Amazing Southern Restaurants

Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner

2011-04-16T22:53:00.012-05:00

Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner

2100 N. 2nd Avenue - Canyon, Texas 79015 • 806-655-2700
Hours of Operation
Sunday thru Thursday
11:00am-9:00pm
Friday & Saturday
11:00am-10:00pm

Gilligan’s Island provides the theme for Feldman’s Wrong Way Diner, but the inspiration goes beyond Gilligan’s Island. Throughout the restaurant there are walls devoted to movies and celebrities, such as Elvis and The Titanic. There are all sorts of other decorations, such as various kinds of clocks covering an entire wall. There’s a little of this and a little of that, but it all has a western atmosphere.

"Feldmans is dedicated to anyone who has gone the wrong way, taken a wrong turn, made a wrong decision or in some way wandered off the beaten path...in other words: all of us at one time or another. Often, things just don't turn out the way you thought they would; but that's not always a bad thing." Quote from the menu and website www.FeldmansDiner.com

Leaving Amarillo on Soncy, which becomes Farm to Market 2590, you will reach Highway 60. Turn off onto 2nd Avenue. Follow 2nd through its winds and turns until you arrive. Don’t panic if you go the wrong way. Just try again. The friendly Canyon people will help you find the right way to the Wrong Way diner. Or if you prefer, you can take Interstate 27 south to Canyon.

Outside there is a tower. The architecture is modeled after buildings of the old West. It resembles a hangar and the Alamo at the same time.

Inside the place – it’s huge with separate rooms – there are old fashioned tables, some homemade looking of varnished plywood. The floors are clean concrete. By the way, the place is clean and organized. The old-fashioned décor features wainscoting of vee groove centermatch. Colors are red, gold, black, and moss green.

Recently I made my second visit to the Diner. The first time was in the evening. The place was hopping. Three feisty mature gentlemen provided a program of oldies. I loved identifying the tunes they played.

My second visit was in the afternoon. I ordered from the “light” section of the menu. What a joke! Who has ever seen a light menu with fried foods on it, but it is obviously lighter than some other sections of the menu. There was a house salad mostly of Romaine and a few carrots, pieces of red cabbage, cheese, eggs, and croutons. What impressed me was that somebody worked hard to prepare all those ingredients.

I stopped worrying about how light the food was and enjoyed it. The menus said, “Okra.” I expected boiled plain okra or the wonderful okra dish we enjoy in Mississippi and Louisiana with tomatoes. (Recipe is in Flavored with Love.) Instead the waitress brought me a bowl of fried okra, heavily but irresistibly battered. I enjoyed it with ketchup.

A generous baked potato on my plate was topped with a reasonable amount of sour cream, butter, and chives. And there was a complimentary roll.

During the afternoon students from West Texas A&M, which is across the street, studied with their computers. They said there is no Wifi. Also seniors with walkers and wheelchairs came in to enjoy lupper.

I wondered whether a marketing plan would help draw some of the crowd to the slow afternoons. There was a birthday and comment card, which was collected for a drawing. The prize is a free dinner for two.

The Wall of Shame is a special place where customers have an opportunity to eat a meal in 42 minutes and 30 seconds. Those who succeed get to eat free. Of the 46 people who have tried, only 2 have succeeded. Here’s the menu: 24 ounces chicken fried steak, l pound French fries, 12 ounces green beans, 32 ounces gravy, a dinner roll, and a dinner salad.

Although the food I have eaten at Feldman’s has been tasty, I find it bland compared to the Louisiana food, which I have grown to love. I wished I had placed a can of Cajun seasoning in my purse.

Although the food is good, it does not make the place amazing. Neither do the prints with movie themes everywhere. I’ve seen those in less amazing places. The servers were spectacular, but so are they in many other restaurants.

What made Feldman’s amazing was the décor – the atmosphere. Above the tables miniature railroad tracks curve in intricate patterns. Two trains run throughout the restaurant. Tunnels through the walls allow the train to go from one room to another.

Check out this link for a great picture of the restaurant and more information:http://www.thelocalsgohere.com/feld_r.html

RESTAURANT REVIEW: Donald Citrano's Coffee Shop Cafe in McGregor, TX

2009-01-13T11:07:00.012-06:00

LOCATION: 1005 W. George W. Bush Parkway (at Hwy 84), McGregor, TX

DATE WE VISITED: 1-3-09

FOOD WE ENJOYED: The "famous country breakfast buffet" was delicious. The breakfast quesadillas, migas casserole, and Spanish Omelet (Western with jalapenos) were great!

