Zeus Cafe

Since starting the Paleo Challenge, this was my first venture eating at a restaurant.  I knew greek was a great choice because they would have tons of meat and veggie options covered in healthy olive oil fats.

When I suggested Zeus to my mom, grandma, and aunt, they skeptically agreed because none had ever eaten greek food.  They were all believers by the time we left.

The restaurant was clean and a lot brighter than their dim Lafayette counterpart.  Beautiful blue seas of the Mediterranean and blue roof tops of Santorini adorned the walls.  There was a full bar, and I'd be interested to know if they have happy hour specials.

The menu is huge and it took everyone a while to decide.  (Let it be known that a special lent menu has been added, and it is quite extensive.  There were lots of crawfish options that all sounded delicious.)

I decided on the chicken shwarma/gyro combo feta salad, no feta. 

The gyro was salty and tasty, while the chicken was seasoned with traditional greek seasonings and full of flavor.  It's hard to say which I preferred.  The portions were ridiculous!  I ate all my greens and as much meat as I could stuff down, and still had a plate full.  I took a doggie bag home, and created my own salad with the leftovers for dinner.

No one at the table even put a dent in their plates.  A to go box filled to the brim with hummus, pita, pita crawfish pizza, and some sort of sandwich was sent home to my dad.  I forgot to ask him how he liked it.  He is quite the foodie and has a very discerning palate.

My only complaint was the service.  While not horrible, it definitely was not good.  We didn't arrive until 1:30 PM, after the lunch crowd.  After expressing to our waitress that 3/4 of the table were new to greek cuisine, she was in no way helpful in choosing a dish to order.  On top of that, she disappeared when we were ready to order.  (I was starving by this point and almost ate a piece of pita!)  She had the personality of a piece of pita bread.

Prices were also a little steep, but since it was the weekend, we were unable to order from the lunch menu.  Also, like I stated above, the portions were huge and my dish provided me two meals.

I definitely think it deserves more that 53% likes in Urban Spoon.

Do you like greek food?  If you could travel anywhere in the world to try the cuisine, where would it be?

Definitely Greece or Italy.  Maybe both on the same trip?!? 



Pronia's Market & Deli

A colleague from New Orleans was in town this week for some business.  While we were out and about, we passed a restaurant where she had dined on her last visit.  She had the muffaletta.    I quickly proclaimed, "Oh no! If you want the best muffaletta in Lake Charles, we have to go to Pronia's."

Pronia's is my favorite place to eat in town.  I have said before that I actually prefer to eat at home over eating at a restaurant, but there are a few exceptions: sushi, Darrell's, good mexican, and Pronia's.   If Guy Fieri were in town filming Diners, Drive In's, and Dives, I would send him to Darrell's and Pronia's.

My love affair with Pronia's is mostly due to their divine muffaletta sandwich.  (If you don't know what a muffaletta is or are interested in how this Italian sandwhich became a Louisiana institution, read this wikipedia article.)  I am certain Pronia's muffaletta rivals any deli in New Orleans.  After all, my New Orleans colleague approved!

Even though I order a muffaletta evey single time I patron Pronia's, they have other things on their menu that I have sampled.  Mostly sandwiches.  My mom used to order a tray of sandwiches for her Pokeno group when it was her turn at yearly hosting duties; I always looked forward to the leftovers!  

I also look forward to my best friend's annual Mardi Gras ball (which is next weekend!), because he always purchases a tray of sandwiches for our table.  Once, I waited too late to eat (I was surely busy dancing...I danced a hole in my shoes one year.) and all the muffalettas were gone!  I cried.  Seriously.  (It just might have been a whiskey induced drunk cry, but these muffalettas are tear worthy!)

There is an in house bakery that makes cookies, cakes, and brownies.  For my mom's birthday this year, we bought her a German Chocolate cake.  It was a very fair price at $12.95 for a 7" round cake triple layer cake.  I might mention that it was also about 10" high!  The cake was moist and delicous and the frosting was smooth and creamy.  My mom said it was a "true" German Chocolate cake, but I'm not even sure what that means.  In addition to being tasty, the cake was beautiful!

One Saturday, I had a late lunch with a friend.  Since Pronia's closes at 2:00 PM on Saturday and does not reopen until Monday, they were giving away all the cookies left in the display case.  Yum!  I think I ate 5.  The one that stands out in my mind is a lemon tea cake like cookie, not overly sugary but soft and buttery.

I spied a King Cake while there this week.  I can only assume it as delicious as every other item I have eaten off their menu.



