A weekend in Shreveport
I'm in Shreveport, Louisiana this month for work. My last trip here was 6 months ago, which I made alone. This time I'm with a co-worker, and since we're spending the weekend in Shreveport, we decided to do a little research and find a couple of good spots in the town where we could have a good meal. Here's reviews of the places we ended up at for dinner:
Friday, June 9th
Columbia Cafe
3030 Creswell Ave, Shreveport, Louisiana 71104
We found out about this place from reading somebody else's blog. The restaurant website has tons of photos of dishes they have served up and they all looked appetizing and well plated, so we decided to give the place a shot on Friday night. The restaurant is located in what feels like a residential neighborhood. They have just enough parking outside and the insides give off a homey, cozy vibe. Seating along the walls is on benches that bear an uncanny resemblance to church benches. The are lots of windows and the dining room is sectioned off into multiple areas to add a little seclusion.
To start I had a fruity, slightly tart Belgian white beer known as Brasserie Des Rocs (pictured below), followed by a cold Hoegaarden. The first of the two beers is a superb Belgian Blond beer. I highly recommend it.
We decided to skip appetizers because we had such wonderful beers in front of us. It would have been nice for the waiter to bring out a little something to munch on while we waited for the main course, but it didn't matter all that much. For dinner I ordered the Lake Victoria Perch, also known as the Nile Perch. The chef has pan seared this mild mannered, flaky white freshwater fish and then baked it, using only a light amount of spices on the crust. I picked up hints of ginger and lemon, but without the whole fish tasting like an Asian-fusion creation. The fish was laid out on a bed of creamy risotto and garnished with a medley of roasted summer veggies which included big discs of yellow squash, crunchy zucchini and asparagus spears. The vegetables has been sprinkled with a few red pepper flakes. Presentation was excellent as was the taste of the dish. My only complaint was that there could have been a little more color on the plate - the brown of the fish and the risotto blended with each other a little too well. Without the vegetables, the plate would have looked a bit ordinary. My co-worked ordered a venison roast that came with a shaved carrots, ginger and lemon zest preparation. I tried a little bit and it was excellent.
For dessert we both had the chocolate tart. It had a crispy outer shell, a warm soft center. It was served with creme fraiche with a drizzling of chocolate sauce and some sugar dust and a strawberry as garnish. I ordered a cappuccino with dessert which was a little underwhelming. They added nutmeg on top without asking me if that was OK and the barrier between the espresso and the foamed milk was no longer distinguishable. This was a perfectly acceptable latte but it was no cappuccino.
The dinner tab was about $60 per person which is a little steep for Shreveport. But when you consider the quality of the food, the selection of beers from all over the world and the attentive service we received, the price seems about right.
Saturday, June 10th
Olive Street Bistro
1027 Olive Street, Shreveport, LA 71101
Another internet find, this restaurant is tucked away deep inside one of the neighborhoods south of downtown Shreveport, and off of Line Avenue. The restaurant is situated inside an old building, possibly a turn of the century house. The proprietor is a friendly, little Italian lady. She greeted us along with our server to whom she gave a few orders in flowery Italian. The decor is old-world with plenty of furnishings that could, if restored, be featured on Antique Roadshow. Especially charming were the solid beams of dark wood running across the ceiling. The place was a little dark however, and the candlelight at the table was proving insufficient to read the menu properly.
The restaurant specializes in northern Italian cooking, and between the images of Toscana on the wall and the wine list that includes the only selection of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico in all of Arklatex.
To start I ordered a cold bottle of San Pellegrino with a lemon twist. It came with a slice of lime instead, but since I forgive easily, I couldn't be less bothered. The waiter also brought out a large freshly baked bread made out of their fresh pizza dough and sprinkled with what I think was a blend of red pepper flakes, oregano, coarse salt and some pecorino cheese. Mixed with the olive oil sitting at our table this made for a nice appetizer.
I ordered the Fettucini D'Agnello - a homemade fettucini pasta with a tomato sauce mixed with hearty chunks of their famous lamb. The dish came in a kitschy bowl and was excellent. And it was a large serving too since I was not able to see the bottom of the bowl before throwing in the towel, and this too after walking into the establishment feeling quite hungry. To accompany my entree I ordered a glass of the house Chianti. I can't remember the estate from which it came, but it was a good pairing for the lamb. My co-worked ordered the lamb chops. He got a heavy plate of four thick cut lamb chops, bone-in, grilled and smothered in a rich balsamic vinegar based reduction. I didn't taste any but it looked very good.
For dessert I ordered the house tiramisu which comes in a cone shaped glass into which the ingredients have been individually layered. I ordered a cappuccino with dessert and the coffee was truly excellent. Getting the cup of coffee at the end of the dinner just right is so important because that is the last taste the restaurant leaves you with, and the people at the Olive Street Bistro got it right.