The menu is extensive with great sounding food throughout the day, though we were there only for breakfast.

They have a convenient drive-though window.

Their hours are Mon.-Sat. 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sun. 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There is a lot of George W. Bush memorabilia and a number of items for sale.

SERVICE: The servers were attentive and our drinks and coffee cups were kept full.

COMMENTS: This is Pres. George W. Bush's favorite place to eat when he is at his Crawford, TX, ranch. Great food, we'll be back!

RESTAURANT: Donald Citrano's Coffee Shop Cafe, Phone: (254) 840-2027

Complete your Southern eating experience!

1. Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

2. Get the world's only cookbook devoted to collard greens and cornbread with stories of a Texas boy's misspent youth, The Collard Patch, while they are still available!

2008-10-06T14:58:00.001-05:00

Lin's Grand Buffet

What is the South? I suppose places east of Dallas are in the South and places west of Dallas are in the Southwest. Anyway I want to tell you about a great restaurant in Amarillo:

Lin’s Grand Buffet
8440 I40 West
Amarillo, TX 79121
806-350-5688
www. Linstexasbuffet.com
Open: Sunday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The service was outstanding, the staff was pleasant, and every item we ate was excellent. The sushi bar and the Mongolian barbecue were very good. The boiled shrimp were fresh without the rubbery texture we sometimes see. Some other items we liked were the crab Rangoon, salads, General Tso’s Chicken, egg foo young, fried rice, and shrimp with broccoli. The food bars were unusually clean.

There’s too much good food, but we must limit our intake.

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Big Texan

2007-12-29T18:55:00.000-06:00

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

For a great Christmas dinner, go to the Big Texan Steak Ranch. You may need to wait 30 minutes, but don't despair. While you wait, you and your loved ones can look at the stuff in the store. If you are by yourself, you'll be okay. You will not be alone. There are friendly folks there, including customers, servers, and mingling musicians.

You can look at the jackalopes (for any of you not familiar with jackalopes, those are jackrabbit heads with antlers on them!) or you can select a unique Lodge skillet. There are several designed to make cornbread muffins in all kinds of shapes.

There are endless things to look at: cactus jellies, cookbooks, leather suspenders with camo design, Texas souvenirs. . . .

The buffet is quite a spread. There are two kinds of turkey (be sure to try the Cajun kind), prime rib almost as good as my son-in-law's, tamales, mashed potatoes, an elaborate salad bar, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, dressing with fresh cranberry sauce, and delicious rolls.

On a regular night, you can buy a great steak, or if you have the constitution you can eat one free. The Big Texan is the home of the free 72 ounce steak.

7701 East I-40, Amarillo, Texas 79118
(800) 657-7177

Czech Stop in West, Texas

2007-11-28T16:25:00.000-06:00

The Czech Stop on I-35, Exit 353, West, Texas, 76691, is the place to be. (I-35 connects Dallas to Austin. West is south of Hillsboro and north of Waco.) The Czech Stop is open 24 hours.

Sometimes the Little Czech Bakery in the same building is also open. "Delicious is our Business" is their Unique Selling Proposition. Their telephone number is
254-826-5316.

There are a few tables and chairs by the windows, but most people stand in the long line to get their kolaches, sausages in rolls, eclairs, cookies, filled bundt cakes, and other incredibly delicious goodies after buying gasoline. They walk out with their sacks of the most delicious food in the world and hurry back to their cars.

Then they eat right there in the parking lot because it smells so good they can't wait. They plan to take things home, but it is impossible to take anything home except sausage that needs to be cooked. No matter how much they buy, they have to eat it all as fast as they can. The only thing left in the bag when they reach home is the paper wrapping.

Chech Stop is not really a restaurant with waiters although the people behind the counter are courteous, but it is one of the most amazing places to eat in the South.

Quoted from the Czech Stop website:
"For the past 17 years Czech Stop has been promoting that Czech Heritage spirit so popular in the small town of West, Texas.

Whether serving the neighbors down the street or travelers off of I-35 we take great pride in providing every customer with complete satisfaction." www.czechstop.net

To check out the menu, go here.

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored wit.h Love, Now!

La Bella Vita, 407 Constitution Drive, West Monroe, LA

2006-07-13T13:45:00.000-05:00

We're sorry that La Bella Vita has closed . . . .

Lunch at La Bella Vita
Lunch at La Bella Vita is one of the highlights of my week. The bottomless soup and salad specials are magnificent. On Tuesdays the special is spinach and artichoke soup. On Thursdays it's cream of mushroom soup.

