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!

Cocktails and Fine Dining at Galatoire's Bistro in Baton Rouge

Not too long ago I dined at Galatoire's Bistro in Baton Rouge for a great evening with a couple buddies.  Galatoire's Bistro is another location of the legendary Bourbon Street restaurant.  After Hurricane Katrina in 2005 the owners quickly opened a venue in Baton Rouge and it has been serving great food ever since.  I had the pleasure of being joined by Chef Eusebio Gongora from Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar, and Brian Thom, bartender extraordinaire at Galatoire's.  So what happens when you put a chef, a bartender, and a food writer all at the same table to enjoy a luxurious meal?  Well, you're about to find out!

Galatoire's Bistro in Baton Rouge

Our evening began with some custom cocktails at the bar.  Brian knew a thing or two about the adult beverages at Galatoire's first hand so he pointed us in the right direction... not that there is a wrong direction.  I began with a New Orleans Belle Martini.  The fruity concoction had a pleasant taste without an overpowering sweetness.  The martini featured Absolut Vodka infused with mango and white pepper, cointreau, pomegranate, and fresh lime juice.  The Absolut with white pepper provided a nice little kick that usually isn't found in martinis.  I followed that up with a classic New Orleans cocktail: the Sazerac!  The glass came lined with Herbsaint (an anise-flavored liqueur from NOLA) and carried a mixture of bitters, simple syrup, and rye whiskey on the rocks.  Believe it or not, this was my first ever Sazerac, but it surely won't be my last.  The tasty cocktail sipped fairly easy but with a bite to let me know it wasn't playing around.  Just what I needed to get the festivities started right!

Left: New Orleans Belle Martini

Right: Classic New Orleans Sazerac

I had another beverage at the bar consisting of Crown Royal, basil, strawberries, simple syrup, and a squeeze of lime before heading to the dinner table.  Galatoire's Bistro starts all of their guests out with some fresh New Orleans French Bread.  There's a funny thing about French Bread.  Like beer, it takes on characteristics of the water used to produce it.  Small variations in the water can lead to totally different tastes in the finished product.  For that reason, Galatoire's actually brings in their French Bread from New Orleans instead of baking it in Baton Rouge.  That NOLA water really does French Bread right!  

Left: New Orleans French Bread

Right: The Prisoner 2008 Napa Valley Red from Orin Swift Cellars

Once we got to the table the three of us made a shift from cocktails to fine wines.  Our first choice came from Napa's Orin Swift Cellars.  The Prisoner, a 2008 Zinfandel blend, featured a big fruit taste with its dark red color and hints of berry and cherry.  My kind of wine for sure!  We couldn't make up our minds on an appetizer so we did what anybody should do: we ordered four!  We chose the Galatoire Gouté, Oysters Rockafeller, Sweetbreads, and the Duck Crepe.  The Galatoire's Gouté included a duo of shrimp remoulade and crawfish maison.  The maison sauce on the crawfish tails included green onions, capers, lemon, and creole mustard.  Both items were served cold with reasonably light sauce.  The beauty of the dish is that it didn't try to do to much or pretend to be anything else.  Quite simply, the dish provided great shrimp and crawfish and allowed the diner to actually taste them... and they were fantastic!  

Left: Galatoire's Goilet - Shrimp Remoulae and Crawfish Maison

Right: Oysters Rockafeller

I've had a lot of Oysters Rockafeller lately, but I don't think any have come close to matching the mollusks we consumed at Galatoire's.  The gulf oysters were huge, and the spinach topping created a creamy compliment to the salty oysters.  As Brian said, "I can't imagine a better way to have spinach."  I have to agree!  Next up were the sweetbreads.  If you aren't sure what sweetbreads are, let me begin by saying that they aren't really sweet and certainly aren't bread.  Sweetbreads is the term used to describe food that comes from an animal's pancreas or thyroid glands.  Obviously if they called them that, people wouldn't order them very often.  Once you get past the thought of eating digestive or throat organs, you'll find that these tasty parts are most certainly worth eating.  The sweetbreads were sautéed with mushrooms and a little lemon.  I actually found Galatoire's sweetbreads to be tremendously flavorful with an incredible texture that I'd love to eat again and again.

