Jay Ducote along with Commander in Chef of Gov't Taco, Aimee Tortorich, hosted another sold out four course dinner at Red Stick Spice Company in August. Using Red Stick Co.'s high quality spices and oils, they took guests on a culinary adventure through North African cuisine.
The room was set up beautifully, including a gorgeous display of spices laid out for the guests to fawn at. Now that we have had a few repeat customers to our pop up dinners at Red Stick Spice Co. they know the drill and are arriving before we can even pour the first glass of wine. This gives them time to shop around the store and watch as Chef Aimee Tortorich put the finishing touches on a few of her dishes.
photo by Red Stick Spice Co.
To start the evening off we had plates of warm lamb meatballs served over a delicate but full flavored mint yogurt dipping sauce. The lamb was soft and juicy and the flavors set off by the mint prepared the guests for a savory evening. To compliment this earthy appetizer were glasses of Jay D's Blanc Du Bois for our guests to sip on.
Once everyone had a chance to try the lamb and grab a glass of wine or two, it was time to be seated. Jay started off the dinner service with a brief introduction and then the plates starting rolling out! For the first course, a procession of carrots roasted with oranges and dates, garnished with chickpeas and crumbled pistachios came marching out to the guests. This warm and robust dish paired nicely with a spicy glass of Pinot Noir.
photo by Red Stick Spice Co.
Next, for the main course was the beef short rib tagine. This crowd favorite was visibly tender and the aroma of ginger and fig wafted from the plates. The short rib was served with a delicate scoop of couscous, and garnished with peanuts. To compliment the subtle fruit notes of this dish was a full glass of Syrah for all to enjoy.
Last but certainly not least came the most artistic and sweet dish of the night. Chef arranged small sculptures of milk bastilla, a thin cinnamon dusted pastry layered into stacks and drizzled with a custard like cream. Hidden between the layers of crunchy pastry were cloves and apricots, and crunchy pine nuts were sprinkled on top to finish it off.
Blair prepared a warm rougaroux spiked cocoa with homemade marshmallows from Counter Space BR to be served with this decadent dessert.
photo by Red Stick Spice Co.
Once again, we were thrilled to see a room full of empty plates and satisfied taste buds. We can not wait to be back at Red Stick Spice Co. this month for a special TWO night seating of our Modern Italian Mangia four course dinner on September 26th and 27th. Join us before it sells out!
Every year when I look back on the adventures I've taken and the amazing things I've eaten, I'm always amazed. I love what I do and I work really hard for it. For me, rewards are often more embodied in a bowl of soup or a mouth-watering dessert than they are in any other way. All of this king-like feasting is documented fairly well, so when taking a stroll through the various and copious photo libraries at my disposal of food pics from throughout the year, I find myself salivating all over again.
Blair and Chuck have written about their 'Best Bites of 2016' and now it's my turn. I focus on three categories: dishes from the road that blew me away, desserts that I'll never forget, and times that I impressed myself with food that we prepared. Here's my best of 2016:
On the Road:
Khao Soi Neuea: Short Ribs, Coconut Curry Soup, Housemade Baa Mee, Noodles, Crispy Noodles
Khao Soi Neuea: Short Ribs, Coconut Curry Soup, Housemade Baa Mee, Noodles, Crispy Noodles
Alfie's pop-up in DC made the list for Blair and Chuck, but I knew long before I took them in July that Alfie's would make my list as well. I got my first taste of Alfie's back in February on snowy trek to our nation's capital for a beer dinner with the NBWA. Alfie's was just opening, but I managed to get a closing-time table thanks to my buddy Alex McCoy from Food Network Star. With a contingent of Louisiana friends now living in DC, we set up camp at Alfie's and nearly consumed the entire menu.
The Khao Soi Navea, beef short ribs simmered down in a coconut curry broth with noodles, nearly made me move to Thailand. The dish had just the right amounts of spice and complexity. The beef fell apart at the twist of a fork. The crunch noodles added the right textural contrast to bring it together. I'd take another bowl right now, but Alex has moved on from Alfie's to create new pop-ups in the same space, but don't fret! It'll be back one day, and I'll be there!
No trip to Nashville would be complete without hot chicken. I loved the hot chicken so much that we did a hot chicken pop-up here in Baton Rouge; more to come on that later.
