My last New Orleans restaurant review from my January trip down to that wonderful city. Uh oh. I’m going to need to write actual interviews again.
Some people look down on “celebrity” chefs and their restaurants. I’ve heard these critics grumble that they’re all style over substance, or that the skills that made the chefs famous have fallen by the wayside as the big name cooks step back from the day-to-day operations of their venues. Fair point.
Thankfully that’s not the case with K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen. Prior to my most recent trip to New Orleans, I’d only eaten there once before in 2008. And I only had one dish. But I’ve obsessed about it since.
I was a little early for my reservation so I killed 15 minutes by rolling up to the bar at the nearby Napoleon House. Yes it’s a tourist landmark, but hey, it’s in the French Quarter. It’s hard to find something there that doesn’t cater to the visiting crowd. But the slightly run-down-looking interior and laid-back crowd made for good surroundings as I sipped on a pre-dinner sazerac, the signature drink of the Crescent City.
Once my dinner table was ready I made my way back to K-Paul’s, a relatively small place that has been around for decades.
I didn’t know anything of owner Paul Prudhomme on my first visit. I was wandering the Quarter and just happened to notice the restaurant and its menu. One item in particular caught my eye, and it’s what made me obsessed: twin beef tenders seasoned and blackened in a cast iron skillet and served with debris sauce, potatoes and vegetables.
As I learned on my first visit, debris sauce is shredded beef mixed with brown sauce and Cajun seasonings. And it’s outstanding.
I chose a surf and turf dish that would satisfy my craving for beef and debris, but also let me try something new. Out came one beef tender smothered in debris, alongside another house specialty: blackened Louisiana drum fish, served with green beans and mashed potatoes. So much food that a starter isn’t necessary to walk away sated.
As expected, the dish was amazing — the Cajun spices giving my bland palette just the right kick, and everything cooked to perfection.
The fish was delicious and it was nice to sample something different off the K-Paul’s menu. But I realized that one tender and one ladle of debris sauce is not enough. Next time, I’m sticking with the turf.