Cajun Food for Spring at Dragon Fire

A new semester is well underway at HCC, and with it, a new menu at Dragon's Fire restaurant. A lunch-only set-up, it is a reservation-only place, with limited seating. However, for your efforts, you are rewarded with a gourmet, 3-course lunch for $14.

This semester features a Cajun-influenced menu, and I have to say, I'm a bit prejudiced because I love Cajun food, but it's even better than last semester!

We started with the fried green tomatoes and the fried catfish bites. Each time I order fried green tomatoes at a restaurant, it is served in a completely different manner. This version was lightly fried, in a smoked sauce, topped with black-eyed peas. The dish was not at all spicy, but had plenty of savory flavor.

The other appetizer was the catfish bites. These were well-breaded and deep-fried, served with a remoulade to give them more flavor. The pieces were big, and this was certainly enough for two to share. They were not greasy at all, despite being cooked in oil.

The entrees were a difficult choice, with offerings like gumbo and po'boy sandwiches. We chose to try the shrimp n' grits and the chicken and waffles. I did not say that we were being healthy!

Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite comfort foods, and much like all Cajun cuisine, everyone has their own recipe. However, it must include creamy grits and large, well-seasoned shrimp. This version was great on both counts, including a sausage gravy to add some interest.

The portion size is fitting for fine dining -- filling, but not so huge that one feels the need to loosen clothing.

Two pictures because I love shrimp and grits!

Our other entree was the chicken and waffles, with a honey maple butter. The chicken was very good, not spicy, but very tasty.

The waffle was large and crisp, and the maple butter really made this dish shine.

Dessert was hardly needed after such a big meal, but it's a treat, so why not? I tried the bananas foster reimagined, which was a banana cake surrounded by a rum mousse then frozen. The best part was the little granola chocolate bits surrounding the main dessert. These were delicious and crispy bits of perfection. I'm not a huge bananas foster fan, so I'm not even sure why I ordered this, but it was light and flavorful.