I love Cajun food. I don’t know if it’s because of my Louisiana heritage, or because it’s a rare commodity in this part of the country. Either way, my friends and I were itching for a low country boil this past weekend, and we got one!

When my friend, Sarah, first mentioned having a low country boil, I was stumped. I hadn’t heard of any place around town that offers that menu option, so I e-mailed my ever knowing former boss, Brian Brodrick at Jackson Spalding, to see if he knew of anyone.

Like always, Brian came to the rescue, and recommended the Big Easy Cafe in Watkinsville. Wat-ville represent!

The Big Easy Cafe

Phone: 706-769-3030

E-mail: itsmillrtime@att.net

Hours: Monday, 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m.; Tuesday-Friday, 6 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Saturday, 8-11 a.m. (breakfast only)

Owners: Tammy and Scott Miller

I called the Big Easy Cafe and talked to Tammy, one of the restaurant owners, who is actually from Louisiana. I told her we wanted to have a low country boil for a tailgate before the baseball game on Friday, and put the plans in place.

We met Tammy and her husband, Scott, and their two children at the parking lot below the baseball field on Saturday afternoon, and they already had the water boiling and the potatoes cooking. Woo hoo!

There were about 15 of my friends, my dad and me included, but I was nervous because there were a few low country boil connoisseurs in the midst. My friend, Rachael Sharpe and her daddy (pictured in the post) are from South Carolina, and they are shrimp experts! After we ate, though, Mr. Sharpe said the LCB passed his test, and that made me happy.

If you’re looking for an easy catered meal, try this! It was only $13.50 a person, and we had shrimp, andouille sausage, potatoes, and onions (they forgot the corn). Once the food was done, they put it in some big alumninum pans, dumped out the water, and headed out. It’s so easy, and the clean up is even better. The $13.50 included cocktail sauce and crackers, so that was nice. We decided to go BYOB, and it was so perfect. A good beer and some good shrimp? You can’t get much better than that.

My only wish was for more sausage. The people who came in line last didn’t get any, so maybe make sure to ask them to make a bigger shrimp::sausage ratio. Other than that, the taste was great! It wasn’t too spicy, and everything was cooked perfectly. The shrimp didn’t taste tough, so that was nice.

I’d encourage you to drive out to Watkinsville and check out the Big Easy Cafe. It’s been open for about four years, but Tammy and Scott have been in the restaurant business for a while. Tammy went to culinary school, and Scott has a degree in restaurant management.

Put April 24 on your calendars because the Big Easy Cafe is having its annual crawfish boil in front of the restaurant. They’re having 1,000 pounds of crawfish driven up from the Louisiana coast just for us! It should be a good time.

Verdict? Yummy.

Going back? You betcha.

I went to the best sushi place in Athens, Utage, with my Jackson Spalding mentor, Ashley, on Friday for lunch.

We thought it would be a relaxing, low-key Friday in downtown Athens, but we were definitely mistaken.  UGA graduation was this past Saturday, so it was packed- even in the sushi joint.

Ashley and I sat at the sushi bar, and we both decided to go with the super duper lunch special.  You can order two choices from their lunch menu, soup and a salad for $7.95- a total steal.

I ordered the daily nigiri and the shrimp cucumber roll.  Ashley got the shrimp cucumber roll and the shrimp tempura roll.

Our soup and salads came out first and very promptly.  I’ve had the same waitress there the past couple of times, and she is fabulous.  My soup had a lot more seaweed in it than usual, but I like it that way.  It was piping hot and definitely a nice little start to the meal.  The salad was fresh, and I love the cucumbers they put on it.

Because it was busy, it took a little while to get our food.  I kept having to remind myself that it takes a little longer to put together a sushi roll than slap some chicken salad on a sandwich.  Ashley and I had some nice convos, though, so it wasn’t too bad.

When it came, my nigiri (tuna and salmon) was very fresh and cold.  Unlike grocery store nigiri, my fish did not come with a pile of rice under it.  It was just plain fish.  I didn’t mind it because it had a fresh, non-fishy taste.  It might freak some people out, though.

My eight-piece shrimp and cucumber roll was perfect.  I managed to eat my entire meal with chopsticks- a huge feat for me.  I’m terrible with chopsticks.

Ashley and I cleaned our plates, so I think our meal was pretty good.  The staff at Utage is always friendly and willing to get you whatever you want.  Utage is a little hidden in between Molly O’Shea’s and Junkman’s, but it’s a wonderful little nook when you find it.

I think for this post, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Last Sunday, Mom, Dad, Addie (my grandmother) and I asked Dr. Jones and her husband, Mr. Dr. Jones, to eat dinner with us at The Basil Press.  My parents had heard how absolutely wonderful they are, and I have always raved about their involvement in Grady and in PRSSA.

So, we went.  One thing I will say about The Basil Press is their staff is EXTREMELY well-trained.  Our waitress knew exactly where to stand, how to take orders and had a very pleasant demeanor.  I think it is hard to find a wait staff that is trained as well as them nowadays.

