 "Bernadette's offers French cuisine " BURNSIDE - The Robert Family, of Burnside, owners of The Cabin restaurant, have opened Bernadette's, a fine-dining restaurant specializing in authentic French cuisine. The new venture is in a circa-1840 house near The Cabin in a complex of old Louisiana structures on a tract of land at the intersection of La. 44 and La. 22, near Gonzales. Joel Robert, general manager, said the restaurant offers a la carte menus and a choice of two tasting menus, one with five courses, and one with seven courses, served with matching wines. Hours are 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Gerard Hemery, a native of France and long-time Baton Rouge chef and restauranteur, is chef. He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute in Switzerland. The tasting menu changes weekly, and the a la carte menu seasonally. Robert said the new establishment will feature food with "very high-end ingredients and service, and high quality wines." The menu offers six appetizers such as Escargot Maison and Blackened Scallops, two soups, a variety of salads and eight entrees. Examples of the entrees are Beef Wellington, Baby Veal Vermillion, and Duck Breast Normandie. Appetizers start at $12 and top out at $16, and entree prices are in the $28 to $48 range. Robert said The Cabin was opened by his father, Al Robert, in 1973. Specializing in Louisiana-style dishes, The Cabin is in five rustic structures that have been moved to the site and joined together. Bernadette's is in a more formal house with parlor, dining rooms, original millwork, cypress and heart-pine floors and original fireplaces. It is furnished with period antiques. Robert said Bernadette's can seat up to 45 diners. Reservations are required. The Cabin Restaurant and Bernadette's are located at 5405 La. 44, Burnside, some 3 miles east of I-10 exit 179. The telephone is (225) 473-9000. It opened April 25. |
