Shreveport - Bossier, Louisiana's Other Side

A quarter-chicken meal from Rosticeria el Novillo (2100 Benton Road, Bossier City), served with charro beans, rice, salad and tortillas.

When I learned that the same family who own and operate the fantastic Mariscos La Jaibita had opened a new restaurant, this one specializing in roasted chicken in the same way that Mariscos La Jaibita specializes in seafood, I had to try it. Rosticeria el Novillo (2100 Benton Road, Bossier City) is so new that it's presently un-Google-able, and the humble storefront definitely looks as if they're still getting set up. But food is being served, and it's fascinating, delicious food, at that.

I ordered the quarter-chicken rotisserie meal ($6.99), which came with delicious charro-style beans, yellow rice, salad, and corn tortillas, as well as two sides of sauce. The simpler of the two sauces, a concoction of lime juice, garlic, jalapenos, and oil, was really the MVP of the meal, in my opinion. Without it, the meal wouldn't have been as special. If you're shredding the chicken to eat as tacos, you'll want to drizzle this delicious sauce on top. 

One word of warning: On my recent visit (September 12), the ventilation system didn't seem to be quite working, so the entire place smelled extremely strongly of delicious roasted chicken. This wasn't an issue in the restaurant, in fact it was kind of pleasant. But back at the office an hour later, I could hear co-workers in the hallway mumbling to themselves "Smells like roasted chicken..."

I have to say, the meal was fun, different, and worth smelling of chicken all day long. And my dog was really, really happy to see me when I came home.

"Pizza Blanca" with spinach, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic alfredo sauce from Pietro's at the Louisiana Boardwalk.

When it comes to restaurants, you really can't judge a book by its cover. Because it's surrounded by nationally-known chains like Joe's Crab Shack and Fuddrucker's, I'd assumed that Pietro's, a relatively new pizzeria and restaurant located in the Louisiana Boardwalk, was a chain restaurant. But then I started hearing about their pizza. I'm a sucker for a really outstanding slice of pizza, so I stopped in.

This place is about as far from a chain restaurant as you can get. Family owned and operated, Pietro's in the Louisiana Boardwalk is owned by Pietro Filippazzo and managed by his son, Stefano. Pietro himself still cooks the family's secret-recipe meat sauce, which Stefano (who goes by Steven) told me is a process that takes four hours at the stovetop. Pietro is the only one who can prepare the sauce because he's the only person who knows the recipe - he hasn't even shared it with his sons. In addition to pizza, calzones, and a variety of pasta offerings, Pietro's also features a gelato bar and an Illy espresso bar, which I will now be making my first stop on any trip to the Boardwalk.

At Steven's encouragement, I had the meatball calzone covered in Pietro's meat sauce, which is very interesting; it's a rich, spicy brown sauce that is really nothing like your average tomato sauce. I plan on heading back for a slice sometime soon, but I had to taste that sauce. Each week they offer specialty pizzas (like the "Pizza Blanca" pictured above). Click here to visit their facebook page, where they regularly post about weekly specials and more.

The Special Combination Banh Mi ($5.95) at Danh's Deli Express in Bossier City.

Danh's Deli Express recently opened at 4100 Barksdale Boulevard, Suite #119, and have introduced something new to Shreveport-Bossier's culinary scene: Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches, a po-boyish creation made unique by Vietnamese-style veggies featured front and center. All Banh Mi creations at Danh's Deli Express are dressed with homemade mayo, pâté, cucumber, shredded carrot and pickled daikon radish, cilantro, jalapeno and soy sauce. Priced at $4.95-$5.95, these unique sandwiches are served with a bag of lays and a fortune cookie. Varieties of Banh Mi include pork, beef, chicken, and ham, with a "Special Combination" version that features just about every meat they offer.

If you're looking for something more substantial than a sandwich, Danh's Deli Express also offers a number of Vietnamese favorites from the menu of the Danh's Garden on Youree Drive in Shreveport: pho, curried chicken, vermicelli noodle salads, and steamed rice platters. Easily the least-expected house specialty here is the homemade ice cream, which comes in flavors like mango, coconut, and strawberry, and is served in a large, frozen coconut. One serving is large enough to serve as dessert for two.