However, the hot chicken from Nashville isn't what's on my list. Instead, the dish I crave to this day is the East Nasty from the popular restaurant in The Gulch, Biscuit Love. The buttermilk biscuit sandwich features a deep fried chicken thigh, aged cheddar cheese and a decadent sausage gravy. It's the kind of biscuit sandwich that you have to eat with a fork and knife, but that's alright by me!
Cream, Butter and Corn Milk Poached Silver Queen Corn
Cream, Butter and Corn Milk Poached Silver Queen Corn
Sometimes it's the most simple dishes that create lasting memories. I've eaten some true fine dining and molecular tinkering this year, but I always remember what Wolfgang Puck told me is the secret to good cooking. "Start with good ingredients," he said with a smile, "and don't fuck them up."
Chef David Bancroft at the restaurant Acre in Auburn, AL is the embodiment of that philosophy. He grows a lot of what he cooks on the one acre plot on which the restaurant sits. When it's time to harvest, his menu features food that is essentially grown in his parking lot.
The most memorable dish that he served us on our drive home from the James Beard House in New York was this cream, butter and corn milk poached Silver Queen corn. There wasn't much to it, but it was quite simply one of the best things I ate all year. That's how corn is supposed to taste. And rather than try to do too much with it, David instead chose to just not fuck it up.
Cooking competitions are tricky, and with as many of them as I judge, there's a reason that I usually don't feature dishes from competitions on these kinds of lists. However, this year at The Wharf Uncorked, Chef Chris Sherrill from the Flora-Bama Yacht Club pulled off an nearly unprecedented kind of feat. His smoked and fried oysters took home three prizes, best in his category, best in show as picked by the judges, and people's choice as voted on by the public. He didn't just win, he blew the competition away.
The oysters were coated in a batter of dehydrated okra and potato flour. The oysters were served with more dehydrated okra for a little show-and-tell, as well as a rustic corn aioli. I could have sat back and eaten these like they were popcorn.
Cosme in NYC impressed me so much that they are going to make this list twice. The Duck Carnitas were nothing short of inspirational. As a signature dish, they certainly nailed it. It is the kind of dish that pushes me forward and makes we want to replicate it my own way. It's the reason why we've been practicing duck carnitas tacos for Gov't Taco. It HAS to go on the menu, and it has to live up to this sort of legendary status.
It takes a lot for a pork chop to get me excited, but this is the best pork chop I've ever had! Served with the most interesting cut that I've ever seen and prepared in a mind-boggling fashion. the slab of Compart Duroc pork featured the loin, baby back rib, belly and skin of the pig all in one cut. This meant that the finished product had pretty much everything: juicy, tender pork loin, succulent rib meat, fatty belly and crispy skin.
Chef Larry Delgado got each piece of the chop to work right by using multiple cooking methods including searing, sous vide, baking and frying. Honestly, it doesn't matter to most people what he may or may not have done to perfect the pork. What matters is that I've been craving more of it ever since and if you're ever in McAllen, TX you have to dine at this restaurant.
Desserts:
Carrot Cake
Kyle Field, College Station, TX, Thanksgiving Day
Chef Picou and Jay Ducote in the Kitchen at Kyle Field with Carrot Cake
I had the pleasure of traveling to College Station for the LSU vs Texas A&M game on Thanksgiving Day. As impressive as LSU was on the field, the Aggie Hospitality team may have taken the cake in terms of impressiveness. They're taking stadium food to a new level. If you're lucky enough to get catering in the club level or a suite, you're in for a treat at Kyle Field.
On day one of my behind-the-scenes tour and tasting, I got to sample a lot of their smoked meats, specialty hot dogs and more. The beef short ribs weren't far from making this list, but Chefs Picou (pictured above) and Mora, both assured me that I needed to try the carrot cake the next day. I got a special invite to track them down in the stadium's kitchen at halftime of the football game to give it a try. Folks, I'm not kidding when I say it's the best carrot cake I've ever had. I'll go back to a football game and sneak into a suite if I have to in order to get another slice!
I said earlier that Cosme would make this list twice. Here's number two: the illustrious corn meringue has made magazines and headlines, so I'm definitely not the first person to admire its glory. However, this list of foods I ate in 2016 wouldn't be complete without a mention of it. With a hard shell on the outside and creamy corn sweetness on the inside, this dessert gave me a new respect for how many ways people can make something as simple as corn into something awesome.
