329 Broad St., Lake Charles • 337-602-636
Story by Mario Pacetti
Photo By Isabella Rose Estes
Well, here I am again, talking about new places that are popping up downtown. I’m really pleased with Sloppy’s Downtown, because I’m already a fan of chef Brett Stutes and his wife Amanda’s Sloppy Taco venture in Lake Charles.
Brett and Amanda have really jumped feet first out of the comfort zone of the food truck, because Sloppy’s Downtown is no food truck. It’s a full kitchen, two bars, an in-house brewery and a coffee station, complete with in-house fresh baked breads and desserts. Now, you may think they have way too much going on. But you’d be far from the truth, because this duo is really making it work.
I don’t know where to start, because it’s all good thus far. I was at an industry function the night Sloppy’s opened, and I received a message from Trey Underwood telling me he was there and the ramen was better than at my favorite place in town. Chelsea and I left the event and went straight over there.
The place was almost full, but didn’t seem chaotic at all — which is normally what restaurants are on opening night. After we were seated, the waitress brought us our menus. I simply told her to have Brett pick a couple of items and send them out.
So you can get a better understanding of Sloppy’s menu, I’ll tell you they’re simply doing street-food types of dishes. They are small plates, rather like tapas. This approach enables diners to get a few items and share them among the people at the table. I really like this, because it’s how Chelsea and I normally order anyway.
The chicken and dumplings was a twist on a classic comfort food dish. The pieces of chicken were done as lollipops and the dumplings were done with an Asian influence; they had an avocado wasabi cream and an incredible soy glaze.
I loved the presentation of the dish, because it wasn’t what one would expect. The flavors were pronounced and blended well. The only thing I could think of to make it better was to get a whole lot more of it.
The arepas was amazing; it was a fried corn pocket filled with a bomb.com braised pork, a fresh queso fresco, cilantro, white onion, tomato and some sort of cilantro sauce that really had the dish working.
The Loco Moco was a ribeye burger, a fried egg, white rice and gravy. I was a little confused about the dish until it came out and I tasted it. I love rice and eggs already; I eat them at home quite often. But with a burger, gravy and shredded cheese added, it was one of my favorite dishes on steroids. All I really needed was my recliner, because I was beyond pleased with this dish.
We had truly enjoyed our meal thus far. Then Brett decided to bring out the Yellow Fin Poke, which was one of the dishes I was really hoping for in the beginning. When it came out, I needed to adjust the belt to free up just a little bit more space. This dish consisted of tuna, cilantro, avocado and onion tossed in a toasted sesame oil. It was served on white rice. The fresh-tasting tuna combined with the other ingredients had all the flavors fighting for attention. They all made the dish exciting.
I was supposed to go to Sloppy’s before it opened so that Brett and I could have a chance to sit down and talk before the madness began. But I’d been sick, and we were unable to meet. Still, I was able to sit down with him for a short bit recently so I could find out what some of his big plans for the place were.
When I got there to meet with him, they were still in the middle of a very nice mid-afternoon rush. That gave me a chance to see how the place was working out in real time. The first thing I noticed was that the place had a very relaxing vibe to it. Usually, when it’s very busy in a restaurant, all you can truly hope for is controlled chaos. When a restaurant is busy like this, it’s a different busy each time because there are always so many factors that create the chaos.
With that being said, things were working on all cylinders while I was there. Brett was running the kitchen like the conductor of an orchestra. All it takes is one section playing off-key and the entire show is ruined. But under Brett’s direction, the kitchen was completely in tune, and that is impressive to watch. I love watching great chefs work their magic. Of course, we all think we are the masters of the food we make. But there are times where we allow ourselves to be humbled in the presence of true talent; I feel that way when I see the work and creativity Brett possesses.
Here’s another thing I found quite impressive: he has chef Patrick Martin baking all his breads and in-house desserts. Martin has been a chef for more than 30 years. He has been the chef for the Pioneer Club and the Country Club in Lake Charles. For a chef of that stature to want to work for a chef who’s much younger shows how much respect Brett has from his peers. Having Martin working for him also shows Brett’s maturity: Brett knew what Martin brought to the table would help Sloppy’s, so he didn’t let his ego get in the way of the betterment of his product.
One of the things that’s still in the works is the creation of the live entertainment stage. Feb. 3 will be Sloppy’s official grand opening; Sean Ardoin will perform that night. They will have a special Mardi Gras menu that will be walk-around friendly and will really cater to the street food concept.
They’re brewing beer in-house, but are still involved in the application process. Brett said they’re just stockpiling the beer until the process is complete. Brett’s longtime friend Ryan Broussard moved down from Portland, Ore., where he’d been brewing beer for six years. Ryan is a hometown boy who’s come home to show us his craft. I’ve been told he knows what he’s doing. Ryan not only brews beer, but he’s equally helpful on the expo line and in the preparation of the dishes. His girlfriend Lycretia is responsible for the cocktail menu for the bar. It really is all about the team at Sloppy’s Downtown.
While I was waiting to talk to Brett, I sat at the bar and ordered the Sloppy Day Fries, which is the house fries with fried poblano peppers, queso fresco, Nueske’s bacon, and a pepper sauce. All I can say is wow! This dish is the perfect bar food to just sit and snack on with a group of people.
Brett and Amanda are two go-getters. They don’t just think of how to better their situation; they are constantly helping others who want to get into the food game, which you have to be half-crazy to want to do full-time. But they really seem to have a good sense of how to do it the right way. And they’ve put a good team around them.
Brett said his brother Derek has been a big help in getting this place off the ground.
I want to thank Isabella Estes for supplying me with so many great pictures and for being so helpful while I was waiting to talk to Brett. I may be asking Isabella to take photos for me again on some future articles.
This place is a wonderful addition to our ever-growing downtown area. It will definitely be a hangout for me and my wife, as well as our friends. The place is set up so that you feel there are little areas where you can hang out with your friends without feeling as if you’re on top of the people next to you.
Get downtown to see one of Lake Charles’ up-and-coming young chefs, who is really doing big things with his food.
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