Tres Leches

Cinco Estrellas

Traveling all week, staying in hotels and entertaining customers for lunch and dinner sounds very exciting and usually is.  Sometimes being on the road the hotels and restaurants all blur together.  Applebee’s, Chili’s, and Outback are usually near and easy in and out before returning to my room. I lie across my bed channel surfing and catch the Food Network. This night Guy Fieri, on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, is traveling describing the best thing he ate this week on the road. I love to watch him experience home cooking in diners and dives across the country.  I often get a recipe I want to try or relive a memory of something I experience. 

While living in South Florida for 15 years I enjoyed dining at friends homes and sharing their recipe and cultures. Matilda, a close friend was born in Cuba and arrived in South Miami summer of 1980 on the “Mariel Boatlift”. This was a mass immigration from Cuba of more than 125 thousand people arriving on the shores of South Florida in everything from fishing boats to rafts finding safety and freedom in the United States. She was a young child who arrived with her parents, never to return home and having to start a new life.  Their culture was all they left with and saving it was very important.  Sharing it with friends was always a festive occasion. 

This night we enjoyed mojito roasted pork, picadillo, frijoles and rice then a dessert that would separate all meals in my mind.  Matilda brought out a single layer cake that has been in her refrigerator for 2 days resting.  She arrived at the dinner table and pulled a sheet of saran wrap off the top like a matador dodging a raging bull with it’s cloak. Her presentation was exciting as the meal.  Since this night I have ordered tres leches cake whenever I see it on a menu just to compare and try to relive that night.  Not until now can I say I have found it.  I went web surfing for the ultimate recipe and found it.  This weekend I remember how that night went with music, laughter, food and friendship.  Reminds me that in life, the journey is as important as the destination.

Matilda and Martha Stewart       GREAT    You Rate                  5

http://www.marthastewart.com/262916/tres-leches-cake

http://www.foodnetwork.com/search/delegate.do?fnSearchString=cuban&fnSearchType=site

http://www.semp.us/publications/biot_reader.php?BiotID=572

Pizza Alesi

A TRADITION!

National advertising has made crust, meat and delivery a standard to measure what a pizza should be.  Even a frozen pizza for 5 bucks is accepted as “great.”  I have eaten Domino’s, Pizza Hut, Little Caesar’s, and DiGiorno.  Then there’s Alesi’s Pizza House, opened in 1957 by Mariano "Mike" Alesi. Mike and his wife, Bertha, brought Lafayette its first Italian Pizza House.  It was originally located on the corner of Cameron and Bertrand Drive.  Alesi’s has been at their current location since 1962.  Now operated by sons and grandsons, a tradition continues for locals to taste Italy in South Louisiana. 

Veal Scaloppini and Fettuccini with Alesi’s butter and garlic sauce are truly great Italian dishes. I find it hard to order pizza with such a great menu.  Everyone kept telling me, “You have to try the pizza.” Wow! What a treat.  The sauces are rich in culture handed down from generations of Alesi’s family recipes. The toppings are loaded and not scattered.  The serving staff only enhances the experience.  By your second visit you’ll feel like family.  The restaurant decor is a step back in time. If you ate at Alesi’s in the 1960’s and returned today, 50 years later, you would experience the same charm and hospitality. When you eat there, you will relive the memory of a high school date, a family dinner, or simply travel back in time to when restaurants were always a great experience. I look around and I see couples in booths reliving their past.  I see mothers and daughters’ Night Out. They are laughing while enjoying their pizza. Civic club meetings are held here. It has all the ambiance of a small town restaurant.

 Great Job                   Alesi Pizza House                 You Rate   5 


Mr. Mike I miss seeing you there.  Your boys are making you proud. Your legacy continues as they carry on your tradition.


http://alesipizzahouse.com

Shrimp Quesadilla

No Penance

Living in South Louisiana has many benefits; great friendships, great beauty, and of course great food.  Many people traveling through Louisiana often refer to it as God’s Country.  Louisiana was inhabited by a large number of Indian tribes living off the land for food.  Records show an exploration of Louisiana in 1605 followed by a large deportation from Nova Scotia in the early 1700’s. Acadians traveled to Louisiana for their final settlement.   The French settlers, with their wagons and supplies, also brought their strong Catholic beliefs.  Every year Catholics in Louisiana start with Mardi Gras, followed by Ash Wednesday as the beginning of the Lenten season.  Local church leaders push a strong participation in penance by encouraging followers to refrain from eating meat during Lent’s Fridays as a joint sacrifice in the community.  The local restaurants adjust their menus with seafood to accommodate their customers. 

