Fearless Finds: Pint House Pizzaria

I get so excited when there are new restaurants in town, and if it’s a favorite of mine like pizza I just have to go! Pint House Pizzaria at 329 Broad Street in Lake Charles opened in July of 2014 and has such amazing pizza combinations, desserts, beers, and more!

Although we opted for a traditional pepperoni pizza because I’m super picky, Pint House Pizzaria offers pizzas like the Atomic Rooster and the Napalm Duck, the latter is made with ranch sauce, two types of cheeses and peppers, duck, and chipotle and srirache sauces! The pizzas are handmade and cooked in a brick oven which makes for an incredible crust that’s both crispy and soft at the same time. While you can of course purchase whole pizzas, they also offer a lunch buffet Monday through Friday from 11 to 1:30 so you can test out a few different pizza varieties. It’s only $8.99 for adults and $5.99 for kids twelve and under.

To wet your whistle, Pint House Pizzaria has a long list of craft beers and rotating kegs. A few with names we couldn’t forget were La-31 Biere Noir, Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp, and Monty Pythons Holy Grail Ale! For non-alcoholic beverages, they have handmade sodas in lots of flavors including Jamaican Cola, Cotton Candy, and Smores. Ice cream sodas, shakes, malts, and beer floats are also on the menu. 

(In case you’re wondering, we had water. Yes, we know we are boring, but next time we won’t be!)

Once you’re near full up on pizza and beer, you can top of your meal with fresh, homemade gelato or sorbetto! We had Vanilla Marscapone Chocolate Biscotti gelato, and wow it was so good!! My mom talked with the sweet worker who helped her, and she said she actually made the gelato! You can see her pictured with the gelato case. They’re constantly changing flavors, so you always have something new to try!

The environment is so cozy and warm, and all the staff was super friendly! Looking at their Facebook page, Pint House Pizzaria also hosts local artists on their stage on some Saturday nights. We’re definitely planning a trip back to try more flavors of the pizza and gelato and to experiment with some handmade sodas!

For more information on Pint House Pizzaria check out their website, pinthousepizzaria.com, where you can order online, like them on Facebook, or call 337-419-1931.

Fearless Finds: The Louisiana Market

After 25 years of business in the same location, The Louisiana Market at 2710 Hodges Street in Lake Charles, Louisiana, has become more than a familiar sight among the Cottage Shops; it’s a tradition. The current owner, Lisa Foreman, began working at The Louisiana Market three years ago with plans to buy it, and in July of 2014 that’s what she did. Her only employees are her family, and they show great dedication and support. Lisa was so warm and inviting, and it was obvious she loves what she does. Most of our visit was spent talking about and meeting her local artists (many to be seen on future blog posts!) and exploring the shop.

The Louisiana Market has anything and everything Louisiana! “What I try to do is to promote Southwest Louisiana,” Lisa explained as she showed us the wide variety of products, art, and décor she carries. She has cookbooks, dishware, and gourmet foods including Virgin Pecan Oil. You’ll find unique t-shirts and jewelry, most referencing Louisiana. They even make super cute gift baskets for any occasion. Most recently they filled miniature pirogues with goodies for a local Mardi Gras Krewe.

Lisa works closely with local artists selling their works and helping them reach a broader audience. She even connected one with the flag company she buys from, and now the artist’s designs are featured on flags! There are beautiful works all around the shop including watercolor, acrylic, and oil paintings, local pottery, and recycle art.

Specialty coffee is also available at The Louisiana Market. All the beans are roasted and flavored in Mooringsport, Louisiana, and they are sold by the pound, whole or ground. The flavors are so unique with names like Swamp Gold and King Cake. I actually bought a half pound bag of ground Café Beignet and love it! I can’t wait to go back and try another flavor.

We will definitely be regular customers now and know where to find unique gifts in the future. So whether you need a present for a native Cajun or want to share the Louisiana spirit with a faraway friend, pay a visit to The Louisiana Market to find exactly what you’re looking for!

For more information visit thelouisianamarket.com, like them on Facebook, or call 337-656-2908.

King Cake Bread Pudding

It’s Mardi Gras season here in Louisiana! And, as with any holiday, food and sweets are the second most important part, just behind family. When trying to think of a recipe to share, we wanted to do something a little different than the traditional king cake. Almost immediately mom suggested mixing king cake with our favorite bread pudding recipe from her mom and my Granny. As much as I hate to admit it, I wasn't too keen on the idea, but really I just wasn't sure how it would work. Determined to prove me wrong, my mom began scouring Pinterest. Within minutes she stumbled upon a king cake bread pudding recipe at showmeyournola.com! It was such a simple switch! However, to keep it in the family so to speak, we used Granny’s recipe to bring together these two tasty Louisiana traditions. With seven ingredients and a total of about one hour prep and cook time, the results were delicious!

Ingredients:

1 King Cake (we chose a cinnamon-filled variety)

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1 cup of sugar

2 cups of milk

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

4 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

Cooking Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Grease a 1 ½ quart baking dish
3. Cut up the king cake into small pieces
4. Combine and mix all ingredients in a bowl
5. Cook for 45 minutes or until top is light brown and there is no jiggle ;)
6. Let cool and enjoy!!

**Note: living in a house built over one hundred years ago, my mom only has a convection oven, so the baking time is based on that appliance. My Granny’s original recipe calls for a one hour baking time, so plan according to your situation.

 

The result was amazing! We even brought a couple pieces to Granny, the bread pudding queen, and she said, "My bread pudding is good, but y'all really hit it on the head with this one!"

Have any favorite Mardi Gras recipes? Comment here or e-mail us to share!

Fearless Finds: Rocket Drive Inn

I love cheeseburgers!

Not the fast food prepackaged ones. The real meat, homemade ones I found at my new favorite place, the Rocket Drive Inn. This great find is as old as me. No wonder we connected the first time I sat on the coolest red picnic tables, covered with the scratchings of years gone by. 

The atmosphere is so vintage even my seventeen year old son put down his iPhone and dug into his cheeseburger and fries. I knew I had to take Lexi, a fellow cheeseburger lover, and share this literal blast from the past.

We each ordered a cheeseburger, an extra large drink, and one order of homemade onion rings to share for about $14. Not bad for a quick daycation to the 1960’s. Now we can’t wait for summer to head back for some homemade Rocket ice cream (the cold kept us from enjoying some this trip).

I for one am truly grateful to the owner, Joann Leger, for keeping this little piece of nostalgic heaven available for all to enjoy. Next time you’re in Jennings, stop by 1118 State Street or call 337-824-2120 for more info.

If the Rocket Drive Inn happens to be a favorite of yours or you take our advice and try it out, let us know! We'd love to hear about your little visit to the past.