Heaven on Seven

My husband and I used to live in Louisiana.  In fact, that is where our second child was born.  We loved it!  Not only for the fun and crazy people, but for the amazing food.  They do it right down in Cajun country.  Needless to say, there is no place else like it.  So we were thrilled when we discovered the restaurant Heaven on Seven in Chicagoland because it has authentic and fantastic Louisiana cookin!  You’ve got to love the decor as well.  I feel like I’m at Mardi Gras.  And yes, those are hot sauces on the wall.  That’s a lot of hot sauce!

We started things off with a few drinks.  My husband got a beer and I decided to bust out and get something different.  Something that seemed to fit the Cajun vibe.  So I went with the Cajun Martini: Habanero Infused Vodka with Pepper soaked Olives and Cherry Peppers. 

 

There might be someone on this earth that would enjoy this drink, but it sure was not me!  I ended up asking for some blue cheese stuffed olives, therefore making this a Cajun Dirty Martini, hoping that would help.  But it did not!  Honestly, it was one of the worst drinks I have suffered through.  My husband told me to get another one, but I was embarrassed because I had talked to the waiter about taking a chance and then I felt like I failed or something.  Does this make sense to anyone?  I took tiny sips and didn’t finish it all (which was a first).  I am happy to report that everything got WAY better from this point.

 

We started with the Grilled Andouille Sausage on Sweet Potato Polenta and HOLY MOLY this stuff was AMAZING!  Those are caramelized onions on top and honey creole mustard sauce around the outside.  Seriously, one of the best things I have ever had when it comes to southern food.  It was sweet yet tangy, the sausage had a spicy bite to it and I could have licked the sweet potato polenta off the plate.  I will order this every time I go back.

 

We also had the sweet potato nest, which is fried sweet potato straws basically.  It isn’t on the menu for some reason.  It was good, fun for kids and not easy to eat.  It just didn’t compare to the sausage and polenta.

 

My husband ordered a bowl of gumbo for his meal.  The gumbo was delicious.  I also got a cup of it with my meal, so we were both able to enjoy.  Soups in general do not look so hot in pictures, but trust me, this was thick, spicy and had lots of great seafood bits to enjoy.  The white rice in the middle is the traditional way to eat it in Louisiana.

 

I knew I would be writing about my meal, and because I love you all so much, I got the sampler.  I wanted to be able to tell you how several different things tasted. So I suffered through eating many wonderful things.  I’m just sweet like that! 😉

 

My meal started with a cup of gumbo, then included Hoppin’ John (the black eyed peas), Red Beans & Rice, greens, and Jambalaya (with the shrimp).  Not to mention, another piece of the Andouille Sausage with mustard.  My husband thought I wouldn’t be able to eat it all.  He was wrong!

 

It’s worth mentioning again how great the sausage was: spicy with a crisp outside and juicy inside.  I also really enjoyed the Hoppin’ John, but I am a big black eyed pea fan.  And I could eat the greens every day.  By this time I was a little riced out, so I picked out the shrimp from the Jambalaya and enjoyed the red beans.  I don’t have anything bad to say about any of the things on this plate.  It was a great Louisiana home cooked style meal.  I felt like I could hear the Cajun accent coming from the kitchen.

 

 

No Louisiana meal would be complete without a cup of chicory coffee and some super rich dessert.  We went with the chocolate pecan pie and I am glad we did.  It was one of those desserts that I had to keep eating even though I was terribly full (I exercised really hard the next day!).  Rich and creamy with little bits of pecan and a perfect crust.  I left the ice cream to my husband because this pie didn’t need any help.  I love to have chicory coffee when I can to bring back those fun New Orleans memories of sitting at Cafe Du Monde, drinking my chicory coffee and eating beignets. This meal was great for remembering old times of living in the South when the kids were little.  Do you have a food that reminds you of home, or a good time in your life, or a great trip?