Speaking of making corn into something awesome, 2016 started out strong with a culinary trip to Lafayette and a feasting at Dark Roux. The entire meal was quite exceptional, but it still managed to end on an even higher note. The cornbread bread pudding had the flavors and textures that help a bread pudding stand apart. With so many bread puddings on southern menus, It's hard to be impressed by this classic dessert these days, but when one does, it's divine. Using cornbread to make a dessert gave it just enough of a savory edge to make it truly memorable instead of just being a block of sugar. If you go to Dark Roux, don't miss it.
My opinion on bread pudding, as seen above, is that bread pudding is good, but it takes a truly special one to impress me. However, my feeling on tres leches is that they are usually rubbish. They are wet, soggy messes of batter and milk and sugar and they shouldn't be a thing. So when I was told to get the Tres Leches Cake at Corks & Cleaver in Gulfport, MS, my first instinct was to run.
However, trusting Chef David Dickensauge's skills and palate, I decided to give it a try. I'm sure glad I did. I've never had a tres leches like this. It's all about the texture, and this one worked. Not existent was the soggy goop of traditional tres leches. Instead, this cake featured magnificently velvety layers of sweetened milk and spongy cake. Now I think I'm scared of tres leches cakes even more though, because I'll probably never have another one like this again.
Food Prepared by Me and My Team:
Nashville Style Hot Chicken, Mustard Greens, Mac & Cheese
Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof pop-up for flood relief, Baton Rouge, LA, September
Nashville Style Hot Chicken, Mustard Greens, Mac & Cheese
Having eaten at Hattie B's in Nashville twice this year, I developed a true respect and subsequent craving for hot chicken. It provides a mouth sensation that can best be described by a Ray Bradbury quote from Fahrenheit 451: "It was a pleasure to burn."
Not being able to get hot chicken in Baton Rouge is a problem, so I decided to take it upon myself to do a hot chicken event at the Tin Roof Brewing Company called Hot Chicken on a Tin Roof. My team with Blair, Chuck, Aimee and interns (Marit and Rachel) were joined by Jason Lees of Roux 61, Alex Barbosa from Barbosa's Barbeque and Alex Hamman from the Louisiana Culinary Institute to pull off an epic hot chicken popup.
Complete with a bad ass mac & cheese and braised mustard greens (donated by Table Fresh), the plates of hot chicken flew off our serving line as fast as we could fry them. We served over 300 people that night, and between us and Tin Roof, donated over $1,000 to the Greater Baton Rouge Area Food Bank as a part of a flood relief effort.
Also, the chicken, to put it mildly, was on point.
One of our very first taco experiments to get Gov't Taco menu development started featured a dish containing a black bean puree, goat cheese, pepitas, chimichurri and cane-syrup-glazed roasted carrots. The ingredients were designed to be fillings in a vegetarian taco option, and it worked. It worked so well, in fact, that we did it again at another Gov't Taco pop-up and we're almost certain that it will end up on our opening menu. So we have that going for us, which is nice.
Fig, Fennel, Almonds, Hybrid Tortilla
Gov't Taco Pop-up at Slash Creative, Baton Rouge, LA, October
Fig, Fennel, Almonds, Hybrid Tortilla
The roasted carrots were great, but the fig and fennel taco that we did for Spooky Taco Tuesday at S/ash Creative may have been even better. The combination of sweet late-season figs from Indie Plate and anise flavored fennel with crunchy toasted almond slices explodes on the taste buds. This is a taco that we are sure to repeat as soon as fig season is back.
Granny's Pecan Rolls
James Beard House, NYC, July
Granny's Pecan Rolls
Photo: Fortunato M. Ramin
My top professional accomplishments of 2016 were having a pilot for my own show air on Travel Channel, launching my Spicy & Sweet Barbecue Rub and Single Origin Coffee, and cooking at the historic James Beard House in New York. For the dinner, I knew I wanted to do some of my "greatest hits" dishes from TV shows and cooking events, but I got hung up on what to do for dessert. I wanted to feature a dish that truly meant something to me, so when we came up with the idea to feature my Granny's pecan rolls, I knew we were onto something.
