NOLA-Katy

[cla]

So that we don't have to hijack any more threads. Let's talk about the things we miss, the things we wish we could change, reminisce about.

[cla]

Well, I have been lucky. My next door neighbor is from Houma. We get along great and have keys to each others homes. We have boiled seafood, and of course, drink lots of beer together.

Speaking of boiled seafood, what the hell happened over here in Houston? They boil crawfish in plain water and sprinkle seasoning on top. Crazy. You would think that there are enough coonasses in Houston that they'd at least get that right.

We started a project crawfish boil at the office a few years back catered by Good ole boys (I think), and after that year, the employees from La. started handling the boil. Much improved.

Have you found a decent place for boiled seafood?

Thinking about food, although we don't eat out alot, one of my favorites is Texas Borders. The owner is from La. She and her husband (now ex) moved here 10+ years ago (one from Houma, one from Slidell). They got a divorce and she got the restaurant. Good food. If you haven't been there, try it.

[editor]

Interesting to hear your view of how Louisiana food changes when it crosses the border.

While not in Katy, have to checked out Treebeard's downtown? I'd like to hear how you think it compares.

Also, there was a meat market east of the Galleria (on Alabama, I think) called Heberts (pronounced the good French/Louisiana way). Don't know if it's still around, but it might be useful if you're homesick.

[20thStDad]

Nowhere near Katy, but Mardi Gras grill on Durham between I-10 and Washington is the best LA seafood place we've found here (originally we're from Baton Rouge). With the name we had our doubts, sounds like they are trying too hard, but the food is great.

[Mr. B]

Haven't found many resturants that serve good crawfish here but honestly I stopped trying years ago after ordering some and they came out with what looked to be a bottle of cayenne pepper poured over them. I sent them back and pretty much stopped trying from that time on. Just do my own.

Kellie over at Texas Borders has some good food as first posted. I think she opened up right around the time we moved here and have been eating there eversince.

Swampy's is pretty good.

Heberts used to have a small place they opened up on Mason road years ago but eventually closed due to lack of support. I was sad to see them close but its understandable.

I do a big crawfish boil every year and after 5 years I still laugh and shake my head in amazement at the people coming to eat. I can't tell you how many times we had sacks of crawfish left over because people found them either to hard to fool with or just down right scared to eat them. I did some alligator and most just had this look, luckily a couple of guys tried it and proceeded to eat every piece they could find, same when I did frog legs. If I put out a mexican dish or some trashy little appetizers they will inhale them but the gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish, fish, etc are all left pretty much. Hell half my clan are from La and they don't touch or even stand to be in the same area as seafood (Guess love is blind). Yes wifeypoo I know you read this board.

Funny back home if I invited a large group I would have to expect it to double from word of mouth that hey someone is having a boil. Here if I invite a large group I can count on half or more not showing up because of lets see (Clouds in the sky, rain even though everything is under cover, traffic, it was chilly and the best was "oh the sight and smell make me nauseated")

Haven't tried Treebeards but I have heard about it. I just don't get downtown much.

There used to be a place called Shrimps on north mason but has closed down now for a few years. They had some decent food.

I can't blame anyone for not opening up something with South La fare over here as the chances are you will go under from lack of support. Hell most of the people I run across from La. seem to shy away or not want people to know they are from La.

I am a coonass and while its not politically correct oh well. I have no problem with it.

B

[editor]

With the number of former N.O. people living in the Houston area these days and the booming economy places like Heberts should consider expanding once again.

[Yat Man]

There is a place next to La Finca on Westheimer Parkway that is similar to Heberts. They sell Andouille and crawfish and dirty rice stuffed boneless chickens. As far as crayfish boils go you have to do your own. I'd be tempted to try them though if I could find a restaurant in Chinatown that boils and sells them. When I buy my crayfish at the Asian market on 1093 or if I go all the way to Chinatown they sell Zatarains the Asian restaurants may use it.

For the last two years the Knights of Columbus at Epiphany of the Lord on Highland Knolls has had a crayfish boil in the spring. The crew we use lives here but is from southeast La. They have a boiler that boils several hundred pounds at a time and they do them right. You won't see seasoning sprinkled on those bugs.

There is a place called A Taste of New Orleans at 3719 N. Fry road about 2 blocks south of Clay. I don't know if they're still open but my brother in law and his family ate there and loved it. The restaurant owners relocated here after Katrina and opened a business. Allison Cook in the Chronicle liked it.

If you just happen to be down lower Westheimer and Montrose blvd. There is a tiny place called BB's that does New Orleans food and does it well. I ordered a roast beef po-boy and the roast beef was really well cooked. The bread was more or less a hoagy roll but it was baked in the oven to a degree that approached French Bread. I ordered the Grillades and Grits and a cup of Gumbo one day. I had a hard time telling the difference between the Gumbo and the Grillades. Very dark color courtesy of Kitchen Bouquet. I've eaten the fried seafood there though and it is well done also. It's a nice place if you're going to go to a show downtown or if you have a yearning to look through the funky Magazine St. "style" antique stores and shops in Montrose.