Sweetbreads at Galatoire's Bistro

Our wonderful wait staff brought out the duck crepe as our final appetizer.  Roasted duck meat filled the pastry along with boursin cheese while a port-cherry reduction and pistachios smothered the crepe.  The dish had a unique flavor combination that paired awesomely with dark fruit flavors of The Prisoner wine that we continue to indulge upon.  As if I needed it, I also had a cup of Galatoire's crawfish bisque.  The bisque revealed a darker roux than I'm accustomed to with crawfish, and there were seemingly no crawfish to be found by looking at it.  However, I soon learned that the crawfish had been pureed to give the bisque a smooth texture while still delivering the flavor of the mud bugs.  The bisque had a nice spicy kick to it and some very earthy notes with the dark roux.

Left: Galatoire's Duck Crepe

Right: A Cup of Crawfish Bisque

Finally the time had come for the main course.  I opted for a daily special that made me salivate from just hearing the words.  The dish featured a fresh, fried, soft-shell crab topped with New Orleans-style barbeque shrimp.  Yes, a soft-shell crab TOPPED with barbeque shrimp!!  My heart may have skipped a beat as the special echoed in my mind, my mouth watered, and my decision process about what to order finished without ever so much as glancing at the menu.  The combination resulted in pure glee.  The Creole butter from the barbeque, the crispy fried exterior of the crab, the meat of the shrimp... it all laid there on my plate looking beautiful, and awaiting its gastronomic demise.  Devouring this entrée didn't fill my stomach, it filled my soul.  Fortunately the crab and shrimp were huge and I had plenty to share with Brian and Eusebio, though I found it difficult to part with even the smallest morsel.  I'm a good friend!

Galatoire's Special: A Soft-Shell Crab Topped with Barbecued Shrimp

Like many fine dining spots, Galatoire's does its sides a-la-carte.  We figured it would make sense to try a couple despite having no need for extra food.  The group opted for the classic Southern grits and the equally Southern smothered okra.  Both sides were nice, though certainly not the highlight of this feast.  Brian ordered the Grilled Poisson Provencal.  I don't recall which fresh Gulf fish it had that day, but I do know it was grilled with tomatoes, onions, olives, capers, and basil.  Quite tasty!

Left: Grilled Poisson Provencal

Right: Stone Ground Grits and Smothered Okra

Eusebio ordered the Veal Liver.  The entrée boasted two sautéed veal liver medallions and came served with caramelized onions and a couple strips of bacon.  Oops!  If you want to know what iron tastes like, you only need one bite of a veal liver.  That thing would have cured anemia (not literally, I'm sure).  Still, if you like the taste, or can at least appreciate the taste of a good piece of liver, this dish is a must.  I only had a couple bites of it, but I remember them fondly.  Each taste got better and better as I acclimated myself to the liver flavor.  

Left: Veal Liver Topped with Caramelized Onions and Bacon

Right: 2005 Amizetta Complexity, Napa Valley

Before the evening ended we had also gone through another bottle of wine.  We selected another Napa Valley red, this time a 2005 Complexity from the Amizetta Winery.  Complexity is a Meritage wine featuring mostly the Cabernet Sauvignon grape with a little Merlot and Cabernet Franc mixed in.  Once again, this wine was right up my alley.

Profiteroles With Ice Cream

Naturally, no good meal is complete without dessert.  Also naturally, we wouldn't be satisfied only getting to taste one of them.  The profiteroles included three pastries that were sliced in half and stuffed with ice cream, then topped with melted chocolate.  The puffy pastries were served cold and created a rather interesting ice cream sandwich.  However, I'd have to say they were bested by our second dessert.

Crème brûlée Cheesecake

The crème brûlée cheesecake combined two of my favorite desserts into one exceptional show-stopper.  I think cheesecake crème brûlée would have been a more appropriate name, but either way, the cream cheese filling worked well as a foundation, then with a torched top layer and selection of berries, Galatoire's found a great way to end my evening.  

There have been rumors circulating about them changing their location in Baton Rouge to somewhere a little closer to town.  That could mean great things!  For right now though, you can find them on Perkins near Highland Road.  Just make sure you bring your appetite!  Thanks to Brian and Eusebio for enjoying a great evening with me!

