{"id":4965,"date":"2019-03-28T18:41:00","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T23:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/live-gordon-food-service.pantheonsite.io\/success-story-southern-chef-teaches-how-be-inspired-dessert\/"},"modified":"2022-12-13T16:41:45","modified_gmt":"2022-12-13T22:41:45","slug":"success-story-southern-chef-teaches-how-be-inspired-dessert","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/success-story-southern-chef-teaches-how-be-inspired-dessert\/","title":{"rendered":"Success Story: Southern Chef Teaches How to Be Inspired by Dessert"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are four seasons in Louisiana: shrimp, crab, crawfish and oyster. Padna\u2019s Eatery<\/a> wanted to bring food from each one to Houston diners \u2026 then top it off with an irresistible dessert like Praline Waffle Cheesecake.<\/p>\n

Authenticity is the promise owner Ryan Egl\u00e9 makes to each guest. And it all starts with the restaurant\u2019s name. Padna is a Southern spin on \u201cpartner.\u201d In his hometown of Cut-Off, Louisiana, deep in the wetlands south of New Orleans and 6 hours east of Houston, your friends are your pad-nahs.<\/p>\n

But the name goes deeper than Egl\u00e9\u2019s roots. \u201cEveryone called my Dad by the name \u2018Padna,\u2019 and when he was a lobbyist in Washington, D.C., he would entertain with big Mardi Gras-style events that brought people together for food and a good time\u2014he taught me how to cook.\u201d<\/p>\n

Egl\u00e9 came to Houston with a passion for cooking and a desire to open a restaurant. Padna\u2019s provides a place where every Cajun staple is on the menu in a setting that combines bayou boathouse with a New Orleans block party.  <\/p>\n

Crawfish, Boudin Balls and Praline Waffle Cheesecake<\/h3>\n

Until Praline Fried Chicken became his best seller, the restaurant was popular for Crawfish Lafourche (or Shrimp Lafourche when crawfish is out of season). Boudin Balls (pork sausage rolled, breaded and fried then served with Padna\u2019s own \u201cWhere Y\u2019at Sauce\u201d) are another favorite, and Egl\u00e9 credits Gordon Food Service with setting up a vendor connection that led to his signature breading and frying technique.<\/p>\n

No meal is complete without his Praline Waffle Cheesecake, a recipe that\u2019s truly a labor of love. \u201cWhen my fianc\u00e9 (Ronique, who is now his wife) and I were at the Gordon Food Service Show<\/a>, she went dessert hunting,\u201d Egl\u00e9 recalls. \u201cShe found the cheesecake and ran over and grabbed me.\u201d<\/p>\n

They were won over by the waffle cheesecake in the Created to Inspire<\/a> collection. But cheesecake alone was not enough. \u201cI was dying to have a praline presence on the sweets side of the menu.\u201d Using a praline recipe inspired by his father, Egl\u00e9 drenched the cheesecake in praline sauce, breaking waffle bowls to pierce the top, and crumbling pecans on top.  <\/p>\n

\u201cThe dessert Gordon Food Service started, we came up with a way to finish it really pretty and it fit perfectly in our theme,\u201d Egl\u00e9 says.<\/p>\n

Taking it to the next level<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beyond the favorites, other Cajun classics\u2014etouffee, gumbo, NOLA-style BBQ shrimp, beignets and po-boys\u2014are right at home on the menu. These specialties draw in guests looking for a touch of flavor and nostalgia. <\/p>\n

Blessed with good feedback on his food, Egl\u00e9 thinks expanding entertainment may be a logical way to extend a New Orleans\u2019 feel to his Houston customers. \u201cWhen you go to a place like New Orleans, you not only expect good food, but you get a good time,\u201d Egl\u00e9 says. \u201cThe people from Texas really appreciate New Orleans because it\u2019s so close. When they visit us, we want them to say, \u2018That\u2019s what it\u2019s really like when we go there.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Restaurant Snapshot<\/h3>\n

Operation: <\/strong>Padna\u2019s Eatery
Location:<\/strong> 403 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas
Classification:<\/strong> Cajun\/Southern Louisiana Cuisine and Entertainment
Number of Seats:<\/strong> 75, plus on the patio
Dayparts Served: <\/strong>Lunch\/Dinner\/Late-night light bites; Sunday morning Caf\u00e9 du Monde service
Owner:<\/strong> Ryan Egl\u00e9
Total Staff:<\/strong> 10
Guiding Philosophy:<\/strong> We\u2019re here to love and serve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ooey-gooey goodness puts waffle cheesecake right at home on Cajun menu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[68],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-culinary-ideas"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSuccess Story: Southern Chef Gets Inspired by Dessert<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gfs.com\/en-us\/ideas\/success-story-southern-chef-teaches-how-be-inspired-dessert\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Success Story: Southern Chef Teaches How to Be Inspired by Dessert\" \/>\n<meta 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