Milkin' It: Sweet Dreams Fulfilled at Milk Bar in NYC

by Chuck P


As a self-proclaimed “fat kid”, it’s very hard for me to turn away from pretty much any food filled with sugar and or covered in icing; Cakes, pies, cookies...you name it. I once read a quote that sums up how I feel on the matter, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.”

Recently the whole Bite & Booze team went on a road trip to New York City where we cooked an amazing Louisiana tailgate themed dinner at the prestigious James Beard House. On the day before the dinner we had time to explore the city and Jay had organized a day of eating and drinking at a couple of Chef David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants. Having read about but never eaten at these places, I was super excited. One stop on the list had my candy coated heart ready to explode: Milk Bar.

What can I say about Milk Bar that hasn’t been said before? Pastry Chef & Owner Christina Tosi’s world famous bakery was very high on my list of places to visit while in NYC. Known for their amazing cookies like the Compost (packed with pretzels, potato chips, graham cracker, butterscotch and chocolate chips), the Blueberry & Cream and Confetti cookies, insanely delicious truffle balls (No icing needed for these bad boys. It’s just straight cake!) and the infamous Crack Pie, people pile into their super tiny shops to fill their sweet tooth cravings.

A birthday cake truffle a pint of fruity cereal milk ice cream.

I ended up buying four of each of their five cookies on the menu and a few packs of birthday truffle balls! Let’s not forget the huge variety of amazing cakes available like their whimsical take on a traditional birthday cake, chocolate malt, strawberry lemon cake and what I can only imagine has to be the best tasting flavor ever, the salted pretzel cake.

Not just content with delivering tasty baked goods to the masses, they also make their own soft serve ice cream and shakes. But this ain’t your granny’s homemade ice cream, folks. This is cereal milk ice cream.


CEREAL. MILK. ICE. CREAM.

Just let those four mind blowing words sink in for a second. Take corn flakes, steep them in cold milk for 20 minutes, freeze (for up to a week, but seriously who can wait that long?) and then enjoy. Sure, that recipe sounds simple enough but there is no way it would taste as (insert expletive here) delicious as it did when I had it. After racking my brain over whether to get soft serve or a shake, I decided to go with the latter. A creamy cup of heaven mixed with corn flake pieces, I never wanted this brain freezing delight to end. There were so many emotions. A few nights later, I actually returned to a location that was closer to where we were staying and bought more cookies and got a pint of the fruity cereal milk ice cream which tasted exactly, I repeat, EXACTLY like Fruity Pebbles.

Hi, my name is Chuck P and I am a Milk Bar addict.


If you’d like to sample the deliciousness of Milk Bar you don’t have to head to NYC to get your fix. Visit their website where you can order cookies and cakes as well as their cereal milk mix so you can make your own ice cream treats!

Martinique Bistro is a Gem in the Big Easy

Smoked Salmon Starter at Martinique Bistro

Every now and then I have a culinary experience at a restaurant which blows me away. With so many options in New Orleans for world-class cuisine, I've been equally impressed and disappointed over the course of time. It takes a unique combination of tradition and innovation to truly impress me these days. Not to say that I don't like almost everything that I get to eat. I most certainly consider myself to be a food and beverage enthusiast rather than a critic, but I mean to really impress me, it takes something special. To stand out to the point that I'll tell my closest friends that they have to eat somewhere. To meet a chef that reminds me about why the term culinary arts truly is an art, and why a master of kitchen magic is every bit an artist as someone whose medium is canvas or lyrics. Martinique Bistro on Magazine Street in New Orleans had that kind of impact on me. Sitting five blocks away from Audubon Park, it is a quaint gem with an outdoor seating area that is sure to bustle in the fall and an inside dining room small enough to shake everyone's hand from the center table. I got a spot with Aimee Abernathy next to a window overlooking Magazine. Chef Eric Labouchere greeted our table and told us to enjoy the ride as he prepared to unleash a flurry of his finest creations on the summer menu at us.

