Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, Seafood & Donuts

Now if you were driving down the street and passed by what looks like a real hole-in-the-wall and see a restaurant that goes by the name Louisiana Famous Fried Chicken, Seafood & Donuts, wouldn't you stop by too to check it out? Well, I certainly did.

I walk into a small space with plastic red booths on either side. In front of me, there's definitely a donut case to the right which gives credence to the restaurant name. To the left is the counter where you place an order, which is being taken by the Chinese family that owns the joint. While I was trying to decide what to get and even while I was finally sitting down to eat, there was a fairly steady stream of African-American customers coming in and out. This restaurant definitely gives new meaning to the words, "Melting Pot."

The menu itself consists of a variety of fried items from chicken to seafood like fish and shrimp. Sides included gumbo, dirty fried rice and rice and beans and more. There were also Southern-style dessert options like 7-up cupcakes and sweet potato pies. If it wasn't for the donuts, I'd say that I was in a Popeye's restaurant clone, but it turns out Louisiana Fried Chicken (LFC) does have their own chain of restaurants all over LA County, although I think this is the only location that sells donuts as well.

Since I wanted to try a little bit of everything, I ordered one chicken leg, a few shrimp and one catfish as well as the dirty fried rice and a sweet potato pie. All my food was served on a tray, which also included ketchup, mustard, tarter sauce (which I think was house made) and sriracha sauce, a Chinese chili sauce. The sriracha sauce was a bit of surprise, but apropos considering the owners. As for all my fried goodies, I got to say they were all pretty tasty. Looking at them, I could tell that different batters were used just by the color, but also by the taste.

The fried catfish had what I think was a cornmeal batter. I thought the fish was cooked well. It was light, delicate and not rubbery. The batter was a little peppery which I liked, but it was also a little dry, almost as if it was baked as opposed to fried. There was also a slight tangy after taste, which wasn't unappealing, but unexpected.

As for the chicken, I would have liked it to be a little crispier, but the batter had really good flavor. It had a nice kick to it and when you look at the close-up picture I took of it, you can see all spices that came to play. Also, the chicken meat was moist and tender, which made the eating experience even better.

Let's talk shrimp now. What I liked after my first bite was that the batter wasn't heavy and had a nice light crunch to it that I liked the best of all three of the fried items I had. My bite consisted of shrimp and batter, not batter, batter, batter, than shrimp, if you know what I mean.

Also, the tarter sauce that came with both the shrimp and fish was excellent. I can't tell for sure whether it's house made or from a bottle, but it had a nice tart creaminess to it that wasn't overly done. Usually, I shy away from store-bought tarter sauce because for me it has a plastic, sometimes sour-sweet taste that makes me scrunch my face when a dollop hits my tongue, but the one I had here was just right.

Something else I wanted to point out was that neither the chicken, fish or shrimp were too greasy. The majority of the time when you're eating fried foods, you can get a film on your fingertips, which you can just lick off, but there are also times you just don't want the feeling of having dipped your hands in an oil pan. You'll definitely leave there with much cleaner hands.

In regards to the dirty fried rice, I didn't care for it too much. It was too dry. The sweet potato pie was initially a disappointment because I was expecting it to have been made in-house, but perhaps that would have been too much for a Chinese family's sensibility. As it was, it came from a bakery and in retrospect; its sweetness was the perfect way to end my meal.

I'm glad I made my impromptu stop at Louisiana Fried Chicken, Seafood and Donuts because I enjoyed my lunch at this quirky hole-in-the-wall. Next time, I may even check out their donuts or maybe, I'll put it with one of their fried items. Fried shrimp donut, anyone? Don't look so doubtful! Sweet and savory is a good combo. After all, it worked for Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. :-D

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157602833790738/

Louisiana Fried Chicken and Donuts
1515 N Lake Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91104
(626) 791-6229

http://www.louisianafriedchicken.com/

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

ackee / ack'-ee/ [Jamaican (from West African akye)] a soft, bland yellowish fruit resembling scrambled egs when prepared, served host, most commonly with salt fish.

(Note: ackee, which grows in pods, can be poisonous when unripe and must be left in the sun to mature until the pods open.)

