Everything on the hog tastes good

But there's more stuff on the hog than that.

Here's the happy fun post about my 9th anniversaire dinner. When given a choice of August, Emerils, or Cochon, da wife picked Cochon.

Only thing is, when you go to their website their website, the menu doesn't have near as much porkage as I would like. I mean, this is Louisiana. I can get boudin everywhere. I want the nasty bits at a place named cochon.

Blood sausage, kidneys, liver, sweetbreads, chitterlings, pig's feet, whatever. If chef Link puts it on the menu, I will try it.

Pre-dinner drinks: champagne w/pomegranate juice for da wife, and a "louisiana citrus mojito" for me. Hands down, the worst mojito I've ever had. I figured I'd then get a mint julep -- the kentucky mojito. Much better (real mint leaves!), but, and I can't believe I'm saying this -- too strong. So far, no challengers to the Bridge Lounge mojito, except my own, served with Havana Club rum. Axe the Oyster, this is like the glacier water the Waterboy drank.

So anyway, we got the pork cheeks and the boucherie plate. The tasso on the boucherie plate reminded me of spicy jamon de Serrano, which is one of the best things in my little world. Truly excellent. I'd like a whole plate of this, like tapas. Also, the best head cheese I've ever head. Tasty, but not too spicy. They did have hot sauce on the side, though.

The main course was the cochon plate for me and the rabbit and dumplings for da wife. Sides: green bean casserole and creamy grits. The grits were about the best I've ever had. The green bean casserole didn't come out of a can, so it wasn't as good as mine at Thanksgiving. The cochon plate was wonderful, and the rabbit was extremely peppery, and painfully hot (the cast iron is a nice touch, but you have to wait 15 minutes before you can eat it), but good.

Dessert time: da wife had a chocolate parfait, I had the lemon-buttermilk pie. Mine was wonderful, hers ok, but not spectacular. I was hoping for a pork based dessert, kind of like when Morimoto serves up the squid ice cream with eyeball. No such luck.

However, for after dinner drinks, they had the typical ports and cognacs, plenty of bourbon, but they also had a selection of moonshine. Actually, not real shine, but corn whiskey. They had 5 options, and I'd had 2 of them, so I asked for a "moonshine flight" of the 3 I had not tried. They serve a bourbon flight, so they fixed me up. The "Catdaddy" was flavored, and stunk -- like low budget Goldschlager. The one in the middle smelled and tasted like the stuff I used to get from my friend in Gautier, that had some woods in back of his house. The dark one was like a bourbon: it appeared to be aged in oak barrels like a bourbon, and it absorbed some of that flavor. Very nice. The finish, however, was pure corn squeezins.

So I enjoyed it, and I'll go again, but I wish they had a more adventurous menu.

Comments

[saintseester]

I absolutely love a good mojito. Problem is, the pre-packaged restaurant industry is ruining the experience for first timers. I was appalled at the syrupy super sweet mess I was served at a chain place. Please, just a little real sugar, a little real lime, and some REAL crushed mint. Mmmmm. I am planting some new mint this year.

[Matt]

I've eaten at Cochon 3 or 4 times, now. I used to live 1 block away from it. I've always been disappointed when I go there. There is always something less than what I was expecting. I can't describe it, exactly. The portions are small, the food is good, but not great. I'm sure this is heresy, and I'm no food newbie, but I feel like I'd come out happier had I eaten the BBQ across the street at the Ugly Dog.

I'm all for taking southern louisiana upscale, but Cochon seems to lack .. je ne sais qoui.

[ashley]

Yeah, Matt...I pretty much agree. Afterwards we met some friends at the Canal St. Bulldog, I had a cigar. Then we went to the K&B to get da wife some contact lens solution. While there I got some ice cream because yeah, the portions were a bit small. Especially that boucherie plate.

[Varg]

I had a great experience the last time I went there, everything I got was superb. And yes, I got the shine, and yes it was delicious.

My advice on the mojito, don't drink mojitos. Ooo wee!