Yea!! And the bar has been redone. I hope they also redesigned the entrance which took clientele right past the mop buckets or trash cans or something that didn't belong in the entrance.
I always loved their onion rings before the steaks arrived, they were the best! Hope Dottie is there.
B N

Thanks HC. You're the tops.

In New Roads there are good ones at Kelley's Specialty Meats. They have many other specialty items that I drive for: smoked chicken - yes, chicken, and I use it in stuffing eggplant amongst other things - sausage, frog legs, boudin, stuffed peppers, gumbo in a freezer bag. Their boudin is my all time favorite. Last time I was there, I heard some talk about them opening a location in Jefferson Parish. For now, they drive to Chalmette on occasion and set up somewhere, not sure where. Maybe I can find out. Another things they sell is brisket and it's also tops.

Are you sure it wasn't Comeaux's? There are several locations: near the University one street over from Taft St., and way out Ambassador Cafferty by the Settlement. Great boudin (the crawfish boudin is the best) and cracklins also if I recall.
Beau

Someone once told me the fat in a Louisiana seafood was called "royal", but I cannot find it in the dictionary. Is this true? Maybe it was not shrimp or blue crab, but lobster fat.

I used the word today to describe some very full boiled crabs at Canseco's Gro in Metairie. They really hit the spot. I was surprised because although the moon is waxing, it is not full. I thought crabs got fat like that in the full moon.

I love living in a city where you run over to a corner grocery at lunch for boiled seafood. What a nice surprise. I have been away too long.

Beau Noppatee

I'm also new to Houston. Last weekend I had a superb meal at Back Street Cafe. The restaurant is tops in my book. My first course was grilled Sea Scallops over watercress and my friend had a baked pear stuffed with cheese and nuts. The scallops were not only delicious but well paired with the champagne we ordered, which brings me to another point - the restaurant has a great wine list. Both these dishes were delicious and perfectly seasoned. I won't even try to describe how my tastebuds went into a SWOON IN OVERDRIVE when I wrapped my mouth around those big plump perfectly-grilled scallops. Lord there are few dishes on a menu like that. Anyway, the rest of the meal stood up to the first course. The red romaine salad was wonderful and actually looked like a work of art. For my entree I ordered their Seared Duck Breast (in a fig reduction), also terrific. Cannot wait for the next meal at this one.
Beau Noppatee

Thanks for a perfect recommendation!!! We loved the atmosphere, the friendly yet professional waitstaff, the personable middle aged waiter who as it turns out is related to Degas, and the many fine choices on the lunch menu. It was a perfect prequel to the "Femme, Femme, Femme" exhibit. The Degas Cafe is a quaint stopping point in a lovely district of New Orleans. The weather cooperated and we parked two blocks away and strolled over to the cafe. Then took a place to wait opposite the kitchen. Frankly, although we could have waited on the deck or outside, we enjoyed the view into the kitchen and decided that the seared tuna with salad nicoise appeared to be dish to choose. And we were not disappointed. We also had fried sweetbreads for an appetizer, tasty but not what I'm accustomed to. I like sweetbreads poached with a buttery creamy sauce. The wait staff is great, they handled a busy graduation weekend with total aplomb and remained more than friendly - I would say "sweet." The maitre de' and one of the chefs stopped to chat with us while we waited to be seated. I plan to go back often and would like to be seated on the porch near the street. I want to taste the french onion soup and the quiche.

There was food inside to take out in a cold case. I think it was things like gumbo and homemade sausage. More than that, I cannot recall. And yes, I think mik1005 hit it on the head when he said "Cormier's."

Well I'm not in SF, rather I'm in the deep South of Louisiana. Anyway, I recently searched all over for yellow grits. The big companies, Quaker and Aunt Jemima, don't even offer yellow grits anymore. Finally was able to locate some in the health food section of Drug Emporium. The brand is Bob's Red Mill. If you know a place in your locale that carries this brand, you should be able to find "s-c" grits. Anyway, here's one of the website I used in my search and it appears the big companies may have what you want since they carry something labeled "old fashioned" grits: http://www.quakergrits.com/QG_Product...