[Trae]

I have my mom for good Louisiana cooking.

[jgriff]

I've never really liked food from Louisana and I'm not really all that impressed with the restaurants in New Orleans. Even with a strong anti-Louisiana food bias I was really impressed with a plate of Red Beans and Rice I had in NOLA last time I was there. It was served as a meal in some hole-in the wall place. It was so good I was lamenting the fact that I probably can't get it in Houston before I was finished. I didn't know Red Beans and Rice could be that good.

[CandW]

Try Orlando's on Hwy 6 just north of Clay Road...that was one of the first place's I enjoyed the little bugs at a restaraunt...as far as restaraunts serving them goes...they did it the best...and I agree, with all the evacuations and migrations of people you would think there would be much better LA food in this town...I have been to Swampy's and was not impressed with the food at all...went back a couple of times to give them another try...so it was not like I was one and done...still not there...I'll have to try some of the others mentioned...

[20thStDad]

In all fairness I have seen people from SW LA do the thing where they sprinkle seasoning on afterwards, so it could have come from LA. It's still wrong though!

I can't make myself pay for them at a restaurant when it so much fun (and tastes way better) to get a bunch of people and boil them ourselves. Good excuse for an all day party too.

[Gary]

Don't know about Katy, but I've always enjoyed Rajun Cajun on Richmond.

[KatieDidIt]

There's been a Herbert's at Dairy Ashford and I-10 for decades.

Ragin' Cajuns place on Gessner and Westhiemer is as good as the Richmond one.

[Gary]

Ragin' Cajuns place on Gessner and Westhiemer is as good as the Richmond one.

Haven't been to that one. Is it as old as the Richmond location?

[KatieDidIt]

Haven't been to that one. Is it as old as the Richmond location?

It's old, but about 10 years younger than the Richmond one.

[cla]

I do miss the numerous places to buy fresh or boiled seafood. And being able to drive down the road to Westwego to buy seafood fresh off of the boats.

I haven't boiled my own (except shrimp on the stove), but I guess I'm going to have to get a pot and burner - I really love boiled crabs, and haven't seen anyone advertising boiled crabs.

Is Hebert's the place where you can buy stuffed chicken and turduckens? I used to buy an awesome crawfish stuffed chicken (boneless) at The Gourmet Butcher Block. If they carry that, I must get over there tout suite!

[crunchtastic]

Growing up, we always went to Kemah/Seabrook. This was back before it was a theme park, the old oyster shell roads under the drawbridge were lined with fresh seafood places, or you could buy off boats there at the piers. We used to go crabbing under the bridge. Ah, memories of summer, helping mom pick crabs for gumbo.

... no idea what it's like now. The Kemah bridge area was such an important part of my childhood; l learned to fish there with bamboo poles when I was not much more than a toddler. (god that makes me sound a hundred years old). I have steadfastly refused to visit now that it is FertittaVille.

[katytxusa]

We tried the place next to Wild Wing Cafe at Westgreen & I-10 (can't remember the name) and it was pretty good...much better than most of the "New Oreans" themed restaurants around Katy/West Hou.

[Poppahop]

You can by shrimp and oysters right off the boat just down the road from Seabrook at Hillman's.

It's about 30 miles from town.

[cla]

You can by shrimp and oysters right off the boat just down the road from Seabrook at Hillman's.

It's about 30 miles from town.

"just down the road" lol. To me, just down the road is less than 5 miles. I guess it's kind of hard to buy off the boat in Katy when the only bodies of water around are the neighborhood pools and man-made lakes/detention ponds. And I guess the cost of getting fresh seafood to Katy is prohibitive to someone opening up a genuine seafood market. I have just learned to do without.

[cla]

We tried the place next to Wild Wing Cafe at Westgreen & I-10 (can't remember the name) and it was pretty good...much better than most of the "New Oreans" themed restaurants around Katy/West Hou.

I remember trying a place at I-10 and S. Fry - near Conn's - I think it was called N'awlins. It was pretty bad. Nothing authentic about it. This was my first experience with boiled seafood in Texas. I remember popping that first crawfish tail in my mouth - no seasoning (I thought it was strange when asked if we wanted spicy or mild crawfish) - you had to lick your fingers to taste anything. The funniest part was that we ordered 5 lbs each and a few tables down a group of 4 or 5 shared 5 lbs (and wore lobster bibs to boot).

I did pick up some boiled crawfish out of a "trailer" on N. Fry. Was a little better than the first place, but not much. Darn, now I am craving boiled seafood. I am going to have to stop by Texas Borders tomorrow and grab a couple of orders of boiled shrimp.