Menu pictures from urbanspoon.com.

  So to sum up Pronia's, it is a family owned local Italian (with a touch of cajun) deli and bakery with a warm, home-like, family atmosphere, which serves delicous sandwiches and sweets that never disappoint.

Unfortunately, Pronia's is only a block away from my office, therefore I have to restrain myself from going on a daily basis.  I save it for special occasions, like out of town visitors, my birthday, or Mardi Gras balls.

Where would you take an out of town visitor to eat?

Fleur de Lis Pizza, Baton Rouge

After my half marathon, I wasn't all that hungry.  I had planned on lunch with my entourage and a friend from Baton Rouge, but couldn't decide what I was craving.

My sister brought up Mellow Mushroom, and pizza sounded like a winner.  When I let my friend know, she suggested we go to Fleur de Lis Pizza.  She said she had heard great things about it and that it had won a bunch of local awards.

When we pulled up to the pepto pink, slightly dilapidated building, I was skeptical.  It was the definition of a hole in the wall.



picture courtesy of their facebook page

We entered and my worries were not eased by the interior.  I don't think the walls have seen fresh paint since the 1950's.  The menu consisted of pizza and pizza only.  You had your choice of small or large, but the waiter made it clear there wasn't much of a difference in size.

another stolen facebook photo

Let it also be noted that this restaurant does not take credit cards or split checks.  Also, there are no free drink refills due to the fact that they serve cokes out of glass bottles.

We contemplated leaving and heading to Mellow Mushroom, but I'm glad we didn't.

I ordered a small vegetarian.

It was delicious!  The crust was thin and crispy and perfect.  The toppings were fresh.  It really pained me to say it, but this pizza trumped my favorite Tony's special.   I ate every bite.

This place can get away with a small menu, accepting only cash, and decrepit decor because they do pizza right.  Do one thing and do it well.

We were still talking about the pizza the next day.

 

Thick or thin crust?  What is your favorite topping?

The Harlequin & A Piece of Cake

Friday night, I celebrated my great-aunt and great-uncle's 50th wedding anniversary by joining my family for dinner at The Harlequin.

There was a recommittment ceremony, but I skipped that part of the celebration because a) it was all the way in Sulphur and b) I wouldn't have been able to CrossFit at 4:30 and be showered in time. 

50 years of marriage is truly an accomplishment.  My parents have been married for 34 years and my maternal grandparents have been married for over 50 years.  My paternal grandparents were married until my mawmaw passed away, and my pawpaw never remarried. I feel blessed to have such successful role models when it comes to marriage. I know without a doubt that if I one day do get married, it will truly be until death do us part.

Back to the food.

My sister and I arrived to the party after everyone else.  It was a little chaotic when we walked in, because the private room was in use by another group and there were more in our group than the restaurant expected. 

They moved as fast as they could to add tables to our little corner of the restaurant and get everyone seated.

The Harlequin is sort of a Lake Charles institution.  It is a family owned steakhouse, passed from generation to generation.  The walls are adorned with family portraits and various Louisiana themed memorabilia (There is quite an homage to the King Pin, Earl K Long). 

There are 2 smallish dining rooms and the bar area.  I love that the restaurant is broken up this way, because it makes the experience much more intimate.

Service was slow, but that is expected with such a large group.  By the time we were served our entrees, I was almost too tired to eat.

I ordered the 7 oz. filet, medium rare with a side of sauteed mushrooms.  It came with the house salad, which was iceberg greens and one cherub tomato.  I opted for the poppyseed vinagrette and did not like it at all.   It tasted like red onions.   Although, every single bite of that salad was devoured because I was famished.  (My sister liked the dressing so I think it was just a matter of my tastebuds' aversion to red onion.)

My steak was cooked to perfection.  I took the bacon off, and cut right in.  The outside had a crisp sear and the inside was buttery smooth.  Exactly how I like my steak.  The mushrooms were good, but a little salty for my taste.

No one else was overly impressed with their meal. 

 

What everyone was impressed with was the wedding cake.  It was from A Piece of Cake.

There were 2 layers: pineapple and traditional wedding cake.  I devoured nibbled a piece of the traditional. (had to carb load for my long run the next morning, right?!?)

The cake was fluffy and light, while the icing was almondy and sweet without being too sugary sweet.  I hadn't had cake this good in a long time. 

I wonder if they sell cake by the slice?  That could be trouble...



My final assessment - 

If you are looking for somewhere to have a nice steak dinner with a good atmosphere, the Harlequin might be your place. 