Double Thyme at Martinique Bistro

Manager Jennifer Sherrod started me off with a Double Thyme to go with a couple starters before our main courses started flowing. The Double Thyme blended High West Double Rye whiskey, Meletti Amaro, Rothman and Winter Apricot, Lilet Blanc, and thyme. I do love a good, well balanced whiskey cocktail, and the Double Thyme worked perfectly to whet my appetite and prepare me for the ensuing gorge.

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho with Cucumber-Lime Granita

Our meal began with the smoked salmon, a reimagined crostini dish on housemade brioche with vidalia onion, hard boiled Louisiana quail egg, flying fish roe, and caper aioli. The visually stunning dish put together expected flavors with a modern focus to create a couple fantastic bites of scrumptious salmon. At the same time chef sent out a cup of chilled watermelon gazpacho with Louisiana blue crab and a scoop of cucumber-lime granita. The cold appetizer beautifully blended the fruit flavors and it all worked well with the crab at the bottom. During a hot New Orleans summer, this is a go-to dish for a refreshing starter!

Socca

Our tasting menu kicked in with the Socca. A trio of chickpea crepes were garnished with chili oil and topped separately with field pea hummus, heirloom squash ratatouille, and feta. The creative pancakes were delicious savory bites that served as vessels for multiple mediterranean flavors. Next up came a fish dish featuring loup de mer or European seabass. The sauteed fish sat atop butter poached chanterelles and some tender greens. The mushrooms and fish played off each other in the red wine and butter sauce. The taste danced on my tongue as I took bite after bite. It truly is one of the best, more refined seafood dishes that I've had in awhile. It had nothing too complex. Nothing molecular happened to any element of the dish. It simply featured great products, simply prepared, seasoned wonderfully, and combined on plate to make a beautiful arrangement of complementary flavors. I want to cook like that.  

Loup de Mer with Beurre Rouge and Butter Poached Chanterelles

The meat course excited me from the moment I sat down in Martinique Bistro and laid my eyes on the menu. A boneless new zealand lamb loin with cucumber and sweet onion pickles, israeli couscous, meyer lemon-watercress aioli, and tomato-sherry vinegar demi-glace awaited my taste buds. Anybody that reads enough Bite and Booze knows that I detest pickles. They are my arch-nemesis of food. But here, I almost, sorta, maybe looked forward to them. I certainly admired the choices that went into the flavor combination on the dish. There was a lot happening on one plate and I didn't want anything to overpower the lamb, but that didn't happen. The medium rare lamb loin took on the medley of gastronomy and came out a winner because of it. The dish had a certain tang to it for sure due to the vinegar in the pickles and demi as well as the lemon in the aioli and the garnishing tomatoes. Still, it worked. Every bite of lamb and couscous with accoutrement felt like middle eastern flavored fireworks exploding on my tongue. Bravo, chef. Bravo.

Boneless New Zealand Lamb at Martinique Bistro

Of course, with this much goodness, there had to be dessert. I wouldn't dare ruin an epic meal like this without giving it the proper ending that it deserves. Chef sent out a couple sorbets and a couple ice creams to kick off the sweet tooth rally. I don't actually remember what they all were, but I do recall that the ice cream on the far right below is a chanterelle mushroom ice cream. If that doesn't sound good to you, well, you'd be wrong. The earthiness of the mushrooms made love to the rich creaminess and sugar in the ice cream to create a truly unique and amazing dessert. Chef Labouchere had one last trick up his sleeve. He presented Aimee and I with a blueberry cornmeal tart complete with blueberry curd and lavender chantilly. Another splendid dish, this dessert hit right on the money balancing the natural sweetness from the berries with the nearly savory cornmeal crust.

Blueberry Cornmeal Tart

My experience at Martinique Bistro came to an end but I know for sure that I'll be back. This uptown eatery impressed me immensely. I know they'll have a fall seasonal menu coming out soon, so your chances to try any of these dishes may be limited to only the next couple weeks. I'll have to make sure I get back there once the new menu is out. I can't wait to see what Chef Labouchere comes up with next.