This is the tomato soup I ordered as an appetizer.  It think it was actually called the Tomato Basil Soup.  If you don’t like tomatoes, don’t get this.  There were wonderful chunks of tomato in the soup.  It wasn’t creamy; I honestly think the broth was mostly tomato puree.  You can see the cracked black pepper she put on it for me.  It was a great start to the meal!

For an entree, I ordered the blackened salmon.  I was really happy with the way this picture turned out because I think it portrays the deliciousness really well.  Since it was blackened, it was a little spicy but not overly so.  The fish was accompanied by some yummy whipped new potatoes and some vegetables.

This is the scallop marinara pasta Dad ordered.  Look at the size of the scallops!  I had a taste, and it was unbelievable.  The noodles weren’t too saucy, and you could definitely taste the olive oil they used.  It’s a hefty plate, but it sure was good!  Not too garlicy, either…

Next was Addie’s free range chicken.  I’m pretty sure it had a creamy mushroom sauce on top of it.  They gave her two hefty-sized chicken breasts, so she definitely couldn’t finish it all.  You won’t get jipped on portions at The Basil Press!

Finally, Mom ordered the crab cakes.  I’m pretty sure she is a crab cake coniosseur, much like chicken salad.  The cakes were meaty, not too bready, and the sauce on top was great! I can’t remember what spices were in it, but it went really well with the corn on the side, too.  Again, she got two cakes and couldn’t eat them all.  Moral of the story: when you go to The Basil Press, you get enough for two meals!

I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of the Jones’ dishes, but Dr. Jones ordered the apple and walnut salad.  She says that’s what she always gets.  Mr. Dr. Jones ordered the French onion soup and a side salad.  His soup looked fantastic.  It was cooked in one of those little crocks that look very European.

Overall, our experience at The Basil Press was fantastic.  Look at the presentation of the food!  The only other place in Athens that does something like that is the Five and Ten.  The staff is well-trained, and, best of all, it is not that expensive!  Like I said before, you may not be able to finish your meal, so you can take it home with you for lunch the next day.

I know they have a Prix Fixe night every Tuesday, so walk by and look at the menu.  It is on the corner of Lumpkin Street and Washington Street.  The Basil Press hosts large parties from college semi-formals to adult birthday gigs.  Try them out for yourself!

P.S. Sorry about the pictures.  I will keep fiddling with them to see if I can space out everything.

Did you know DePalma’s has a location on the East side of town?

I have ordered take-out from there numerous times, but I think I’ve only eaten in the restaurant once. Since I live on the East side-ish, it’s pretty convenient to drive over there.

In case you don’t know where it is, here’s some info:

Location: 1965 Barnett Shoals Road, in the same shopping center as the Locos and Cupz!
Phone Number: 706-369-0085
Web site: www.depalmasitaliancafe.com
Reservations: Yes. If you want to go during a busy time, you might want to call ahead.
Price: Very well priced. Count on spending $10+ per person.
Best meal to eat there: dinner
Open and close: Sunday – Thursday: 11 a.m. – 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11p.m.
Group-friendly: Definitely.

Last night, my roommate from freshman year, Erin, and me decided to have our Christmas. It consisted of take-out from Depalma’s and watching the Polar Express on ABC Family. I suggested DePalma’s because I was in the mood for their wonderful ensalata Cecilia. I get it every time I go there.

I called in our order of stuffed mushrooms, ensalata Cecilia and the apple walnut salad around 6 p.m., and we picked it up around 6:30. It was somewhat crowded inside, but not too bad. My salad was $10; Erin’s was $7, and we split the stuffed mushrooms that were $5.

One thing I love about DePalma’s is the amount of food you get for your money. For only $5, we feasted on at least 10 little mushrooms. Half of them were filled with yummy pesto, and the other half were filled with a little meatball and mozzarella.

The reason I love the ensalata Cecilia so much is because of the scallops. They’re about one inch in diameter, but they’re tender and tasty. The shrimp are good, too! At the downtown location, they usually put the shrimp on a skewer- unpeeled. I like how the East side does all of that for you before they put it on the salad. It’s annoying to peel a shrimp in your salad. It comes with a tasty citrus vinigarette- the perfect complement for seafood.

Erin’s salad looked yummy, too. The lettuce in our salads was green, fresh and crunchy. It seemed like the applewood smoked bacon in hers was cooked well- not too greasy. The apples were also very fresh and crispy. I think they used Granny Smith ones.

If you want a semi-cheap but good meal, this is the place to go. The mushrooms were amazing, but my ensalata Cecilia was the best part. I can’t wait until I come back from Christmas to eat one!

On Friday night, I went to eat with my roommate from freshman year, Erin. It was the first time we had eaten together in a while, so I wanted to make it fun! It was the typical Friday night Christmas crowd, but, despite the loads of traffic, we decided to go to Loco’s Deli and Pub on Timothy Road.