Chef Aimee Tortorich worked hard on taking my grandmother's recipe and turning it into a dessert rather than a breakfast dish. We added a little more sugar as well as a pecan praline sauce. They filled every bit of the nostalgic void in my stomach. Our best batch came at the James Beard House, though all the practice runs were pretty spectacular as well.
So this one time, we were in the Hamptons, and we were asked to hang out for a pool party and cook for some local guests... and Heidi Klum showed up... and when I asked for a picture, she grabbed the leg of lamb from the table and we captured this magic.
But here's what you can't really see from that picture: that lamb may have been the best thing I cooked this year. Roasted whole in a La Caja China, the lamb was seasoned with nothing more than garlic-infused olive oil and Jay D's Spicy & Sweet BBQ Rub plus a little extra kosher salt. The toasted bark on the outside of the lamb from the rub and heat from the the wood fire provided charred heaven while the inside of the lamb was tender and succulent, containing lots of flavor in every bite. It truly was worthy of The Hamptons, Heidi Klum, our fantastic hosts and all the excellent wine we drank!
Jay Ducote makes biscuit dough at Mahaffey Farms for the Pineywoods Supper Club
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Jay Ducote works the mother fire at the Pineywoods Supper Club while biscuits cook in Dutch ovens
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Evan McCommon uses the light on his phone to check on a batch of Dutch oven biscuits
Photo: Jennifer Robison
Dutch Oven Biscuits from the Pineywoods Supper Club at Mahaffey Farms
These aren't the first biscuits to make this year's list, which just goes to show that biscuits are so hot right now. I put Dutch Oven Biscuits on our menu for the Piney Woods Supper Club, complete with many other delightful dishes from duck carnitas tacos (inspired from above) to glazed carrots (inspired from above) to a whole lamb (inspired from above). However, unlike all of those things where we had recent practice runs to base everything off of, these biscuits weren't something I had much experience with.
Buttermilk biscuit making is an art form. The proper mixing of flour, salt baking powder with cold butter, lard (from Mahaffey Farms in the this case) and buttermilk is the first step. On the farm this was all done in small batches and by hand. I actually didn't even have measuring cups so I just eye-balled everything and went by feel and ratios. I flattened the dough out on an outdoor table lined with contractor trash bags then laminated the dough, folding it over itself and stretching it back out again and again. Not having a ring mold, I used the lid to a mason jar to cut the biscuits into beautiful rounds.
Cooking outside on a farm can have its challenges, one of which is the lack of an oven to bake said biscuits. Needing to stay true to my word of delivering Dutch oven biscuits, I set up three cast iron pots above a bed of coals and then shoveled hot coals onto the lids of the pots as well once biscuits were inside. This is, afterall, the intent of the Dutch oven. Each pot fit around 7 biscuits, so using all three I was still only cooking 21 at a time.
With around a 20 minute cook time, the biscuits were the most elusive item at the 100-person feast. People waited in line for all the food, but the biscuits are what spread throughout the farm as the hard-to-get item worth waiting for. When all the smoke had cleared from the whole lamb and charred carrots, the last batch of biscuits were the only thing left over fire. Fortunately by that time most people had finished eating, so I got to have one of the biscuits right out of the Dutch oven. The buttery and flaky dough melted in my mouth as the salty lard gave a savory depth throughout the biscuits. The coal ovens gave the biscuits an outside crust with a beautiful, steamy interior.
I'll go so far as to say that they were the best biscuits I've ever made. I'm going to be searching for that satisfaction in every biscuit I create from now on.
Tin Roof Brewing Company can always give you something tasty to sip on, but if you pop by the brewery every now and then, you might find yourself in the middle of a good time.
Since the opening of their taproom, Tin Roof has played host to pop-up dinners, home brew competitions, yoga classes, crawfish boils and more.
Recently, I enjoyed a five-course beer dinner prepared by Chef Kelley McCann of Galatoire’s Bistro and Jesse Romero of MasterChef Season 6 at the taproom. Pro tip: keep up with Tin Roof on their social media channels to hear about local chefs cooking up seriously delicious stuff.
The dishes were well thought out and paired deliciously.
Whether it’s a five-course beer dinner or Jesse serving greens out of a cast iron cauldron on the loading dock, you won’t want to miss it.