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

The 2007 American Cheesemaker Awards

On November 18, 2007, I actually reached my cheese limit and cheese head that I am, that was no small feat. So what brought me to my breaking point? Simply, it was The American Cheesemaker Awards, held for the first time at the Fairmount Hotel in Newport Beach, California, that did me in (at least for that day).

This four day event started off on Thursday with a day of judging. Choosing the best in 11 categories from 26 cheesemakers and their offerings of over 100 different artisanal cheeses sounded like it would be a daunting task. However, a panel of 18 judges consisting of food writers, chefs and other food experts were up to the task and on Friday night, the awards were given out at the American Cheesemaker Awards Dinner.
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It wasn't until the weekend that the public was able to participate in all this cheesy goodness. For the cost of your ticket, you were able to not only sample all the cheeses that had previously been judged, but to also create your own pairings of these cheeses with both specialty food items and wine provided by Sapphire Pantry and Bristol Farms. Specialty food items included everything from gourmet salts to breads to chocolate and more.

Another bonus was what was referred to as "Cheese Academy." On both Saturday and Sunday, there were a series of classes to help you with improving your cheese knowledge, from how to put together a cheese and cracker plate display to a demo on how to make gourmet mac and cheese. My time there was fantastic. I have to tell you that there's no way I could have been a judge.

I tasted so many outstanding cheeses that I think I would have driven myself mad if I had to decide which ones deserved recognition above all the others. I definitely had a full day and for me to tell you about every experience would be equivalent to me writing War and Peace, so I'll just tell about some of my highlights of the day.

Interesting Ingredients Added to Cheese: Roasted Tomato and Basil Cheese, Cumin Gouda Cheese and Cranberry and Cinnamon Goat Cheese. 

The Freshest Cheese I Tasted: Using curds, salt and heated water, the rep from California-based Mozzarella Fresca, made a fresh ball of mozzarella for everyone. After mixing up the all the ingredients, the curd is shaped into a patty or ball and should be put into ice water to keeps its shape.

Afterwards he also showed us how to make a mozzarella appetizer with prosciutto and basil. He puts the mozzarella he just made back into the bowl and pours hot water to soften it back up. Then he takes the mozzarella, flattens it on a board, adds the prosciutto and basil, rolls up the cheese, slices it and it's ready to serve.

Cheese Art: Two rounds of cheddar cheese had a turkey and the logo for the event carved into them. That's food art taken to a different level.

New Twist on Recipe Favorite: Mozzarella Fresca displayed some recipe suggestions and I was really taken by the mozzarella cheese, grape tomatoes and basil leaves on a skewer. Now that's easy eating.

 The Most Unique Cheese I Tasted: Barley Buzzed cheese, from the Utah-based Beehive Cheese Company, is hand rubbed with a mixture of lavender buds and the grind of South American, Central American and Indonesian roasted coffee beans.

Interesting Dessert Topping For Cheese: Ballard Family Dairy and Cheese were grilling their appropriately named Golden Greek Grillin' Cheese and topping it with a mixture of honey and lime. Sweet and tart! Yum!

Blue Cheese and Dessert Wine Pairings: At one of the Cheese Academy classes taught by Starr Cornwall, Cheesemonger for Sapphire Lounge and Peter Neptune, Master Sommelier, I tasted how perfectly the salty-pungency of blue cheeses paired with the sweetness of dessert wines.

Jams on Cheeses: From rose petal preserves to spicy fig mustard jam, when paired with the right cheese, you get a duet of fabulous flavors.

Overall, I was in cheese heaven and I was hoping this would be a yearly event, but alas, it wasn't meant to be; however, I certainly learned a thing or two.  Still need more cheese love? Check out more pictures below.

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Ethnic Food Word of the Day

achiote / ah-chee-oh'-tay / [Latin American, other] the seeds or paste of a spice that imparts a yellow-orange color to foods.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

achar / ah-char'/ [Indian] traditional tangy, spicy pickled raw fruit or vegetable, such as lemon, mango or tomato, preserved in oil.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

Interesting story yesterday. I went to a Persian restaurant for dinner and when looking at the menu, which was quite baffling, I actually saw a word that I recognized which was the second Ethnic Food Word I posted to my blog. I knew what aash-e reshteh meant! Yaaay!

acar / ah-char'/ [Indonesian] vegetables or fruits preserved with vinegar, for example pickles.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

The Great Burger Quest" at Father's Office

Last May, a friend and I decided to host a series of outings where we would take my dining group for a different "burger" experience every month until the end of the year. For the first "Great Burger Quest", we went to Father's Office in Santa Monica for the famous Office Burger.

