Seafood Palace: C' est Bon Cajun Cuisine

By Lisa Yates
Editor, The Times of SWLA

If you're going for white linen table cloths and a sommelier, don't bother. The décor at Seafood Palace is uber-casual, with tables decked out in red vinyl, and on the walls – mounted fish on fishing nets, Louisiana-themed posters and neon beer signs. But the Cajun food is phenomenal!

Located at 2218 Enterprise Boulevard in Lake Charles, Seafood Palace features authentic Louisiana specialties such as boiled crabs and crawfish, po-boys, and a wide selection of menu items -- all available for take out.

Famous for gumbo

Over the years, Seafood Palace has become the city's favorite spot to enjoy Cajun cuisine, especially gumbo. There are two varieties of gumbo to choose from -- chicken and sausage, or shrimp and crab.

“We're known for our gumbo,” said David Papania, who owns the restaurant along with business partner, John Larocca.

Papania pointed to the autographed Little Chenier movie poster hanging behind the cash register. He said the star of the movie signed it when dining at the restaurant.

“The star of Little Chenier, Fred Koehler, ate here and loved our gumbo,” Papania said. “He's coming back, again, this Thanksgiving.”

What makes the gumbo so good?

Seafood Palace uses only great-tasting, fresh food and premium-quality, fresh ingredients for its gumbo, according to Papania. He added, having a great cook to put it all together is another essential ingredient.

“Stella LaVerge is our gumbo cook,” Papania said. “She's been cooking gumbo for a long time – more than 30 years.”

Opened more than 30 years ago, the highly successful Seafood Palace serves thousands of meals a year, and has been written up in publications throughout the world.

“Back then, it was called Crab Palace,” Papania said. “Alice Gaspard owned it, originally. My business partner and I bought it seven years ago, in 2001.”

They changed the name to “Seafood Palace” and tweaked the menu adding more items, even “gator wings.” Gator wings look like buffalo wings, but are made from Louisiana Alligator meat and they are delicious!

“Fresh-broiled crabs and crawfish are best-sellers, along with the gumbo,” Papania said. He stressed the restaurant uses only fresh, local seafood.

“We get our crabs daily from Hackberry; and, we buy our crawfish from local crawfish farmers,” he said.

The menu

For those who love seafood, there's plenty of choices on the menu, including a variety of tasty dinners.

Served with a salad, French fries and Texas toast, dinner entrees include: fried popcorn shrimp, shrimp, catfish, oysters and combos.

There's also a large selection of a la carte choices, such as crawfish, and crab, patties; stuffed crab, and shrimp; frog legs; crawfish tails; and, a seafood platter. For those who don't want seafood, there's chicken.

“In addition to our fried food, we also have grilled dinners for those who are watching their waistlines,” Papania said.

He said there's also a large number of appetizers to start off the meal. Boudin balls, stuffed pistolettes, fried catfish filet, fried okra, stuffed shrimp, frog legs, shrimp and crab jalapeños are just a few to mention.

There's a kid's menu for those age 12, and younger.

It's a family-friendly place, to be sure. However, adult beverages are available for those who enjoy an occasional cocktail.

Business is good

Papania said business is good, even in this tough economy.

“Our business has been steady,” he said. “We have a lot of regular customers and a lot of repeat business.”

He said the restaurant does a brisk business at lunchtime as people are drawn from nearby hospitals and law offices downtown.

“I guess you can say we have the best, worse location there is,” Papania said. “We're a little off the beaten path, but we've been here so long that people know where to find us.”

He said the location is far enough from the hubbub in some areas so as to avoid wasting time in traffic, but still close enough to allow diners to get in and out in a reasonable amount of time.

The service

Although patrons come for the food, the service is always polite and efficient, even during busier times. The wait staff is very attentive, making sure their guests are enjoying their meals and helping out as needed.

That's what keeps folks coming back, according to Papania.

“That's why we have been successful,” he said. “We have good food, excellent service and a casual, friendly atmosphere.”

Papania can always be found greeting people warmly and talking with patrons to make sure their visit is as pleasant as possible.

“People like seeing an owner present,” he said. “That way, we can make sure that things are done correctly; and, we can take care of any problems that might occur.”

He said that the restaurant business is a people-oriented business.

“I like to be around people,” he said. “I've been in this business all of my life. My family had an Italian restaurant, so it just something I know how to do – and, I like it.”

Hard-working mom finds opening business pays off

By Lisa Yates
Editor

Wedad Abrusley opened Oasis Foods, Inc. because small businesses needed a distributor willing to handle small orders.

In 1978, her husband, Eddie, was working as a salesman for a food service distributing business in Beaumont, Texas. The company was bought by a major company and soon implemented a new policy -- it quit filling orders of less than $700.

“Many of my husband's customers were small mom and pop businesses,” Abrusley said.
“These were people in Abbeville and Port Arthur...Good customers, but small businesses.”

