Escargot “Trebeache”. Sauteed escargot. Button Mushroom. Charred Tomato. Browned French Wine. Wine. Lemon. Garlic and Butter.

Louisiana Crawfish Pie. Crawfish. Creamy Pepperjack Cheese Filling. House made pie dough.

Pan Roast Cauliflower Steak. St. Andre’s Brie. Rough-cut Pistachio Pesto.

TThe Wedge. Crisp bacon. Crumbled blue cheese. Green Goddess Dressing.

Special of the night: Veal and Lobster Ravioli Duet

I loved it! My favorite dishes were the Escargot and the Crawfish Pie. The escargot is served differently than your traditional Escargots à la Bourguignonne, a garlic herb butter sauce, but it was really refreshing to try it served a different way. The crawfish pie was perfectly crisped on the outside and filled with a perfectly seasoned crawfish and pepperjack filling. We also ordered the cauliflower steak, Wedge Salad, and the Veal and Lobster Ravioli duet. The cauliflower steak was pretty good! The Wedge salad was refreshing. Honestly, we only ordered the extra salad to appear “healthy”. The Veal special had to be the most disappointing. The veal was over-salted that we couldn’t even finish the last piece. On a brighter note, the lobster ravioli were delicious and balanced the over seasoned veal a bit. Overall, everything was great! Service was super friendly and I loved the ambiance.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Fancy Rose Lemonade. 

Gulf Shrimp. Uni. Clam Vinaigrette. Fennel. Saffron Mayonnaise.

Chilled Roasted Beets. Sheep’s Milk Ricotta. Red Vein Sorrel and Spiced Pecans.

Crab & Camembert Gratin. Lemon and Fines Herbes.

Cauliflower Soup. Fried oysters. Black Truffle.

Cheeseburger. Sharp Cheddar. Caramelized Onions. B&B pickles. Comeback Sauce. Hand Cut Fries.

Balise’s menu is very different from La Petite Grocery in that it has more small plates on the menu. First, we ordered the Gulf Shrimp, which attracted us since there was uni, clam vinaigrette, saffron mayonnaise, and fennel. Somehow, every component and flavor profile meshed together so well. It was refreshing and interesting at the same time.

For our veg, we ordered the Chilled Beet Salad with spiced pecans and ricotta. A touch of ricotta for richness and the spiced pecans added a ton of flavor. I wish I could make this stuff at home.

I ordered the Crab & Camembert Gratin, because I can’t turn anything crabmeat down! Camembert is a type of cheese, similar to brie. It was yummy! I took the bread and topped it off with some of the crab au gratin.

Next, was the Cauliflower Soup topped with a crispy, fried oyster showered in black truffles. DE. LISH. I sometimes wonder why they give you such small portions, but due to the law of diminishing returns, small delicious bites are meant to leave you yearning for more. I can still remember those few bites of soup…

Despite our fine dining tasting menu that we created,  I am always craving a burger. So we ordered the burger as our main entree. haha..It definitely hit the spot. What makes this burger is the juiciness and the sauce. They call it the Comeback Sauce. It tastes like a remoulade and a buttery aioli at the same time.

What a great meal! If you’re looking for a laid back bar with fine dining, then Balise is for you. It’s worth trying at least once, but keep it mind, it is fine dining so it may be a little on the pricier end. Our whole meal with alcoholic beverages was around $111, but we left completely satiated.

Rating: 4.5/5

Now, years later, we hope to have a bite of that same bread again…

Amuse Bouche. Fried Shrimphead.

Sourdough & Focaccia. 

Soup of the day: Lump Crab meat Gazpacho 

Gumbo of the Day: Duck Gumbo. 

Beef Short Rib with Potato Rösti. Salsa Verde. Horseradish Cream.

Rabbit Fricassee. Garganelli. Bacon. Pumpkin. Madeira.

Gnocchi. Pancetta. Parmesan broth.

Seared Drum with risotto. 

If you’re wondering if we got that buttery bread this time, we sure did! Not in the same amount as we did before since the focaccia bread was pretty delicious too. As for the meal, every dish was so great, that I have to share my thoughts on each dish.Let’s start from the first dish. I’m not the biggest fan of cold soups, but we ordered the lump crab meat gazpacho and it was amazing! It was light, refreshing, and herbacious. I had low expectations, but that was wiped out completely and I almost ate all of “The Chef”‘s portion.