On the back of the menu there is an entire page of lunch specials. It is really difficult to decide which one I want on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.

Sometimes I simply want to select one of the appetizers for lunch, such as the fried alligator. I don't know how La Bella Vita is able to make their alligator tenderer than some other places do.

This week I had planned what I wanted for lunch, but when my friend and I arrived at La Bella Vita, I was disappointed and overwhelmed because making a decision had become more difficult than ever. There simply are not enough days in the week to eat all the good choices! Back to my overwhelming dilemma: The chalkboard at the front counter had a long list of new specials.

I narrowed the choice to the hot ham and cheese sandwich with an agreement to swap half of it with my friend, who decided to order the club.

As usual, the waiter brought us the complimentary appetizer--a square loaf of perfectly baked peasant bread with olive oil and seasonings.

Then to my amazement, generous salads appeared before us. By the time the sandwiches arrived, I really did not need another course, but the sandwiches were irresistible. One half sandwich was too much! The waiter cheerfully brought us carry-out boxes.

Now, I cannot wait to go back and try all those other specials!

One of these days I’m going to La Bella Vita for lunch and order nothing but one of those scrumptious desserts.

More about La Bella Vita:

A unique dining experience that takes you away to the quaint Italian countryside with Wines, classic Italian cuisine, Louisiana specialties and The Best Steak in Town
Dining room available for your parties, graduation, family reunion and wedding rehearsals
Catering in our party room or at your location
Wireless internet access
Coffee and Martini Bar come relax and enjoy dessert with you friends

From La Bella Vita's site http://www.labellavitagrill.com

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, Plano, TX

2005-06-11T22:53:00.000-05:00

Here are some ideas for combinations about which you likely never thought!

Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

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Fine Dining Tennessee Style

2005-06-09T06:54:00.000-05:00

Get This Amazing Southern Cookbook, Flavored with Love, Now!

Bavarian Grill, Plano, TX

2005-06-05T14:07:00.000-05:00

The selection of food at the Bavarian Grill is excellent. Particularly good are their wurst plate and their jaegerschnitzel. There are various specials.

Amazon.com: Gourmet Food: EAT TONIGHT at Plano TX-Bavarian Grill-$25 Gift Certificate Buy Now, Print Now SENT BY EMAIL: EAT TONIGHT at Plano TX-Bavarian Grill-$25 Gift Certificate Buy Now, Print Now SENT BY EMAIL
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Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook

2005-06-03T17:26:00.000-05:00

by Hermann Deutsch

A Great New Orleans Cookbook

Reviewer: Jenny "ilovemylife" (Lafayette, LA USA) - See all my reviews
The Brennan's New Orleans Cookbook is a great, classic New Orleans cookbook. (Note: I was born in NO, live in South Louisiana, and lived in NO for 5 years.) Try the recipes for Stuffed Bell Peppers, Stuffed Mirletons (use shrimp instead of crabmeat), Red Beans, Redfish Courtboullion, and Creole Jambalaya. One day I'm going to start on Page 1 and cook everything in this book!

Amazing Cookbook: Flavored with Love

Fine Dining Georgia Style

2005-06-01T08:12:00.000-05:00

Fine Dining Georgia Style: Signature Recipes From Georgia's Restaurants And Bed & Breakfast Inns

2005-06-01T08:00:00.000-05:00

Let me recommend a lovely cookbook, which is one I've recently obtained:

Fine Dining Georgia Style: Signature Recipes From Georgia's Restaurants And Bed & Breakfast Inns
by John M. Bailey

This cookbook is a coffee table treasure with its pretty pink and green cover. Inside there are six pages of photographs of subjects unique to Georgia. You will enjoy reading about Paula Deen's restaurant, The Lady & Sons, as well as neat places throughout the state of Georgia.

Information from Amazon:
List Price: $24.95
Price: $16.47 & Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. See details
You Save: $8.48 (34%)
Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours from Amazon.com. Sold by Amazon.com.

Product Details
Hardcover: 192 pages
Publisher: Quail Ridge Press (April 1, 2005)
Language: English
ISBN: 189306266X
Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds.