[cla]

I've never really liked food from Louisana and I'm not really all that impressed with the restaurants in New Orleans. Even with a strong anti-Louisiana food bias I was really impressed with a plate of Red Beans and Rice I had in NOLA last time I was there. It was served as a meal in some hole-in the wall place. It was so good I was lamenting the fact that I probably can't get it in Houston before I was finished. I didn't know Red Beans and Rice could be that good.

Red beans and rice can be awesome. I use chicken broth instead of water. Homemade chicken stock is best, but who has time for that? My next door neighbor actually brings dried beans (red or white) over for me to cook.

[cla]

With the number of former N.O. people living in the Houston area these days and the booming economy places like Heberts should consider expanding once again.

A co-worker of mine who also moved here after Katrina, recently had a visitor who manages a Copeland's in N.O. and he asked my co-worker if he thought a Copeland's would do well in Katy. I say "yes". I think Copeland's is well known enough to draw a crowd on opening day.

[Jeebus]

With the number of former N.O. people living in the Houston area these days and the booming economy places like Heberts should consider expanding once again.

They have. There is one in the Portofino shopping center in the Woodlands.

In all fairness I have seen people from SW LA do the thing where they sprinkle seasoning on afterwards, so it could have come from LA. It's still wrong though!

I'm from Lake Charles, and its true, we do sprinkle cayenne on afterwards - but its because we like them hot inside and out. The standard recipe for my family is to cut off the top of a large can of Tony's, dump it in; add a few bags of the Zatarain's crab boil pouches with each batch, and a good bit of cayenne in as well. We don't add lemons, onions, garlic, sausage or any of that other stuff. We boil the corn before hand.

After boiling for 10-12 minutes, we let them sit for another 10-15 with no fire to absorb the flavor, then pull em' out, dump them into the standard "LA ice chest" (you know the cheap styrofoam chests for a buck), add cayenne to the top, close the lid, then "tumble" them for about a minute. The finished product is hot from start to finish.

I'd be tempted to try them though if I could find a restaurant in Chinatown that boils and sells them. When I buy my crayfish at the Asian market on 1093 or if I go all the way to Chinatown they sell Zatarains the Asian restaurants may use it.

There are at least half a dozen places on Bellaire that boil almost all year long. Try Crawfish & Beignets or Blue Bayou inside the Hong Kong Mall, or Cajun Corner on Bellaire around Kirkwood.

For the best (see: most Louisiana authentic) crawfish I've had in town, it would either be Rajun Cajun (the Gessner location) or Crab Daddy's up in the Woodlands on Rayford Rd. Both were expensive however.

It should also be worth noting most New Orleans food is Creole, and not Cajun.

[Jeebus]

Oh, I almost forgot.. Every year Trader's Village on Eldridge, at 290, does a Cajun Fest in the spring. On the surface it stinks of another lame attempt at recreating Louisiana culture and tradition, but its the real deal.

The music is sponsored by the Cajun French Music Association, with a good portion being artists who sing in French. There is usually a token Zydeco band there, but its mostly Cajun French musicians - aka, the real deal. All the crawfish is boiled by the CFMA as well as part of a fundraiser. They leave it a little bland for the Texas folk, but the music helps with the lack of flavor.

[infinite_jim]

I miss the piazza d'italia

wish i had gotten pics

[Yat Man]

It should also be worth noting most New Orleans food is Creole, and not Cajun.

Very good call. I'm just as guilty as anyone of using the terms interchangably and there are subtle differences. I boiled crayfish w/ a buddy of mine from Lake Charles and he did sprinkle the Tony Cacheries on the crayfish in the cooler after we cooked them, but they were well seasoned from the water also, and a friend of mine from Maurice made gumbo and put fresh sausage instead of smoked sausage in his gumbo. I asked why he used fresh sausage and he said "we cook our food in Maurice". Touche'

[cla]

It should also be worth noting most New Orleans food is Creole, and not Cajun.

And the jambalaya that most people are used to seeing is a creole jamabalaya (with tomatoes). I only like a cajun jambalaya, or brown jambalaya - sans tomatoes. And blackened anything isn't really an authentic cajun dish (although it is tasty), and though we like our spicy foods, it shouldn't overpower the dish (maybe a restaurant that serves up its food too spicy is trying to cover up the fact that it doesn't have any flavor) :-)

[pestofan]

Eh, I sometimes like Popeye's and Frenchy's, does that count?

[Jeebus]

Eh, I sometimes like Popeye's and Frenchy's, does that count?

Guilty pleasure

And the jambalaya that most people are used to seeing is a creole jamabalaya (with tomatoes). I only like a cajun jambalaya, or brown jambalaya - sans tomatoes. And blackened anything isn't really an authentic cajun dish (although it is tasty), and though we like our spicy foods, it shouldn't overpower the dish (maybe a restaurant that serves up its food too spicy is trying to cover up the fact that it doesn't have any flavor) :-)

I am in 100% agreement.