Cocktails are the Beginning and the End

By Sandra Scott

Hands down, Southwest Louisiana, known for its Cajun and Creole specialties, is a foodie’s paradise. The Cajuns descended from the Nova Scotia French who settled along the waterways and bayous. Creoles, of French and European lineage, were more aristocratic and settled in the cities. Both had their own distinct recipes but over the years the Africans, Spanish, and Native Americans added their own flavors to the cuisine creating a bountiful buffet. One of the Cajun favorites is a specialty sausage, boudin. It is so popular that it has its own dedicated trail that leads from one boudin maker to another. John and I visited several boudin makers who had other new taste treats: cracklin’, fried gator, and gumbo.

We stayed at L’Auberge Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, LA, where the eating was also amazing. Actually, we didn’t have to leave the hotel to be in eatin’ heaven. Their Le Beaucoup Buffet was one of the most expansive we have ever seen, with an amazing selection of seafood. It is just one of the several restaurants at the L’Auburge. John and I preferred the Ember Grille & Wine Bar, mainly because every meal should start and end with a relaxing cocktail, and their Ember Piano Lounge is the most delightful place to relax after a day of sightseeing in the Lake Charles area.

The fireplace was ablaze while John and I enjoyed one of the Ember Grille cocktails. We decided on the Ember Margarita, giving a bow to the crackling fire that gave a relaxing glow to the lounge. The cocktail had a rosy glow to it when Michelle, the mixologist presented it. The Ember Margarita was a great new twist on the standard Margarita. It was made with Tres Generaciones, Grand Mariner, pomegranate liqueur, Aloe, and fresh lemon-lime juice. Sipping our cocktail and listening to the piano music was the perfect way to end the day and ease into the evening. Not only that, but pomegranate is considered to have beneficial health benefits.

Completely relaxed, we moved to the Ember’s dining room for an amazing dinner. We started with their melt-in-your-mouth Black Truffle Goat Cheese Baklava. Deciding on the entree was difficult, but John, the seafood lover, opted for the Chilled Seafood Tower with an array that contained king crab legs, snow crab claws, black mussels, little neck clams, oysters, and, of course, Gulf shrimp. I opted for the Kobe Beef, American Kobe that is. After dinner we retired to the Ember’s Piano Lounge for a goodnight Ember Margarita. Truly a great way to start and end a fantastic meal. We knew that the next day we would be ready to do more exploring in Southwest Louisiana. On the agenda – the Creole Nature Trail and the Imperial Calcasieu Museum where John wants to see the Sallier Oak. And, at the end of the day we will return for a cocktail—maybe the Elderflower Collins, this time, while listening to the relaxing piano music and deciding if we should eat at Ember Grille or try the never-ending buffet , or possibly thei Asian restaurant. Regardless, our meal will start and end with a relaxing cocktail around the fire in the Embers Lounge.

Visit www.visitlakecharles.org and www.ldlcasino.com.

Sandra Scott is a frequent contributor to travel publications and to Creators Syndicate
and has co-authored two books on local history. She lives in Mexico, NY.

Photos by J. J. Scott.

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