Tales of the Cocktail: Once Upon A Time

by Steven Lindsey          photos by Rod Orta

Tales from the Cocktail begins today in New Orleans and Crave DFW is there for every last sip. For the next few days, and probably a few after it’s all over, we’ll be reporting on the newest trends in cocktails, the latest and greatest brands to hit the market, and pretty much anything booze-related we can get our lips around. 

But the journey to New Orleans from Dallas by car is half the fun. If you find yourself making the long Louisiana drive, make sure to stop off in Natchitoches for a famous meat pie at Lasyone’s Meat Pie Restaurant. It was a favorite dining spot for the cast of Steel Magnolias when they were filming in town back in the late 1980s. And like we always say, if Daryl Hannah thinks it’s good, then it’s gotta be good.

So we ordered the famous meat pie (we’re saving the crawfish pie for our next visit). Served piping hot, the crescent of flaky dough occupies half a dinner plate. It’s stuffed with a delicious combination of 80% beef and 20% pork. The crust is crisp, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, the filling is perfectly seasoned, and the whole package is not in the slightest bit greasy. Quite a feat for a fried pie.

Go for the combo plate and get your meat pie served with amazing dirty rice and your choice of a daily vegetable, plus a trip to their small-but-unique salad bar. The meat pie is the Philly cheesesteak of Natchitoches and this is probably the best place in town to get one.

Plus, it provides the much-needed carb-loading for days of drinking in New Orleans.