davebr

Frumunda Fondue Tube Steak and Shake

The odd thing is no, he is very short.

One of my new waiters kneels down at the table to talk to the people and I dont really like it. Whenever I have any employee change the way they do things I have a reason behind it. I cant figure out why I dont like it, I just dont. Am I being weird? Should I allow it or not and why?

Thanks for the help Carolyn.

BLUEFIN how cool!!! Thanks

In the current Wine Sprectator, the article on the French Laundry and Per Se, they talk about a pasta dish that they grate Bottarga (Dried fish roe) over the pasta and the sommelier paired it with a sake. Does anyone have a resource that I can buy Bottarga? What kind of fish is it from?

Sure, In Shreveport, if you like soul food there is a place called Fuller's. It is smack dab in the middle of a neighborhood. Hell, it is an old lady's house(very "interesting"). She cooks Short ribs, Liver, pork chops, greens, black eyed peas, pig tail and pig knukles, ect... That woman can cook her ASS off! None of the places in Shreveport can successfully cover all the bases with creole food. Herby K's is an old institution that has great gumbo. I really enjoy the Chef's fried seafood platter at Smith's Cross Lake Inn. Both places are "throwbacks" so they are cool to visit. In Maurice, between lafayette and abbyville, Soops is very "interesting". The food is very good. Absolutely no decorations anywhere. The people make up all of the atmosphere. My buddy ordered some red wine and the waitress said "You want it hot or cold, cher". Best $2 I ever spent in my life.

Rodney, Just a little east of Shreveport (20 miles) take the Dixie Inn exit and turn left. The Crawfish Hole #2 is 1/3 mile down on the right. They have awesome crawfish pies, ettouffe, ect.. Move over Masabi, in Bossier City there is the Lucky Palace. It is in the lobby of the Ramada at the Isle of Capri exit. Dont be put off by the outside. Ask for Lim and tell him you are friends with Dave and you want what he eats. Of course there is my place Bella Fresca. Dinner only, closed Sunday, and an eclectic menu. For Lafayette: Skip Prejeans, I love Catahoula in Grand Cateau, Nash's in Broussard, Poor Boy's Riverside Inn, Poche's in Breaux Bridge, and any of the 5 places in Abbyville. Lake Charles: Cafe Margeaux has a Master of Wine for an owner(one of like 50 people in the USA) and the food is good. Will you be taking the Ferrari, Fiat, or Masarati?????

What kind of food are you looking for??

I have both Cheesecake and Pie on my menu. the only exception is that the Cheesecake is Banana Puddin'. The sweet potato and pecan pie is actually Larry aka joie's recipe. Ask him for it, it is the BEST!!!!

I have had some great Sunday night meals at The Bistro Maison deVille. The famous Patric is off that night so your on your own picking out wine, but the food is great.

Once again we just missed each other, I was there wednesday morning and I stayed just long enough for an 11:00 lunch. My Poches crawfish boudin is placed in a baking dish with cooked baby limas, little circles of corn on the cobb, garlic, onion, thyme a little shrimp stock and butter. Then I laid Bacon(rind on of course from McCains) over the top cover and bake for 35 minutes at 375. I served it with a few pounds of steamed royal reds. Friday I cooked the Poches crawfish and pork sausage with some chicken from Heberts market with an attempt to make the friccasse--Hence my other thread question.

What makes a fricasse a fricasse? What are the essential ingredients?

The whole thing is a bit touchy to me. My dad is an orphan from souhern Texas, while my mom was the typical uptown snob looking for trouble. So, growing up some days we ate BBQ, then jambalaya, then chicken fried steak, ect...... You NEVER saw fried green tomatoes on any restaurant menu ever until recently, now they are evrywhere. I would guess Uglich's was the first, but when??? If you are a southern chef ouside of New Orleans it is acceptible to include creole or cajun into your repitoire. But for a New Orleans chef to do the opposite--blasphamy. How many places in the city ever brag about their Chicken fried steak? But, if you go to Birmingham, there are plenty of people that brag about there Creole/Cajun food. New Orleans is it's own itendity whether we like it or not. It runs by its own rules seperate from all the other micro and macro-southern cuisines. It is Sovereign and imune to any rules(moral or not). Like the Mississippi, it will do what it wants. Either you go with the flow or you will find yourself with a bunch of sandbags just waiting for God's will to wash you and haute cuisine away.

good point! The article is more concerned about the bottom line than if one actually feels it's worth it or not. Preception--Sorry about the misspelling(D- in 7th grade and never looked back).

I like to eat late and everytime I have been to Brightsens they are sold out of the Duck entree. So it must be good. Herbsaint has a rediculous brown butter tart with fluer du sel iced cream for dessert.

I did the BLT as an cocktail snack for New Years Eve with pate choux, baby tomatoes, micro lettuce and nueskies apple smoked bacon. I got the inspiration from the Zuni.

It is my personal opinion that New orleans cuisine only started to be universal recently--Last 5 to 10 years. Before that, every menu seemed to have the same things on it: Turtle soup, Remoulade, Gumbo, ect... New Orleans cuisine is definitly a world cuisine but an old world cuisine. And like the French a bit resistant to change. 10 years ago you couldnt really find a restaurant in New Orleans that could could compete with the refinement of the Daniel Bolouds and Charlie Trotters of the world. We had our own places that where and still are great to us, but not on that level. New Orleans is a fun and relaxed place and the cuisine reflects that. You will find some of the best ethnic restaurants any where there. These restaurants reflect the value of family and good company being more important to us than having 10 Gary Danko's in our city.

Also, the preception of value is an amazing thing. I felt ripped off last sunday watching the Saints play football while eating 5 buffalo wings for $7 in a sports bar. Needless to say I'll never go back. When my bill at the French Laundry was $350 for my wife and I in 1997, I asked the waiter if he remembered to put everything on the bill. Surely a meal so fine as that should have cost more money. Preception of value.

I justify visiting these places as a true "traveling" value. Hell the plane ticket is less. What a bargain to travel so far in America and the plane ticket is less than the dinner bill------how could one afford not to go?

The Colorado butter was Horizon Organic dairy in Longmont, CO. 303 530-3711 www.horizonorganic.com Smith Creamery: 985 877-4445 Dave-I edited the link. BH

In the current issue of the Rosengarten Report, David Rosengarten lists the butter from Smith creamery in Mount Hermon, LA as the best above all others. He tested over 100 different butters. The second place finishers included: Upstate Farms in Buffalo, Laiterie Le Gall in France, Paris Gourmet from an anonymous dairy, Organis Valley of Farms in Wisconsin, Cooperative isigny Sainte-Mere in France, Vermont Butter and Cheese company, and 5 more from France, England, Colorado and Plugra in Pennsylvania. He based his results on 4 tests in which the Smith creamy scored the highest. The plain eating test. The saute test, the sauce test, and the baking test. Needless to say I will be getting some of that!!!!

I have the book and I consider it an instant classic. It is by far in the top 5% of my 400+ cookbook collection. I have eaten at the Highlands and I cooked with Mr Stitt at different charity events. Both were incredible opportunities that I will never forget.

I called the gambino's lady and she suggested I wait for the weather to cool down before I should get it shipped. Then I got wind of my sister-in-law driving in. So I had her pick me a chocolate one up and bring it to shreveport. I was in Florida and couldnt get to it until 5 days later and it still was awesome. I was very worried that it wouldnt live up to my childhood memories and it did! Everyone must have one this month. Go to the gambino's wesite and have it delivered.

Classic Bisque, Joel Robe's Pommes Puree, All of the vegetables and juice from braising osso bucco.