First Course: Oyster Mignonette with the Blonde Ale
Gulf Oysters with Satsuma Mignonette
I’ve had a lot of raw Gulf oysters and some good mignonettes, but this Satsuma mignonette with fresh parsley had me feeling incredibly Louisiana. It’s a really good feeling.
Jesse and Kelley mixed in some gelatin to firm up the mignonette so it would stay on the oyster and not get lost in the oyster juices that eventually spill out of the shell. I really appreciated that little flex of technique.
Second Course: Citrus Poached Louisiana Shrimp with Turnrow Harvest Ale
Citrus Poached Louisiana Shrimp with Turnrow Beurre Blanc
Who knew a single succulent Louisiana shrimp could be so exciting? The Turnrow beurre blanc really set this dish off. Tin Roof’s Turnrow, originally intended to be a seasonal brew, became so popular they now brew it year round. It is hands down my favorite Tin Roof beer.
The coriander in the Turnrow came through beautifully in the beurre blanc, and incorporating the beer into a beurre blanc is one of the most delicious ways I’ve experienced it.
Third Course: Geaux Local Soup with the House Series English Brown Ale
Smoky Tomato Soup with Basil Oil
This dish, named after one of the brewery’s commonly used hashtags, gave me the feeling the mean food critic in Ratatouille got when he first tasted the mouse’s ratatouille.
Cold-smoked tomato soup with the slightest creaminess drizzled with basil oil may rival that of Chelsea’s. As a longtime lover of soup, it’s hard for me to get wowed by a tomato soup, but it had the most perfect (and I don’t say that lightly) consistency and balance of flavor.
The new House Series English Brown brought some roasty notes to the table to compliment the smoky soup.
Fourth Course: Lamb Two Ways with Rougarou
Seared Lamb Lollipop, Lamb & Risotto Cake and Greens
A mash up of Kelley’s fine dining background and Jesse’s Louisiana sportsman flare, this dish proved to be a true collaboration. I would have been happy with the savory greens and seared lamb lollipop, but the fried risotto and lamb “boudin ball” was the star of the dish.
Creamy risotto, bits of lamb all fried into a ball? It’s like someone slipped a tuxedo onto a boudin ball: genius. The pairing of the Rougarou, an Imperial Black Ale, was a bold choice. I find the Rougarou to be very rich, roasty, toasty, and smoky with a hint of hops, but it worked out nicely and added a little jolt to the creaminess of the risotto.
Fifth Course: Parade Mousse with the Parade Ground Coffee Porter
Parade Ground Coffee Porter Mouse, Candied Bacon and Port Cherries
Chocolate mousse topped with port cherries and candied bacon? Yes. This dessert speaks for itself. Decadent chocolate and candied bacon with a side of Tin Roof’s coveted coffee porter sounds like the best decision anyone could ever make.
Baton Rouge is kind of having a moment right now. With Jay’s success on Food Network Star, Jesse receiving national attention on MasterChef, and Avery Kyle nearly snagging the MasterChef Junior title, I think Louisiana, and more importantly Baton Rouge, has a lot to be proud of.
(You can catch all three of these cool cats this weekend downtown at the Red Stick Roux Rally! Jay will be one of the judges for the gumbo competition, and Jesse and Avery will teaming up to take all the stellar gumbos out there! Stop by, give them a high five, and snap a picture because these folks are bound for great things!)
Since I began as an intern with Bite and Booze nearly a year ago, I have heard whispers of Lucky Palace in Shreveport, Louisiana.
It's safe to say Jay and Blair are obsessed with the place: these two actively fantasize about the restaurant, and they tell everyone about this place if the topic of best places to eat ever comes up.
Sure, they say, the food is phenomenal, but that's not what makes Lucky Palace special. It's the location, the decor, the service.
It's the unexpectedness of it all.
So when Jay, Blair, and I were invited to hang out in Shreveport-Bossier with the tourism bureau's PR and Social Media Manager Chris Jay in late September, I stayed focused on my one true objective throughout our trip. I had to see whether Lucky Palace lived up to the hype.
Here's the thing. Lucky Palace is situated in a seedy part of town within an interstate-side hotel. The parking lot looks like the kind of place where people meet up to buy or sell prescription pain medication. It's poorly lit, and getting to the restaurant requires entering through the yellowing, smoke-smelling hotel lobby.