Remarkable Root

Amuse at Root

Few restaurants in south Louisiana have gotten the buzz that Root in New Orleans mustered in 2012.  With a plethora of dining options in the Big Easy, it can be difficult for a rookie eatery to burst onto the scene, but Chef Phillip Lopez managed to do just that and more.  Root brings to life modern cuisine in Nola, rooted in traditional flavors and techniques.  But then they are twisted, mangled, and stretched.  They expand culinary palates and challenge even the most sophisticated taste buds.  Every dish plays with textures, flavors,  and art.

I had the chance to dine at Root recently, unannounced, and somewhat incognito.  I didn't get any special Bite and Booze treatment, nor did I ask for any.  I wanted the real experience.  I wanted to see if it lived up to the hype.  Unequivocally, it did.  Joined by Lindsay and Kimmie, a couple friends from New Orleans, we drank, we dined, and we enjoyed.  Now for some food porn: admire this, and know that you can eat it yourself at Root!

Charcuterie selection featuring "Face" Bacon, Chocolate Espresso Cured Lamb Bresaola, and Cochon de Lait Porchetta

Louisiana Pickled Shrimp: Shrimp Stuffed Deviled Eggs, Truffled Egg Yolk Mousse

Palate Cleansing Sorbet made with Liquid Nitrogen

"KFC" Korean Fried Chicken Wings, Pepper Jelly Glaze, House-made Kimchi

Moroccan Goat Boxes, Winter Tabouil, Bergamot Goat Cheese, Compressed Cucumber Salad

Pumpkin Schumpkin: Indian Spiced Pumpkin Ice Cream, Roasted Sesame Praline, Colombian Coffee Cake, Smoked Hay Peanut Butter Panna Cotta

Sweet Corn Caramel Flan: Salted Corn & Caramel Ice Cream, Vanilla Milk Foam, "Cracker Jacks"

I'm happy that I avoided the scallops in the cigar box.  Not because they aren't appetizing... I'm sure they are!  But rather because it is the dish that everyone had told me about.  The dish that I got 6 or 7 glimpses of while sitting in the dining room.  I could pretty much see it and taste it without having to order it.  But the dishes that I did order were sensational.  I'd gladly go back.  I'm also excited for Chef Lopez's next venture, Square Root, which will feature small seatings and outrageous tasting menus on Magazine Street.  Be on the look out for that in 2013!

Restaurant IPO Coffee Dinner and National Coffee Day

Good Morning

Chef Chris Wadsworth took on a new challenge with the attitude of an expert who had been there before.  Actually, he had.  In 2010, while serving as the Executive Chef at Nottoway Plantation, Chef Wadsworth won the annual WYES Cooking with Community Coffee contest.  He created a five course meal using ten different Community Coffee roasts.  Invited to cook again in 2012, Chef Wadsworth, who now runs the kitchen at Baton Rouge's latest smash hit, Restaurant IPO, decided to one up himself.  Or maybe two up.  He created a seven course tasting menu utilizing fourteen different Community Coffee roasts.  Since tomorrow, September 29th, is National Coffee Day, I thought I'd share the meal with you.  Chris decided to title the meal "A Day at the Office" in reference to The Office Bar that sits upstairs as well as the incessant need for coffee during a routine day at the office.  The dinner also came paired very well with wines from Republic National.  All of the pairings were fantastic despite me not really getting into them here.  

Warm Up

Cleverly naming his seven courses by activities in one's daily grind, we began with the Good Morning: creamy Louisiana grits accented with Breakfast Blend roasted grillades and garnished with a sunny side up quail egg and French Roast drizzle.  These may have honestly been the best grits and grillades I've ever had.  The pork had plenty of flavor and bolstered the grits with its fork tender form.  The use of the coffees came in huge as the drizzle had an elegant bittersweet combination that played well off the richness of the egg.  After this course, I couldn't wait to see what would come next.   Course two quickly came to be known as the warm up.  It featured a soup of garden carrots pureed in a blend of mirepoux and local honey laced with Cinnamon Roll Roast and highlighted by a Colombian Roast infused oil.  The soup brought about a sweetness from the carrots and honey in a refreshingly clean and palate pleasing way.  After the richness of the first course, this soup definitely warmed us up for what was still to come.

