La Petite Grocery

Last month we were invited to La Petite Grocery to taste some of the new menu items that Chef Justin Devillier has been fooling around with. (Full Disclosure: We did not pay for any food. However, what we saved in food costs, we more than made up for in alcohol sales by sampling the cocktail menu - which was also pretty good.) We tried probably 10 or 12 dishes, most of which were good, but few of which photographed well. Here is the best of what we could capture on film.

House-made agnolloti pasta stuffed with blackeyed peas. Almost as unconventional as it was delicious. If you are a vegetarian or denying yourself pork for some masochistic reason, then run to LPG if they are ever offering this dish as a special.

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Boudin balls, housemade as well. Delicious and popped in your mouth, revealing a smooth and spicy interior. The balls sat on top of chow chow. Ha, we said balls.

Seared ahi tuna with sweet onion jam and miso broth. Yes, seared tuna runs rampant through almost every menu and can be ordered nearly anywhere nowadays. But when a dish is done well (as in this case), you should not feel ashamed in enjoying it. This tuna was still succulent the next day, as Lindsay can attest to because she ate our leftovers for lunch. (Rene never takes her anywhere....)

How we also managed to consume this slab of braised short rib I have no idea. But I'm glad we did.

Other less-photogenic foods that we liked were: collard greens (redolent with pork), tuna carpaccio, french fries, and a creative little dessert of a mason jar filled with tart yogurt topped with a cold blueberry compote. I also think that LPG may serve some of the best grits in the city: thick, coarsely-ground yellow corn cooked with plenty of butter and cream.