It took a few weeks but I finally made it over to Balliceaux. I’ve been anticipating this opening for about 6 months and yet I somehow missed it. Oh well. It really doesn’t matter. Really, it’s one of my favorite chefs running the kitchen so I just needed to get over there and enjoy some amazing food.
BTW, don’t expect an unbiased review here. I’m a huge fan of Russell Cook and so I have a hard time being objective.
I was so desperate to eat there, that I took lil’marinara. I figured it would be a good test on how friendly and gracious their staff could be. I requested to sit in the back because it seemed a bit more low-key.
The Genius- Russell Cook
The staff was very engaging. Russell came by and I ordered “something low carb” and “something for kids.” I also ordered a bowl of their golden gazpacho, which was light, fresh and seasoned with a nice cayenne kick. The “something low carb” showed up and it was crispy pork belly on top of a cabbage salad and served with grilled veggies and au-jus. The “something for kids” was a heritage cheeseburger made with a Flour Garden roll, artisan cheese and local, grass-fed beef and fries.
Both dishes were great. Lil’ marinara tore up the fries and the burger, not before I was able to take a few bites. I dug into the pork belly, which Tony Bourdain refers to as the 5 layers of heaven. It was crispy and tasty on the outside. The inside was rich and tender. The au-jus was only really necessary for the inside pieces. The pieces with skin were perfect.
What I appreciated about the restaurant was that the prices were not outrageous. The pork was $16 and the burger was $10. With reasonable prices, it was amazing how well they were able to stay local, organic, and/or sustainable with the ingredients and wine.
I can’t wait to go back but I think I’ll leave the 2 year old at home and take the wife for a nice night out.
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