another sip, and still another bite.

Our Intermediare course featured a smoked duck breast over mushroom risotto served with a sweet fig sauce.  It paired with the 2009 Vending Machine Winery "Double Shotgun" which is a lovely Petit Verdot/Cab Franc blend.  The duck itself came out masterfully cooked.  The fig sauce had enough sweetness to both contrast with the mushroom risotto and compliment the flavors of the duck.  It actually may have been my favorite dish of the day, which is saying a lot especially with the dish on deck.

Our Principal dish of the evening drew inspiring oohs and aahs when placed in front of the anniversary dinner guests.  Teasing my taste buds sat a blue cheese bruleed New York Strip with crispy fried Louisiana oysters over braised mustard greens and a red wine jus.  Naturally, this dish came with the "Crooked Mayor," Vending Machine's Cabernet Sauvignon.  Everything about the dish worked as I could hardly control myself from gobbling up each morsel as rapidly a Hoover on a dirty floor.  The greens were amazingly tender and the beef had a true flavor despite being surrounded by so many other distractions.  I like to taste a good cut of steak, and I certainly did with this one.  The blue cheese, oyster, greens, and jus only helped add to the party.   

As the Finale to the evening we had a lovely piece of birthday cake and a glass of sparkling wine.  The cake was no ordinary birthday cake though.  The chocolate ganache sat atop salted caramel and underneath some Chantilly cream and fresh berries.  The cake had aspects of dense and fluffy.  It was decadent and flavorful.  The berries, cream, and chocolate all worked together in harmony but were then brought to another dimension by the salted caramel at the bottom.  The cake provided an excellent ending to a magical meal.  Happy anniversary to Beausoleil.  I hope you have many more to come as you continue to make your mark on the Baton Rouge restaurant landscape!

Ruffino's Oscar Night Wine Dinner

Ruffino's has an annual tradition of rolling out their own red carpet to host an Oscar Night Wine Dinner.  I received an invitation to join in on this evening of Hollywood cheer and to watch the Academy Awards in style.  Naturally, I couldn't pass that up!  We were treated to fantastic wine, a sensational dinner, and a wait staff (as well as Ruffin Rodrique himself) dressed up as a cast of characters from the movies.  I knew right away that this would be an evening worth blogging about!

Ruffin Rodrigue did his best "King's Speech" Impression

The meal began with the "Mad Hatter's Tea Party".  This round of walking the carpet, clinking glasses, and finger foods got the night at Ruffino's kicked off before the Academy Awards began.  All guests were served plenty of Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc to go with the hors d'oeuvres.  The mild and fruity New Zealand wine proved to be an excellent choice to start the dinner and pair with the Tea Party courses.

The "Caterpillar's Mushrooms" combined crawfish and cheese to brilliantly stuff a mushroom cap.  These bite-sized appetizers delivered plenty of flavor that paired nicely with the wine.  Also served with the Tea Party were some crab meat stuffed, deep fried artichoke hearts.  Being served above by a character from "The Fighter", the stuffed artichokes were my favorite of the appetizers. Finally, the red carpet came to a close with some Tea Party sandwiches of smoked salmon and cucumber.  As inventive and interesting as they were, the sandwiches were my least favorite of the starters.  The red carpet had wrapped up and we were on to the Oscars.  My taste buds readied themselves for the rest of the show.

The formal dinner part of the evening began with a "King's Speech" inspired dish: King Salmon with the Crown Jewels.  The plate featured a pair of New Zealand King Salmon Roulade cooked in the trendy sous-vide style.  For those unaware of this method of cooking, in French it literally translates to "under vacuum."  The meat (or salmon in this case) is enclosed in a vacuum sealed bag then cooked in water that maintains a certain temperature.  This constant heat at a regulated and typically lower temperature than traditional cooking is said to maintain the integrity of the ingredients.  The King Salmon rolls were then placed atop Beluga lentils with roasted chicken jus and parsley puree.  The salmon turned out rich and flavorful.  The lentils underneath had plenty of texture to them, which I really liked compared to overly cooked down lentils.  Overall, this dish exceeded expectations and left a smile on my face... as did the accompanying wine.  The King's Salmon came paired with a 2007 Simi Chardonnay.  This California white wine featured some tropical fruit with oak flavors.  My first taste had notes of grapefruit and pear... but what do I know?  I can definitely say that it did not come across as an overly sweet Chardonnay, which I certainly like.  It worked for me, but I quickly prepared myself for the upcoming glasses of my preferred red wine varietals.        