Her husband suggested they start a company to fill the void. It was a good opportunity and it would help these small businesses, he told her.

Abrusley, 60, wasn't excited about the idea. Instead, she wanted to purchase an import store franchise from a company in Houston. Besides, the timing wasn't right.

“At that time, I was expecting our third child,” she said. “I was six months pregnant. I did not want to lose the insurance.”

However, she took a chance.

“We borrowed $25,000 on our home – we took out a second mortgage,” Abrusley said.

Without a personal vehicle, the couple purchased a truck for pick-ups and deliveries.

“I took orders over the phone with three kids screaming at me in the background,” Abrusley said.

In addition to taking orders by phone, she divided onions and potatoes in her garage. Then, she helped load the produce onto the truck for her husband to deliver. She did this while caring for her three small children at home, while her husband delivered orders throughout Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana.

“I was a wife, a mom, an employee – I did the invoices, mailed out statements while I took care of the kids,” Abrusley said. “I cooked and I cleaned; and, I worried about him on the road. There were no cell phones back then. My blood pressure – it raised from worrying so much.”

The big break

Her first big break came when a chain of convenience stores became customers.

More money became available, but rather than purchase personal luxuries, Abrusley put money back into the business. The company hired employees and purchased new equipment – freezers, storage facilities and delivery trucks.

Growing up without luxuries in Syria helped Abrusley to prioritize and to invest wisely in her business. She said it also helped her appreciate the opportunities and luxuries many take for granted in this country.

“We had no electricity,” she said. “We had no refrigerator.”

At age 33, Abrusley's father became disabled and had to retire. Her mother supported the family, which included seven daughters and two sons.

“My mom is my hero,” Abrusley said. “She would sew one dress for seven children to wear. She taught us a lot. I am 100 percent like my mom. She had no refrigerator, but she always had a smile. She worked hard and built a house for us in Damascus – the capital city.”

Even though Abrusley didn't speak English – only Arabic, and some French -- she wanted to go to college in the United States of America. She wanted a better life.

“In America, I know I could do it,” she said. “I know I could cut grass, wash cars – there is freedom here.”

She followed her dreams and came to this country. A family from her church – Judy and Frank Mousa, of Houston, welcomed her into their home. She helped care for their baby, while attending college.

“I never will forget those people,” Abrusley said. “They made me a part of their family. When I got married, they even paid for my wedding.”

The leap from college student to business owner took many years, but she did it.

With her husband and children, Abrusley built a successful company, which has been in business for 25 years.

Challenges

Along the way, Abrusley said she faced many challenges – including customers who let her know that they did not want to do business with a woman.

However, one of the biggest setbacks occurred when she lost her largest customer – a chain of convenience stores she had done business with for 16 years. The chain hired new management, who went with another distributor.

Abrusley remembered thinking “God, help us.”

“We had 26 employees, then,” she said.

Like the Boy Scouts, her motto has been: “Be prepared.” Being prepared helped her weather many storms.

“You have to be very patient, smart, and you have to prepare,” Abrusley said. “When one window closes, you have to open another one. Always in business -- if you lose a customer, you need to have another.”

For example, she took action when Harrah’s Casino came to town. She filled out vendor applications and got some business from that company.

By providing excellent customer service, she has managed to work with other area casinos, including L’Auberge du Lac, Delta Downs, and Isle of Capri.

“I would say that about 80 percent of our business is with casinos,” Abrusley said. “But, we have no guarantees – no contracts. We just have a history of giving the best quality service.”

Other challenges

The 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., had chilling effects on many Arab-Americans, including the Abrusley family.

“One of our best customers came into our lobby and starting yelling (obscenities) at us,” she said.

Besides being disturbed by this outburst, Abrusley -- a life-long Christian – said she was surprised that people here did not know Syria's significance in the history of Christianity.

“He did not know history, or geography,” she said. “The persons responsible for these attacks were not from my country.”

Even after 25 years in business – paying taxes and giving back to the community, some still eye her with suspicion, she said.

Despite this and other challenges, Abrusley continues working as she has done her entire life. Her husband, who is recovering from major surgery, spends less time at the office.

Following in their footsteps

Following in their parents' entrepreneurial footsteps, the couple's children – grown now -- are developing their own businesses.

Their daughters, Sami and Omaia, are opening Regalia at 411 W. College Street in Lake Charles – formerly Spain's Gift Shop. Shadi, their son, founded Southwest Marketing and Distribution – a wholesale distributor of premium liquor, spirits, wine, kitchen equipment and smallwares.

“I am very proud of them,” Abrusley said. “They work very hard – seven days a week.” Just like their parents.


For more information, call (337) 439-5262, (337) 439-4405, or visit 2222 Kirkman Street in Lake Charles, or online at www.oasisfoodsinc.com.