Other books in this series:

Fine Dining Mississippi Style
Fine Dining Louisiana Style
Fine Dining Tennessee Style
Fine Dining Georgia Style

Prize Recipes from Great Restaurants: The Southern States and the Tropics

2005-05-30T00:06:00.000-05:00

Book Description
Well-known chefs from fourteen Southern states and eight islands in the tropics share the secrets of their most famous dishes in this second volume of truly prize recipes from great restaurants.
Now, in one's own kitchen, under the guidance of these culinary experts, the savory delicacies served daily in renowned restaurants can be duplicated -- tasty entrees, mouth-watering appetizers, exciting salads, and delicious desserts.

Included in this volume are the best and most interesting recipes used at more than 100 notable restaurants in:

THE SOUTHERN STATES
-- Delaware
-- Florida
-- Georgia
-- Kentucky
-- Louisiana
-- Maryland
-- Mississippi
-- Missouri
-- North Carolina
-- South Carolina
-- Tennessee
-- Virginia
-- West Virginia
-- District of Columbia

THE TROPICS
-- The Bahamas
-- Dominican Republic
-- Haiti
-- Jamaica
-- Netherlands Antilles
-- Puerto Rico
-- Virgin Islands
-- West Indies

Product Details

Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company (November 1, 1982)
Language: English
ISBN: 0882892932
Product Dimensions: 11.0 x 8.3 x 0.3 inches

San Francisco Bread Company

2005-05-22T14:44:00.000-05:00

San Francisco Bread Company
For sandwiches, salads, spuds, and wraps that are more than the ordinary, visit San Francisco Bread Company. We ate at the location across from the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock, AR.

101 Main Street, Little Rock, AR 72201; phone: 501.372.SFBC(7322); fax: 501.372.7328; Across from the Statehouse Convention Center. "Fee parking in the 2nd and Main St. parking garage Mon-Fri. Simply present your parking stub to the cashier before paying for your meal and we'll discount 1 hour worth of parking from your meal ($1.50)."

At the web site other locations are listed.

The greatest difficulty we had at San Francisco Bread was deciding what we wanted on our sandwiches.

Some sandwich menu items:
1. MEATS--Albacore, Tuna Salad, Honey Cured Ham, Chicken Salad, Choice Roast Beef, Smoked Turkey, Corned Beef, Salami, add bacon
2. BREADS--Cracked Wheat, French, Sourdough, Marble Rye, Croissant, Bagel Croissant, Focaccia
3. SPREADS--Mayonnaise, Mustard, Bill Spread, Honey Mustard, Horseradish, Chipotle Mayonnaise
4. CHEESE--American, Cheddar, Swiss, Pepperjack, Provolone
5. VEGGIES--Lettuce, Tomatoes, Red Onions, Sprouts, Cucumbers

Amazing Cookbook: Flavored with Love

Primos Cafe & Bake Shop Jackson, MS - Yahoo! Travel

2005-05-22T01:46:00.000-05:00

Primos Cafe & Bake Shop Jackson, MS - Yahoo! Travel: "2323 Lakeland Drive, Suite A, Located in Flowood, Jackson, MS 39232-9514 "

Jackson has been known for the outstanding Primos restaurants in various locations as long as I can remember. I like their Comeback Sauce on salad.

Also Primos does something extra special and inimitable with a plain green salad that tastes simply wonderful.

I've been taking my mother-in-law there forever. She always gets the shrimp remoulade--the sauce is always perfect. Now that I think about it, I believe that Primos consistently has the best salad dressings I've ever eaten.

Also the seafood and vegetables are good and the baked goods and the coffee.

Here is an online review of Primos:

Primos is Premiere
by Kris Gerling from Philadelphia, PA
09/06/04
"I was in Jackson for a speaking engagement for Presbyterian Women and my hostesses took me to Primos for the most wonderful carmamel cake int he whole world. I should have purchased a quart of the frosting to take home. I wish they would ship the frosting. The atmosphere was hometown diner and the service was quick and very friendly. I would go to Primos daily if I lived in Jackson."

Copeland's Of New Orleans and many other places such as Monroe, LA

2005-05-20T10:32:00.000-05:00

3851 Pecanland Mall Rd.
Monroe, LA 71203
(318) 324-1212

Visit the website for more locations:
Copeland's Of New Orleans

We recommend the oyster po boy for lunch there.

Copeland's

History...

Copeland's of New Orleans' roots are part of a culinary evolution that has sparked a revolution in cooking throughout the United States. The city called "The Big Easy" is renowned for its exciting cuisine, among other unique attributes.

New Orleans Creole and Cajun cooking heritage is basically city and country combined. The Creoles were descendants of the French and Spanish settlers, whose cooks added African and American Indian touches to this cooking tradition. The Cajuns were hunters, trappers and fisherman who favored freshly prepared game with heavier spices. Copeland's menu is resplendent with a marvelous combination of Creole and Cajun. The sauces, spices, freshness of every ingredient and pride of the cook, is evident in every Copeland's creation.

