 "Bernadette’s features fine dining" BURNSIDE - Joel Robert walks through the recently restored circa-1840 house pointing out the millwork and original fireplaces. "We did a lot of this ourselves," he said. The building is the latest in a collection of old Louisiana structures at the intersection of La. 44 and La. 22 where The Cabin restaurant operates. The restored plantation home houses Bernadette's, a fine-dining restaurant. "Bernadette was my father's godfather's grandmother," Robert said. Robert's father, Al, opened The Cabin, which specializes in Louisiana-style dishes, in 1973. The buildings that house the restaurant were moved from other sites. Bernadette's is open for dinner only and can seat 45. Reservations are required to the restaurant which specializes in French cuisine. Robert hired Gerard Hemery, a France native, who has been a chef and restauranteur on the Baton Rouge scene for more than 20 years. Hemery graduated from the Culinary Institute of Switzerland. Hemery said the tasting menu will change weekly and the á la carte menu will change seasonally. Some of the entrées include beef Wellington and duck breast Normandie. Robert said his aim is for dinner to be an experience. "It's not just about the food. I mean, the food is excellent, but fine dining should be about the experience," he said. To that end, the menu also includes two tasting menus, one five course and one seven course, both served with matching wines. Robert said many south Louisiana restaurants cater to tourists, and he expects to have a fair amount of tourist business. "But I really want to cater to locals. I want this to be a place that people come back to and become regulars," he said. |