On the subject of fresh corn - I have been making Louisiana corn maque choux for many years. I haven't ever found a maque chou that was good in any restaurant and I have sampled all across the state, but I'm open to suggestions. My mother and grandparents knew that the trick to good macque choux is the corn. You have to get corn that's picked at a certain stage, then get it delivered immediately (that was when if you knew a farmer, you could order some of his produce, we could also get fresh hens, fresh guineas, etc etc) direct from the corn row, shuck it and cook it without delay. When the bags arrived we would all sit out on the back stoop and shuck as fast as possible. Shucking does not stop the sugars from going to starch. Removing the kernels from the cob doesn't stop the process either. Only cooking will halt it. So my mother would cook and can immediately. I don't can. Just put it in freezer jars and into the freezer. I mention all this b/c it emphasizes the point about the demise of Silver Queen. One final word - if you see corn in your market with fresh looking tassels that are not withered, turn back a few of the outer hulls. If the kernels are small and pearly, get it home fast and cook. You can use it all year in bisques and other recipes. When I order shrimp and corn bisque and the corn tastes like the canned stuff - I know the chef doesn't know corn.

here's a weblink: http://www.cafedegas.com/
for anyone that's interested

Thanks, I'm going to look online for the location and if you have any favorite dishes that would help also.

Will soon be visiting the FFF exhibit at the NO Museum of Art. What's out there? I've already called Ralph's on the Park and it's booked that night. Further suggestions are highly appreciated.
thanks, hounds

Seems like most of the best restaurants are either on or near Line Avenue. Here's a quick rundown: Superior's Steaks has good to very-very good steaks and seafood. And they have a variety of specialty olives for martinis. Those olives are huge and the best ones to me are stuffed with blue cheese!!! Lord it makes my mouth water for a martini right now. Someone else I know always orders the quail on yellow grits instead of a steak. I've been there several times with this friend and we also recommend the crabcakes. I like eating in the bar or the smoking room which has a hearth. Both rooms are beautiful and the bar has a baby grand. One night I met John Goodman at the piano - well sort of met him. He was at the piano singing Randy Newman songs about Louisiana, so I went over and plopped down at one of the six or seven stools at the piano. Does that qualify as "a meeting"?
Another good restaurant on Line Ave is called Bistro. I was real impressed bc it serves fois gras (one of my favorite foods) topped with a raspberry coulis. Yum, it inspired me to find a store that sells fresh fois gras - I bought several lobes, cut them into slices, seared the slices and served them on polenta with a beef reduction sweetened with currant jelly. I got good reviews.
Olive Street Bistro has wonderful veal osso bucco, but it's not on the menu every night. It's in a grand old Victorian home near the hospitals a few blocks off Line Ave.
There is a new restaurant called Guiseppe and supposedly it has the same management as Olive Street Bistro. Guiseepe's is favorite restaurant in Shreveport because the terrace is shaded by trees in the afternoons and offers a pretty view. Very pleasant to sit out there and sample their innovative cocktails made from a base of soured lime mash and served with a raw sugar cane stick instead of a stir stick. The premier dish in my humble opinion is the rack of lamb in a red onion sauce. You might also try the crab pancake which is a very thin crustless quiche and the sauce is buttery with a hint of curry. Interesting looking soups on the menu also.
Then on King a few blocks East of Byrd High School, there is a small but very pretty restaurant called Columbia Cafe. Once again I recommend the lamb, it is served with an arugula pesto and grilled asparagus. I've also tried their seared scallops with sage butter and that was delicious, just delicious.
For less expensive fare, someone recently recommended Fertitta's or Herby K's. The latter is famous for it's "shrimp buster." No idea what that is, but it's supposed to be a crowd pleaser.
I can't recall a CC's in Shreveport.
Enjoy ... and post your own reviews after you get there.

During crawfish season, I like a place on Forsyth Avenue a few block from the Biedenharn Home and Gardens. Unfortunately I cannot recall the name, but it is in an old filling station that has been converted. There are big picnic table in the covered area where cars use to pull in to fill up. Love the atmosphere, very casual neighborhood feeling. The seating area overlooks a neighborhood. Especially nice when dogwood and azaleas are in bloom b/c the home across the street is completely landscaped in white - white azaleas and white dogwoods on a curving path. The crawfish I had there on several occasions were large and well seasoned. Maybe someone out there has the name. Also, in the little strip mall next door there is a great bakery where you can have breakfast or lunch. It inlcudes a juice bar and my favorite was beet and carrot juice with a little pineapple juice. They will juice whatever you choose while you wait. I think that one is called Daily Harvest or Daily Harvest Market - also on Forsyth.

7 on Fulton is in your neighborhood. Watch the replies for the query I posted.

Any good reviews for this spot? It's betw Convention Center Blvd and Fulton St near the new promenade. I'll be dining there this weekend and would like a heads up on the strong points in the menu.
tnx C/hounds