My wife and I took the road less traveled tonight to enjoy a local Mexican Restaurant, La Hacienda in Broussard, LA. We walked into an authentic Mexican experience. The tables, fixtures, and personnel were all from Mexico.  The menu has a wide range of dishes with vegetables, chicken, beef, and of course seafood. I can normally tell how great food will taste based on the restaurants salsa. If a Mexican restaurant makes a great salsa, then the rest of the meal will be enjoyable.  I would indulge this Friday with a Shrimp Quesadilla. As in most Mexican restaurants, it doesn’t take long for the food to arrive. Our waiter warned me saying, “Caliente! Caliente!” I expect the food to be smoking hot within the quesadilla.  The shrimp were plentiful and the grilled peppers, tomatoes and onions inside were caramelized to perfection. The price, a reasonable $12.99 compared to $29.95 for 5 pounds of boiled crawfish a few blocks down the road. I enjoy a restaurant where the wait time is none and the parking is easy. La Hacienda is a well kept secret for the locals. I hope more people will discover it.


Good Job      La Hacienda Mexican Cantina.            You Rate     4

Need to turn down the mariachi music. It competes with a quiet conversation, but does give a festive atmosphere.

Cajun Benedict

 UNBELIEVABLE

It all started with a father and son bet.  My younger son told me the best thing he ever ate was at a Downtown Lafayette cafe called The French Press.  I found it puzzling because for the past 24 years it seemed to me that he ate most of his meals at my table.  Upon graduating from college and starting an exciting new life, he has discovered a new world of culinary delight.  My first thought was, if he paid for the meal maybe that's why it tasted better.  He challenged me to taste outside my own experiences and if I did not like his choice of breakfast he would pick up the tab.  Little did he know I was planning on giving a critical review of his choice and enjoy a free meal.

His description on the way to the cafe he told me I was going to enjoy a large bowl with french bread, topped with a boudin patty,  2 poached eggs, a slice of cheese, covered with chicken andouille gumbo.  I could not imagine those flavors at the same time. I accepted his bet and was ready to enjoy a free meal that has been a long time coming.

The French Press seats around 40-50 people.  The ambiance was great.  I was able to have a subtle conversation with my son without the clanging of dishes and voices bouncing off the walls. Reclaiming old buildings to make fresh new starts is encouraging for a new era of Lafayette character and history. It is located in the old Tribune Printing building, an icon of days past. It was great to be in the building once again.

My son walked up to the register and ordered for the both of us. The bet was on.  I was anxious to experience what my son thought was the best thing he ever ate.  While enjoying a cup of coffee our breakfast arrived.  I stared for a few seconds, glanced at my son and said, “this one is on you”.  I began to eat and enjoy the rich flavor and heritage that went into this original dish. It wasn’t bread, boudin and gumbo.  It was an Acadiana celebration at its finest!  It was a meal rich in culture, orchestrated to enjoy, laugh, and return to.

That’s right. I paid for it once again. I am happy to know that some of the money spent on college, went to his appreciation for great food and being able to seek it out.


GREAT JOB  “ THE FRENCH PRESS”    YOU RATE      5


The French Press

Home Page Post

This has been long time coming. For years I have talked about exceptional food in Acadiana and poor service ruining restaurants.  Some owners do not wish to hear complaints as long as their cash registers are ringing loud.  Well look out!  It is time we get together and tell the Good, the Bad and the Tasteless.  Let's start grading our experiences on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being Great.  Let everyone know know what you think.  Be honest, not political. This is not here to damage reputations, but to recognize the best and worst experiences in Acadiana.  There are many restaurants in Acadiana doing a great job.  However, there are a few off the mark.  Post about your good experiences. Post about your bad experiences.  Together, we will bring back what everyone expects of Acadiana,  great food with great service at a reasonable price. I'm calling it QUITS... paying for over priced food with poor service. Remember, TIPS is an acronym for To Insure Prompt Service.  Let your voice be heard here!