Housed inside of a former Taco Bell in a nondescript strip mall, Danh's Deli Express would be easy to pass up without noticing. But for anyone seeking something new and different, their menu rewards an adventurous spirit. Danh's Deli Express is open 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday, and can be reached by phone at (318) 752-5999.  

Lagniappe
View a slideshow of images from Danh's Deli Express

The NOLA Roast Beef Po-Boy from Marilynn's Place in Shreveport, already something of a legend among the po-boy cognescenti of Shreveport-Bossier.

One of the many new dining spots in Shreveport-Bossier is Marilynn's Place, located at 4041 Fern Avenue in Shreveport. Housed in a converted Texaco station in the Broadmoor neighborhood, Marilynn's Place specializes in po-boys and other staples of creole and Cajun cuisine. During my visit, my dining partner and I tried the NOLA Roast Beef Po-Boy (pictured above, $9.95), the Crawfish Etouffee ($11.95), a side order of cole slaw, and a house-made dessert special. The roast beef po-boy was tender and delicious, served up topped with au jus, making it a bit of an unruly challenge to eat without getting pretty sloppy. But in the case of roast beef po-boys, sloppy can be a very good thing, as was the case here. The etouffee was delicious as well: mounds of hot crawfish tails served over rice, in a delicious roux replete with celery and green bell peppers.

But strangely, the highlight of my dining experience at Marilynn's Place was a side dish. I have been raving about their cole slaw to anyone who'll listen (and, unsurpisingly, not a lot of folks will listen to me rave about cole slaw). I tasted celery, cabbage, parsley, green onions, and yellow bell pepper. Unlike some slaws that are served practically awash in creamy sauce, I'd guess that this fantastic stuff was tossed in some kind of sweet vinaigrette with fresh-ground black pepper. It was light, refreshing, and surprising. It tasted healthy, which is not an adjective that I often use to describe cole slaw.

We finished things off with a house-made slab of peanut butter and fudge icebox pie. The manager, Pat, said he's been working on the recipe for six years. It was as awesome as it looks.

I'm told that they also offer a fantastic breakfast special - three beignets and a Community coffee for $3.99. I'll definitely be back to try it...just not the morning after a NOLA Roast Beef Po-Boy! If you've tried it, please let us know what you think in the comments.

Lagniappe
View a gallery of photos from Marilynn's Place.
Read reviews of Marilynn's Place on Urbanspoon.

The entrance to Bodacious B-B-Q isn't hard to find. Just look for the giant pig suspended in the sky next to Old Glory, at 4706 Barksdale Boulevard in Bossier City.

Shreveport-Bossier could be described as a crossroads of sorts, where Texas culture and Louisiana culture intertwine. This is especially true of the music (Texas roadhouse-style blues are popular in area clubs) and the food (seafood and barbecue joints are equally abundant). If you're looking for a good barbecue lunch, swing by Bodacious B-B-Q at 4706 Barksdale Boulevard, just south of the West Gate entrance to Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City. I'd recommend trying "The Botato," a large baked potato stuffed with chopped beef and shredded cheese. Served wrapped in aluminum foil (pic), the true splendor of "The Botato" isn't really revealed until you dig in, at which point the ferocity of this diet-destroying torpedo is plain to see (pic). If you're not feeling adventurous (or if you're dining with a loved one who has intervened to prevent you from eating "The Botato"), try a chopped beef sandwich (pic) or a rib plate.

Bodacious is a no-frills kind of place. Sandwiches are served wrapped in wax paper, without so much as a plate to protect that new shirt of yours. It's not a drenched-in-sauce kind of barcbecue place, either - the flavor of the meat is allowed to speak for itself. When I went, the patrons were families and groups of soldiers from Barksdale AFB. American flags were everywhere, along with Saints and LSU memorabilia. It was old-fashioned and as unapologetically southern as the day is long.

Lagniappe
Visit the Bodacious B-B-Q website
See a small gallery of photos from our visit
Read reviews on Yelp.com   

A jerk pork plate lunch from Gordon Nurse's kitchen, served with rice and beans, curry sauce and fried plantain for $8.

