Lagniappe, a taste of New Orleans in the U.P.

I had the pleasure of taking a trip in 2007 to New Orleans with my mom and an old friend. I mainly went because my mom had adopted an alligator for me from the local zoo (and for those of you who know me personally, you know that to me, it was a BIG deal and I was so excited to go to the zoo on "parents" day....). What I was also excited for was to taste the local cuisine. We had the pleasure of eating Jambalaya while listening to a local jazz musician, visit the famous Cafe Du Monde and enjoy a fresh beignet, and visit my first Bubba Gump Shrimp, to where I had some of the best ribs of my life so far.

Now, since most of us don't get to frequent Louisiana every time we have a craving for some great gumbo or grits, Lagniappe in Marquette, Michigan is pretty darn close to being in a local eatery on Bourbon street. You may even be lucky enough to catch a local band playing. Tonight, I went there with my family and a band called "The Organgrinders" was playing. They were great, and I actually went to high school with the drummer. I caught myself on numerous occasions tapping my feet to the music.

Now....for the food.....

For appetizers tonight, we ordered Fried Green Tomatoes and the Hush Puppies

The tomatoes were juicy yet firm still and had that crunch factor. The breading held up nicely and for the most part was sticking to the tomato. The sauce that was drizzled on top was spicy, yet was sweet enough that your mouth didn't catch on fire (I would put that on everything if I knew how they made it). The hush puppies were good. They had that great cornmeal flavor with a soft interior and a crunchy exterior. The homemade remoulade sauce (the one I practically drooled about above) is the kick they need to spice up the otherwise dry texture of the hush puppies. 

For the main course, I had the Low Country Shrimp and Grits. The red eye gravy was good, the shrimp perfectly cooked, and the flavors weren't bad. The part that makes this dish is the creamy garlic cheddar grits. The components separate taste good, but as soon as you mix them together it creates the perfect balance of textures and flavors. This is a must try!

And let us not forget about dessert....after all, this was my choice for my birthday dinner so I couldn't leave without having something sweet to cool down the taste buds. The Creole Shrub Creme Brulee had that perfect orange flavored custard on the bottom, with a crunchy caramelized sugar on top. In some restaurants, this dessert is a hit or miss because there are so many things that can go wrong with making it (such as the custard breaks down, you use the wrong kind of sugar that doesn't caramelize right, etc.). Lagniappe hit it right on the money.

If you are looking for some southern comfort food, you definitely need to hit up Lagniappe in down town Marquette. The link with the full menu is below, along with the schedule of when different local bands are playing.

http://marquettecajun.com/