Ruth's Chris Steak House : Steak

2005-05-16T00:50:00.000-05:00

Ruth's Chris Steak House : Steak:

This is the place that showed the world how great a steak can be. Carefully selected and aged for tenderness. Cut thick to ensure juiciness. Seared to perfection at 1800 degrees. Seasoned simply with salt, black pepper and a touch of parsley, because a steak like this needs nothing else. Topped with fresh butter that sizzles seductively on your plate, announcing the arrival of a great steak.

Cowboy Chicken, Dallas

2005-04-06T21:56:00.000-05:00

Cowboy Chicken is listed by Texas Best Restaurants as TEXAS BEST CHICKEN RESTAURANT.

LOCATION: 17437 Preston Rd. ,Dallas, Texas 75252

TELEPHONE: 214-732-6281

As you walk inside, you won’t be able to miss the beautiful sight and aroma of rotisserie chickens in motion.

The chicken enchiladas are especially tasty.

Most of the vegetables are excellent, but some of them are bland.

Cowboy Chicken, Dallas, Plano, roasted, rotisserie, catering: "COWBOY CULTURE
From the beginning, Cowboy Chicken's philosophy was to provide excellent quality chicken and side dishes at a reasonable price with friendly and efficient service. We believe in treating each and every guest as if they were in our own home, it's the Cowboy way.

THE CHICKEN
The chicken has been, and always will be, the most important thing in the restaurant. The seasoning blend and cooking process have not changed since the first store. Above all else, the chicken quality and taste at Cowboy Chicken is the most important reason the guests keep returning. Quality is addressed in every step of the chicken process: receiving, seasoning, tying, cooking, holding, cutting and serving.

FAMOUS TWICE BAKED POTATERS
Over the years, a favorite side dish developed. The Famous Twice Baked Potaters won the hearts and palates of all the Cowboy Chicken guests. Cowboy Chicken has experimented with different side dishes throughout the years, but none could ever compare to the Potaters."

Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits Restaurants

2005-04-05T16:06:00.000-05:00

For a limited time, Popeye's Fried Chicken is serving blackened naked chicken strips. We tried them today in Ruston, and they are goood! You can get a strip combo for $4.99. It includes 3 strips, Cajun fries or other side, a light and fluffy biscuit, a medium drink, and a sauce-your choice of ranch, barbecue, or honey mustard. The strips are seasoned with Chef Paul Prudhomme's® Magic Seasoning Blends®.Even if the food were not good, you would still need to go there a read all the clever sayings printed on the wall. That new wallpaper is wild.

Read more here: Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits Restaurants

Popeye's has been extolled by food critics as a one of the finest sources of true New Orleans style food anywhere. The story of the executive chef explains much about the reason this restaurant is so much more than a fast food place. Here is that story:

Billy Jacob
Executive Chef, Product Research and Development
Popeyes® Chicken & Biscuits
"Billy Jacob is the Executive Chef for Product Research and Development for Popeyes® Chicken & Biscuits, the world's second largest quick-service chicken chain. Jacob is responsible for the research and development in order to create the products that Popeyes locations serve throughout the world.

Jacob grew up deep in the heart of Cajun country in Lafayette, LA, and was raised on Acadian cuisine. In 1935, his parents established a local family restaurant called the Four Corners Cafe that quickly became an institution. The restaurant grew into the 400-seat Jacob's Restaurant serving a delicious blending of Cajun/Creole cooking with classical French dishes. Jacob learned a great deal about the restaurant industry working alongside his parents in the restaurant's kitchen and office.

After working in the family business for many years, Jacob spent some time working for ConAgra Foods before joining Popeyes Chicken & Biscuits in 1993. Since joining Popeyes, Jacob has developed many new products that have helped to establish the brand as the leader in the Cajun segment of the QSR industry. Jacob developed the award-winning Popeyes product line, Popeyes Louisiana Legends™, which features jambalayas, etouffées, stews, gumbos and chilis. Nation's Restaurant News honored the Popeyes Louisiana Legends menu category with the prestigious MenuMasters Award in 1999.

Jacob also played key roles in the creation of many Popeyes seafood items such as the flavorful Popeyes Firecracker Shrimp. In addition, he was instrumental in launching the brand's "Cajun Craver" in 2002 - a single-item, portable carryout product line offering bite-sized pieces of boneless chicken and seafood menu items.