The dinner tab was $40 per person which I think is an excellent value for a deftly executed dining experience.
Friday, June 9th
Columbia Cafe
3030 Creswell Ave, Shreveport, Louisiana 71104
We found out about this place from reading somebody else's blog. The restaurant website has tons of photos of dishes they have served up and they all looked appetizing and well plated, so we decided to give the place a shot on Friday night. The restaurant is located in what feels like a residential neighborhood. They have just enough parking outside and the insides give off a homey, cozy vibe. Seating along the walls is on benches that bear an uncanny resemblance to church benches. The are lots of windows and the dining room is sectioned off into multiple areas to add a little seclusion.
To start I had a fruity, slightly tart Belgian white beer known as Brasserie Des Rocs (pictured below), followed by a cold Hoegaarden. The first of the two beers is a superb Belgian Blond beer. I highly recommend it.
We decided to skip appetizers because we had such wonderful beers in front of us. It would have been nice for the waiter to bring out a little something to munch on while we waited for the main course, but it didn't matter all that much. For dinner I ordered the Lake Victoria Perch, also known as the Nile Perch. The chef has pan seared this mild mannered, flaky white freshwater fish and then baked it, using only a light amount of spices on the crust. I picked up hints of ginger and lemon, but without the whole fish tasting like an Asian-fusion creation. The fish was laid out on a bed of creamy risotto and garnished with a medley of roasted summer veggies which included big discs of yellow squash, crunchy zucchini and asparagus spears. The vegetables has been sprinkled with a few red pepper flakes. Presentation was excellent as was the taste of the dish. My only complaint was that there could have been a little more color on the plate - the brown of the fish and the risotto blended with each other a little too well. Without the vegetables, the plate would have looked a bit ordinary. My co-worked ordered a venison roast that came with a shaved carrots, ginger and lemon zest preparation. I tried a little bit and it was excellent.
For dessert we both had the chocolate tart. It had a crispy outer shell, a warm soft center. It was served with creme fraiche with a drizzling of chocolate sauce and some sugar dust and a strawberry as garnish. I ordered a cappuccino with dessert which was a little underwhelming. They added nutmeg on top without asking me if that was OK and the barrier between the espresso and the foamed milk was no longer distinguishable. This was a perfectly acceptable latte but it was no cappuccino.
The dinner tab was about $60 per person which is a little steep for Shreveport. But when you consider the quality of the food, the selection of beers from all over the world and the attentive service we received, the price seems about right.
Saturday, June 10th
Olive Street Bistro
1027 Olive Street, Shreveport, LA 71101
Another internet find, this restaurant is tucked away deep inside one of the neighborhoods south of downtown Shreveport, and off of Line Avenue. The restaurant is situated inside an old building, possibly a turn of the century house. The proprietor is a friendly, little Italian lady. She greeted us along with our server to whom she gave a few orders in flowery Italian. The decor is old-world with plenty of furnishings that could, if restored, be featured on Antique Roadshow. Especially charming were the solid beams of dark wood running across the ceiling. The place was a little dark however, and the candlelight at the table was proving insufficient to read the menu properly.
The restaurant specializes in northern Italian cooking, and between the images of Toscana on the wall and the wine list that includes the only selection of Brunello di Montalcino and Chianti Classico in all of Arklatex.
To start I ordered a cold bottle of San Pellegrino with a lemon twist. It came with a slice of lime instead, but since I forgive easily, I couldn't be less bothered. The waiter also brought out a large freshly baked bread made out of their fresh pizza dough and sprinkled with what I think was a blend of red pepper flakes, oregano, coarse salt and some pecorino cheese. Mixed with the olive oil sitting at our table this made for a nice appetizer.
I ordered the Fettucini D'Agnello - a homemade fettucini pasta with a tomato sauce mixed with hearty chunks of their famous lamb. The dish came in a kitschy bowl and was excellent. And it was a large serving too since I was not able to see the bottom of the bowl before throwing in the towel, and this too after walking into the establishment feeling quite hungry. To accompany my entree I ordered a glass of the house Chianti. I can't remember the estate from which it came, but it was a good pairing for the lamb. My co-worked ordered the lamb chops. He got a heavy plate of four thick cut lamb chops, bone-in, grilled and smothered in a rich balsamic vinegar based reduction. I didn't taste any but it looked very good.
For dessert I ordered the house tiramisu which comes in a cone shaped glass into which the ingredients have been individually layered. I ordered a cappuccino with dessert and the coffee was truly excellent. Getting the cup of coffee at the end of the dinner just right is so important because that is the last taste the restaurant leaves you with, and the people at the Olive Street Bistro got it right.
The dinner tab was $40 per person which I think is an excellent value for a deftly executed dining experience.
posted by sdateumd at
10:14 PM
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