So I decided to revisit the Lagniappe Meat Company in Westlake since it’s been a couple of months since they opened.
I don’t stop in as often as I’d like, but when I do, I always have to have their rib-eye breakfast sandwich that comes with a fried egg and cheese on Texas toast. A perfect fried egg for a sandwich will have all the whites cooked with just the yolk still runny. That yolk, mixed with the melted cheese and a perfectly cooked rib-eye, makes this sandwich a Top 5 breakfast pick for SWLA.
Well, a couple of weeks ago, I decided to stop in and pick up a few things to take to our friends Christine and Alex’s house for a little cook-out by the pool. I picked up three items to try: the pre-marinated rib-eyes that were covered in the house seasoning blend; the jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon; and, finally, some asparagus wrapped in bacon. (Can’t go wrong with bacon.)
The rib-eyes were a very nice consistent cut on the steaks, and the seasoning was very bold in its flavor. I was a little bit concerned that they may be a bit too spicy. But as soon as I tried them, I was totally excited about how tender and full of flavor the steaks were. Just because it’s a rib-eye doesn’t mean it will be tender. It has to be good as well. These were perfect.
The jalapenos wrapped in bacon came out just right (because I’m a awesome chef, lol). The jalapenos were cooked until they were tender, but still had that little bit of crunch to them because I really hate an over-cooked pepper. The bacon had some very nicely charred spots, while at the same time having some really tender parts. It combined with the cream cheese and made it a great little appetizer.
I’m a huge asparagus fan. You can’t ever go wrong if you wrap them in bacon. I put the wrapped asparagus in a large bowl and added a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper and threw them on the grill. I cooked them until they were tender, and the bacon was starting to get crisp. I pulled them off and dug in. And by the way, they didn’t taste half bad, if I say so myself.
Every time I’ve been in the store, I’ve always been greeted by a friendly staff member. If someone couldn’t answer a particular question, they were always quick to find me someone who could.
This place is a great find and they’re really coming into their own right in the heart of Westlake. Do yourself a favor and give them a try.
About a week ago, I had a discussion with someone about a review of a new restaurant they’d written for a social media column. The topic of negative reviews came up, and we had a varied opinion as to what was appropriate for reviews. So here’s my take on the subject.
I don’t write negative reviews. Anyone that knows me knows I never bite my tongue, and I can be too honest, at times to a fault. But I was a small business owner and I know that the failure rate in the restaurant industry is higher than in any other industry. Even the smallest amount of negative press can be very harmful.
While I was having the discussion on a public forum, someone else told me that because I didn’t write negative reviews, I was a puppet journalist, which I found funny, because I’ve never claimed to be a journalist. I only claimed to be a “Food Opinionist” who wanted to tell people about the places I’ve enjoyed eating at.
I often eat at places I’m not pleased with, but I just don’t waste my time writing about places not to go to. I figure there are enough egomaniacs who like bashing places. That just isn’t me, so I’ll leave that style to them. No press is as good as bad press.
That was my small rant, and I hope it clears up why I don’t go the negative route in my reviews.
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