His creativity in the kitchen and innovation in the development of new menu items has not gone unnoticed over the years. Nation's Restaurant News recently honored Jacob as part of The NRN 50: R&D Culinarians in 2003.

Jacob has been featured on The Food Network, CNN and numerous local television shows cooking-up a variety of Louisiana-inspired culinary delights including deep fried Cajun turkey.

He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America."

Have fun reading about Popeye's!

Semolina

2005-04-03T19:52:00.000-05:00

Semolina

Jr's Place, Simsboro, LA

2005-03-18T15:24:00.000-06:00

JR's Place®
2721 Martha Street
Simsboro, LA 71275
Pho: 318-247-6007
Fax: 318-247-1656

Serving you Thursday and Friday 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

North Louisiana people who know the Slocums know that Junior can cook especially well. Junior and Kathy Slocum have recently opened an intimate restaurant in Simsboro, Louisiana.

Where is Simsboro? It's just south of I-20 between Arcadia and Grambling.

What is amazing about it? In season the crawfish are. All year, you can eat steak, barbecued ribs, tasty brisket, cobbler,and hamburgers.

Visit JR's Place website! You'll find some funny pictures there.

Click here for one of Junior's recipes and an unbelievable story.
Crawfish Étouffée

Blue Light Café of Ruston, LA

2005-03-17T15:23:00.000-06:00

902 Arlington Street
Ruston, LA 71270
318-513-2230

Blue Light is a fine landmark in Louisiana—the melting pot of Lincoln Parish. It was founded in 1970 by Fannie Rushing.

It’s the place to go if you want smothered steak, pork chops, genuine Southern fried chicken, unforgettable vegetables, or hot water cornbread. The food is so good that it will disappear from your plate before you know what’s happened to it, and you’ll wish you had not eaten because you will wish you could do it all over again.

Over the years it has been frequented by two of the nation’s all-time greatest coaches—Eddie Robinson, Grambling’s renowned football coach, and Leon Barmore, LA Tech’s legendary basketball coach. If you look around while you are there, you will see some out-of-town celebrities, who are passing through Ruston.

The atmosphere is homey, unpretentious, and cheerful. Students who come to college here soon forget about being homesick as soon as they find the Blue Light. When people first arrive in Ruston, they say, “Show me the Blue Light.”

I regret to tell you that the Blue Light is open at lunch only.

Sakura Japanese Restaurant

2005-03-10T14:02:00.001-06:00

To eat great Sushi, visit Sakura Japanese Restaurant in Plano, Texas.

la Madeleine

2005-03-10T10:10:00.000-06:00

The la Madeleine experience is one you don't want to miss. At the website mentioned below, there is a list of all the restaurant locations.
la Madeleine French Bakery and Restaurant

Zach’s Blend of the Bayou

2005-03-09T19:37:00.000-06:00

Zach's
Farmerville Highway, Ruston, LA

Zach’s opened early in 2004 and closed a few months later. Zach Yates, the owner/manager, served a dish there like no other. He served it two ways—as an appetizer with toasted French bread and as a main dish with pasta. I preferred it as an appetizer.

Zach shared the recipe with me and gave me permission to share it with you. If you quote this most delicious recipe, please do not change it and please give Zach credit for it.

Shrimp Napoleon

2 pounds butter
6 cups chopped onions
3 cups celery, chopped finely
4 cups flour
1 quart rich seafood stock
12 cups diced artichoke hearts
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1/8 cup garlic
2 cups Zinfandel® white wine
12 cups heavy cream
1 pound American or Velveeta® cheese, cubed
8 pounds shrimp, peeled (150/200 count)
butter (for cooking shrimp)
Tony Cachere’s® (for cooking shrimp)
pasta

Start by making the roux. (Note: do not brown this roux. Leave it light!) Sauté veggies in butter. Add flour and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. Put broth in. Cook until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer. Don’t let it stick to the bottom of pot.

Add artichokes and cook.

Add seasoning, wine, and cream. Let it come to a light boil.

Remove from heat. Put cheese in it. Stir until melted.

Immediately before serving, sear shrimp in Tony Cacherie’s and butter.

Stir the shrimp into the mix.
Serve over cooked pasta.

