A few Thursdays ago, myself and few other ladies had the priviledge of dining together at Coyote Blues. Coyote Blues is a Mexican Grill that has been opened for several years. Their menu ranges from your typical Mexican dishes to Cajun inspired dishes. Their dishes are made with fresh ingredients. 
The salsa was pretty good. It wasn't anything to run home and tell everyone but it was good. The guacamole was delicious. I am not much of a guacamole eater, but I really enjoyed the guacamole. I wasn't the only one, many of the ladies enjoyed the guacamole. The salsa and guacamole is served with their homemade chips.
I decided to get one of my favorite drinks, strawberry lemonade. Coyote Blues has some of the best strawberry lemonade in Lafayette. 
This particular day, I wasn't very hungry so I decided to go with a light lunch. I ordered the Corn, Crab & Poblano soup. The soup was awesome. The flavors married very well together. There was chunks of crab, topped with lots of cilantro. I love the little tortilla that is placed in the soup with kernel corn and crab. Good stuff. 
The soup also came with a corn bread that was in the shape of a cactus. A very nice touch and cute. The cornbread was good, but it wasn't great. I did eat some of it, but I loved, loved the soup.
I ordered the soup combo, which came with a soup and beef taquitos with queso. The Taquitos had beef inside and were deep fried and placed on a bed of lettuce topped with cheese and served with queso on the side. Their queso is superb! It's not thick, it's the right consistency and that's the way I like it. My only complaint is that the taquitos were a little bland to me, I would have liked a little more heat.
Mrs. Nichole ordered the Bean Burrito with queso. As you can see pictured below, the dish looked really good, but I am not sure about just a bean burrito. Kmsl. I like my meat in my burritos. Mrs. Nichole said that the burrito was good and well seasoned. But, she the portion size was too big.
Autumn had the Spicy beef taquitos topped with queso. Her dish was very similar to the side dish I ordered of the Taquitos with the exception that her dish was larger than the one I had. She said her dish was so good and not too spicy. The taquitos were crunchy the way she liked it to be. The dish looked great! 
Pictured below is the Fiesta Salad. Teresa ordered this salad. The salad was very colorful. The salad had shredded iceberg, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, black olives, shredded carrots, squash, zucchini, red onions, corn and black bean medley and tortilla strips. The dressing was the spicy jalapeno and salsa ranch. The picture is a small and it was a hefty portion.
She enjoyed her salad but she said the salad dressing lacked salsa and the spicy jalapeno is not her favorite but she's not a fan of regular ranch. 
Tammy, Mrs. Tara and Robin all ordered the Organic spinach salad. The organic salad has sun-dried tomatoes, spiced pecans, diced mango, red onion, bleu cheese crumbled, balsamic apple cider viniagrette, fried tobacco rings. 
Some of the ladies had the salad with the spiced pecans and some without. Tammy enjoyed the salad, she said the mango was amazing in the salad. Mrs. Tara said the salad was very good. Robin said it was ok, but the apple balsamic dressing wasn't good.
Overall the service at Coyote Blues was awesome. The wait wasn't long during the lunch rush. We were seated immediately, the crowd was very steady. Everything came out on time.
Coyote Blues has a very extensive menu that will cater to everyone in the family. Coyote Blues is perfect if you are looking for a place to have a birthday party or gathering. Coyote Blues is located at 5741 Johnston Street, 988-3668 and the hours of operation are Monday 11am-9:30, Tuesday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm & Sunday 11am-9pm.
14 Ağustos 2012 Salı
Coyote Blues - Lunch
Fusion Japanese Bistro
A few Saturdays ago my hubby and I decided to do an early dinner with the kids at Fusion Sushi Restaurant. Fusion has been around for probably a few months now. We have been wanting to try this place, but we were so busy and could never make time to go. This particular day we were in the area and decided let's give it a try. 
We arrived at the restaurant about 4:50 and they were preparing to open for dinner. The restaurant is opened all day during the week but only opens for dinner on the weekend. There were not any other customers when the doors opened except for us.
When we arrived in the restaurant, we were shocked to see that the restaurant was very small. There were a few tables for seating and about 4 hibachi grills that could accommodate about 8 people per table. In addition there was a bar area with 2 flat screen televisions.
In my opinion, the kitchen was too close to the dining area. The dining area was separated from the kitchen by a curtain, not a door. This was a bit funny to me, but hey you have to do what works. The decor in the restaurant was nice and clean.
We started with the edamame. For those who don't know what edamame is, edamame is hot soy beans that are steamed and lightly sprinkled with sea salt. A very light appetizer and not fattening. Not to mention tasty. 
My stepdaughter decided on the Shrimp Stir Fried Udon. Pictured below is the dish which was pretty good. The noodles are not your normal noodles, but very tasty. As you can see pictured below, the shrimp were a decent size as well. I think her meal overall may have been the best of the night. 
