by Sharon Penny

Photography by Dante Fontana

When dining at The Levee in Placerville, you can’t help but hum the old Hank Williams tune “Jambalaya (On the Bayou).” Why? Well, they have jambalaya on the menu for a start, and because, son of a gun we’ll have big fun—and we did! Have big fun, I mean.
Under new ownership as The Levee (formerly Café Luna), the location off Main Street is intimate yet festive and very welcoming with its Louisiana-style ambiance, which should suit Placervillians down to the ground: Louisiana style is all about being friendly and laid-back. The Levee does Saturday evenings up right, too, with live music in the dining room beginning at 7:30 p.m. And who doesn’t love a little toe tapping with their meal?
For starters, my husband and I enjoyed Cajun Beef Sliders, which is The Levee’s take on a Philly cheesesteak with thinly sliced Cajun-seasoned beef. Let me tell you, these sliders were oh-so cheesy—just how cheese
steak should be.
For mains, my plus-one ordered the Pasta Jambalaya and I opted for the Blackened Catfish. The servings were generous to say the least—no nouvelle cuisine here folks, simply hearty home-style helpings! My catfish arrived over seasoned basmati rice, topped with a shrimp and scallop cream sauce, and served alongside roasted beets and steamed broccoli. The catfish itself was delicious and seasoned well, featuring enough spice to keep a Cajun fan happy without setting off any fire alarms. The pasta was a winner as well—creamy and spicy with plentiful amounts of chicken and andouille sausage.
We would have loved to sample their dessert menu, but we got more than our money’s worth with the mains. I guess that just means we’ll have to dress in style and go hog wild, me oh my oh at The Levee again.

The Levee - Placerville, CA