"True Grit" made an appearance at the Oscars as well as at the Ruffino's Wine Dinner.  The above plate represents the Rooster Cockburn Cacciatore with True Grits.  The free range organic chicken thighs were stewed in a San Marzano tomato, red wine, and porcini mushroom sauce and served over creamy Mascarpone polenta.  Poured along side the dish was a 2007 Wild Horse Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara.  I loved the idea of pairing chicken and polenta with red wine. The thigh itself had a great flavor but ended up just a little dry in the middle.  With the chicken being stewed I certainly wasn't expecting to be even the slightest amount dry.  Still, the moistness of the sauce and polenta made up for it and the dish as a whole worked very well.  It certainly seems a little risky to serve bone-in chicken thighs in a fine dining setting, but I'd say that the Chef Peter Sclafani managed to pull it off.  As I said earlier, I really liked the bold pairing of red wine with chicken and polenta.  The Wild House Pinot had a bold and spicy profile that I felt worked really well with the dish.  I certainly would not have been shy about going back for more if there wasn't another course already on the way.

Wrapping up the entree portion of the menu, Ruffino's turned to "The Fighter".  The dish, titled "Black and Blue" Steak, onion "rings", "3 rounds" of zucchini, paired with a Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Robert Mondavi in Napa.  Though typical, I love beef and cab.  It is hard to go wrong.  Bold with bold.  Bring it.  Winning.  The blackened Sterling Silver filet mignon was cooked to an ideal medium rare and topped with a blue cheese glacage.  Some buttermilk battered crispy onion strings complimented the sauteed zucchini slices.  The spice rub on the steak intrigued me on first bite.  I went back for another.  I couldn't quite wrap my tongue around it.  While delicious, the blacken seasonings and blue cheese took away from the superiority of the beef.  I took another bite.  It grew on me.  I didn't love it, but I certainly wasn't opposed to it either.  Fork to mouth once again.  Well, why stop now, I thought.  Sip of wine.  Insert delicious zucchini round.  Back to the steak.  The dish fought me.  I fought back.  The spice rub may have been a bit much, and blue cheese glacage may have been over the top, but dammit, I ate every bit.  I won.  KO.  Fourth round. Ding ding ding.

Oh, and then there was dessert.  "Black Swan" delivered the final course: swan shaped profiteroles filled with white and dark chocolate mousse, raspberry sauce, and mixed berries.  Creative, delicious, and well played.  The wine dinner managed to successfully incorporate a handful of the year's best movies into the themes of their dishes.  The swan profiteroles may have been the most direct and obvious, but there's nothing wrong with that.  The dessert came with a glass of Magnificat by Fransiscan.  The Magnificat is a red wine blend from Napa that is mostly Merlot and Cab.  While not a true dessert wine like what I would expect with a final course, the Magnificat stood tall against the swans and continued to be my beverage of choice until the Oscars went off the air.  

"King's Speech" won best picture while "The Social Network" racked up its fair share of awards as well.  I'm really glad that Natalie Portman won for Best Actress.  Anybody that watched "Black Swan" and thinks somebody else should have won, please explain yourself!  I'd like to thank Ruffino's for having me as a guest at their Oscar Night Wine Dinner.  Ruffin and his crew put on a great show in the front of the house and Chef Peter provided an amazing feast to go with the entertainment.  What a night on the red carpet!

Louisiana Beer Dinner at Niche Bar and Grill

Wednesday night I had the pleasure of attending a Louisiana Beer Dinner at Niche Bar and Grill.  It wasn't too long ago that this would have meant an "Abita Beer Dinner," so the fact that this can now be done without a single Abita beer on hand is exciting in itself.  On tap were brews from Baton Rouge's own Tin Roof Brewing Company, Covington's Heiner Brau, and the Bayou Teche Brewing Company in Arnaudville.    

