There’s only one place in town to enjoy pistolettes ($2.99 each), and that’s Louisiana Creole Cafe (3717 Dowling, 713-807-1700). A specialty of Louisiana dating to the 1920s, pistolettes were originally made from small French rolls; the inside part of the bread was removed, replaced with a shrimp, crawfish, crab or alligator stuffing, and then fried. The name comes from the shape of the rolls, which supposedly bore a resemblance to a small pistol. Only two kinds are available at Louisiana Creole Cafe: shrimp and crawfish. The dough surrounding the stuffing is more donut-like than bread-like and has a crispy crust. Both versions are delicious.
This article appears in Aug 27 – Sep 2, 2009.