Compared to their location on Baxter Street, I really liked this one better. It seemed cleaner, brighter, more family-friendly and, quite frankly, I think the food was better.

Since there was a crowd, Erin and I had to wait for a parking spot. We pulled into the to-go spots, and waited on someone to pull out. It was intense.

When we got inside, we also had to wait for our table, but I don’t think we waited more than 15 minutes. The hostesses were extra friendly, and we took a peppermint to suck on before we got to the booth.

Once we were seated, our waitress (I asked for her name, but I forgot to write it down! Alas, two days later, I can’t remember.) came up to us within the first five minutes to get our drink orders. I asked for water with lemon, and Erin wanted water without lemon. We’re picky.

Their menu has a very wide array of options: salads, seafood, hot sandwiches, Mexican, steaks and burgers. A lot of combinations are interesting. Erin ordered the salmon and black bean quesadilla, and I asked for the Rooster salad with blackened chicken- no mozzarella.

It didn’t take our food long to come, and our waitress kept filling our drinks as we chatted. My salad was great. The blackened chicken was the right amount of spicy, and it went well with the cucumbers and onions that topped it. Their fat free ranch dressing wasn’t bad, either.

Erin’s quesadilla was interesting. I wasn’t sure what to think about the combination, but I liked it when I tried it. I think her favorite part was the salsa. I tried some with my chicken, and I agree! It was nice and cold, and it wasn’t too spicy.

We didn’t order desert, but, while we were paying, the manager came around to ask about our meal. We gave him a two thumbs up.

So, if you’re looking for a restaurant that isn’t phased by the crazy Friday crowds, check out Loco’s. They were efficient, cheery, and the food was great. Thanks for a great night!

P.S. From looking at their Web site, I also saw they have wireless! Good to know…

It is still a fact that my favorite place to eat in Athens is Harry Bissett’s.

With two locations, one on Broad Street and the other off of Mitchell Bridge Road, they pride themselves in their fresh fish and New Orleans style food.

Here is the basic information:

• Location: Broad Street, between Jackson Street and College Avenue (other location off of Mitchell Bridge Road)
• Phone number: 706.353.7065 (Broad) and 706.552.1193
• Web site: www.harrybissetts.net
• Price range: for dinner (appetizer and main course) around $27-30, but worth it!
• Open and close times: Broad Street location, Mitchell Bridge Road location
• Best time of day to go: night, definitely, but would be nice for brunch, too
• Reservations: Normally, yes, but on home game weekends, no

This past Friday, I went to eat at the Broad Street location with my Dad and my friend, Katie. Since it was on a game weekend, they do NOT take reservations. I got to the restaurant around 6 p.m., put our name on the list, and we were seated by 6:30. They have a great bar in the front of the restaurant where you can have a drink, socialize or do both while you’re waiting.

The three of us actually sat up in the balcony of the restaurant. I had never eaten up there before – only in the mezzanine – but I was surprised at how small it was. There were only four or five tables at the top of the stairs, but I learned to appreciate the size when our service was exceptional.

We ordered our appetizer first: Barbeque Shrimp. Our waiter said it was going to be spicy, but I didn’t expect them to burn my throat. Make sure you have a hefty glass of water and a chunk of their homemade French bread nearby when you eat one. After my initial pepper shock, I savored every bit of my shrimp. There are five shrimp on the plate, and they cover a nice pile of white rice. I’m going to step out on a limb and say the rice is better than Aunt Jemima’s.

When we ordered our entree, I asked for the special: bronzed, not blackened, mahi-mahi with a side of collard greens and maque choux. I didn’t really know what it was, but I liked it! The maque choux had a sweet corn flavor with a tomato base and a pepper seasoning. Yum!

Katie ordered the mahi-mahi, too, but she ordered it Thibodaux style. I tried to search where Thibodaux style food comes from, and the only clue I got was the Thibodaux, La.’s Web site. At Harry B’s, if you get something Thibodaux-ed, it comes with their étouffée on top. She ordered a side salad with hers. The fish was good, but her salad was drowned in dressing. I saw her discreetly trying to soak up the extra on her plate with some French bread. To those who don’t like a lot of dressing: ask for it on the side.

My Dad, being the adventuresome eater, ordered their ahi tuna on special. It had a teriyaki sauce on top, but it didn’t go over well with him. Dad eats a lot of ahi tuna, and he was not impressed by their attempt. He said the teriyaki sauce should have told him, “no,” right off, but he ordered it anyway.

Overall, the meal was good. I am not convinced it was the best experience I’ve had in Athens, but, in terms of the quality and freshness of the seafood, Harry Bissett’s is still No. 1. Next time, I may try to pick some courses with different flavors. Maybe I’ll order beef.

You should still go and try it out! Come back to the blog, and tell everyone what you think. We want to know.