Friday, October 05, 2007

Missing a meal or two or three

I've never had a problem finding a meal, oftentimes a good one, here in the Shreveport-Bossier area.

From Catfish Village in west Shreveport to the new Ta Molly's in north Bossier and all points in between, I've eaten at plenty of decent places during my year and a half in town. I love Ralph & Kacoo's, sometimes I get a craving for Guillaumes’ at the Chateau and every now and again I stop by Sushiko at the Boardwalk. And, hey, my one visit to the Village Grille was very nice.

Then again, after consecutive weekend visits to Houston and then Dallas, I still feel a little deprived. (Disclaimer: I was raised in Houston and lived in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for nearly eight years. Btw, the Metroplex is often touted as having more restaurants per capita than New York City).

I was only back home for a couple days and I definitely couldn't eat everywhere that I wanted to. Man, if only I could have brought a few of those places back with me to Bossier.

Couldn't we use a PF Chang's? Or a Pappadeaux's (I know my friend Nishia is feeling me on this one)? What about places like Chipotle, Pappasito's, The Aquarium, Black Walnut Cafe?

Sure, most of the places I've listed here are chains. But Super Target and Wal-Mart and J.C. Penney are chains and I don't here anyone complaining about their presence in town.

Are there any places that you all would like to see come to the Shreveport area? I get the feeling that Mayor Glover checks out this site from time to time, so maybe if we protest loud enough, he might look into our prospects for luring new eateries.

What places would you like to set up shop here?

16 comments:

Ashley Northington said...

I hear you, Joel!

If we could get a PF Chang's and an O'Charley's I'd be really satisfied. That would warm my soul.

I LOVE those restaurants. O'Charley's is something like an Applebee's or Chilli's but it's SO good. (And, it's a Nashville-based chain.)

I thought PF Chang's was coming here, I got really excited. But I read that they aren't coming here anymore. Now I'm sad.

I can't wait to go home this weekend, I'm going to eat out everywhere.

Anonymous said...

It's not fine dining, but I don't care! I want a Taco Cabana!!

call me crazy said...

I've eaten at most of the chains here and find them all lacking in something. I'd like to see more original fare myself. BTW, I hate Wal Mart(haven't been in one in ten years or more)too.

Anonymous said...

A Black Eyed Pea would be nice.

Dee said...

Being born & raised in the South Louisiana with all the fixing of the "gulf"...i would love to see a Danny & Clyde poboy shop. They have the very best "overstuffed" shrimp(not popcorn either).

Anonymous said...

I would love to see Panara Bread come to Bossier City, north of 220. They have great sandwiches, soup in bread bowls, great pastries and bagels. I would also love to see a Taco Bueno.

Miz' Tannie said...

I would love to have Roscoe's House of Chicken 'n Waffles (a Los Angeles based soul food restaurant), The Cheesecake Factory (another chain), and my all time favorite El Cholo's Mexican Restaurant which serves authentic Mexican food and pitchers of Margaritas!

jennette said...

Instead of lamenting the absence of certain corporate restaurants, I urge you to try more of our
local restaurants. It's so important to support them or else they will not survive the low prices
and low wages of the chain restaurants. Local restaurants that use local ingredients give this city
character and uniqueness and without them we will be like every other city that is overrun with
all of the exact same corporate restaurants.

Try Olive St. Bistro, Imperial Café, Monjuni’s, Southfield Grill, Noble Savage, Don’s Seafood,
Yeero Yeero, Tacomania, Bella Fresca, or Stone’s Throw Café. They are all locally owned, with
regulars who swear by the food. And many of them have had the same staff working there for
years. These are restaurants that were created for us - Shreveportians, not for anyone else and we
should treasure them and support them.

Janelle Rucker said...

Yes, Pappadeaux, The Cheesecake Factory and Chipotle would be awesome!

And I'm with you Anon, a Panera Bread would be good, especially since we're no longer getting a la Madeleine anymore.

I think I'd add a Baja Fresh and Cheddars to the list.

There are a few local restaurants that I do like jenette, including Yeero Yeero, but I'd like to have more options.

Anonymous said...

I just recently moved back home to Shreveport from Dallas and I have to second the idea of a PF Chengs!!!

Tour de Shreveport said...

I agree with Jennette to eat local. The whole "Keep Austin Weird" campaign is about supporting local businesses. We're all about "Keep Shreveport Wild" and like supporting the originals from here.

At the end of our tours we encourage visitors and natives to try places like Columbia Cafe, Nankings, Herby K's, Stoner Shreveport Marina (it floats on the Red River), Healthy Planet, Papa & Company, Monseur's Real Pickle, Sunshine Health Food & Cafe, Pano's Diner, Kon Tiki's, Ming Garden, Bear's, Ernest's New Orleans Resturant, Courtyard Coffee, Eartheral Resturant, Fertitta's, Glenwood Village Tearoom, Jacquelyn's Cafe, Julie Anne's Bakery & Cafe, Monjuni's, Ristorante Giuseppe, Nicky's, Superior Grill, Tacomania, Trejos, The Blind Tiger, Brother's Seafood, Crescent Landing, The Oyster Bar & Grill, Beam's, George's Grill, Murrell's, Strawn's, The Cub, Cush's Grocery, Don's Seafood, The Mabry House, Jayne Marie's, and Superior's Steakhouse.

Anonymous said...

Our local restuarants are the best. Nothing can touch Nanking. NOTHING!

I try to avoid the chains. Everything tastes like it came out of a box or a freezer. It's all greasy and disgusting.

By far, I prefer the locals!

Joel Anderson said...

Jennette, I understand where you're coming from, and you certainly make a solid case for eating at our local restaurants.

In fact, I noted that I do indeed enjoy some of our local restaurants. I'll even add Imperial Cathay to the list of places I've now enjoyed a meal.

But I still wouldn't mind having more options in our area. Chains, though they may be. (Ashley, I too was disappointed to learn PF Chang's wouldn't be coming to town).

Maybe I'm the sort of brainless, tasteless customer that corporate companies target; maybe I'm too lazy to try other locally owned restaurants; maybe I'm just like my mother, she's never satisfied.

But, hey, if liking lemon scallops from PF Chang's is wrong, then I don't want to be right.

Also, I have to second to nominations for Panera Bread and Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. I've been thinking about Roscoe's for about two months now.

We need someone to step up and get their bread- and waffle-game right.

Anonymous said...

Eww - nothing *wants* to touch Nanking's. That place is pretty gross, although less gross since there's no smoking allowed.

I second the Taco Cabana! There's no place to get a carne guisada taco in this town. Nobody here even knows what a breakfast taco is. I miss the roach coach on every corner in Austin, where you could get the best breakfast tacos. The only roach coach here is downtown on Edwards St at Crockett, early in the morning. Their croissant combo is awesomely delicious though.

A Chipotle would be great - Moe's is similar, but just not as good.
I'm always glad to see new chains coming to town, as long as the economy can support it. I hate for small businesses to close down after all their hard work.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, sorry folks, but Nankings is Nan-nasty. Seriously. It's the one locally-owned places that deserves to be shut down.

Anonymous said...

You are absolutley correct. I lived in Dallas for 8 years and Houston for a spell. I often go back to Texas to visit my friends still there, and everytime I go I have to try to Hit up my fav spots (Pei Wei, Ghengis, Macardo Juarez, Baker's Bro's Deli and Chipotle)

Why can't we get those good things here?

I'd even be pumped about a Jack in The Box in Shreveport!