Lil mama ordered the Chicken Fusion Fried Rice. Their fried rice was not all that good, the chicken was seasoned well, but the rice was not that great. I wouldn't order this for her again. I was not impressed whatsoever. 
Brian and I ordered sushi. We ordered the Rock n Roll, the Vegas roll & the Fusion roll. I will say that these sushi rolls were not very memorable at all. 
Pictured below is the Rock n Roll which consisted of shrimp tempura, cucumber, in a soy paper with spicy mayo. I love spicy mayo, so this roll was good, probably our favorite roll of the night. I had never had a sushi roll with soy paper, but it was good. The roll was a little different, because of the texture, but not bad. 
Pictured below is a roll that I am embarrassed to say that I don't remember the name of it. I do remember that it lacked taste and the inside was very mushy to us. I love sushi but this dish was not good. For me not to remember the name is definitely not a good thing, it means it wasn't very memorable.
Pictured below is the Fusion roll which is a roll with shrimp tempura, crab, cream cheese, jalapeno, with minced tuna, avocado, spicy mayo and eel sauce. This was a good roll too. It didn't have that kick that I was hoping that it would have had, but it was good. 
Overall I will say that our experience at Fusion was very disappointing. I was looking forward to dining at this restaurant for months and Fusion let me down. I am not saying that I will never try this place again, but definitely feel that if they don't improve they will not be around very long. The service was good, but I guess it had better be since we were the only ones dining at that time.
Fusion was a bit overpriced. As for as traffic, we were there for about an hour or so and we were the only ones there. A few people came in with to go orders but business was definitely slow for a Saturday. Maybe it was because they had just opened for the night.
FYI Fusion is on the list for Take Out Express for those who want to order and have the food delivered to their home for a small fee. I am not sure I would want to pay extra for delivery, but my job is to inform my readers.
I hate to be harsh, but I have to be honest of my experience at this restaurant. With that being said, Fusion is not on my list of Tastee Places.
Fusion is located at 2800 W. Pinhook Road, Suite 11, Lafayette, LA 70508, 231-1314. This is at the corner of Pinhook and Verot School Road. The hours of operation are Tues-Thurs 11am - 4:00pm, 5:00-9:30pm, Fri. 11am - 4pm, 5:00 - 10:30 pm, Saturday 5:00 - 10:30 pm & Sunday 5:00 - 9:00 pm.
Saigon Noodles - Only for Mature Pallets
A couple of Sunday's ago my honey and I went on a date after church. We had the pleasure of enjoying a movie and lunch. I wanted to try this place called Saigon Noodles, so he decided to take me. 
Saigon Noodles is a Vietnamese restaurant. This restaurant is know for their healthy yet delicious food. The dishes at Saigon Noodles consist of fresh ingredients and a very minimal use of oil. Vietnamese is known by many as one of the top ranked healthiest food in the world. Herbs is one of the main ingredients of a Vietnamese dish, which not only gives the dish a very fresh, but yet yummy taste. 
The food is made fresh to order. Saigon Noodles is a very nice family environment that is a great place for lunch or dinner. The food is moderately price and there is something on the menu to accommodate everyone in the family.
As you can see in the pictures above and below that the restaurant is nicely decorated. Though the place that is not very big, it is very homey and cozy. 
We started with two appetizers, spring rolls and fried shrimp. The spring rolls consisted of fresh shredded lettuce, cilantro, mint leaves, vermicelli, rice noodles, slice pork & shrimp wrapped in rice paper. Which was served with a peanut dipping sauce.
Pictured above is the spring rolls. The spring roll looked amazing, but didn't appear that it would be very tasty. The presentation was awesome. This spring roll was good. 
The peanut sauce was scrumptious. I won't lie when I saw that the dish came with peanut sauce, I was a little hesitant to try it, but I was surprisingly impressed. A must try. I will be honest, it won't appeal to every one's taste bud, but it is definitely worth the try. I loved the freshness of the spring roll. 
Pictured above is the Vietnamese sugar cane shrimp. This dish is fried ground shrimp, paste wrapped around sugar cane. Served with sweet and sour sauce. Omg.. This shrimp was amazing. So so good. The dipping sauce was crazy good. We really enjoyed this appetizer. After we were finished eating, we both said, we should have ordered two of this dish! Lol.. Yum yum..
I ordered the beef ox tail and tripe beef noodle combination soup & Brian ordered the beef ox tail and the eye round steak beef noodle soup. Pictured above is what the soup looks like when they bring it to your table. The soup consist of a hearty broth that is known as Pho. Most Pho's are made with ginger, cloves, charred onions, fennel seeds, cinnamon & star anise (spice). 
