If you have only been coming to Chef Charles Bistreaux for breakfast, it is time to come back at lunch. The St. Roch Market counter has expanded its midday menu, and the new lineup leans hard into the Louisiana seafood that has become Chef Charles Wilford Sr.'s signature. The additions are available daily from 11am, once the morning breakfast service winds down.
The headliner is the Blackened Catfish Louisiana. Wilford takes a Louisiana farm-raised catfish fillet, blackens it, and sets it over a bed of jambalaya before finishing the plate with crawfish étouffée and a side garden salad. It eats like a full Creole dinner served in the middle of the day.
For something handheld, the new Shrimp Burger has quickly become a favorite. An all-shrimp patty, seasoned with Wilford's own blend, is pan-seared and stacked on a garlic-toasted sourdough bun with lettuce, tomato, and house pickles. Anyone who wants red meat instead can order the Steak Burger, built the same way with a grilled ribeye and a swipe of creamy horseradish.
The new menu also brings a round of shareable starters. The Seafood Nachos pile Louisiana shrimp and crawfish over fresh-fried chips with a creamy Alfredo cheese sauce, diced tomato, and peppers. The Crab and Brie Spinach Dip, served with garlic and artichoke crostini, has become a popular way to open a table. Regulars can still count on the crawfish bread, the blackened chicken and shrimp wraps, and Lecia's sweet tea to round out the order.
There is one more reason to come back. Chef Charles Bistreaux is now open for dinner on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, serving until 7:30pm. It is the first time the counter has stayed open past the afternoon, so those three evenings are the new window to catch Wilford's cooking after work.
For anyone new to the counter, Wilford is a Navy veteran and longtime Baton Rouge chef who trained in a Naples, Italy kitchen in the 1980s. You can read his full story in our earlier profile.
Breakfast has not gone anywhere. Wilford is still serving it every morning starting at 7:30, including the Eye Opener, the veggie omelet, and biscuits and gravy.
Chef Charles Bistreaux is open daily from 7:30am at St. Roch Market, 2381 St. Claude Avenue, with dinner Thursday through Saturday until 7:30pm.