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\u201cWe\u2019re used to eating heavy foods where I come from,\u201d Austin said with a provocative chuckle.<\/p>\nPor Frank Sabatini Jr.<\/p>\n
If dishes such as sweet-glazed lamb chops and scallops paired with grilled peaches don\u2019t sound like typical Cajun-Creole cuisine, they shouldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Chef Quinnton \u201cQ\u201d Austin of Louisiana insists the menu he created for The Louisiana Purchase in North Park doesn\u2019t reflect \u201ctouristy French Quarter food.\u201d Yet to New Orleans locals who dine off the city\u2019s beaten track, the dishes are largely familiar.<\/p>\n
Most unique is Austin\u2019s alligator cheesecake, a savory appetizer that plays off the longstanding version served in NOLA\u2019s Jacques-Imo restaurant.<\/p>\n
There, it\u2019s constructed with alligator sausage and shrimp \u2014 and served in wedges. Here, it\u2019s a shockingly rich puck of straight-up alligator meat and sausage folded into a velvety filling of cream cheese, smoked Gouda and Parmesan. The mixture is baked into a butter-crumb crust and then daringly crowned with chunky crawfish sauce \u2014 the traditional Mardi Gras recipe that shows up also on pasta and seared ribeye.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s become one of Austin\u2019s star creations since he was recruited to San Diego by Grind & Prosper Hospitality, which also runs Whiphand in the East Village and Miss B\u2019s Coconut Club in Mission Beach.<\/p>\n\n
However, like his equally flavorful \u201ccrab fingers,\u201d the dish begged for loads of crackers or crostini. The cheesecake is heavy and spreadable, but your fork is the only vessel. And the dainty crab legs \u2014 with the meat conveniently poking out from their shells \u2014 sit in a spicy lime-butter sauce deserving of a full mopping. Two small pieces of bread didn\u2019t cut it.<\/p>\n
Nonetheless, both dishes were excellent come-ons to the booze on our table \u2014 a complex \u201curban sombrero\u201d made with tequila, pureed carrot, turmeric, vanilla and agave for my companion, and a \u201cpurple haze\u201d raspberry lager from Louisiana\u2019s Abita Brewing Co. for me.<\/p>\n
It quickly struck us that nearly everything on the menu is anti-California food. In other words, it overflows with saturated fats. And salads don\u2019t reside here. But just as well because most people arrive knowing fully aware of the decadent French influences inherent to Cajun-Creole cuisine.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re used to eating heavy foods where I come from,\u201d Austin said with a provocative chuckle.<\/p>\n
Indeed, his fried chicken skins dusted in Parmesan and blanketed with melted cheddar attest to that. We found them refreshingly sinful, which explained why we couldn\u2019t stop picking at them.<\/p>\n
Had it not been for the draping of crawfish cream sauce on the alligator cheesecake, I would\u2019ve opted for the \u201cpasta Jenny,\u201d which involves the luxurious sauce tossed with linguine. I instead chose the \u201cNorth Park gumbo yaya\u201d featuring a bouquet of proteins in a fragrant dark-roux base.<\/p>\n
The bowl brimmed with shrimp, crab, andouille sausage, and blackened red fish. The bonus was a meatball made from delectably spicy beef imported from Louisiana. I craved one or two more. Though by the time I hit the layer of jasmine rice at the bottom, my stomach screamed \u201cstop!\u201d<\/p>\n
Another entree, \u201cthe dookey chase,\u201d yields three fried chicken wings, a decent serving of collard greens strewn with sausage, and house-made cheddar biscuits. The whole, jointed wings carried the crispy goodness of Southern fried chicken, a fitting complement to the fat-laced greens and biscuits.<\/p>\n
Austin worked in kitchens \u201call around New Orleans\u201d before landing here. He breaks the copycat mold of San Diego cuisine, and in an environment that greets guests with a mostly outdoor design occupying the base of a spanking-new residential structure.<\/p>\n
No doubt, if you\u2019re looking to shake up your dining routine (and diet), you\u2019ve come to the right place.<\/p>\n
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