Entering Lucky Palace is akin to entering another dimension. Lucky palace exists in another place and time.
The interior is shrouded in red-tinged darkness. It's impossible to sense how large or small the place is, or to determine where the walls end and the floors begin.
Imagine a cross between a very ornate Chinese restaurant from the 1970s and the Red Room from David Lynch's Twin Peaks. That's the only way to describe Lucky Palace.
The menu offers typical "Chinese-American" fare: sesame, orange, and General Tso's chicken, egg drop soup, and egg rolls. But a keen observer will head straight for the House Specialties: Northern style duck with steam buns, squid with sour cabbage, Korean pancakes, and more.
Roasted Duck on Scallion Pancakes
It almost goes without saying that the food is incredible. The roasted duck on scallion pancakes makes for a perfect bite. The crunchy "pirate boats" filled with crisped scallops chopped and served on Belgium endives topped with black bean sauce is breathtaking. The sweet, pecan inspired sesame
ball dessert is a dream.
Pirate Boats with Black Bean Sauce
Everyone agrees the food is exceptional, but Lucky Palace’s reputation was built on its highly curated selection of wines. They have more than 250 to choose from.
Tamarind Marinated Rack of Lamb with Jalapeno Mint Glaze
Since 2003 the restaurant has nabbed Awards of Excellence from Wine Spectator, and since 2006 it's been recognized by Awards of Unique Distinction by Wine Enthusiast. Lucky Palace has also twice
been named in the Top 100 Chinese Restaurants in America.
Steak with onion and bell pepper
The proprietor, Kuan Lim, is a local legend. His smile illuminates the dark restaurant. Lim excels in customer service, and he has the ability to make every diner feel looked after. He will personally pair a wine with any dish at Lucky Palace, and to quote Chris Jay, "this may be the world’s only restaurant that serves a $7 sesame chicken lunch special as well as a $760 bottle of 2002 Harlan Estate Cabernet Sauvignon."
Battered shrimp with peppers
After all the hype, I have to say, Lucky Palace exceeded my expectations. It’s easy to see how a place like this can be overlooked, and it made me ever grateful to be experiencing Lucky Palace with people who knew enough to appreciate it.
Look, I'm a gentlewoman. I want to treat my lady to nice things on occasion. I'm no millionaire, but I'll drop my hard-earned dollars on a good meal any day.
So when Blair told me about Ursa Major, I knew it would be the perfect place to bring my girlfriend for our one year anniversary. She and her brother Jake had recently been there for drinks and had been impressed by the restaurant's selection of cocktails.
Interior at Ursa Major in New Orleans
Separation Anxiety cocktail at Ursa Major
Ursa Major was opened recently by the same people who opened Booty's Street Foods, one of my favorite New Orleans restaurants. But Ursa Major is astrological themed – with each rotation of the zodiac calendar, they switch up their drink list and their menu to items inspired by that zodiac sign.
When Ryan and I went, the menu was Cancer inspired.
We started out with some drinks. I opted for the H.B.I.C., a mixture of Calvados Morin, Hochstadter's Rock and Rye Slow & Low, honey and green chartreuse. It was super sweet and strong. Definitely a drink for sipping.
Ryan went with the Separation Anxiety, featuring Smith & Cross rum, Hamilton Black rum, plum, orange juice, and Rothman & Winter Orchard Pear liqueur. The only alcohol Ryan will generally drink is vodka with orange juice (no beer, only recently some wine), so I was surprised she liked this drink.
We each decided to go with the Tasting Menu, the Chef's choice of six courses including dessert.
Japanese Yellowtail Tuna at Ursa Major
The first course may have been my favorite. It was a piece of Japanese yellow tail tuna served salted, cold, and garnished with a peach slice. Raw fish isn't something I'd have ordered on my own, but the tuna was tender and light, and it was a great start to our meal.
Samusa atop cilantro aioli at Ursa Major
Next, we had samusas stuffed with confit potato, carrot, and pork belly with cilantro aioli dipping sauce. I can best describe these as potato-y wontons. I wished I had tasted more of the pork belly flavors, though.
