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Food

TLO Restaurant Review: Brielle’s Bistro

11:33 AM EDT on June 6, 2023

Recently, my Cajun confidante yearned for some home cooking from her sweet Louisiana home and the crawfished delicacies it's known for.

While I could not make that happen, I tried recreating similar bayou energy by treating her to the cajun-inspired, down-home tastes of Brielle’s Bistro, 2037 S. Meridian.

Even though I rarely try Oklahoma Cajun and Creole food outside of food fairs, convenience store delis, and Zatarain's get-togethers, Brielle’s is now my number-one spot for the best Zydeco energy in Oklahoma City.

Ooooo-weee!

As the joyous melody of “My Toot-Toot” came overhead, we were seated at the mostly empty restaurant and promptly brought some water. Although I was craving the soulful music of Lestat, sadly, it was 11:36 a.m. on a Saturday, and all the vampiric blues were stuck in the Big Easy.

After looking at the extensive menu, we decided to forgo personal dishes and go straight for the Bayou Sampler ($40.00).

It had everything a big daddy would want in a meal, including three pieces of fried catfish, crab beignets, gator bites, and nine pieces of fried shrimp, as well as a cup of gumbo and an equally hearty serving of etouffee.

I have never been to New Orleans and its incorporated townships, but Brille’s made me feel big and easy, starting with the cups of gumbo and etouffee. Born and raised on the stew-like companion, my cher liked it fine. I adored both of the options, with the etouffee photo-finishing ahead by a slim margin, drinking like it was a mug.

I also enjoyed the pieces of fried shrimp, but more than that, I was thoroughly entranced by the gator bites—bite-size pieces of supposed alligator meat—and the outstanding crab beignets, with layers of fried dough and a little bit of crab that went smooth down my trap. My parlor-mate enjoyed the beignets too, so we had to duel for the remaining piece. Pass a good time, they often say.

Finally, I went for the tender pieces of fried catfish. Dowsed with a popular hot sauce, it was pretty darn good. While it’s not Oklahoma-styled fish, it is top of the heap, crispy and seasoned with the dips and drabs of the pronounced bites. Ca c’est bon!

With both of us taking a few extra bites, we had one more thing: the Beignets (three for $4.00). While I found them to be radiant in their sweet-powdered glow, I was done. Like I said, this restaurant has everything I think New Orleans probably has, but with Oklahoma City at your back, and that’s good enough for me enough.

Fais do-do!

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Follow Louis on Twitter at @LouisFowler and Instagram at @louisfowler78.

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