lagniappe is paper plate perfection

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lagniappe is like having the perfect backyard BBQ, but you don't have to dirty a single dish - seriously, you eat on paper plates. Order at the inside counter, pick your own cheese and meat platters from the industrial refrigerators and find a seat in the backyard of mismatched old furniture while you wait for your kebabs to be grilled and listen to live jazz music every night of the week.

It's pretty much skewers and only skewers on the menu at Lagniappe. You have the option of or steak skewers or grilled mahi mahi or chicken. It's as simple as that. You're skewer is grilled by a dude manning a BBQ outside and plated with cornbread and salad.

If you can think of a better way to spend an evening than outside, with good food, listening to New Orleans style jazz, surrounded by strings of cafe lights overhead (gets me every time) and wandering stray cats - let me know.

Let's have ten Lagniappe's. One serving French food. One with only folk music. One with a steel drum band.

About the ordering experience. Personally, I'm a fan of a small menu. I like somewhere that knows what they can do and does it well. I like family style and chefs choice and Trader Joe's; I don't need a lot of options. If you want white table cloth service, stay away. If you're down for rummaging through a fridge of cheese - and who isn't - get in the car (unless it's Monday, they're closed). You'll walk in through the Lagniappe House, a 4 bedroom house that's available for rent "to the public or for traveling musicians" with a shared kitchen and bathrooms. I'm not 100% on what the permitting is like for a place that's half short-term rental property, half live music venue with a BBQ and beer and wine, but I'm glad the city's letting it happen. Pick your cheese and charcuterie (salami, proscuitto, the usual) from said fridge and your beer from an adjacent one and then place your skewer/BBQ order at the counter.

I've forgotten something very important. Chocolate. Dark chocolate. In that fridge. With cranberry and almonds and other combinations that you absolutely should not pass up. We'll leave it at that and let you get in the car right this second.

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CulturePatricia GuarchAugust 8, 2013food, midtown mall, nice places, only in miami, restaurants