Bonne Bouche

by Sandra S. Juneau
photography by Thomas B. Growden

Our annual springtime ritual of heading to the water is rooted in ancient tradition that includes festive dining right at the water’s edge. Surrounded by picturesque waterways all within easy reach, the northshore is blessed with a variety of delicious waterfront dining options, each beckoning with its own distinctive charm.

For your own springtime renewal, treat yourself to an easygoing “spring break.” While enjoying luscious Louisiana seafood delights, you can revel in the soothing sounds of lapping waves or take in the scene of an ever-changing boat flotilla as native birds soar overhead.
  
Friends Coastal Restaurant

Stepping inside Friends Coastal Restaurant is like taking a breath of fresh air. Keeping the best of Friends tradition for great local food in a comfortably casual setting, new owners Chris Binnings, Tim Reese and Richard Taubin have brightened the restaurant with their energy, creating an ambiance of the tropics with island colors and updated drink and menu selections. With upper and lower decks offering sweeping views of the Tchefuncte River, this Madisonville restaurant has long been a favorite for locals and visitors alike. According to Chris, “When you walk through the front doors, you are transported to an island getaway. We are a vacation destination in your own back yard!”

On the weekends, Friends features live acoustic music from some of the best local musicians, such as Chet Reeves, Bobby Ohler and Vintage Jazz Band. With a party room that is booked months in advance, the restaurant now offers off-site catering. In true Southern hospitality, the partners extend the invitation, “We look forward to seeing you here to eat, drink, and relax!”
 
SHRIMP SEVICHE

3 cups pico-de-gayo sauce
1 celery stalk, finely diced
1/2 cup garlic, minced
3 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Seasoning Mix
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 cup fresh mango, diced
1 cup cran-raisins, diced
3 pounds raw shrimp (70/90 size), diced

Mix ingredients in order given. Refrigerate for at least three hours, stirring every 30 minutes. The combination of pico-de-gayo sauce and lemon and lime juices will “cook” the shrimp as it marinates. Serve chilled in a martini glass with large tortilla chips. Yield, 1 gallon.
 
Palmetto’s Bayou Bar & Grill

Stepping back into a mystical era when traveling Louisiana’s marshlands meant navigating by pirogue through a web of bayous, Palmetto’s Bayou Bar & Grill offers a rare glimpse into the native treasures of Bayou Bonfouca. Located near Slidell’s Heritage Park just behind the Train Depot, the restaurant is accessible by boat or car, and guests can enjoy a walk to the bayou on the boardwalk that meanders through this classic Louisiana cypress swamp.

Just six months after Katrina’s devastation, owners Kirk Dunbar and Duffel Ramirez and local architect Robert Sollberger re-opened the restaurant, which had originally debuted in July 2001. The partners designed the restaurant with outdoor seating and screened-in porches to capture the essence of the breathtaking landscape. On cool nights, you can cozy up to the fireplace indoors or to several lighted chimineas on the outdoor decks. 

Local music is as much of the scene at Palmetto’s as the fine cuisine. On Friday nights, live jazz is featured in Gate’s Party Room, named in honor of the late “Gatemouth” Brown. Surrounded by works of local artists Phil Galatis and George Dunbar, with the tastes of Cajun classics expertly prepared by Chef Kirk Dunbar, you are sure to enjoy a true Louisiana culinary experience in the delightful natural setting that is Palmetto’s Bayou Bar & Grill.
 
LOUISIANA CRAB CAKES
WITH LEMON CAPER AIOLI

CRAB CAKES

4 eggs
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning, or granulated crab boil mix
2 pounds crabmeat, claw or lump, picked clean of shells
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil, sufficient for frying
 
Combine eggs, mayonnaise, mustard and spices and blend. Pour mixture over crabmeat, add green onions and mix lightly in large bowl. Add just enough breadcrumbs (about 1/4 cup) to firm up the mixture. For each crab cake, roll 1/3 cup of the mixture into a patty about 2 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Refrigerate until cooking time. After rolling patties into additional breadcrumbs, fry in heated vegetable oil until golden brown on both sides.
 
LEMON CAPER AIOLI

1 small jar of capers, drained
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup white wine
Juice from 4 lemons, freshly squeezed
 
Whisk the mayonnaise, white wine, lemon juice and capers together in a bowl and then chill. Serve aioli with hot fried crab cakes.
 
Rip’s On The Lake

To describe Rip’s on the Lake as a survivor is quite an understatement. Since the 1930s, when the Glockner family first opened there as Cliff’s, the restaurant has been inundated by countless waves from Lake Pontchartrain, but it continues to re-invent itself despite these challenges. Through it all, Rip’s has maintained a tradition of serving the freshest of Louisiana’s seafood bounty.

When Roselyn and Clay Prieto purchased the property from “Rip” Reppel in July 2002, they totally remodeled and were open for business by September. Just one week later, Tropical Storm Isadore left 18 inches of water behind, followed in the next week by Lily. The pattern of successive waves and clean-up came to a halt when Hurricane Katrina finally wiped Rip’s out. Now completely rebuilt, the new Rip’s on the Lake towers three stories above any possible intrusion from Lake Pontchartrain, still serving up delicious local favorites—including magnificent lakefront views from the upper porch!
 
TROUT AUDREY

4 fresh trout filets
2 cups all-purpose flour, for dredging
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat
1 pound fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled, leaving tails on
2 tablespoons capers
1 1/2 cups lemon cream sauce (See below.)
2 sticks butter, 8 oz. each
 
Season trout filets on both sides with salt and pepper, then lightly dredge in flour. Melt 1 stick of butter in a large saucepan and cook the fish for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the fish to a warm (250 degrees) oven.

Melt remaining stick of butter in pan; add shrimp and sauté until shrimp are fully cooked on both sides. Add lump crabmeat and capers, then sauté for one more minute. Spoon crabmeat mixture over warm fish filets and top each filet with lemon cream sauce.
 
LEMON CREAM SAUCE

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
 
Heat cream over low heat. Gradually add butter a bit at a time until all butter is fully melted into the cream. Add lemon juice, whisking to fully incorporate into sauce.