Looking for new ways to spice up your dining? Willing to stray a little off the beaten path? Check out these new hidden treasures.
You'll find Battistella's New Orleans Kitchen (3920 Arrow Drive; 571-7465; www.battistellaskitchen.com) in the Raleigh Crabtree Inn, ensconced in the dated but cozy space that was once the lounge. Not exactly the first place you'd look for authentic Cajun and Creole fare.
But it's fun to imagine the looks on the faces of weary travelers when they check into the modest motel and discover that they've stumbled across some of the best gumbo this side of the Louisiana bayou. Owner/chef Brian Battistella is a native of New Orleans, where he worked in several noteworthy restaurants (including Commander's Palace) before Hurricane Katrina blew him up to the Triangle. While he was getting back on his feet, Battistella operated Louise's, a catering and takeout shop in Clayton (where I first tasted his excellent gumbo). He opened Battistella's New Orleans Kitchen several months ago, initially as a catering operation, and quietly added the full-service restaurant in April. For now, the restaurant is open for dinner only, 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The menu is brief but varied, with options including grilled shrimp in a rustic Creole sauce, fried (or blackened) catfish, and several variations on the po' boy theme. There's also a weekly specials menu with offerings such as sugar cane shrimp, crawfish étouffée, red beans and rice with andouille sausage, and grilled filet mignon tips with blue cheese macaroni. The crispy skin red snapper I sampled from that menu recently was first-rate. The country gumbo (chicken, andouille, shrimp and crabmeat) was every bit as good as I recall scarfing down in the car outside Louise's, too. Better, actually, because now I don't have to eat it with a plastic spoon.
Had the pleasure of dining at this new establishment tonight. My girlfriend (born in New Orleans) and her parents (lived there over 15 years) read a great review of it in the paper and decided we had to try it. Boy am I glad we did. Friendly staff, located conveniently near 440 and the Crabtree Valley Mall.
Between the 4 of us, we tried the gumbo (amazing!) and sugar cane shrimp (even more amazing!), and for entrees we had the crawfish etoufee (x2), red beans and rice, and blackened catfish, all excellent.
By the time we were done, there was not a single grain of rice or bit of sauce left on any of the plates. Portions are nicely sized, satisfying without stuffing you silly. Which is good, because when we got the bread pudding, it was phenomenal! We only got one to share between us (oops!), and after the first bite, it got a little competitive with the spoons because it was so good!
And while we weren't busy devouring our meals, the rest of the time was spent chatting about New Orleans memories with our very friendly waitress, a New Orleans native (as is the chef).
Summary? If you are used to New Orleans food or want to try it for the first time, do it right! Go to Battistella's!