The Gumbo is a must! Herbsaint creates gumbo with a darker, deeper roux, which adds so much flavor. Just get it.

The Beef Short ribs were so moist and the salsa verde was herby and refreshing. For such a rich and savory dish, you never would have thought that it would be so refreshing. Loved it!

The Rabbit Fricassee came in a small cast iron bowl and didn’t look like much, but that bite! That first bite was moist rabbit with a delicate pasta, wrapped in a coating of Madeira sauce. mMm! I can really still taste it.

The Gnocchi was just as good. Gnocchi is a dish that if not seasoned and sauced properly, it can be very bland and boring. Not this Gnocchi! The pancetta added a perfect saltiness and the parmesan broth added a nice, rich finish.

The fish of the day was a drum that was seared to perfection. It was moist and was completed by the most flavorful risotto! This risotto had an Asian flare, but with a French refinement. Even though we were stuffed at this point, I still couldn’t stop eating this risotto.

Judging by my list, pictures, and tummy that night, we probably over ordered. If we didn’t order the last dish, I would have definitely had room for dessert. Either way, the whole meal was worth every penny and remaining belly space. From one dish to another, not a single one had any ounce of disappointment. Now, when I think of Herbsaint, I’ll remember that soft bite of bread I ate right before probably one of my most memorable food experiences…

Rating: 5/5 spoons!

Happy Hour: BBQ Sliders. Pulled Pork BBQ. Fried Onion Strings.

Meat Pie. Ground Beef. Trinity. Spicy Mayo.

Excuse the blurry photo..I just wanted it in my mouth already!

Notice the flaky dough..Love it! Meat pie…basically an empanada and you know I feel about empanadas!

5 Spiced Braised Pork Belly Ramen. Noodles. Bok Choy.

Smoked Sea Scallops. Baby beets. Market Greens. Cane Syrup.

Overall, it was a great mid-day stop! Great small bites, however, I was slightly disappointed by the size of the scallop in the salad. The ramen was a little too deep and dark in broth flavor for my taste. My favorites had to be the Pork Belly sliders and the empanadas (of course!). There’s something about small bites that tickles my tastes buds and the hominess of the dish didn’t hurt!

I would definitely recommend visiting for lunch or dinner as the main dishes are pretty good. The American Sector is very kid friendly and have  a good selection of some tasty-looking ice cream shakes.

Other notable dishes: Fried Gulf Oyster Salad, Gulf Shrimp Po-boy

Rating: 3/5 spoons

It’s like a gem hiding among some chain restaurants and establishments…

My view.

Smoked Salmon Sliders. 

Crab Cake con Piri Piri. Garlic Pepper Aioli. Avocado Puree.

Kobe Beef Burger with carmelized onions. 

 Fish N Chips. Alaskan cod.

Our meal definitely lived up to the expectations…Best fish n chips I’ve ever had. Maybe it was the amount of delicate crispiness or maybe it was the perfectly cooked tenderness of the Cod OR it was just plain delicious!

Honestly, every dish was delicious…I wouldn’t mind going to THIS diner right about now…

French Cauliflower Bisque

Table bread and buttery goodness!

Charcuterie Plate. House-made boudin. Pork Rillettes. Hogshead cheese.

Yes, this might just look  like a plate of meat, but each piece of meat had so much love! The pork rillete was so moist and savory…it reminded me so much of my favorite brunch place, Tartine (click for post), and I have to say I think I prefer this rillete! The boudin was so memorable…gosh, just get the charcuterie plate!

Potato Gnocchi. Jumbo Lump crab. Wild mushrooms. Edamame. Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano.

Sweetbreads. Brussels Leaf Salad. Carmelized Shallot. Crispy Ham. Sherry-mustard reduction.

Not too many restaurants serve sweetbreads..and don’t be fooled by the name. This item is actually a type offal, delicious organ meats. As unappetizing as they may sound, it’s very delish! Patois did an excellent job at making this “offal” sounding meat into a delicate and melt-in-your-mouth goodness!

Crispy Duck Confit Salad. Crispy Lavender Goat cheese. Arugula. Spiced Pecams. Satsuma Vinaigrette.

Overall, such a great experience! Such a great pick for celebrating my birthday with “The Chef”. I’m a sucker for French cuisine and Patois nailed it! Light, rich, and perfect textures in all of the dishes!