Hip on the Shore
Creola speaks with a Southwestern accent.
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CREOLA CHEF STEPHEN C. SIMMS RAISES A TOAST TO DINERS PAST, PRESENT AND
FUTURE.
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WHAT: Creola
CUISINE: Eclectic
WHEN: Lunch and dinner daily
WHERE: The Village, 2891 Hwy. 190, Mandeville, (504) 727-4336
CARDS: Major
As the summer months approach and the thermometer starts rising, I always feel
like a change of pace. Dreams of lush countryside, rolling hills, white-water
canoeing, camping trips and sugar-white beaches pull at my heartstrings until I
finally pile the children and their friends into the car for a brief excursion
away from the city.
Last weekend, en route to the Gulf Coast, we visited friends in St.
Tammany Parish, where the beautiful 24-mile drive across the Causeway put the
little ones in the mood for the beach. The sight of sailboats and white caps
against the blue sky served as a tonic for all the youngsters in the car as we
crossed the long bridge.
We arrived in Mandeville, cheerful and eager to join our friends
for an early dinner at CreOla, a hip restaurant with a diverse menu in the
Village shopping center. CreOla celebrates its second anniversary this month.
Owners Kenny LaCour and Kim Kringlie are also the co-proprietors of the
4-year-old Dakota Wine & Feed (located in the same shopping center) and the
more upscale Dakota Restaurant, now 8 years old.
"We were trying to fill a void in the market on the Northshore by
creating a place like CreOla," says operations manager Jeff Curtis. "It's sort
of a Houston-style restaurant on the Northshore."
Personally, I prefer CreOla. For one thing, the menu is more
interesting, with a Southwestern accent on many dishes, and the selection of
specialty coffees, gourmet iced teas and ice cream concoctions is more
extensive.
CreOla also is very kid-friendly. The atmosphere is quite colorful
and inviting, and the tables are serviced by youthful staffers who bring the
youngsters crayons and coloring sheets. They are very quick on their feet and
always coordinate the serving of dishes with several waiters per table.
On the menu you'll find everything from sandwiches and wraps to
opulent salads, jambalaya and pasta dishes, ribs and seafood. Kids' plates are
very generously apportioned, and the child's catfish platter -- with its
three large strips of fresh, beautifully fried, golden catfish and a large
serving of fries -- would be enough for any adult. Two of the
pre-schoolers at our table split one order.
Recommended starters include the rather rich and delicious queso
and chorizo dip ($4.50), embellished with spicy sausage and served with crispy
house-fried tortilla chips. Because I am a big fan of corn, especially in the
warmer months, I enjoy the shrimp and corn quesadillas, enlivened with spicy
Gulf shrimp and roasted corn ($6.75).
The salads are big and beautiful. Topping the list is the green
chili chicken Caesar salad with a zesty green chili dressing. The crisp, fresh
greens are topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and housemade croutons.
Most of the plates are dusted on the rim with paprika for garnish, and on our
last visit, it appeared that one girl's entire job at the pick-up station was
to sprinkle paprika, Parmesan and just about anything else required.
The presentations are quite impressive for such casual fare. The
most attractive I have seen so far has been the crawfish-tasso stuffed chicken
hot plate ($10.95), which has two thin strips of fried chicken (crispy skin,
moist interior) rolled around a moist, delicious cornbread dressing blended
with crawfish, seasoning and spicy tasso chunks. The rolls sat up on the plate
about 6 inches high, like giant sushi rolls. A zesty toasted garlic tomato
sauce, a large serving of superb macque choux, and cheese grits filled up the
hefty platter. A heap of toasted, thinly sliced tortilla chips served as a
crispy accent to this memorable dish.
My friends ordered a half rack of ribs ($11.95) -- which I tasted
and found to be very tender and delicious -- enhanced by a sultry chipolte-root
beer glaze. They also sampled some wonderful Caribbean pork chops. The
center-cut loins were encrusted with a spicy, chili-cinnamon rub, and
everything was embellished with a rich, roasted tomato-fig sauce, more macque
choux and cheese grits ($10.95 single/$13.95 double). The lone vegetarian in
our group ordered the garden wrap, which was a triumph of flavor and design. A
medley of sauteed onions, squash, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes and garlic was
blended with sprouts, lettuce, verde mole and fresh salsa and wrapped in a
spinach tortilla ($6.95).
The meal ended pleasantly with cappuccino and various desserts, the
best of which included the key lime pie and the ultra-rich Kahlua-nut brownie,
which came with a huge wedge of ice cream ($3.95). After dinner, everyone piled
back in the car, filled with dreams of the beach at sunset.
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