Getting Dressed

During any day, one of the first things we do is get dressed.  The Getting Dressed course rightly had a unique salad dressing of its own.  The dish featured baby mixed greens with baked Hazelnut goat cheese and pears tossed in an Almond Amaretto dressing.  The coffee balance had to be very delicate with the salad an Chef certainly pulled that off.  The goat cheese was crusted in ground up coffee that actually worked extremely well to deliver a unique flavor while not being overpowering.  The pears and greens worked very well with the dressing that had just a hint of the nutty sweet coffee roast.

Off to Work

After getting dressed it was off to work for the patrons at the WYES Cooking with Community dinner.  Our fourth course consisted of Pecan Praline smoked duck breast accompanied by a Medium Roast berry compote and crispy duck cracklins.  While the duck had been cooked past the ideal medium rare stage, it didn't present a problem with this dish because of the smoked flavors.  The duck didn't dry out and combined with the berry compote, made one heck of a dish.  Not to mention any time you have duck skin cracklins, you can't complain one lick!

Lunch Time

Lunch time came during the day at the office, and it most definitely did not disappoint.  This course tied with the grits and grillades as my two favorites, and it's not hard to see why.  The plate had a prime beef medallion rubbed with Cafe Special and topped with a 5-Star Hotel Blend demi.  It came served over a sweet potato hash and garlic braised spinach.  The steak's magnificent medium rare center cut apart with a butter knife.  The charred coffee rub on the outside lit up the steak with flavor while the sweet potato hash, cooked up with bacon, and the spinach were excellent choices with which to surround such a prize piece of beef.  I could eat this every day.

Break!!!

Our break came with a little play on a palate cleansing sorbet.  The Chocolate Almondine popsicle was one of Chef Wadsworth's more daring creations, but it certainly worked.  It had plenty of chocolate and coffee flavors in a frozen treat.  I only wish it would have served in between the duck and the steak courses to further accentuate the play on a sorbet rather than as a second dessert.  While it may not have cleansed the palate like a smooth fruity sorbet would have, it also would have broken up the two protein rich courses and the two sweet desserts.  Despite that, the popsicle worked brilliantly as a risky play to serve at a seven course wine dinner, and I applaud the chef for pulling it off!

The Drive Home

The meal ended with the way a day at the office ends: the drive home.  The Chicory and chocolate molten lava cake overflowed with Vanilla Nut ganache and came topped with Irish Cream ice cream scooped table side.  The cake had a moist brownie batter type center with chocolate and vanilla flavors, but the real highlight was the ice cream.  

The entire dinner seemed like a huge hit for everyone in attendance.  Chef Chris Wadsworth made a bold and daring dinner with seven courses and fourteen coffee roasts.  His attitude is refreshing for a chef that is new to Baton Rouge but really trying to make an impression.  He ended the dinner by saying he didn't cook this dinner to win the Cooking with Community contest.  He cooked this dinner to win it again.  After eating it, I'd be surprised if he doesn't. 

2012 Chefs to Watch Dinner with Louisiana Cookin' Magazine

Every year, Louisiana Cookin' Magazine names five up and coming Louisiana chefs as their Chefs to Watch.  The chefs then create a five course menu that is cooked up at the Chefs to Watch dinner in New Orleans to benefit Cafe Reconcile.  Fortunately for me, I got to attend this year's event to see what sort of wizardry the chefs could cook up.  Unfortunately for me, I showed up "slightly late" and did not receive any of the pre-dinner cocktails or passed hors d'oeuvres.  This is the second year that that's happened to me.  I understand keeping a tight schedule with so much going on, but this time I was really bummed.  I actually arrived right on time, and plenty of people were still up an mingling.  Oh well... with a five course dinner awaiting all paired with wine from Republic, I knew I wouldn't leave hungry or entirely sober.

Shrimp and Andouille Beignets with Crawfish Corn Maque Choux

Chef Zac Watters, executive chef of Zachary's in Mandeville, presented the initial dish to the crowd of over 400 people at Harrah's.  His shrimp and andouille beignets were set atop crawfish corn maque choux to provide a duo of classic Louisiana flavors.  He then added a little ravigote sauce with onion, lemon, dijon mustard, and more to give the dish a little pizzaz.  The dish got the entire meal off to a great start.  The beignets were unique and rather tasty and the corn carried enough pop to whet the palate for the wine and more great grub.

