A little special: Lagniappe

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The pork chops were napped in a sweet sauce that reminded me of brandy and molasses.

After hearing about it for months, I finally made it to Lagniappe on Allen Street with my friend Matt.

My colleague from New Orleans had been telling me about Lagniappe for a while. He lives nearby and has enjoyed the red beans and rice, not to mention the jambalaya. Or was it the gumbo? Either way, he had met the real thing down on the bayou, and thought that Lagniappe delivered a reasonable facsimile of true flavor.

One you see the place, you might wonder how that can happen. The kitchen’s about as big as a minivan, and the dining area seats about as many people. But there’s nothing small about the menu. Gumbo, jambalaya, crab cakes, red beans and rice, fried oysters, creole meatloaf, catfish. Salads, po-boys, and another dozen sandwiches, including an Italian beef.

Not to mention 15 sides, including collard greens, fried okra and fried leeks.

This is only one of the menu boards in this place.

Ridiculous. How could so much happen in such a tiny place?

I ordered the pork chops from the specials board, and Matt went for the “muffaletta.” We had collard greens and cole slaw as sides.

I have to say, I was surprised. There was a lot of flavor to be had – the first bite of the zippy, smoky greens proved that the chef wasn’t afraid of assertive flavors.

The boneless loin chops were covered in a crumb crust that was also spicy in a welcoming way. The chops bore too much salt, though, and were a bit of a chore to saw through with the weirdly undersized silverwear.

Tasty sandwich? Yes. Muffaletta? Hell, no.

The muffaletta, well, the muffaletta wasn’t. If you’ve ever had one of the famed sandwiches from the Central Grocery on Decatur in New Orleans’ Old Quarter, you want another. So you judge pretenders sternly.

The sandwich at Lagniappe is a good sandwich, bordering on excellent. But it’s not a muffaletta. The thick-sliced ham is tasty, but paired with turkey and lacking cheese, it doesn’t make you forget about the assorted first-rate Italian cold cuts and provolone packed into the Central Grocery version. Oil and herbs atop the roll was nice, but not as good as the round, sesame-topped loaf in New Orleans.

The green olive puree was a decent touch of flavor, but nowhere near the olive-laden salad on the real deal.

As Matt said, “How would you feel if you walked into a place that advertised Buffalo wings, and they’re baked?”

That said? We’ll be back. Matt wants to try the crab cakes again, and the Creole meatloaf? Let’s just say it has a reputation.

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