If you are looking for somewhere to buy a delicious cake, A Piece of Cake is your place!


Do you prefer to eat steak in a restaurant or at home?
At home.  Not my home, but my parents home.  A la Chef Dad. 

Do you have will power against wedding cake?
I can't ever go to a wedding and skip the cake! 

MacFarlane's Celtic Pub

Friday after finishing this CrossFit WOD (I modified by doing 30 pull ups and 30 dips in place of the muscle ups) solo (There were only 2 of us in the 5:30 class, and the other guy just quit mid workout...I don't think he liked being beat by a girl.), I met my best friend for dinner at MacFarlane's Celtic Pub.

We hadn't seen each other in a couple of weeks, since she found out she is having a BOY!  I was very excited to catch up.

I have only been to MacFarlane's once before, and it was only to have drinks.  They have a very extensive selection of beers (over 150) and scotch. 

Even though  they have a massive beer selection, they do not offer Budweiser, Bud Light, Coors, or Miller.  The bartender warned me of this before even handing me the beer menu, which was just fine with me, because I was in the mood to try something new.

After perusing the menu for a good 30 minutes while chatting away, I finally decided on the Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout from England.

source

It was exacty what I wanted.  Dark (I've been on a darker beer kick since it's been cooler outside), but still smooth and very easy to drink.

I would definitely order this again.

For the past week, all I've had on my mind is a hamburger.  This is extremely odd, because I'm not a huge hamburger person.  I am very picky about burgers.  My favorite of all time is from Port of Call in New Orleans.  It helps that being inside Port of Call feels like being in the hull of an old ship.  We all know I love all things nautical!

After asking the server if she recommended the chicken or the burger, she said burger.  Burger it was.  With a side of cabbage.

The cabbage was AMAZING.  I wish they would have given me a bigger portion.  Like a whole dinner plate full.  It was prepared with bacon, but wasn't overly bacony (word?). Seriously, thinking about it now makes me want cabbage. 

The burger was bleh.  They didn't ask how I wanted it prepared, but I should have known better and let the server know I wanted it medium rare.  I hate over cooked beef.  And I got overcooked beef.  The only saving grace was the bun.  It tasted like a massive hawaiian roll and was delicious. 

I ate half of the burger and took the rest home.  I bet Lola will like it more than I did.

The service was awesome.  After finishing our food, we sat chit chatting for a long time.  The waitress made it clear that we were welcome as long as we pleased, and even though we had closed our ticket, she made sure to check on us periodically. 

The atmosphere at MacFarlane's is so cozy that it makes you want to stay a while.  Looking around, it seemed that many groups were sitting, visiting, and drinking long after meals were finished. 

MacFarlane's is very close to my house, and I love the atmosphere.  That plus the extensive drinking options will surely lure me in again.  :)



Do too many options overwhelm you?

Having 150 beers to choose from was so overwhelming!  It took me too long to decide.

Great Khan Mongolian Grill

After the Crown Royal tasting, we went to dinner at Great Khan Mongolian Grill.

It was my first visit here.  Actually, it was my first visit to any Mongolian restaurant. 


The fact that we were newbies must have been obvious, because the watress asked us if we needed her to explain the process.  Which is as follows:  Check the "side" you want on a card (the side is a choice of noodles or rice); take your little silver bowl to the raw protein station and add as much as you want (it is the same price no matter what), then season your protein with dry seasonings of choice; add veggies of choice to the bowl; fill up a cup with your sauce of choice; drop of bowl of goodies, sauce, and order card to grill. 


The whole process stressed me out a little.  Looking at the raw proteins - chicken, beef, shrimp, scallops, crawfish - was very unappetizing.  And my bowl wasn't big enough to hold all the veggies I wanted. :(


In the end, I opted for udon noodles with chicken, broccoli, sprouts, sugar snap peas, green beans, cabbage, zuchinni, and mushrooms topped with the mongolian sauce.


It was very good.  Oh how I love veggies that are cooked but still crunchy! :)  I just wish the vegetable to noodle ratio would have favored the vegetables.  The noodles were very thick and round, like earth worms, but were tasty none the less.


My sister had shrimp and rice in her bowl.  One of her shrimp still had some shell.  Ewww.  That is why I don't eat restaurant shrimp.


There is a full bar in the restaurant and they have a happy hour from 3:00 to 7:00.   Word on the street is they have karaoke some nights too!  I may have to check that out.

***Sorry, still no pictures.  I have yet to drive all the way south of town to get my camera.


Have you ever eaten at a Mongolian Grill?  How did you feel about the raw meat sitting out?