Smoked Tomato Soup with White Wine Crab and Creme Fraiche

Chef Ryan Andre from Le Creole in Baton Rouge ladled up the next dish for the hungry guests.  His smoked tomato soup with white wine crab and creme fraiche proved to be a real hit at my table.  Garnished with a little basil-infused olive oil, the orange tinted soup had a rich smokey flavor from the tomatoes that paired extremely well with the extra sweet crab that had been sauteed in butter and white wine.

Goat Cheese and Blueberry Salad with Pistachios and Blueberry-Vodka Vinaigrette

The salad course came from Chef Lindsay Mason of Cristiano Ristorante in Houma.  His goat cheese and blueberry salad also contained a blueberry-vodka vinaigrette which had me rather intrigued.  Chef reduced the vodka and burnt off the alcohol before adding it to the blender with blueberries, dijon mustard, and garlic, then he drizzled in olive oil while pureeing the dressing.  I could have used a good bit more on my salad, but I liked the thought of it nevertheless.

Zapp's-Crusted Cobia with Garden Vegetable Hash and Smoked Tomato Butter Sauce

Smoked tomatoes showed up once again in our main course of the evening.  This time they were used in a butter sauce surrounding a gorgeous piece of fish topped with a Louisiana shrimp by Chef Brad McGehee of Ye Olde College Inn in New Orleans.  The cobia, a rather fishy fish, was coated in a mixture of Zapp's Crawtators and crumbled andouille.  After baking in the overn the fish were plated with a vegetable hash of Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, potatoes, mushrooms, corn, and more.  The delicious butter sauce also contained a hint of booze in the form of Herbsaint.  I thought the overall dish was pretty nice and perhaps one of my favorite preparations of cobia that I've had.

Toasted Grits Waffle with Buttermilk Ice Cream and Bacon Caramel Sauce

Chef Manny Augello from Jolie's Bistro in Lafayette presented the dessert with his take on a breakfasty "Bacon and Waffle."  The grits in the waffle batter provided a unique flavor and texture to the base of the dessert.  However, it was the buttermilk ice cream that stole the show.  Along with the bacon caramel sauce, the ice cream had a magically satisfying flavor and texture to round out the stellar meal.

My compliments to all the chefs who prepared the meal as well as everyone else who helped them out in the kitchen.  Also congrats to the chefs and to Louisiana Cookin' for putting on such a great dinner for a wonderful cause.  Not only does the Chefs to Watch dinner serve as a tremendous way to recognize young culinary talent in our state, but it also provides much needed resources to Cafe Reconcile so that they can provide job training and education in the culinary arts to at-risk populations in New Orleans.

BR Foodies experience Le Creole

On a mission for our BR Foodies group to experience a new restaurant all at the same time, I arranged a trip for the group to dine at Le Creole on Highland Road.  Nobody had been before so other than some word of mouth, none of us knew what to expect.  

Le Creole is reasonably new to the Baton Rouge fine dining scene.  It is the latest creation of seafood lover, caterer, and restaurateur Wayne Stabiler.  His other restaurants include both Little Village locations and the City Cafe.  Wanting to get back to his Louisiana seafood distribution roots, he opened up Le Creole.  Chef Ryan Andre, who had previously be on board at Commander's Palace in New Orleans, took the reigns of the kitchen of the while Clark T. Ellis assumed the General Manager position.  

Upon arrival at Le Creole our group gathered in the bar with some cocktails while we caught up and chatted.  Clark greeted us and offered a little tour of the kitchen where we could meet Chef Andre.  The kitchen bustled with activity of chefs at their stations. 

