Date Visited: 29 May 2009Meal: Dinner
Diners: 2 - Me & Wendy
Experience: It's always fun to check out a brand-new restaurant, so we were really looking forward to visiting one of Leesburg's newest, The Cajun Experience. Especially after fellow blogger Tara commented on her experience there (pardon the pun), we were eager to try it ourselves. The Cajun Experience bills itself as a "taste of South Louisiana". The interior is simple, unadorned, and unpretentious, yet there is just a hint of Louisiana atmosphere inside.
We began with an appetizer of Boudin Balls (two), which are deep-fried crunchy round balls of ground pork and onion, served with a dipping sauce - delicious!
For the main course, I had the Seafood Gumbo ("Mixture of crab, shrimp and crawfish, cooked in a dark roux with a mixture of the “trinity” (bell pepper, onion, celery) with hints of garlic"). Nice and hot, with perfectly balanced flavors. Wendy had the Shrimp Maque Choux ("A flavorful, spicy shrimp dish with corn, tomatoes, and peppers; presented over a bed of rice that's signature of the Lafayette Parish Bayous"). I didn't really get to try much of it, as she liked it a lot and there were no leftovers! It wasn't too spicy either.
For dessert, we ordered the highly-recommended Beignets ("Fritter-like doughnuts paired with bold coffee with chicory that's reminiscently familiar to mornings in the French Quarter") and cafe au lait. The Beignets were marvelously warm and yummy!
The experience (pun again, sorry) was completed by the excellent attention of our server, Schuyler. We also got a visit from the Chef as he made the rounds, greeting the diners; we found out he is actually from Louisiana, which accounts for the authentic, flavorful dishes we tried. Unlike many smaller, family-run restaurants, The Cajun Experience has a good web site too, with the current lunch and dinner menus to salivate over!
Support local restaurants and experience (sorry) The Cajun Experience today!
Location: 14 Loudoun St. SE, Leesburg, VA, 20175
Web site: http://cajunexperience.biz/
Total bill: $43.86 + $ 10.00 tip = $53.86
3 comments:
I'm so glad you liked it! I'm really pulling for them to make it. I heard they may start doing a brunch. I hope so...I have been craving good grits, but can't seem to find them here.
Last week, my parents were in town, so since we had free babysitters, we went on a date to La Lou, the new place by the Tally Ho. The food was GREAT! We are hoping they get their license to serve alcohol soon, because a glass of wine would have been nice with the meal. My husband said it was the best restaurant meal he's had since we moved here in October (he had mojito chicken with ratatouille). The apple pie was fantastic.
Looking forward to seeing where you go next!
Having lived in New Orleans, I first tried The Cajun Experience for lunch during it's opening week and was fairly happy with the food. I followed up this month with a dinner date and was sorely disappointed. Since there is no waiting area, you have to stand outside the door in the street for 45-60 minutes. (Note: it was during an evening entertainment so they were busy.) But an establisment should not place thier waiting guests next to the garbage bins!!! Finally offered a table, it ends up a small 4-person desk set between the front door, a stairway and serving station. I think we greeted more customers than the hostess. You would think after 5-10 muinutes that we would have been quickly offered a drink order for the long wait, but were ignored...after two other couples were seated and served, we simply left. Can't talk to the food, didn't even get an opportunity to sample a glass of water....
I was born and raised in South Louisiana and I work in Leesburg. I've had a couple of business lunches there; both were outstanding. The food is not only authentic, but also excellent even by the standards of a demanding Cajun. I've never had dinner there, so I can't speak to the evening fare or operation of the restaurant at night, but it's one of the better restaurants for lunch!
Post a Comment