Things To Do
Baton Rouge

Cafe Cups: Artistic Dining in Homer, AK

After asking around through websites, social media, and amongst the locals, the most common answer to where I should make sure to dine in Homer, Alaska resoundingly and emphatically had to be Cafe Cups.  This hip dinner-only restaurant is run in the front by Jen and in the kitchen by her husband Dave.  The cafe is as artistic as it is local.  Meanwhile, the environment produces an ideal small setting with personal service and very original, unique, and custom decor.

Cafe Cups in Homer, AK

Eusebio, Matt, Eric, and I went out for dinner one evening to see just what Cups had to offer.  The restaurant certainly had a very unique quality to it and a terrific ambiance.  We arrived at about 8:30 pm and the place didn't have an empty table anywhere.  Jen greeted us and told us it would be just a few minutes so we patiently waited for a table.

The Inside of Cafe Cups and a Cup of Coffee

While Cafe Cups is certainly more of a casual fine dining restaurant, I still could not resist starting my evening meal with a cup of coffee.  The java came in a regular old mug like you'd find in people's kitchens, and after looking around I realized that all the coffee mugs were a little different.  I though that was a pretty cool touch. While it may not have been Community Coffee, the brewed beans in Alaska were pretty darn good.

Kachemak Bay Oysters, Chargrilled and Raw

Since Eusebio and I are such lovers of good old Gulf of Mexico oysters that we get in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, we thought we ought to try the Alaskan variety.  Cups delivered some fantastic oysters, though they were far different than those from the warm, muddy waters in Louisiana.  The Kachemak Bay (where we were, right around Homer, AK) oysters tasted just like the sea.  They were clean, salty, and noticeably pure compared to our beloved mollusks.  In this case, however, pure does not mean better.  There is something to say about the flavor of oysters from the Louisiana coast.  The river-silt laden waters give the oysters a totally different taste that I've become so accustomed to that it is weird to taste an oyster from other waters.  I'm sure that some of the taste difference also comes from the cold waters of Alaska vs the warm waters of Louisiana.  Still, I enjoyed both oyster varieties and was glad I got to experience the difference.   

Pulled Pork Empanadas and B.R. Cohn Cabernet

The special appetizer of the day happened to be pulled pork empanadas.  Down here in Cajun Country we would just call it a pie, just like a crawfish pie or a meat pie.  In Spanish and Portuguese cuisine, empanada is just a term that means stuffed bread or pasty.  These pulled pork empanadas tasted absolutely delightful.  They were my favorite dish of the evening despite only getting to eat one of them.  They were served with a deliciously spicy lime-chili sauce that complemented the seasoned pork very nicely.  The B.R. Cohn wine also went great with the cuisine of the evening.  The fruity red came from Sonoma Valley.  Cabernet is one of my favorite grapes for its full bodied and fruity tendencies while typically remaining dry and never overly sweet.  This 2007 California wine hit the spot!

Barbecued Ribs and Mashed Potatoes

The ribs at Cups disappointed me.  They were alright at best.  The main problem is that they were dried out and chewy.  I like a rib that is still moist and tender.  They are best when the meat pulls off the bone with a gentle tug of the teeth and then practically melts in our mouth.  These ribs did not succeed in doing that.  The mashed potatoes were also nothing special.  They were rather bland and did not have enough seasoning for my tastes.  

Tiger Prawns

Eric had a ribeye that looked pretty good, but nothing incredible.  Eusebio had an order of Tiger Prawns which were served with their signature honey habanero sauce.  They might have been decent sized shrimp for Alaska, but compared to Louisiana shrimp they also didn't blow me away (though they were by no means bad either).  The best meal of the night was the lamb shank special that Matt ordered.  The lamb had a succulent flavor with superbly cooked, moist meat and excellent seasoning.  

Creme Brulee, Strawberry Cheesecake, and Mint Chocolate Ice Cream

For dessert I gave the strawberry cheesecake a try.  This homemade sweet had a great cookie crust and creamy, lush cheesecake filling.  The strawberries did not seem fresh, but I guess you can't get everything straight off the vine when you're in Alaska in May!  Eusebio's creme brulee also passed the test, as did the homemade mint chocolate ice cream!  Other than the empanadas, the dessert was probably my favorite part of the meal.  In the end, I left Cafe Cups satisfied but not in awe.  Still, for a town with a population of 5,000 people year round the restaurant was impressive.  I really enjoyed the atmosphere of the cozy cafe, and while the food has room for improvement, it still was worth a visit!

