Email this page  Print this page  del.icio.us  digg  yahoo!  Comments

Big Taste from the Big Easy

French Quarter Café is a bayou-tiful addition to the downtown Springfield dining scene.

Photo Kevin O'Riley

French Quarter's shrimp po' boy and gumbo are just two of the hearty, authentic dishes you'll find there.

There’s been a lot of misfortune coming out of southern Louisiana the last few years, no? Hurricanes. Crime. The Saints. It’s a shame, because in our book the best news to come out of the Big Easy in years is Christina Barthels, co-owner and menu mastermind at downtown Springfield’s new French Quarter Café.

Barthels formerly worked at Branson’s Chateau on the Lake and Big Cedar Lodge before deciding to open her own restaurant with husband Charles Barthels and sons Corey Barthels, 23; Stephen Sullivan, 20; and Charles Lawson, 28. “I’ve been making bengiets since I was 10 years old,” she explains. “I’ve tried some Cajun [restaurants] here and noticed a lot of things wrong. I wanted to be able to cook it the way it should be.”
 

The Place

You would never know French Quarter used to be Geekerz, the now-defunct computer-gaming joint. Gold-painted walls with by-hand stenciling are lined with jazz- and food-themed photos and paintings. Some subtle greenery and omnipresent fleur-de-lis shapes (even the napkins are folded that way) provide a festive effect without falling into cheesy Mardi Gras territory. The only thing about the ambience that sort of made us scratch our heads is the brightness of the restaurant at night. French Quarter has the menu and ambience chops to drop the light levels and pump up the romance factor at night. Dimmers, or even table lamps, would create a much more inviting vibe than the harsh fluorescents.

The Food

Before meeting the Barthels I made my acquaintance with French Quarter’s menu. My first trip was a lunch with my friend Jeff, who works downtown. We split the sampler basket as an appetizer, which came with fried oysters, hush puppies, fried alligator tail and fried shrimp. Everything was very fried, but very good—particularly the shrimp—and felt like a bargain at $6.99.

Playing it safe with my entrée, I ordered the shrimp po’ boy. Local po’ boy offerings are, in all, pretty good. French Quarter’s is probably the best, loaded with fried shrimp, fresh tomato and lettuce, and a generous amount of spicy brown mustard (that was the clincher for me). Best of all, it was huge—worth every penny of $5.99. The fries were equally good. Jeff said he thought his gumbo ($5.79) was the best he’s had in town. The chef didn’t skimp on the
andouille sausage, shrimp and chicken.

On my return visit a week or so later, I brought along my wife, Nichole, for an early dinner. She ordered the lobster bisque. As a sauce for the seafood ravioli ($5.99, which we ordered as an appetizer and loved) it was delicious. But when Nichole ordered a bowl of lobster bisque ($4.79) for dinner, we found it included way too much white wine. We’re all for wine as a cooking ingredient, but you shouldn’t be able to smell it across the table. For myself, this time around I ordered the Louisiana red beans and rice ($4.79), which was a simple dish but very, very good. Again, there was no skimping on the andouille, and the ingredients were obviously fresh.

Both times I visited French Quarter, I finished with an order of beignets—three puffy, flaky, delicious, powdered sugar-covered pastries for only $1.79. Not each... total. I made a complete mess of the tablecloth and, later, my kitchen counter, but it is so worth it.

I couldn’t help but notice what was being ordered at nearby tables. One fellow ordered what could only be the $11.99 muffaletta ($6.99 half). To say it was enormous would be an understatement. Two thick slices of bread the size of a medium pizza crust, with meat, olive spread and cheese in between.

In true frugal Lemmon fashion, it was the price that amazed me: An appetizer, two teas, two entrees and a dessert, plus a 20-percent tip, for $30 on the button. The price was slightly less during dinner with my wife. Both times, particularly at dinner, our service was attentive and swift.

Overall, French Quarter Café is one of those rare restaurants that has a distinct mission and pulls it off. You won’t find more authentic Cajun cuisine in Springfield. If you in the mood to try something new, or just sip a fine cup of coffee with a sweet beignet, French Quarter should be a regular downtown stop.

About Reviewing

Reviews are written by our editors and freelance writers as a service to readers, without advertising consideration. Visits are as anonymous as possible, and all expenses are paid by 417 Magazine. New restaurants are allowed at least four weeks to establish themselves before a first visit. To comment, please use our new Dining Feedback section on 417mag.com.

Want more dining reviewsz? Click here to subscribe to 417 Magazine