Hearing about its small space and how crowds line up to get in, we got there about 45 minutes before it opened and thank goodness we did. Half hour before the doors opened, there was already a long line behind us, even though it was a holiday weekend and it was for lunch. Amazing. What people will do for good beer and goof food.

Finally, the hallowed portals opened and we streamed in towards the counter to place our orders. Everyone in my group went for the burgers and fries, either sweet potato or regular. I did the same, but ordered a starter of spicy olives and almonds, which were quite yummy by the way. Now the thing about the Office Burger is that substitions are not allowed nor can you ask them to remove and/or add additional ingredients. What you get is what they give you.

The only choice you had was how you wanted your burger cooked and even then, those in our group who ordered differently still got their burgers medium (and a couple of instances more medium rare). From what I've heard in the past, the restaurant preference for their Office Burger is medium. Asking otherwise is apparently ineffectual, so you might as well just accept that and move on.

Before the burgers made their appearance, out came the french fries. The majority of the group ordered the sweet potato "frites" a la carte and wouldn't you know it, the lightest, crispiest, most flavorful sweet potato fries I've ever had showed up in a mini metal shopping cart What was sad was I didn't understand at first what the deal was with the shopping cart, but then the lightbulb went on. Shopping cart for "frites" a la carte. Get it? Hopefully, you the reader, caught on much faster than I did. By the way, can you tell by my waxing so poetically about the sweet potato fries that I adored them? Oh my gosh, truly the best I've had so far.

Finally, the famous Office Burger arrives and I have to admit to being a bit puzzled when it was first put before me. In fact, I had to take a peek at everyone else's Office Burgers to make sure that I didn't get the wrong item. What surprised me was the bread. Instead of a bun, it reminded me more of a bread or French roll that would be used for a submarine sandwich. The Merriam-Webster dictionary has two definitions for a hamburger:

1 a: ground beef b: a patty of ground beef

2: a sandwich consisting of a patty of hamburger in a split typically round bun

Hmmm...by using the word "typical", what defines a burger becomes more open to interpretation. Although, when you look at the patty melt, perhaps not. Hamburger meat is used, but between two slices of bread; hence, the different name. Maybe, the Office Burger is more of a Burger Sub or Burger Roll. Oh well, it's amazing how easy it is to question things when the "order of the universe" is somehow shifted, even in something as simple as the lowly hamburger.

Anyway, putting the contemplation aside, the Office Burger was tremendous. The combination of the spicy arugula, the sweetly caramelized onions, the pungent bleu cheese, along with a burger patty that was moist and cooked just right made me a happy burger girl. After my first couple of bites, that whole adage of a "rose by any other name" came to play.

Burger bun or roll, this is a truly excellent hamburger. To be honest, this was my first real experience with a "gourmet" burger and I'm hooked. Not that having a basic burger still won't hit the spot, but when you use ingredients that take food to another level, you look at it with new eyes and simply want more.

Although it's been a few months since my first visit, I can still remember each and every bite of that burger and the sweet potato fries and I am more than ready to take the drive all the way from the Eastside down Santa Monica way very soon. Maybe, I'll even see some of you there as well.

To see pics, go to:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/la_addict/sets/72157600993539020/

Father’s Office
1018 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA 90403
http://www.fathersoffice.com/

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

abish / ah-beesh' / [Ethiopian] fenugreek seed, either whole or ground.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods

Foodie Quote

"We do not sit at table only to eat, but to eat together" - Greek Author Plutarch

Ethnic Food Word of the Day

abgousht, a gousht / obb-goosht / [Persian ("water meat")] a popular stew made with lamb shank or other meat, beans and vegetables, all mashed together and typically served alongside the broth it was cooked in, with Iranian bread or rice and garnishes.

Taken from Pocket Dictionary of Ethnic Foods.