As it turns out, Marnie and Kim were eager to help by ordering specific items we wanted to try, to hear our opinions, and offer theirs. The restaurant space is comfortable with plenty of room between tables, lots of New Orleans-appropriate kitch and decor. Unfortunately I was seated facing a whole wall dedicated to George Rodrigue's Blue Dog art (ick). Our waiter could have been from NOLA, very gregarious and eager to help (maybe trying a little too hard to be jolly...but I'm a grump).
Be warned, I'm really not going to pull any punches here.
What we ordered:
- Crawfish fritters
- Boudin balls
- Gumbo
- "Risotto Jambalaya"
- Poor boys: Shrimp and Oyster
- Mac & cheese
- Creamed cauliflower
- Grillades and grits
- Strawberry short cake
I'm going to focus primarily on the dishes I'll be serving.
Gumbo: Mario and I detected a touch of sweetness in the gumbo that was off-putting to our taste. A good amount of chicken, and a couple of shrimp. Unsurprisingly, the shrimp were overcooked, which provided me with a cautionary tale when it comes to making Louise's seafood gumbo for the cart. I'll need to cook the gumbo base without the oysters and shrimp and then add the seafood a couple of times per service (or even to order). The base will have plenty of flavor from the blue crabs. As with Acadia, the proportion of rice was too high for my taste and okra not well integrated.
Risotto Jambalaya: AKA really gummy mushy jambalaya, and an insult to a real risotto. The sausage was delicious. But honestly, the texture was so awful, it was hard to judge in any other dimension.
Poor boys: About 5", which is appropriate to the small plate theme. Bread, Rachel immediately pointed out, is wrong--it was a hoagie roll. And the amount of seafood is extremely scant. She counted three oysters. Five or so shrimp. Really? Six bucks for that. Two bucks per oyster. No. Just no.
Grillades and Grits: Not something I'll be serving, but the best Creole offering we tasted. The gravy was flat out delicious--deep and rich in flavor.
Finally, I understand the desire to have vegetarian/vegan options, but really, blackened or fried tofu? Marnie (or maybe it was Kim? Can't remember, sorry guys!) asked me if I'm going to have "v" options on the cart. My initial response is no, because in a cart pod there are other options--in contrast to a restaurant where the diners are a captive audience and I would be obligated to offer at least a couple of excellent "v" options. Unfortunately much of Cajun/Creole cuisine does not easily lend itself to vegetarian, or especially vegan versions. Still, it isn't difficult to make a delicious batch of vegan red beans or smothered greens; I've eaten a tasty lentil étouffée; one could develop a very credible recipe for stuffed eggplant or mirleton, yada yada. Tapalaya has several "V" options on their menu, so there is really no excuse for something as lazy as deep fried tofu. Maybe I don't have the right to say that since I didn't try it, but since I'm being a bitter and opinionated cur, there it is.
In closing, as with Acadia, I'm confident that my food will hold its own vs. Tapalaya.
Please weigh in on my current position re: offering "v" from my cart, or any of my unvarnished opinions expressed above.
As Louise would say, "See you in the gumbo with the rest of the crabs!"
Risotto Jambalaya: AKA really gummy mushy jambalaya, and an insult to a real risotto. The sausage was delicious. But honestly, the texture was so awful, it was hard to judge in any other dimension.
Poor boys: About 5", which is appropriate to the small plate theme. Bread, Rachel immediately pointed out, is wrong--it was a hoagie roll. And the amount of seafood is extremely scant. She counted three oysters. Five or so shrimp. Really? Six bucks for that. Two bucks per oyster. No. Just no.
Grillades and Grits: Not something I'll be serving, but the best Creole offering we tasted. The gravy was flat out delicious--deep and rich in flavor.
Finally, I understand the desire to have vegetarian/vegan options, but really, blackened or fried tofu? Marnie (or maybe it was Kim? Can't remember, sorry guys!) asked me if I'm going to have "v" options on the cart. My initial response is no, because in a cart pod there are other options--in contrast to a restaurant where the diners are a captive audience and I would be obligated to offer at least a couple of excellent "v" options. Unfortunately much of Cajun/Creole cuisine does not easily lend itself to vegetarian, or especially vegan versions. Still, it isn't difficult to make a delicious batch of vegan red beans or smothered greens; I've eaten a tasty lentil étouffée; one could develop a very credible recipe for stuffed eggplant or mirleton, yada yada. Tapalaya has several "V" options on their menu, so there is really no excuse for something as lazy as deep fried tofu. Maybe I don't have the right to say that since I didn't try it, but since I'm being a bitter and opinionated cur, there it is.
In closing, as with Acadia, I'm confident that my food will hold its own vs. Tapalaya.
Please weigh in on my current position re: offering "v" from my cart, or any of my unvarnished opinions expressed above.
As Louise would say, "See you in the gumbo with the rest of the crabs!"
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