Birthday Celebrations are something that my friends and I look forward to. It is a time of laughs, fun, catching up and delicious food. This particular birthday celebration was for my good friend Jeanne. She is one of my foodie friends.
There aren’t many of my friends that understand my passion for cooking, food blogging and of course fashion. She is one that gets me in all these areas. As she began contemplating as to where she wanted to eat for her birthday, she knew she wanted a place that would serve delicious food as well as a good dining experience.
Pamplona’s was one of her top 3 choices. Pamplona’s is a Tapas Bar and Restaurant that provides small plates or tapas with fresh ingredients. The menu includes an urban elegance with a rustic spanish flavors.
As we approached the restaurant, the Red Door was very eye catching and sort of made you feel like you were being transported to another country.
As we skimmed through the menu, we started discussing the different small plates. Each of us decided that we wanted to order a few small plates and share everything. This was a perfect idea.
It is part of my dining routine to order a fruity drink, I asked the waiter to have the bartender create me a fruity drink without the alcohol. Pictured above is what he came up with, a Pomegranate and blackberry with lemon drink. Pretty good.
Our first tapas was the Ceviche. The Ceviche was fresh shrimp in a tomato based marinate with citrus and cilantro. The dish had an amazing spice level. The citrus add an extra level of flavor. So good.
The Duck Fat Fries was our next choice. The Duck Fat Fries were topped with a garlic and parsley mixture and served with ketchup and a house made dipping sauce. The dipping sauce was yummy and perfect with the fries.
The fries are probably one of my favorite things I have ever tried at Pamplona’s.
The Garlic Shrimp was our next dish (pictured above). The garlic shrimp was Louisiana shrimp that is pan-sauteed and served in a delicious spicy garlic broth. The broth had incredibly complex flavors.
The shrimp was served with a Ciabatta loaf of house made bread. Perfect to sop up the broth which was amazing.
The Char-grilled Oysters were delicious. Char-grilled, topped with cheese, parsley and lemon to garnish. Perfectly char-grilled oysters; the right balance of cheese on top.
The Fried Calamari is pictured above. The calamari was a spanish-style fried calamari with a jalapeño, lemon aioli. Wow. Some of the best Calamari that I have ever had. Fried perfectly, golden brown. The calamari wasn’t chewy like some places I’ve tried. Great texture and easy to eat. The dipping sauce was delicious. Perfect with the calamari.
Our last dish of the evening was the Half Hanger Steak. The steak was basted in butter and topped with rosemary. The steak was good but lacked salt and pepper.
Overall our time at Pamplona’s was amazing. We had a fun time of fellowship, lots of laughs and a wonderful time celebrating our friend.
We did not try the dessert at Pamplona’s. Instead we headed over to La Creperie Bistro. But I am sure that they have delicious dessert. I will be sure to try the dessert on my next visit to Pamplona’s.
Pamplona’s served delicious food. The atmosphere was perfect for the Birthday Dinner. Our waiter was knowledgeable and did a phenomenal job of meeting all of our dining needs.
Pamplona’s is located in the heart of Downtown, 631 Jefferson Street, Lafayette, LA. Hours of operation are Tuesday-Friday 11:00 am – 2:00 pm for Lunch, Tuesday – Thursday 2:00 pm – 10:00 pm and Fridays 2-11 and Saturdays 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm for Dinner.
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