Serves about 24

Notes

1. Adding shrimp too early will make compromise their texture.
2. Use purchased seafood stock or make you own by cooking left over seafood ingredients such as shrimp heads, crawfish heads, and fish bones.
3. Shrimp Napoleon served with seasoned garlic toast makes an excellent appetizer.
4. Sprinkle garlic toast lightly with paprika and celery flakes to add color.
5. Make sure that all servings have adequate amounts of shrimp included.
6. I believe Zach sprinkled parmesan cheese over each portion.

The Spaghetti Warehouse

2005-03-05T22:21:00.000-06:00

The Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurant

Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood

2005-03-03T23:17:00.000-06:00

If you visit New Orleans, don't miss this place:

Andrew Jaeger's House of Seafood

Mona's Middle Eastern Cusine

2005-03-01T00:17:00.000-06:00

Mona's offers tasty Middle Eastern treats in Uptown - The Maroon - Life & Times

News from the Grapevine

2005-02-04T21:09:00.000-06:00

The Grapevine Market & Café, 211 Railroad Avenue, Donaldsonville,
LA 70346 (225-473-8463).

Welcome to the Best of New Orleans! News Feature 01 25 05

The Grapevine Market and Café, Donaldsonville, LA

2005-01-22T18:05:00.000-06:00

The Grapevine Market & Café, 211 Railroad Avenue, Donaldsonville,
LA 70346 (225-473-8463).

Regarded by many lovers of fine cuisine as an unquestionable authority, Emeril is admired for his culinary expertise and undisputable taste. Emeril knows the best food and the best restaurants. In contrast to Emeril, I sometimes go to restaurants to enjoy the food and surroundings with no preconceived notion of what authorities regard as outstanding.

Two summers ago my daughter and son-in-law were living near the west bank of the Mississippi River. Although they resided in what was once the town of Modeste, their mailing address was Donaldsonville. I went to visit their animals while they sneaked away to Grand Isle for a vacation.

Every day during the animal sitting interlude, I explored the town of Donaldsonville, a magnificent place. Donaldsonville is so interesting with its quaint houses and historical buildings that a tourist would pay to go there if he knew about it.

The unpretentious settlement squashed next to the River contains monuments explaining its unique Civil War history, has a striking Catholic church with an imposing steeple, and displays its history of once being the capitol of Louisiana.

One day I wandered into the Grapevine, a restaurant with an unpretentious storefront on the main street known as Railroad Avenue. Inside! What a surprise! An art display that was worthy of paying an admission fee covered the walls. Everyone on the staff was friendly, not superficial.

The waitress seated me by a window, through which I could enjoy more art in the sunny courtyard and enjoy studying the cat living out there.

The warm French bread was irresistible. On the menu were too many good choices and no bad ones. Two men at the next table told me they had traveled from the southwest corner of Louisiana to have a great meal.

They were eating turtle soup. If they had traveled many miles for no purpose except to eat a great meal and chosen the Grapevine over all the restaurants they could have visited in New Orleans, I realized that I should try what they were having. I could not imagine that anything could taste better than the crawfish bisque I was eating.

I asked the waitress, “Could I please have a spoonful of the turtle soup?” She brought me a bowl of it!

The next time I visited my family, my son-in-law Mike had the pleasure of entertaining me on Wednesday, his day off. We went to the Grapevine, after I explained to him that his own little town of Donaldsonville contained restaurants of the quality of elite New Orleans places. He could not refuse to agree with me.

Although Mike and my daughter Christie have visited the Grapevine several times, she is still a Grapevine neophyte because she cannot pass up one of the salads. She really is not unobservant though: she taught all of us, including some of the staff, that the bread needs to be dipped into a little bowl of the house dressing.

Last year, a friend of mine, Dr. Paul Elliott, a Dallas Internet marketer—in my opinion the world’s most talented marketer—visited us in Donaldsonville. Paul is also the most proficiently-talking silver-tongued speaker—his specialty is copywriting—I’ve ever known; and he is a gastronomic marvel.

Although his mouth has never met food he didn’t like, he has the ability to discern what is really good. His taste buds are so acute that he can name every ingredient used in my dishes, sometimes as many as twenty.

His tongue went wild in the Grapevine. After we consumed the crawfish bread as an appetizer and the special of the day, he asked in pure Texas vernacular, “What is the piece of resistance?”

“White chocolate bread pudding,” Miss Effie replied without hesitation.

Would you believe that Cynthia gave me the official recipe for her White Chocolate Bread Pudding to share with my readers?

You can find your copy at my website at http://fwlcookbook.com/WhiteChocBreadPudding.

