A Food Review By Ronny Green
One could argue that I may be a bit biased because I once watched the tomatoes used for the tomato basil soup I had for lunch be brought in early one morning straight from the grower, and then slow roasted later that day before they would be combined with the fresh basil that was just plucked from the garden that same morning. One could even argue that I’m a bit biased because I’ve seen those same tomatoes and basil be transformed into tomato basil bread and sliced straight off the loaf before being buttered and added to my all-American breakfast platter. If the idea of farm to table is a concept you’ve heard of but haven’t experienced, allow me to recommend La Petite Affaire Café on the courthouse square in downtown Marksville.
Tuesday – Friday La Petite Café offers a different menu for breakfast and lunch. Today I am sampling a tasty variety of fresh ingredients from the lunch menu’s appetizer, salad, soup of the day, and sandwich offers. The appetizer is a light and fluffy ham and cheese croissant stuffed with sliced ham and melted cheddar cheese and, of course, the dough is handmade. Shrimp and okra gumbo is the featured soup of the day, made with five simple ingredients working in unison to make the upgrade from a cup to a bowl all worth it. The featured sandwich for today is Roast Beef, provolone cheese, and sauteed mushrooms layered on that tomato basil bread I spoke of earlier.
Fresh makes you feel good, full, and satiated without feeling bloated and sluggish. Most of the ingredients used in the dishes prepared at La Petite Affaire come from local growers within a 50-mile radius of Marksville. The sourcing of these pristine ingredients is on full display with the tapestry of flavors in today’s salad: figs, goat cheese, prosciutto, and pecans, with a balsamic vinaigrette. At La Petite, the approach is to “not over complicating things” in the kitchen by allowing the fresh non-processed ingredients to shine in each dish.
La Petite Affaire Café, the brainchild of proprietors Roy Guilbeau and Tara Rodney, sprouted from the ground during the pandemic. Fast forward a couple years from selling out of their home to a few sold out farmers’ markets under their belt, and an increasing demand for their fresh baked goods, now the La Petite Affaire Café is in full bloom, open Tuesday-Friday for breakfast and lunch on the courthouse square in downtown Marksville.
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