As you may have read in this recent post on Shreveportblog, Shreveport-based chef and musician Gordon Nurse has begun selling Caribbean plate lunches out of his home at 401 Rutherford in Highland each Friday. Promoted only via word-of-mouth and an informal network of food enthusiasts' forwarded e-mails and facebook messages, the lunches are nevertheless generating tremendous buzz around town. The reason for all of the fuss is two-fold: the food is incredibly authentic and delicious, and the experience of tracking down these plate lunches makes you feel like some sort of hip foodie detective.

Last week, I had the curried chicken (pic), which was falling-off-of-the-bone tender and covered in a savory yellow chickpea curry. Served with rice and beans and a delicious fried plantain, this was an unforgettable meal. When I showed up at Mr. Nurse's house, the front door was open. The sounds of Bob Marley and the powerful scent of curry were wafting out into the street. I stood in Gordon's kitchen and chatted with him as he boxed up my food. It was an essentially Highland experience, and made for the kind of lunch hour you rave about to anyone who'll listen.

For this Friday's lunch (July 8, 2011), Gordon is cooking:

Jerk chicken or pork chops in a Caribbean sauce
Rice and beans
Fried plantains
Fresh darden salad

Lunches are $8 and may be ordered by calling (318) 210-8555 or e-mailing gordonnurse@aol.com. Orders must be placed by 10 a.m. on Friday.

Lagniappe
View a small gallery of photos from the Friday, July 1 lunch.   

Pork Pad Thai from Danh's Garden, located at 3312 Youree Drive in Shreveport.

In recent years, Shreveport-Bossier's restaurant scene has become much more diverse and eclectic, growing to include a number of ethnic cuisines like Greek and Lebanese, Indian, authentic Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai and more. One of the stalwarts of this emerging culinary scene is the Vietnamese restaurant located at 3312 Youree Drive, Danh's Garden. Danh's offers an extensive menu ranging from Vietnamese favorites like pho (a traditional noodle soup usually served with beef or chicken) and bun (a vermicelli noodle salad usually consisting of layered noodles, bean sprouts, chopped egg rolls and grilled pork) to several dozen Thai specialties.

Danh's does pad thai (pictured above) especially well, a sweeter-than-usual fish sauce coating the noodles and an abundance of bean sprouts and cilantro playing a supporting role. Chicken, beef, pork or shrimp pad thai is $7.95, with a combination version available for $8.95. Go with the pork and squeeze as much lime as possible before digging in - this is one of my favorite meals in Shreveport-Bossier. If you're a fan of shrimp, the Spicy Coconut Shrimp ($9.95) is fantastic, consisting of a large platter of golden-fried shrimp covered in a creamy, curry and coconut milk sauce. Finish things off with a drip-style Thai iced coffee (pictured here) made with Cafe du Monde coffee with chicory ($3.00).

Lagniappe
View the entire Danh's Garden menu.
Read Danh's Garden reviews on Urbanspoon.

The fish and shrimp plate from Big O's restaurant, located in the Villaggio community in Bossier City, pictured with the tartar sauce that owner Odis Johnson says came to him "in a dream."

If you're a food lover in Shreveport-Bossier, chances are you've heard mention of Big O's. In my case, I'd heard rave reviews of the fried fish and shrimp and, especially, the homemade tartar sauce created by owner Odis Johnson. When people rave about something as seemingly hard-to-mess-up as tartar sauce, I'm always pessimistic. How special could tartar sauce be?

The answer, as it turns out, is "really, really special." Not just the sauce itself, but the larger-than-life character behind the sauce, Odis "Big O" Johnson, who claims that the recipe for the sauce came to him in a dream.

"It was the night before my wife and I's anniversary," Big O said. "I was planning a big fish fry for the next day, a Sunday. That night, I had a dream. In the dream, I was shopping for all of these ingredients. I bought seven kinds of pepper. I bought Hellmann's Mayonnaise. I remember thinking: do they even carry seven kinds of pepper? I'd never made my own tartar sauce, I'd just bought it at the store. I woke up from that dream, I woke my wife up, and I said: 'I'm making my own tartar sauce today.'" Happy anniversary, honey!

