Watching Poche pitch at Poche's Restaurant and Market

After the big Opus release, I took a slight detour on the way home to try a locally famous meat market.

Walked inside to a rather small space where young Cajun girls waited to bag your boudin, boudin balls, chicken wings, etc. Immediately to the left was an array of specialty meats all spiced up and ready to take home and cook. The stuffed beef tongue looked interesting.

If you headed past the counter a few steps you were in line for the hot lunches available. There was a cooler with prepared vegetable dishes blocked by the line, and patrons had to constantly excuse themselves as they shopped.

Very polite young Cajun girls asked to serve you cafeteria style as you chose from fried fish, shrimp, bbq ribeye, crawfish etouffe, stewed pork, chicken, potato salad, dirty rice, green beans, etc.

I selected the crawfish etouffe, green beans, and potato salad. Where you pay for your food the place opens up to a large dining room with tables to either side of the wall divided by one super long table in the middle.

The Tigers were on the tube, Poche was pitching, and I eagerly went to town on the etouffe. Well, it was good. Really nothing outstanding about it. The rice was a little old and rubbery, but it passed. The green beans were fine. Had some kind of gravy and weren't cooked down to mush. The potato salad didn't have any crunchies and was a little bland. Some Poche's seasoning put some life in it.

It was a good meal for a hungry man. I think the etoufee was $14.00. As far as the cafeteria style food goes, I'd recommend the place. My wife, however, would never choose to eat there. Honestly, Tony's in BR is just as good or better. Not that I frequent these types of establishment often. 99% of my dining from Tony's comes from eating at work (Exxon).

On the way out, I got a pound of boudin, half pound of head cheese, and 3 peperjack fried boudin balls. Around $7 for all out the door.

Didn't eat anything until later that night. Turned out the boudin balls were the regular sort with no pepperjack cheese. They were still great. The boudin was good. One poster once said he thought it tasted too 'livery.' I do believe I detected what he meant, but I liked it just fine. I'm no boudin snob so I can't say if this boudin was better than Billy's or whoever, I'd have to do a taste test to pick something out of a lineup.

I found the head cheese most interesting. The first picture is what it looks like cold out the package.



But, if you let it sit out a bit, the gelatin melts and what you basically have leftover is meat. Good flavors, not hot, nothing overpowing. It was different that the gelatinous block I'm accustom to eating. Pretty good stuff.



If you lived close by, or happen to drive by on a trip on I10, it's a place worthy of your business. It may prove just to me one of many other choices available in the area, I haven't hit them all. I don't think it qualifies as a 'must go to place at all cost.' But that's just me, and I've crossed Poche's off my list. Will try another similar place when the opportunity presents itself.