Louisiana Purchase

After stopping at Wild Earth Thursday evening (and indulging in dessert first...), we decided to head somewhere for dinner. Culina next door was an easy choice, but instead we thought we'd try somewhere that has been on the list for quite some time - Louisiana Purchase.

Arriving around 7:30, the place was quiet except for a couple tables of two. With some great blues playing, I think the place could really come alive with a good crowd, but the quiet atmosphere didn't seem to suit.

We were provided with menus and a special, and left to it for a few minutes. I was happy to find that many of their entrees could be split in half, which meant we could try a few different things. For food, we couldn't resist the Alligator kebab, so despite it's hefty $9.5 price tag, we went with it. Charles opted for the Pasta Catahoula, a combo of blackened chicken, penne, tomato herb butter and parmesan ($18 for the full order). After much deliberation between the catfish and the jambalaya, I went with a half order of the latter ($7.5). I also couldn't pass up an order of hush puppies ($3 for 2) - a deep fried corn fritter with honey for dipping - which I fell in love with while volunteering at Blues Fest a few years ago and haven't had since. Drink wise, both of us pounced on a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade (~$3.5).

As expected our food came out promptly, with the alligator up first. Neither of us had ever had alligator, and I think the consensus was that it tasted like rabbit. Although we both liked the sauce covering the kebab, the chewy texture put us both off - we were happy to have tried it, but it won't be high up on our list to have again.

Our mains, along with the hush puppies, came out quickly after the kebab. Charles plate of pasta was huge, and my '1/2 plate' of jambalaya seemed just as large.

I did really enjoy the jambalaya - it had just enough kick, with a bit extra given via the tequila salsa, a nice balance of spices and the rice was tender without being mushy. That shrimp pictured on top was my favourite part, and I was sad to find that it was the only one, with the rest of the rice being studded mostly with chunks of ham. Charles said he really enjoyed his pasta dish - smoky blackened chicken, well cooked pasta and a flavourful sauce made for a great combo.

Pasta Catahoula

Jambalaya

Hush Puppies

The hush puppies fulfilled my craving perfectly. They were exactly what I had remembered from Blues - a crispy exterior and a delicate, fluffy interior studded with green onion, all given a generous coating of honey. Fantastic. Although our server, as well as the owner, tried to talk us into the bread pudding - which did sound fantastic - we had to turn them down, with our sweet tooth filled for the evening.

We enjoyed both the food and service at Louisiana Purchase, and will certainly be back to sample more of the menu, hopefully on a sunny, more lively Friday or Saturday evening to check out their patio:

Louisiana Purchase
10320 111 Avenue
780.420.6779


*On Mondays and Tuesdays you can get a plate of Jambalaya for $8.95... an interesting offer on the same days as Dadeo's $8 Po'Boy special.