The dish alone had a great flavor. In my opinion, it didn't have enough spice. The beef oxtail was very good and tender! Which makes for a great piece of meat, but the tripe in my opinion was a little tough. The noodles are rice noodles, light and airy noodles but very filling. This soup can be eaten whether it is 30 degrees or 100 degrees outside. A very hefty soup and healthy.
The portion sizes were large. I had a good amount of soup left that I could take with me to go. 
The soup is served with a variety of garnishes. Fresh scallions, cilantro, coriander, sweet basil, bean sprouts, peppers and lime. We used the scallions, cilantro, a few pinches of basil and a hint of lime. This added a different taste to the soup and in a good way. 
In addition to the garnishes, there are other sauces that can be added for additional flavor. There is the choice of Spice Hoisen sauce, Siracha, Soy sauce or a red pepper flake sauce. I loved the Siracha and the red pepper flake sauce in my soup.
I like the fact that though the soup has amazing flavor the soup is not prepared with a lot of spice. Which gives the customer the ability to add the spice to the level of heat that is most suitable for the customer. Definitely a great option and everyone can leave happy. 
If you are going to add the sauces, do so in moderation. If you add too much, your mouth will be on fire! Kmsl.. The red pepper flake gave the soup such a great flavor in addition to the other spices and herbs. You can see the red pepper flakes sauce in the picture below. Great flavor.
Brian had the same soup as me with the exception of the tripe, instead he had the eye round steak. Which was pretty good as well. Very tender. The meat in the soups are prepared perfectly. 
Overall our experience at Saigon Noodles was superb. The service was great. The waiter was willing to answer whatever questions that we had. She was kind and polite. She refilled the drinks without us having to ask.
More importantly the food was excellent. We are looking forward to dining again at Saigon Noodles. Definitely a great place. There are many types of hearty soups, appetizers and other dishes. There is a variety of things on the menu, so you are not limited to only a few types of meats. Also, as I stated earlier, the dishes are moderately priced.
Let me say this, some people will love this place, where others will hate it. Those who don't have a mature pallet, this place may not be for you. The food is very light, but hearty and authentic Vietnamese food. The dishes are not full of grease, but a much healthier choice. We can all use a good healthy but delicious meal with well-balanced flavors.
My only negative comment would be that Saigon Noodle didn't have a dessert menu. Lol. You know us ladies love our sweets, but other than that I wouldn't change a thing about this place!
I definitely recommend that you try this place.
Saigon Noodles is located at 2865 Ambassador Caffery Parkway near Albertsons, 456-3317. The hours of operation are Tuesday-Saturday 10:30 am - 9:00pm & Sunday 11:00 am - 6:00 pm, closed on Mondays.
Bistro Byronz - Great lunch with a friend
This past Friday I had the pleasure of doing lunch with a friend of mine, Vanessa K. I had the pleasure of meeting her on a photo shoot about a year ago with the Women's Director, Daphne at our church. She & I and have been friends ever since. We have been trying to set up a day to do lunch and finally this Friday worked out perfectly.
We decided on Bistro Byronz. Bistro Byronz has been opened for about a year or two now. Bistro Byronz is a little neighborhood bistro where friends and families can come together for a French flavor and a lot of Louisiana spice.
Bistro is defined as a neighborhood meeting place that people meet for either brunch, lunch or dinner to gather day or night to relax, enjoy amazing conversation and food at a reasonable price.
The restaurant has a very nice decor. Cute with the black and white theme and homey atmosphere. We felt right at home when we arrived at our table.
The menu items offered homemade food items like savory soups, hearty salads and delicious entrees. 
We started with the three cheese chips. The chips were homemade chips fried golden brown, topped with homemade cheese sauce, shredded cheddar cheese and shredded monterey cheese, melted and topped with parsley. This dish was awesome. Such an easy, yet delicious Hors'Doeuvres, this would make a great snack for football season. Yum. 
Vanessa ordered the Chicken salad. The salad was made with a bed of shredded lettuce topped with chicken salad, almonds, cranberries and tomatoes and lemon honey mustard salad dressing served with garlic bread. Her salad looked delicious. I did have a taste of the chicken salad and I must say that it was seasoned very well. She said that the salad and dressing was superb.
I decided on the special of the day as you can see the special is listed above, Tilapia with a watermelon salsa. The dish was amazing. Omg. It did not disappoint. I have never had a watermelon salsa, but it was oh so good. I will be attempting to duplicate that at home. If you have never had watermelon salsa topped on Tilapia, you owe it to yourself to try it.
