A decade of Cajun cuisine has made Bourbon Street a permanent fixture on Bell Boulevard. It is run by Mark Boccia, a lifelong Queens native, partnering with Chef Joe Cannella, who has been in the kitchen since he was nine, to create a unique experience in an area surrounded by Italian and Greek eateries. Chef Cannella, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, is focused on American comfort food and makes everything except the bread on the premises.
Resembling a place one could eat at in the French Quarter in New Orleans, this festive restaurant drops you smack dab in Mardi Gras, right down to beads on your bread plate. The clamorous bar attracts drinkers of all ages, and the two separate dining rooms are spacious and ambient. There is also a separate room for private gatherings. Through the week, there are numerous events, including Karaoke nights and speed dating (head to their site for more info).
One of their more popular mixed drinks I sampled was “The Hurricane,” a crimson hued drink made from four different light and dark rums, with cranberry, orange and pineapple juice in the eye of the storm. Smooth and not overly sweet, this fruity drink was an excellent accompaniment to my evening’s meal. The bar also has 14 draught beers on tap and many more signature drinks, including “The Tornado,” made from rum, banana liqueur and their secret “stormy juice.”
A medley of appetizers was diverse and irresistible. Corn dusted Calamari was soft and sweet rings of lightly fried squid; the best part was the crunchy tiny tentacles. Blackened sliders, miniature cheeseburgers with Cajun seasoning, kick your mouth awake as they disappear in a few bites. Sesame Tuna, served rare, had a luminous pink hue and was speckled with a sesame seed crust.
After the filling appetizers, trays of warm cornbread and a salad of mixed greens, the entrees were delivered. The Cajun Sampler offered Andouille sausage, blackened chicken and firm jumbo shrimp with rice and beans. The sly Creole Sauce tricks you, sweet to taste but then the heat slithers in, never overwhelming your tongue but reminding you of its spiciness.
A classic Creole dish, Chicken Tchoupitoulas, was a bronzed chicken served with mushrooms, green peppers, ham and tater tots, a clever throwback to Chef Cannella’s childhood. The grilled salmon, cradled on a bed of fried spinach, was thick and abundant in flavor, served with a roasted red pepper vinaigrette and farm fresh vegetables. This salmon steak was flaky and tender, and the colorful sauce had a Midas touch, adding flavor to anything it covered.
Chef Cannella disapproved of my initial choice of dessert, and insisted I try his recommendations. Instead of just one, I was presented with six exceptional ends to my meal. The Brownie Cheesecake was a firm New York style cheesecake with chunks of brownie lodged within it, while the White Chocolate cheesecake was smooth and luscious, soft like a mousse. The Chocolate Truffle cake had a rich ganache center enveloped between two fluffy cake layers. Bananas Foster, a dessert that was born in New Orleans in the 1950’s, was an exciting dish to eat and look at. Chopped bananas are caramelized in a brown sugar syrup with Kahlua, and then ignited, served flaming to order. Vanilla ice cream cools down this fiery treat, slowly melding with the sauce and fruit into a scrumptious treat. Other notable desserts include their special Pecan Pie, classic Banana Cream Pie and Mud Pie Gelato.
Rather than spending money on airfare to Louisiana, stop in at Bourbon Street and bring New Orleans to Queens!
Bourbon Street
40-12 Bell Boulevard,
Bayside, New York, 11361
Telephone:718.224.2200
Fax:718.224.7081
Sunday to Thursday from Noon to 11 p.m.
Friday and Saturday from Noon-Midnight.
www.bourbonstreetny.com
