{"id":8600,"date":"2019-04-04T12:00:28","date_gmt":"2019-04-04T17:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/?p=8600"},"modified":"2019-04-04T10:49:35","modified_gmt":"2019-04-04T15:49:35","slug":"panorama-music-house","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bestofswla.com\/2019\/04\/04\/panorama-music-house\/","title":{"rendered":"Panorama Music House"},"content":{"rendered":"

331 Broad St., Lake Charles \u2022 602-6343<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Local Grubscape \u2022 By Justin Morris\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I like to wait until the shine has worn off the proverbial apple before I go and check out a new restaurant in town (certainly when it comes to a review). But I just couldn\u2019t wait to try Panorama Music House.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Late last year, I sat down with owner Jay Ecker and got the skinny on what this new venture was going to be. Ecker told me that he was hoping to have a New Year\u2019s Eve show to introduce Panorama, but things developed more slowly than anticipated. That may not have been a bad thing. The best things come to those who wait, and this shining new gem was worth waiting for.<\/p>\n

Panorama opened just in time for Mardi Gras, on Feb. 28. The first weekend saw a ton of great music lined up, including a performance by the Flamethrowers on Lundi Gras that (according to the pictures I\u2019ve seen) packed the place. That kind of crowd wasn\u2019t going to be very conducive to sitting down and enjoying a meal.<\/p>\n

I waited until the following Friday to make my way over. I discovered not only that Panorama would still be serving food late that evening, but also that a favorite local band of mine, Justin Martindale and the Backstabbers, were to take the stage at 9:30 pm. It seemed like a win all around.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fully refurbished and with decades of history behind it, the former Panorama Burger House \u2014 now Panorama Music House \u2014 sign looked spectacular hanging above the doorway. Inside, custom lighting, craft fixtures, and digital screens at the booths and throughout the building give this place a \u201cnext level\u201d feel as you walk in the door.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the main room, there was a beautiful and well-appointed bar to the left. A carpeted stage filled the back of the room to the far right. The stage was festooned with a simple but very well-executed stage lighting system. There was visible sound dampening material dotting the brick walls in the room that, to me anyway, will always be the \u201cbrewery side\u201d of\u00a0 <\/span>Rikenjaks back in its downtown days.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

We found a spot stage right from which to watch the band for a bit and worked on our first drinks: a Bayou Spiced rum and diet for me and a Tito\u2019s Screwdriver for my girlfriend, who reached out to PMH co-owner Frankie Randazzo via a Facebook comment to compliment him on the superb sound quality in the place. He quickly tracked us down to give us a little walking tour of the new venue.<\/p>\n

Frankie immediately led us to the back patio, which was almost shocking to see. That dusty little \u201cbackdoor\u201d corner was now a well-lit, beautifully decorated patio complete with tables and umbrellas, a patio bar with double windows, cornhole and washer boards and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Frankie was particularly proud of the sound system that kept the perfect balance between audible and unobtrusive for those conversing outside. A third partner of PMH, Buck Maraist, joined us and talked more about what the three of them had done and were hoping to do with this brilliant new venture. He also fetched us a copy of their Week 1 soft opening menu (which is changing weekly throughout March) so the missus and I could sit down for a bite once The Backstabbers finished up their set and Toledo Ben took over, playing a killer background music mix.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At this time of evening, we were advised to place food orders at the bar. We did so and were told to check back in 15 to 20 minutes. The food was ready on time despite the hustle and bustle of the busy bar. We made our way to the front room, with its big open-air windows, calm and quiet lighting and interesting d\u00e9cor and sat down with our food: a burger known as \u201cThe Roadie\u201d for me, and a bunless variation of the House Burger for her, both served with tasty, thinly cut French fries.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Roadie comes with American cheese, a fried egg, potato sticks, bacon and a garlic and herb mayo. The House Burger is a double meat burger with American cheese, arugula, tomato and bread and butter pickles. Both were cooked nicely. The meat didn\u2019t have the most profound \u201cbeefy\u201d flavor around but did have a bit of smokiness that implied an open top grill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Roadie was an excellent amalgam of ingredients that worked exceptionally well together, wedged inside a lightly toasted bun. Whether or not it makes the cut for the full menu in April is yet to be seen, but I do hope it makes it that far. Regardless, I imagine anything they do bring to the permanent menu will be worth checking out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It feels a bit silly writing about a restaurant under these circumstances. They\u2019re hardly up and going, and they don\u2019t even have a permanent menu. Putting a critical eye on any restaurant this early in the game would put it at a disadvantage. But my early review does highlight two very important points about what\u2019s really going on at Panorama Music House.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For starters, despite all the inherent pitfalls stated above, even the toughest \u201ccritic\u201d would be hard pressed to find a real complaint. The food was tasty and well prepared and served in a timely manner. The service was exceptional, considering that it was from the bartenders at a very busy bar at around 11 pm. If anything, that shows you how capable these guys and their team are, and it paints a nice picture of what this place will be and accomplish once it\u2019s really in \u201cgo mode.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The other important thing that stands out is that there is so much more to talk about than the food when it comes to this place. From the style, the live music, the patio, the lights, the chill \u201cfront patio\u201d and the game room (which I never even made it into) to the forthcoming Southwest Louisiana Music Museum display to the Speakeasy, whose whereabouts and precise purpose I am not at liberty to write about, this place has, if not everything, then most of it. And I think it is something that Lake Charles\u2019 downtown has been wanting and waiting for for a long time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I have great confidence that these guys are doing what it takes to make this place all, and possibly much more, than any of us can expect. We\u2019ve seen what these guys have done with Madison\u2019s in Beaumont, Dylan\u2019s in Port Arthur and Rikenjaks in Vidor and right here on Ryan Street. But Panorama Music House is something that those other places aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s 100 percent ours. It belongs to Lake Charles. It has a certain history and passion for music, food and good times that speaks to most of us. Though many restaurants and bars have occupied that space over the years, this one may be the one we were waiting for. I suppose time will tell, but I\u2019d bet on it \u2014 and I\u2019m hardly a gambling man.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It makes me sad, in a way, as I\u2019m soon to move away from this fantastic town. I\u2019m sad that I won\u2019t be around to see it, or to keep cruising the local Grubscape, for that matter. I\u2019ll still be close and keeping my finger on the pulse of things, but I may have to leave the Grubscape in all your very capable hands for the time being.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If I\u2019ve accomplished anything, I hope I\u2019ve gotten you all a little curious about all the fun and tasty places in our local food scene. And I hope I\u2019ve motivated you to go check out and discover some of your own. If Panorama Music House is indeed the last place that I get to put the \u201cLocal Grubscape\u201d seal of approval on, I\u2019m thrilled beyond words that it is this business, which I see doing remarkable things in the years and decades to come.<\/p>\n

So, until we get to do this again, go see and taste them all and tell \u2018em Justin sent ya. I hope to see you soon.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

331 Broad St., Lake Charles \u2022 602-6343 The Local Grubscape \u2022 By Justin Morris\u00a0 I like to wait until the shine has worn off the proverbial apple before I go and check out a new restaurant in town (certainly when it comes to a review). 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