My dish was so pretty and very colorful. The Tilapia was grilled and seasoned to perfection. Then topped with the watermelon salsa that consisted of chopped watermelon, diced granny smith apples, cilantro and jalapeno peppers diced. The dish had awesome flavor. The watermelon salsa with the fish gave the dish a sweet & spicy flavor. Amazing dish. The fish & salsa with the chips was quite tasty as well. Such an awesome dish, I was not disappointed at all! 
Overall our experience at Bistro Byronz was top notch. The service was dynamic, the atmosphere made us feel right at home and the food was flawless. We were thoroughly pleased with our dining experience.
Bistro Byronz is a great place to dine whether its to hangout with your girlfriends or a date night with your honey. There is something on the menu to accommodate everyone. I will say I don't remember seeing a kids menu so I am not sure if they had one. The prices are reasonably priced so if you bring your little ones it shouldn't be overly expensive.
Bistro Byronz is located at 2605 Kaliste Saloom, 988-1032. The restaurant is opened Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm & Sunday 11am-2pm. 
Twins Burgers & Sweets
About a week ago the girls & I were out running errands and decided to try Twins. As many people know Twins was formerly known as Southside Bakery. Southside was known for their awesome burgers and desserts.
For unknown reasons the restaurant closed abruptly for a few months. On the news, we heard that the restaurant would be changing hands and opening in a few months under another name. I was anticipating the opening, but was too busy to make it to the grand opening.
Upon entrance in the new restaurant, I was impressed. The decor was updated, new tables, chairs and new paint color. There was a nice outdoor seating area and a second door that was added on the side of the building. The restaurant didn't feel as congested as it did before. In addition, there are flat screen televisions, which will be perfect for those wanting to watch the football games now that football season has started. 
Twins doesn't have a very extensive menu but there is a nice variety of food options. Their menu offers hot dogs, hamburgers, turkey burgers, crawfish or crab burgers. In addition Twins gives the customer their choice between a few different cheese choices and toppings. Twins also offers a special burger or sandwich each day such as a Philly cheese steak or grilled cheese sandwich, just to name a few. 
We all decided on the burgers. Lil mama ordered a Jr Cheeseburger with American Cheese. The Jr Cheeseburger was fully dressed with mayo, mustard, lettuce & tomato. The burger buns were sweet and toasted. Lil mama ate most of her burger so that meant she enjoyed the burger.
My stepdaughter & I both ordered the Twins burger which consisted of a double meat patty, cheese of choice, mayo, mustard, lettuce & tomatoes. I chose the chipotle cheddar cheese & my stepdaughter decided on the American cheese. She enjoyed her burger, the platter was empty when she finished. Kmsl.
My Chipotle Cheddar burger pictured above was huge. I had no idea that the Twin burger would be so big. Omg. The burger looked awesome. The buns are made fresh daily. The bun was toasted nicely without being burnt or hard. The twin patties are grounded in house and were not greasy like some places. The patties were seasoned well and char-grilled perfectly. 
The Chipotle cheddar cheese was absolutely delicious on the burger with the seasoning on the burger, combined with the spice of the cheese. I absolutely loved the burger. The patties as you can see pictured below was cooked perfectly without being dry. 
My overall impression of the burger was that it was excellent. I would definitely have a burger there again. I am actually looking forward to trying the Crab or Crawfish burger.
I was very disappointed that Twins didn't have fries. What is a burger place with french fries? Just my opinion, if I will eat a burger, I may as well go all out and enjoy fries. But other than that the burgers were delicious.
Twins also offers desserts. There were about two cases are so with different types of desserts. Anything from sugar cookies, oatmeal cookies, cupcakes, petit fours, just to name a few. But there are at least 30 different dessert options.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I love desserts. I am weak when it comes to sweets. Lol. I decided that I would try a dessert, but only one. I chose the coconut lemon bar. The coconut lemon bar was ok. In my opinion, the coconut overwhelmed the lemon. I could barely taste the lemon. 
Lil mama wanted the ginger bread cookie with sprinkles. The ginger bread was very good, not too sweet for the children. The ginger bread is pictured below. Very cute treat.
My stepdaughter chose the red velvet cupcake. The red velvet cupcake looked great, but I didn't taste it. Though it is one of my favorite cupcakes, I didn't want any. My stepdaughter said that the cupcake was delicious.
Overall our experience at Twins Burgers & Sweets was a pretty good one. The workers in my opinion were not very friendly. I believe that they can use some help in the customer service department.
Other than that the food was superb, the delivery of the food came out in a timely manner. There was a steady flow of traffic during the time we were dining.
One thing that I thought was cute is that you can take a picture with you and your family or whomever you are dining with in front of the twins sign and the picture is placed on a board. I thought that was a cute idea, though we chose not to do it, definitely a great idea. 
Twins is located in the South College Shopping Center at 2801 Johnston Street. The hours of operation are Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm, 268-9488 or like Twins on Facebook to find out the special of the day and any added menu options.