Things To Do
Homer

Addie's: Let's Eat Outside of DC

Addie's delivered exactly what I was hoping for.  In the Washington DC suburb of Rockville, MD, I found myself surrounded by national chains and shopping mall cuisine, of which I wanted no part of.  I traveled to the District for a work conference, and the last thing I wanted to do was settle for food that I pass up on routinely back home.  After doing a little web searching for some local eateries, I stumbled across Addie's.  Only a 15 minute walk from my hotel, I decided that I'd give it a try and hopefully have something to add to Bite and Booze from the East Coast.

Upon arriving at Addie's I realized that the restaurant is set in an old house.  I really like that restaurant setting and have talked about that being the kind of establishment I'd like to own one day, so my excitement had really piqued at that point.  At 7 pm when I stepped in the front door, the place bustled with dining excitement.  I stood there for a second and looked around.  I really liked the atmosphere, but there was no host to greet me or waiter to help me.  After a few seconds, I stepped out to reevaluate my thoughts on the evening.  On one hand, the restaurant had to be good to be that slammed on a Wednesday night.  On the other, I did not get greeted at all, and perhaps that was indicative of the dining service as well.  Before I could give it too much thought, I noticed that right next door was a little pub serving well priced cold beer.  That seemed like a better option to determine my next move, so I walked into Dietle's Tavern and ordered a pint of Yuengling Lager.  I enjoy this regional brew and certainly prefer Yuengling on tap over most other American macrobrews.  There was baseball on the TV, Nationals and Orioles "fans" talking ball, and a cold beer in my hand.  Happiness is simple.

Bread and Wine at Addie's in Rockville, MD

After a couple pints my hunger reappeared and I figured the time had come to go back to the neighboring Addie's to check on the grub situation.  This time around the staff promptly greeted me as I walked in the door and sat me at a cozy table in the corner of the former living room of the house.  I ordered a bottle of '08 La Linda Malbec and the restaurant brought out a course of bread and butter.  Addie's served freshly baked French-style white bread as well as a pseudo cornbread that tasted like it had teamed up with pound cake and fruit cake.  It really was quite fantastic, especially when eaten with the accompanying creamy butter.  The Malbec also hit the spot and the half bottle lasted me perfectly through the entire meal.

Benton Ham and Green Leaf Salad

I wanted a cup of the asparagus and parmesan soup but they had sold out of the rotating daily special, so I settled for a salad instead.  My waiter, Octavio, suggested the Benton Ham and Green Leaf Salad.  The salad  came with a deconstructed deviled egg where the boiled whites were mixed in with the ham and greens while the yolks were turned into a paste and spread on the side.  I really enjoyed the egg and the plating, but overall the salad did not quite live up to the anticipation.  The greens were mixed with macerated red onion and an herb vinaigrette.  The ham from their charcuterie selection was money, but the greens and dressing lacked just the smallest amount of flavor to put the salad over the top.  Still the egg yolks and ham made up for minimalist dressing and slightly bland greens.

My Entrée from Addie's: Locally Raised Pork Chop

There were several amazing options for a main course, but I easily settled on the pork chop because I thought it would pair well with the Malbec I had been sipping on.  The chop came from locally raised swine.  I asked for the thick cut pork to be cooked to a medium temperature and it came out exactly as ordered.  Accompanying pork chop was black pepper spaetzle, fava beans, lemon confit, and a brown ale mustard sauce.  The succulent chop tasted terrific with new and interesting flavors compared to the Louisiana cuisine that I'm used to.  

Mexican Chocolate Creme Brulee

When Octavio told me about the dessert options I immediately decided on the Mexican chocolate creme brulee.  The sweet treat had a beautiful blend of warm and cool temperatures as well as crunchy and smooth textures.  The brittle top layer combined with smooth creme to leave a rich yet delicate dessert with a distinctively Mexican flavor that added a just the right touch of uniqueness to the dish.  My extreme compliments go to the pastry chef for delivering the top dish of the night!

Things To Do
Washington DC