GM Clark T. Ellis gives the BR Foodies a tour of the kitchen (left); Chef Ryan Andre poses for a picture at Le Creole (right)

My evening began with a Maker's 46 Old Fashioned.  The bartender muddled a maraschino cherry and a wedge of orange before adding the bitters, simple syrup, and bourbon.  The beverage got my taste buds kick-started as I prepared myself for a tasty meal.  I don't drink too many Old Fashioneds, but this this one could get me to change that.  I thoroughly enjoyed the beverage.  I had a whiskey sour later in the meal that did not impress me nearly as much.  I wished I had ordered a second Old Fashioned!  Before I got started eating, I first had to do some tweeting and posting which Kelly Spell happened to capture on camera!  Good times with the BR Foodies gang!

Le Creole started us out with their fresh-baked bread and some lemon herb butter from Plaquemines Parish.  The bread had a thick crust with a soft center and the butter had a tremendous flavor.  Following the bread came a cochon de lait bruschetta for each of us.  As a sampling portion of the their cochon de lait flatbread, the bruschetta featured tender pulled pork with goat cheese and provolone melted on top.  While I actually liked the flatbread version better, the pork and goat cheese combination stood out as a delicious combination.  The fork-tender pig mixed beautifully with the creamy cheese.  I could have eaten nothing other than that and been happy.  Come to think of it, I need to make a cochon de lait style pulled pork and goat cheese sandwich!

I continued my meal with tastes of Le Creole's boudin spring rolls with a raspberry sauce and a delightful watermelon, spinach and goat cheese salad.  The salad impressed me with its refreshing nature while still offering some great flavor combinations.  The sweetness of the watermelon played off of the goat cheese tang as the two danced in my mouth.  After the salad I opted for the turtle soup with sherry.  It was not the most memorable turtle soup I've had but it still satisfied my craving for more booze in food!

The true highlight on the night came in the form of the above pictured crab cake.  Chef Andre took jumbo lump crab meat and formed cakes that were held together by just a small amount of spicy mayo.  The cakes were then broiled in a hot oven instead of fried.  Served with a spicy remoulade sauce, the crab cake exploded with flavor.  Sweet crab and spicy sauce filled every bite and the texture of the lump meat with crispiness and creaminess gave a great mouth feel to each additional taste after taste.

My entree, pictured at the top of this post, featured a whole deep fried mangrove snapper served with sauteed squash, zucchini and red onion.  The whole fish presented an awe-inspiring spectacle of a dish.  Our wonderful server Erica placed it in front of me and I actually wanted to photograph the fish slightly more than I wanted to eat it.  Perhaps that is because I started to get full a course or two before the main entree, but still, it looked pretty amazing.  Once I dug into the fish and veggies I became just slightly underwhelmed.  As great as the fish looked, the flavor didn't quite deliver upon the visual expectations.  I enjoyed picking the fried flesh off the bones, but the taste failed to blow me away like some of the appetizers did.  The vegetables added nothing special to the dish and really forced the snapper to attempt to stand on its own.

We wrapped up our meal by passing around a trio of desserts.  We had a banana cake, a bread pudding and my personal favorite, a homemade cookie with ice cream.  The vanilla bean ice cream melted rapidly over a oven-hot chocolate chip cookie in an individual cast iron skillet.  Simply put, this dessert capped the meal right back up at the top of the delicious scale.

Overall I had a wonderful meal and a great experience at Le Creole.  Clark, the General Manager, and his staff took great care of us all evening long.  Erica, our waitress, delivered amazing service and it seemed like everyone else in the restaurant received plenty of attention as well.  The food belonged among Baton Rouge's upscale dining elite.  While my entree didn't amaze me, the snapper still tasted quite good, and rest of the courses certainly made the entire experience into a memorable meal.  On the way out of the dimly lit and intimate dining area I realized that the music I had been hearing all evening was coming from a live pianist.  Yet another fun touch to make me want to go back for more from Le Creole!

Thanks to Kelly Spell of the BR Foodies for most of the pictures from a great evening!

Legend's Steakhouse at the Paragon Casino

I recently enjoyed a trip to Marksville, Louisiana where I got a chance to play a round of golf with John from Tee to Green Magazine followed by a delicious meal at the Legend's Steakhouse inside the Paragon Casino Resort.  When I got to the resort, I checked in my hotel room that had a balcony overlooking the atrium with live alligators.