Later that day, at the fish fry, Big O's family went haywire over the sauce. His little brother, who was first to try it, encouraged Big O to sell it commercially, as did several other friends. The rest is history. Delicious, crispy, golden fried history.

Big O's is located at 1129 Villaggio Boulevard in Bossier City. If you're looking for it on a map, it may be best to search for Villaggio's street address, which is 5200 East Texas Street - just off of Highway 80, east of Industrial Drive. Lunch specials are $8.50 and entrees are in the $10-$15 range. A kids menu is available with $5 kids plates. I especially recommend the fried shrimp, which have an unusually light and flaky, almost tempura-style breading.

View a slideshow of images from Big O's.
Ponder an extreme close-up image of the tartar sauce in question.
Visit Villaggio on-line.

The Shrimp with Garlic Sauce from Linn's Kitchen in Bossier City.

About 7 years ago, a Chinese take-out spot opened at the intersection of Line Avenue and E. 70th Street in Shreveport. While the restaurant itself was modest, the food was great for the price, and my girlfriend and I became friends with the young couple who ran the place, Sky and Cindy Linn. They were always asking us: "When you getting married?" I'd say "I think I'll have the House Lo-Mein," and Sky would say "Okay, House Lo Mein. When you getting married?" Honestly, Sky Linn put more pressure on me to get married than any of my own family members did.

SB Magazine's editor at the time, Mike Whitehead, wrote an editorial about the unexpected friendship he'd also struck with Sky and Cindy. Years passed, I did end up proposing to my girlfriend (she said yes, three years ago) and Sky and Cindy Linn went from managing the Shreveport restaurant to owning Linn's Kitchen, with locations in Bossier City (2091 Stockwell Rd) and Benton (4717 Palmetto Road).

The food at Linn's Kitchen is very good. Everything tastes fresh, the vegetables are crispy and flavorful, and portions are large. Some of my personal favorites are the Chicken with Garlic Sauce ($7.95) and the House Special Lo-Mein ($4.85-$7.55). Two of their house specialties, the Happy Family and Scallops & Shrimp in Garlic Sauce (both $9.55), are also fantastic. Dinner portions are large enough for two to share.

Shreveport-Bossier has more than its share of beloved restauranteurs and servers. Many of us have talked smack with the ladies from Strawn's Eat Shops or George's Grill, lingered for a tea refill and conversation at Cotton Boll Grill, or shared a few laughs with Agatha Fertitta McCall at Fertitta's. One of the reasons I love living in Shreveport-Bossier is because you find yourself making friends in unexpected places. As someone who has sent a wedding invitation to the guy at the Chinese take-out place around the corner, I can attest to that fact.

The Superior's Steakhouse Meat Loaf is here to show your afternoon who's boss.

One fun thing about living in Louisiana is the joy that we reserve for the subject of food. And not just eating food. We love to discuss food, share food, cook for others. If a meal is great in Shreveport-Bossier, we're going to be talking about it and at some point, menu items become legends. And so it has been that for the last two years, my friends and co-workers have taunted me with in-depth descriptions of two semi-legendary courses at Superior's Steakhouse: the Meat Loaf ($11.95, pictured) and the Southern Comfort Bread Pudding ($1.99). The meat loaf is made from scratch using ground tenderloin, ribeye, and fresh vegetables finished with red sauce and served with a carrot. The outstanding quality of the meat is the star of the show here. Carnivores will reminisce fondly over this meal long after it is through. If you're accustomed to thinking of meat loaf as bland or lifeless, throw out those preconceptions and get ready to be surprised.

The second legend I went in search of at Superior's Steakhouse honestly just sounded too good to be a) true or b) legal. I'd heard that they make bread pudding out of Southern Maid Donuts, cover the finished product with a sauce made from Southern Comfort, and serve it up with vanilla bean ice cream. Whoever had this idea - to use Southern Maid Donuts as an ingredient in something - is a genius in my book. When I ordered this dessert, the server just gave me this knowing nod, as if to say "You're about to have a really wonderful 15 minutes." Granted, he may also have been saying "I hope your life insurance rates are locked in for at least 30 years."

Here's a photo of the Southern Comfort Bread Pudding, which I felt was a steal at $1.99.