Saturday, January 8, 2011

Bistro de la Reine

Located at 2306 Front Street here is Slidell.
Went there for lunch today and found it to be an exquisite little eatery.
Immediately upon entering the Lady and I were greeted by the friendliest staff member we have seen in quite a while. We felt very comfortable and welcome. A warm feeling enveloped us as though they were genuinely welcoming of customers. There was no delay in attention from the staff.

We chose the Gourmet Bacon Cheeseburger,(it was lunch time) While waiting for our meals, we were able to take in the surroundings. Very tastefully decorated. Neat little details, beautiful art work, warm color scheme.

I was duly impressed when I saw a young man going around dusting the tops of the art work, shelves, molding, etc.Everything was clean clean clean, and well organized. I noticed no "odd' or "off putting" smells at all.

When our food arrived, we first noticed the interesting presentation  of such a simple fare as hamburgers. We really enjoyed the rectangular plates used. Yes the Gourmet Burgers were very tasty. I will rank them as among the very best I have ever eaten.

The cost was not too much more than just about anywhere else for a decent burger.

Before leaving I had to administer the final test, check the restrooms. These folks passed that test with flying colors. There was as much if not more thought, design and money put into the restrooms as the dining area. I found the men's room clean, well stocked and get this, it did not smell of like a men's room.

In summation, I very highly recommend that you give them a try. In the event you can not find them on mapquest, they are in the new strip mall located at the intersection of Front St. and Robert St. You will be impressed and very pleased.

Whoever owns this little establishment, got it right. The staff, the feel, the food, the design, they definitely have done their home work.

5 crawfish

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Todd Schaffers on Robert Rd.

Todd Schaffers' Family Restaurant on Robert Rd in Slidell; may be a full service family restaurant, but they are not exactly a friendly one.As you pull into the small, crowded parking area, the overall appearance is not welcoming if not a little bit imposing.Lady and I almost felt under dressed for the occasion.However once we got inside and was greeted by a nice young lady wearing a parka suitable for a polar expedition, wearing sneakers, I knew we were suitably attired. I found the restaurant dining area mostly comfortable, the owners seem to be trying real hard to make your experience comfortable.I would suggest a little better lighting and some background music would be nice.

When our waitress showed up, promptly I will say, less than 20 seconds after we were seated, I was not impressed with her evidently self supplied, black T shirt being short enough that I fully expected to see the bottom of her tummy.Although I found her to be an efficient waitress, her entire demeanor would have been so much more suited to a donut shop.There was another waitress there, who was just so much warmer and friendlier.Although I was not able to get her name, she is be the embodiment of a great waitress, due in no small part to how nice she was to the older and the younger persons at her tables.

Lady had cajun shrimp pasta with a side salad, I had a simple bacon cheese burger with a side of potato salad. It seemed to take a few minutes longer than I would of expected but that could be attributed to boredom on  my part. My meal though simple was tasty, ladies' meal though enjoyable, was easy to determine that the shrimp was not fresh and the mushrooms were definitely canned. For the price and time it took for delivery, I would have expected something a bit more fresh.

Overall the experience was not bad, rather just lack luster, a lot of promise with no follow through. The Original Todd Schaffers' Family Restaurant, is not worth a special trip but if you are in the area, swing on in.

I do have one question for all restaurants who do this....... What is up with the dim lighting and small print, fancy script menus? It would be so much nicer if when you are going to dim the lights, you were actually able to read the menu, lets try slightly larger, simple font type with high contrast.


Crawfish ranking 2.5 out of 5

KY's Restaurant

In Old Towne Slidell, is a charming little restaurant called KY's. For many long time residents of Slidell, they are where the Slidell Bicycle Shop used to be, a block away from Slidell Grammer School (now Brock Elem.)

Here you will find very good local favorite cuisine, a friendly courteous staff, comfortable, clean dining experience.Although it is not a "full service restaurant" with wait staff rushing to your table, the workers roaming the dining room are very observant and aware of their diner's needs. Extra napkins, no problem, more drink, got it, may I clear you used dishes for you, done!

The Lady enjoyed her Shrimp Po-Boy, I had a Roast Beef Po-Boy that was delightful as well. Upon a little research I have learned that the owner gets fresh vegetables daily and cooks their roast beef from scratch everyday, their sea food is bought locally and delivered every couple days, ensuring the best freshness possible.The bread they use for their PO-Boys is the locally popular Leidenheimer french bread delivered 6 days a week.

You will find a variety of delights and be sure to check the large chalk board above the door going into the kitchen for the daily specials; where you will find surprises from fried catfish to butter beans or Red Beans and Rice with sausage.
I am certain that if you give KY's a chance, you will definitely enjoy the experience, which is why I rate them 5 crawfish

So go next chance you get You will find them at the corner of Carey and Robert St. in Old Towne Slidell.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

The Big Easy on Gause Rd

This is an interesting little restaurant. The owners definitely were going for the 50s Diner feel and have quite well succeeded. Right down to the waitress that could not seem to care too much. All she needed was gum to chew on.

Lady had Country Fried Steak with mashed potatoes and lima beans
Jerk had Country Fried Steak, with Scrambled Eggs, hashbrowns and "pan bread"

Both pieces of meat were fair, come on it is battered and deep fried meat, you can not expect much.
My scrambled eggs tasted like powdered eggs and looked like they were run through a blender after cooking.
Altogether not overly pleased with the meal.

As stated earlier, the waitress left an awful lot to be desired, enough said.

Tomorrow I will tell you about the facility its self i.e. maintenance and sanitation.
OK. It is tomorrow now.
The overall condition of the building and grounds I would rank 5 out of 10.
It is clear that the owners had a great idea they invested heavily in. Unfortunately either by total neglect or poor management, the building and grounds are in dire need of some "routine maintenance" and a little sprucing up. When you look for the details I find them lacking examples, dirt in the corners of the floor, although clean not spotless, the parking lot looks like it has not seen a broom in a month or two. There is a huge grease stain around the dumpster that would be evident even IF the enclosure were closed. Question for management, What is with the kitchen floor mats laying on the ground in the drive thru? There are places on the stucco exterior that needs repair and a fresh coat of paint.The toilets were another issue, the mens room stunk, like a locker room, there is no excuse for this at all, period. The mens room was fully stocked and the mirror over the sink was clean but I will stop there.

Over all personal experience rating would be 2 Crawfish out of 5 possible Crawfish

Slidell Restaurant Review

Hello Web friends,
I would like to introduce my self. I am the new self appointed Restaurant Critic in Slidell, La. Having the luxury of dining out a couple times a week, I find myself frustrated at times and delighted other times; with no way of voicing my compliments or concerns that will make a difference. This is the reason for me to start a blog.

Who am I?
I am a 47 year old married male, who had his own business for many years, where I learned that details matter.
I spent 12+ years in the food service industry at several different levels from dish washer to multi unit manager.
Although I am not a chef, I enjoy cooking for friends and family; I also enjoy eating.
It is my opinion that the best food in the world can be un-done by a gum chewing wait staff. Conversely, some of the worst food I have eaten was made pleasant by an attentive wait staff and a clean establishment.

I hope to serve the Slidell, La. area well as I post to let my fellow residents get an idea of decent places to go for a meal out of the home.