After throwing down my bags I caught a tram over to the Tamahka Trails golf course where I met a group of writers and friendly Paragon marketing and staff members for lunch at the Grill Room inside the club house.

After scarfing down a burger, John and I hit the driving range to warm up before beginning our round of golf.  We had a blast playing all 18 holes on a gorgeous day and friendly course.  It had plenty of challenges for the experienced golfers with deep bunkers and doglegged holes, but also some open fairways for a novice like me.  I actually shot a lot better than I thought I would.  After returning to the hotel, I had time to take a quick shower and get back downstairs for what I had really been waiting for: dinner at the Legend's Steakhouse!

Inside the Paragon Casino Resort sits one of the nicest restaurants in Marksville.  Legend's Steakhouse features quality cuts of beef and an assortment of other Louisiana cuisine.  John and I were joined by Lara from Peter Meyer PR in NOLA, Richella, who works as a PR Specialist at the resort, and a travel writer from Florida whose name escapes me.  Our table got started with a some cocktails.  Not wanting to order like a normal person, I decided that I'd begin with the signature drink on the menu: the Legendary Dream.  While most people wouldn't dare begin their meal with this concoction, I thought it would be appropriate.  If it were in Houston it would be simply called the "Dream Shake."  It featured Kahlua, brandy, amaretto, dark creme de cacao, and ice cream.  It was a damn good $10 milk shake.  And rather potent, too.  

Legendary Dream

We also ordered a trio of appetizers to pass around and share.  We began with the Cajun Crab Cakes.  The sweet and delicious lump crab meat cakes were topped with a tangy remoulade sauce.  These were a little different than a typical Louisiana style breaded and deep or pan fried cake.  They let the crab speak for itself, and it worked fairly well.  Next up were the Southern Style Fried Green Tomatoes.  The tempura style fried tomatoes were topped with more lump crab meat, which certainly didn't bother me.  The appetizer was finished off with a Bearnaise sauce.  I wasn't blown away by them, but they were acceptable.  Our final appetizer choice brought the Shrimp Michael.  The large gulf shrimp were wrapped in bacon and then deep fried before being topped on a bed of seafood dressing.  You really can't go wrong combining bacon and shrimp, so this appetizer was a big hit around the table.

Legend's Cajun Crabcakes

Legend's Southern Style Green Tomatoes

Legend's Shrimp Michael

From there, the rest of the table ordered some salads but I couldn't pass up the lobster bisque.  Our waitress decided to get a little artistic and wrote Legend's into the bowl of soup.  Nice touch.  And with a little black pepper to top it off, the soup pleased my taste buds despite being a little bland and short on much lobster meat.  I also needed another beverage, so this time I ordered a Spanish Fly, the most masculine looking martini on the menu.  It featured vodka, triple sec, lemon juice and lime juice.  With the sugar rim, it wasn't all that manly, but it still held me over before I got a glass of wine with my steak.

Lobster Bisque at Legend's

Spanish Fly Martini

My main course is what I really wanted all along.  The VP of Operations for the entire Paragon Casino Resort told me at the golf course that I needed to order the bone-in ribeye.  Never one to turn down a nice cut of beef that is still on the bone, I ordered just that.  My medium rare steak came out cooked beautifully with charred grill marks and a wonderful pink center throughout.  The beef had a great marbling and clearly came from a high quality cow!  I also really enjoyed the charred texture on the outside.  So many high quality steaks these days are broiled with infrared ovens and it was nice to see a flame grilled quality ribeye at a nice steakhouse!

Legend's Bone-in Ribeye

A slight disappointment I had at Legend's was a lack of selection on the wine list.  All the wines by the glass were from Kendall Jackson or Woodbridge by Mondavi.  Those wines can be found everywhere are offer me little as far as exploring something new or unique.  Still, a glass of Woodbridge Cabernet did the trick with the beef.  And naturally, no meal is complete without dessert.  However, I hadn't saved any room in my stomach so I got a wedge of carrot cake to go.  I ate it later that night, and enjoyed every bite!  Overall, the meal exceeded expectations and I'd be happy to eat there again when visiting the Paragon Casino Resort.