The Cajun Foodie

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Posts Tagged shrimp

Palace Cafe

Jul 3

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | 2 Comments

palace cafe2Palace Cafe is located downtown on Canal Street in the historic Werlein’s Music Building.  The restaurant is the creation of Dickie Brennan’s culinary empire with Executive Chef Darin Nesbit dishing out contemporary New Orleans Creole cuisine.

This was probably the first restaurant that I went to when I moved to the city.  A few of my friends worked here at the time and really talked up the place.  Unsure if my friends were just biased or if the food was actually that good, I made my way to Palace Cafe to find out for myself.  Since then I have been back many times.

The turtle soup served at Palace Cafe is one of my favorites in the city.  It has just the right amount of lemon and sherry to go along with an ample amount of turtle meat.  Turtle meat may seem somewhat intimidating if you are not from the South, but I’d encourage anyone to try it. It’s probably the most delicate and delicious meat there is.  The sherry in turtle soup is what makes or breaks the dish.  Too much sherry and the dish will be overpowering, masking the flavors of the other ingredients.  Palace Cafe’s version hits the mark with the perfect amount to complement the dish.

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BIG AL’S – Where It’s At for Seafood in Houma

Jun 30

Posted by ellclare in Acadiana restaurant, Cajun recipes, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Big Al'sLocated on the East side of Houma, Big Al’s Seafood is my favorite place to go for boiled seafood around town.

Many people know that I’m indecisive about lots of things in life, but when it comes to food and when I’m hungry, there is absolutely no hope for a decision to be made.  I want a little of everything.  Everything looks and smells so good.  So many choices… it’s just hopeless.

Well – at Big Al’s, we had the most fabulous waitress who saved me from anguish and let me have a little bit of everything!  You can basically customize your own boiled seafood platter! How cool is this? We ordered 2 lbs of boiled shrimp, 1 lb of boiled crawfish, 2 crabs, and the sides of course (potatoes, corn, and sausage).

We were able to order a crab at a time and a pound of crawfish at a time after that when we still just hadn’t had enough.  It was perfect!  Everything was boiled to perfection: easy to peel, juicy, and spicy enough to feel the kick in your mouth, but not too spicy.

I’ve been a loyal fan of Big Al’s for years now, and every visit leaves me 110% satisfied.  They’re never off.  The menu offers a wonderful selection of fried and boiled seafood along with savory sides to compliment the seafood, and they have just about any style pasta and poboy you can imagine.  There’s also a kid-friendly menu.

Everything about Big Al’s makes you feel right at home: the booths and picnic tables, the Cajun ’decor’, the genuine Southern hospitality from the staff, and the always ice cold Abita beer.  (They DO serve Abita Strawberry, which is also a plus!)

Big Al’s original location can be found at 1226 Grand Caillou Road in Houma.  Their second location is on the Westside of Houma at 1377 West Tunnel Blvd.  For those folks in and around New Orleans, check out Big Al’s location on Annunciation Street in Uptown New Orleans.

Big Al's Seafood Market on Urbanspoon

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Grand Isle Grits recipe

Apr 29

Posted by Coon in Cajun recipes | 7 Comments

We made this for Thibodauxville last year and it came out 3rd. Talk about good…

The grits
3c water
2c chicken broth
1c regular grits (NOT INSTANT)
1/2 lb tasso

  1. Bring water and chicken broth to a boil.
  2. Brown tasso with butter in a frying pan.
  3. Add grits to boiling water and lower heat to simmer for about 20 minutes stirring a few times until it reaches the consistency you want.
  4. Once done, mix in tasso and serve.

You shouldn’t need to add any other seasoning because the broth and tasso will season it.

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The shrimp are flat in Shreveport…or at least at Herby-K’s!

Mar 16

Posted by Tommy in Everywhere else | 7 Comments

img 0103 150x150 The shrimp are flat in Shreveport...or at least at Herby Ks!Shreveport has been much maligned as the red headed stepchild of the Louisiana culinary scene.  People make it seem like someone routinely steps into the kitchens of Shreveport restaurants half naked and painted cardinal red, yells “Pig-SOOOOEEEEE” and steals the salt, leaving the chef little option but to serve tasteless food.  Seriously, native Shreveportians will be the first to tell you the food gets blander as you go further north up I-49, but there are bastions of hope that remain strong and Herby-K’s has been showing other places how to cook seafood for a long time.

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90 Years Young, Still Going Strong at Casamento’s in New Orleans

Mar 15

Posted by ICP in New Orleans restaurant | 1 Comment

img00119 150x150 90 Years Young, Still Going Strong at Casamentos in New OrleansSo two nights ago, Lindsay and I were prepared to fulfill our lenten penance filled with heaping quantities of fried or boiled seafood (yeah, I know, what a sacrifice).  We quickly narrowed our options down to a couple of choices – Crescent City Brewhouse, Franky & Johnny’s, or Casamento’s.  Luckily for us, we chose the latter.  I saw this restaurant on the Food Network’s show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and I was very intrigued.  We arrive at Casamento’s at 8:00 p.m. to see a line curling out of the door.  The restaurant is located on Magazine near the corner of Napoleon, right next to Miss Mae’s, which caused a good laugh as one of my friends once offered to buy a pretty young lady there a Milwaukee’s Best Light and – 5 years or so later – now they’re engaged to be married.

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Eat at Joe’s (Dreyfus Store Restaurant)

Mar 10

Posted by Tommy in Acadiana restaurant | 5 Comments

joes 001 150x150 Eat at Joes (Dreyfus Store Restaurant)Joe’s Dreyfus Store Restaurant, or Joe Dreyfus’ in local language, is just one of those places.  You know, THOSE places.  The places that you love to go through thick and thin, good dishes and bad, for better or for worse.  Set in Livonia, about a half-mile off of 190 between Opelousas and Baton Rouge, Joe’s has had some rough patches in the past. The restaurant has gone through changes of ownership, changing hours of operation, and tidal changes of food quality.  Joe’s is back though, and the little restaurant that could in the middle of nowhere is once again beckoning: Eat at Joe’s!

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