Photo by Lucius Fontenot
What do you get when you combine a champion of the Food Network television hit Chopped with the pantry of Louisiana and a community development expert? This is not a trick question—in this case, you get a new restaurant in tiny Grand Coteau called Grand Coteau Bistro.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Chef Christopher Thames has traveled from coast to coast, cooking for judges and jugglers: he won Chopped and was the traveling chef for Cirque du Soleil in Montreal, Quebec. But in a sense, his move to Grand Coteau is proof that no matter where you go or what you do, you can never escape your roots.
Thames grew up along the Louisiana/Texas border, surrounded by Cajun culture until he was 17. He got his love of cooking from his grandmother. “My mother couldn’t cook her way out of a paper bag, but my grandmother was amazing,” Thames said. “I was stirring roux at three years old. In fact, I wrote my first recipe when I was six. I have it hanging in my kitchen as a reminder of where I am going.”
It’s a recipe for gumbo, and Thames keeps it hanging in his kitchen as a daily reminder of cooking with love and from the heart.
And, yes, he’ll be serving gumbo.
“I will be serving gumbo, absolutely, using seasonal products and as much local as possible,” he said.
Focusing on local ingredients and local farmers is important to both Thames and his business partner, Leon Steele. “We are living in the pantry of Louisiana—how beautiful,” Thames said.
The restaurant’s menu features dishes that combine local treasures with unexpected fixings, including appetizers like broiled Gulf oysters stuffed with jalapeño boudin and smoked gouda. The redfish entrée is served over a ginger carrot purée with roasted mushrooms, tobacco onions, and truffle essence.
Thames is also looking forward to introducing his version of shepherd’s pie—tenderloin tips in a puff pastry crust—to the restaurant’s patrons. For dessert, Thames and Steele expect the bread pudding with an orange glaze to please the bread pudding aficionados of the area. Plus, Thames’ triple chocolate mousse terrine with chocolate sponge cake will likely gain its own well-deserved following.
The restaurant space Thames and Steele have claimed for their own is in the heart of Grand Coteau at a site that will be familiar to many; in years’ past, it was Catahoula’s. “We fell in love with Grand Coteau and the restaurant space,” said Thames. “We have met so many people in the area. Everybody keeps asking us what they can do to help.”
Thames and Steele are looking forward to being a part of the community—as the Santa Claus stop during the town’s traditional Christmas celebration, for instance—but they’re also putting their own stamp on the place. They plan to establish outdoor seating on the side deck, and the 180-seat restaurant will also serve as an art gallery. New Orleans’ Peter Briant’s work will hang at the inaugural show. “The potential is there, and I plan on filling that potential beyond expectations,” Thames said. “We want to be a part of the community and do what we can to bring economic growth to St. Landry Parish and Grand Coteau.”
Steele will play a vital role in the running of the new Grand Coteau Bistro, leading front-of-house operations. Previously, Steele worked for the state Division of Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program, promoting and implementing community and cultural development in more than thirty communities across the state.
“This is an opportunity to put it to the test. Our restaurant site seems to be an anchor business in the community,” Steele said. “People have been wanting it to re-open for a long time as a full-service restaurant. Lafayette is growing in this direction. Sunset is growing and changing, and Arnaudville is an anchor for arts.”
Thames plans to incorporate two of his culinary philosophies into the spirit of the new restaurant: “If you have the basics, you can do anything. Having the right teacher or the right book makes a difference.” He relied on both of those tenets in testing his culinary skills on Chopped.
A friend sent him the link to apply to appear on the show, and he sent his resume in without much consideration. “Within three days, they called. Within six weeks, I had an interview at W Hotel in Philadelphia where I was working at the time,” he said. A few weeks later, the network sent cameras to his house and filmed background for the show. Then, he was off to the Washington Square Whole Foods in New York City for a five-minute tour of the kitchen before the show tape.
“I hadn’t watched the show,” Thames said, “so I did my best. I believe the dessert round tipped me over the top. I love baking and getting my hands in dough.
Baking is an exact science. You have to be very precise; that’s what I like about it. I have an arsenal of recipes in my brain.” In thirty minutes and with that arsenal, Thames used the assigned ingredients—cipollini onions, Thai basil, apples, and oats—to create an apple and blueberry soup with an oat cipollini and Thai basil sugar cookie. He won the episode. “I created this magic little cookie that won the judges over,” he said.
Word of Thames’ big television win and the new restaurant has spread like wildfire throughout Acadiana. Both Thames and Steele gush over the way locals have welcomed them into the rural community. “Grand Coteau is just such a magical little jewel of a place,” Steele said. “We have literally been welcomed with open arms and hugs. One big, burly guy we’ve never laid eyes on saw us in the grocery store and heard we were the ones opening the restaurant, so he gives us a big hug. You don’t get that everywhere. That’s why I like Acadiana—the people and the rich culture here.”
Details. Details. Details.
Grand Coteau Bistro
234 East Martin Luther King Drive
Grand Coteau, La.
(337) 662-4033 • grandcoteaubistro.com
Hours:
Wednesday–Saturday, 4 pm–11 pm
Zydeco Brunch: Saturday, 11 am–2 pm
Sunday brunch: 11 am–2 pm
Zydeco Brunch
Grand Coteau Bistro will offer a Saturday Zydeco Brunch when, from 11 am to 2 pm, patrons will not only be able to enjoy Thames’ amazing culinary creations, but can also dance to live music. The October schedule is as follows:
October 3: David Greely
October 10: Curly Taylor and Zydeco Trouble
October 17: TBA
October 24: TBA
October 31: Sheryl Cormier