Garbanzo salad at Ursa Major
The third course was a garbanzo salad with tomato, cilantro, and a heavy curry flavor. The garbanzo beans were a little hard for my taste, but the flavors worked well together.
Fourth came the pork belly chow mein. Finally, I tasted the pork belly! The noodles and the sauce had a heavy vinegar flavor, so much so that I had to ask the waiter what I was tasting. He said it was Chinese black vinegar, a more potent vinegar used in East Asia. It was very odd, but yummy.
Ryan enjoying the pork belly chow mien at Ursa Major
The main course came next. We were served perfectly cooked bedouin lamb from a farm in Mississippi with heirloom carrots, Japanese flavored green beans, tomato chutney, and a dollop of house made yogurt.
Bedouin lamb at Ursa Major
The lamb was tremendous: not over-cooked, subtly seasoned, and paired perfectly with the yogurt and tomato chutney. The carrots and green beans were unnecessary. I wouldn't have missed them.
Last, the dessert. We were served a red bean cake with smoky vanilla bean ice cream. The cake was pretty dry, but combined with the ice cream it wasn't inedible. I paired dessert with a decent sherry, and then we called it a night.
When Zorba's Bistro reopened last year, many Baton Rougeans rejoiced. From 1984 to 2000, Zorba's had been a local favorite and one of the only Greek restaurants in the city to serve nothing but Greek food (as opposed to Greek and Lebanese fare).
I had never been to the original Zorba's, but recently when Blair asked me what I wanted for lunch, I suggested we check out the new Essen location.
Zorba's new location on Essen Lane has a cheery outdoor area.
If the day hadn't been so rainy, I'd have insisted we sit outside. The new location has a lovely outdoor seating area, painted white with a vaulted overhead ceiling and patio umbrellas in shades of blue.
The interior was just as nice. It was dimly lit with scenes of Greece and woven baskets lining the walls, and it offered us refuge from the rain.
We didn't start the fire! Our waiter lit our cheese saganaki on fire.
As per our waiter's suggestion, Blair ordered the Big-Z Lamb Burger, a thick portion of seasoned lamb meat on a bun topped with arugula and sun-dried tomatoes and served with Zorba's house salad and feta cheese fries. The burger was gigantic and juicy, but Blair and I were blown away by the feta cheese fries. I kept stealing fries off her plate. They were insanely delicious.
We live for these feta cheese fries.
I ordered the combination souvlaki, which was a massive plate of beef, chicken and gyros served with rice pilaf, Zorba's house salad and grilled bell peppers. This was perfect for people like me who are trying to watch their carb intake. It can be really hard to cut back on carbs, but this colorful plate made it painless (minus the rice pilaf).
Chicken, beef, and gyros combination souvlaki plate with rice pilaf, salad, and grilled veggies.
We were stuffed to the gills, so we passed on dessert, but we swore we'd try the baklava the next time around. And there will be a next time.
I've really come to appreciate Lake Charles through my recent travels to their corner of Louisiana. There's way more going on amid the rice and crawfish ponds than even the natives give themselves credit for. And with a thriving casino industry bringing folks in from Texas as well as some huge industrial developments, I can only imagine that the next couple years will really see Lake Charles shine. I've had the pleasure of staying at the L'Auberge Casino and Resort quite a few times, and I'm no rookie at dining at their steakhouse, either. The Ember Grille & Wine Bar helmed by Chef Mark Chapman routinely puts out some amazing food. This past August I attended the Travel Media Showcase in Lake Charles which brought food bloggers and travel destinations from across the country to Southwest Louisiana. It's essentially a place to get to know fellow travel journalists and mingle with destination marketers, possibly planning out some future culinary adventures. If they are anywhere close to being as tasty as this one, I'll be delighted!
The Ember Prime "Tomahawk": 40 oz. Ribeye Carved Table-side
The night before the Showcase began we were treated to dinner at Ember, which once again has never failed to impress. Here's a collection of the evening's dishes. I went ahead and started this blog post with their signature steak, the 40oz prime tomahawk ribeye, carved tableside. Many other dishes follow below, each providing their own signature styles and flavors. I'd try to pick a favorite, but that's nearly impossible. I'll give you a hint though, one of the dishes made the list of the 10 best things I ate in 2014! That isn't meant to take away from the rest of these plates of beauty, though!
