Cajun And Creole Come To Downtown Dallas

NOLA Brasserie at One Main Place next to the Westin Hotel brings Creole and Cajun food to downtown Dallas. That's a good sign for an area seeing a steady growth in restaurant choices. It is already proving especially popular with the downtown lunch crowd. Blue Plate daily lunch specials, available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., are served in 10 minutes or less and priced under $9.

Each day of the week features one of the signature Cajun and Creole handmade specialties such as Creole Grits and Grillades; fork-tender sirloin medallions braised in red wine and served over rosemary-infused grits; crawfish etouffee, featuring the freshest tender Louisiana crawfish tails slow-cooked in Creole veggies and spices; or chicken and sausage pastalaya, a spicy Cajun marriage of andouille sausage, chicken, Creole veggies, and stewed tomatoes served with penne.

Midday dining also includes NOLA Brasserie's popular lunch menu with weekday specials such as their "Lunch-ish Who Dat Platter" of crispy fried shrimp and catfish filet atop hand-cut seasoned French fries and a side of Creole coleslaw and crawfish fritters; blackened chicken pasta, chicken sautéed in onions and peppers, tossed with a piquant and creamy Alfredo sauce over linguini; and because we are in Texas, the renowned Angus cheeseburger, six ounces flame-grilled, topped with Cheddar, and served on a fresh bun.

In the evenings, check out the menu for several authentic New Orleans dishes such as Louisiana gumbo ($6/$10), crawfish etouffee ($17), and crawfish fritters ($7).