I was happy to find out about the beer dinner and get to make a larger reservation with Ause, the owner of Niche.  It was a pleasure to be joined by Eric Ducote, Dustin Davis, and Jessica Jameson.  Robert Romero was in town from New Zealand and he decided to join us along with his brother Jesse and a couple of other friends.  Aaron LaRose also came with his lady friend and a couple more pals.  William McGehee and Charles Caldwell from Tin Roof were there to drink their own beer, as was Dorsey Knott from Bayou Teche.  Even a few guys from Mockler Beverage showed up to praise the craft beer that they now get to distribute!

The Louisiana Beer Dinner featured a five course meal each paired with a different beer.  It's hard to argue with that!  And at $35, Niche also presented a great value that is sure to attract more and more people when they do it again.  So, without further ado, let's get to it.  Course one paired a French onion soup with the Tin Roof Perfect Tin Amber.  While the soup didn't blow anybody away, it was a nice course to start off with and did pair fairly well with the beer.  The soup was a little stronger than the amber brew, but at the same time I could still taste the malt and hops in the beer, so in the whole scheme of things, I'd say it worked.

French Onion Soup with the Perfect Tin Amber from Tin Roof

The second course was probably my least favorite of the evening, as it was also the least inventive.  It had a bleu cheese wedge salad with roma tomatoes paired with the Pontchartrain Pilsner from the Covington Brewhouse (Heiner Brau).  While I understand pairing light food with light beer, I think there could have been more to this. Still, for the second course out of five, I guess it did the trick... to a degree.  The salad was alright and the pilsner was reasonably crisp and a tad refreshing.

Bleu Cheese Wedge Salad and the Pontchartrain Pilsner

Course three gave us my favorite dish and pairing of the night.  Chef cooked up a great blackened mahi with a spicy mango salsa, and paired it with the Bayou Teche LA 31 Biere Pale.  The seasoning from the blackened fish beautifully complimented the pale ale flavors of the beer.  The salsa also added some citrus flavors that matched the hops in the beer.  All in all, this dish worked pretty well, and I ate every bit of it!

Blackened Mahi with Mango Salsa and the LA 31 Biere Pale

Next up, Niche Bar and Grill decided to put a little meat in our diet.  We had a beer braised beef brisket (I like the alliteration!) served along side the Tin Roof Voodoo Bengal Specialty Pale Ale.  The brisket was actually slow braised in a Voodoo Bengal broth, which I think worked really well.  The beef came out fork tender and covered in a pretty decent sauce.  The dish also came with some fairly standard mashed potatoes.  I think the brisket came in first place for many of the diners, but I still liked the fish better.  But you know, to each their own, and the beef certainly tasted pretty darn good!  Also, the beer hit home for me.  The cane syrup used in the brewing process gave the beer just enough sweetness to counter the hops and pair nicely with the sugar in the barbeque sauce.

Beer Braised Beef Brisket with Mashed Potatoes and the Voodoo Bengal Specialty Pale Ale

Finally, the dinner concluded with a lemon berry mascarpone cake and the Heiner Brau Strawberry brew.  The cake actually turned out to be really well made.  It was dense, fruity, and had a great layer of tasty cream that was not overly sweet.  The Heiner Brau Strawberry worked with the sweetness to give a good flavor profile and accent the fruitiness of the cake.  Again, complements to the chef.

Lemon Berry Mascarpone Cake with Heiner Brau Strawberry

BONUS: As a little lagniappe, we all got a taste of another beer from Bayou Teche before the meal actually began.  The Granade (the French settlers mistook Louisiana passion fruit for a type of pomegranate, so in parts of Cajun country they are still called granades (grruh-nod)) is a very lightly fruited wheat beer that was refreshing and unique.  I actually think it may have been my favorite brew of the evening!  The picture on the right is a Niche pint glass filled with the Granade.

A huge thanks to Ause and Niche Bar and Grill for hosting this Louisiana Beer Dinner.  Also thank you to the guys from Tin Roof, Bayou Teche, and Mockler for being there and sharing their passion and insights for the suds they create and market.  If you missed the beer dinner, look for the fine Louisiana beers in your local watering holes, and keep an eye out for when Niche might do it again!  Until then, drink ya later!