This Christmas, Christie and I made white chocolate bread pudding for her friend Melissa. We didn’t want to make the entire amount as I have been doing; so we shrank the recipe. Out of respect for the Grapevine, I dare not tell you how I divided the ingredients. When we make the bread pudding, it is so good that it disappears instantly, but its taste pales in comparison to la pièce de résistance. Although Cynthia told me exactly how to make the dish, I believe the secret is in the bread.

Mary Tutwiler, Emeril’s staff writer, has written a charming review of the Grapevine and posted it in “Emeril's Notes From the Kitchen,” on the website, ttp://www.emerils.com/cooking/archives.

She reminds us that the Acadians first arrived in New Orleans in 1755 after being exiled from Nova Scotia. One of the their early settlements was a trading post that became known as Donaldsonville, named after the land owner William Donaldson.

Donaldsonville, sitting in the heart of the Second Acadian Coast, was first a Cajun settlement and also a Creole community with sugar cane plantations around it.

She mentions several of the wonderful items on the Grapevine menu:
· Eggs Begnaud
· Shrimp and Okra Gumbo
· Duck and Andouille Gumbo
· Dickie's Barbeque Shrimp Pont Breaux Style
· Cynthia's Oysters Des Amis
· Eggplant Wheels
· Crawfish Pie
· Spinach and Andouille Stuffed Drum

She concludes by saying that the Grapevine is a place to celebrate “just because” and that she will stake her reputation on it.

The Grapevine is truly on the way to everywhere.
Mary Lou

Armand's, Gramercy, LA

2005-01-20T20:21:00.000-06:00

Armand’s, a deliciously decorated new restaurant in deep French country, is housed within Chris’s Flowers & Gifts located at 313 Main Street, Gramercy, LA 70052.

Behind the main dining room sits a New Orleans style courtyard, where on special occasions there is enjoyable live music— not too loud. Call Jim Rooker, Armand’s executive chef, at 225-869-8440 to reserve space for a party or have him cater something extra special for you.

When I asked him to give me his favorite recipe, he gave me two that he received from John Martin Terranova, deceased, the former executive chef of the Castle, an exquisite restaurant located in the old stables of historic Dunleith Plantation, Natchez, Mississippi.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Stir-Fried Collards are featured with Creamed Sweet Potatoes on the Castle’s dinner menu. Jim shared his treasured recipes with me, and I’m giving them to you. Jim’s intimate restaurant will rank among the best in the New Orleans area when the connoisseurs of fine cuisine find it. You can beat the city crowd there and avoid the New Orleans traffic for an unforgettable dining experience.

Pork Tenderloin
1(10 to 12 ounce) pork tenderloin

Marinade:
3 cups teriyaki sauce
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup honey
Chopped garlic
Chopped ginger (Fresh ginger is essential!)
Cilantro

1. Mix marinade ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Place the trimmed pork tenderloin in marinade and marinate overnight.
3. Grill, bake or sear the tenderloin.If baking, the tenderloin should be baked at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes.If grilling in a charcoal grill, cook the tenderloin for 12 minutes.If searing in a skillet, cook for about 6 minutes on each side.

Note from Mary Lou: This recipe makes more marinade than you will need for the tenderloin.Go ahead and make it though because you can use it later. It would probably store well in the refrigerator, but I honestly don't know. It disappears too fast at my house! We tried marinating some salmon in it and grilling it. I'm telling you the honest truth: I have NEVER tasted anything as delicious as that salmon fresh off the grill!The collards go with the pork loin.

If you think you don’t like collards, you haven’t tasted these collards!

Stir-Fried Greens
2 bunches greens, collards if possible
¼ pound bacon, diced1 red onion, sliced thin
Rice wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. Remove stems, then cut greens into thin strips.
2. Wash thoroughly.
3. Render bacon until crisp, add onion and cook onion until onion is done.
4. Add greens and toss in pan.
5. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add vinegar and toss in pan.
6. Remove from heat and keep warm.
7. Serve with Sweet and Sour Sauce (recipe below).

Note: Words are inadequate to tell you how good this sauce is. There is extra sauce, which I use on everything from carrots to Brussels sprouts. These recipes are for restaurant amounts and are quoted exactly as the chefs wrote them.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
6 cups sugar
4 cups red wine vinegar
3 cups teriyaki sauce
Chopped garlic
Chopped ginger
Chopped cilantro
3 cups ketchup
Cornstarch

Mix sugar, vinegar, teriyaki, garlic, and ginger in a pot and bring to a boil.Add cilantro and ketchup and return to a boil.Thicken with a little cornstarch mixed with water. Serve warm.