Nola Roux has been a hit in southwest Michigan since opening its first location at 2809 Niles Avenue in St Joseph, in 2018. Since then it has expanded with a catering truck and food trailer, and will soon be welcoming guests at the former Panthers Grill at 8567 Red Arrow Highway in Watervliet.
After five years of serving soul-filling bowls of gumbo and other Creole dishes from a small spot in St. Joseph, Nola Roux is bringing its soulful menu to Watervliet with a second location opening very soon.
The food love affair
Owner Pedro Villasenor, of St. Joseph, spent his teens working in his family’s Mexican restaurant back in Chicago.
It was a spontaneous trip to New Orleans for the Fat Tuesday celebration in 1999 that left a lasting impression on him as a young person. That journey of discovering what makes New Orleans, Louisiana, so unique made it an unforgettable experience for him.
While working for a food distributor, Pedro had the opportunity to visit Louisiana many times over the years and what started as a fondness of Louisiana culture quickly turned into a love affair. Since then Villasenor has been on a quest for that indistinguishable flavor of Cajun-Creole cuisine as he traveled the Midwest for work. It became very clear that Louisiana cooking was underrepresented and often misunderstood.
He came to realize that if he was looking for Cajun food in the Midwest, others probably were too. So using his extensive food industry experience and his entrepreneurial spirit came the calling to open his own Cajun food establishment. With his experience and business background and the support of family, he began the journey and right away he was met with great fortune.
A chance encounter
Five years ago, as the construction of the first restaurant was underway, a gentleman saw the sign and entered the building because he was intrigued by the name on the sign, “NOLA ROUX” (we’ll get to the meaning of the name a bit later). The man introduced himself as Bruce Bartz, a native of Southwest Michigan who’d recently retired from his role as a professional chef with the nation’s largest food service company and someone who had spent time cooking in New Orleans, a place also special to him.
Bartz heard Villasenor’s story and quickly offered his help, help Villasenor couldn’t refuse. From there the duo worked on refining the recipes that are currently being served from the St. Joseph location and soon will be pleasing the customers of the Tri-City area.
It’s all in the name
Nola Roux was born, but what does it mean someone may ask. “Nola” is a nickname for New Orleans, LA, and “Roux,” a key ingredient mostly used in Cajun-Creole cooking.
Making a good roux is essential! This isn’t the French roux being referenced here, this is the Acadian roux, that deep chocolate-colored roux that seems simple as it is just cooked flour and fat, but there is so much that goes into a great roux.
The restaurant describes itself as “A casual eatery offering Cajun Classics such as Seafood Gumbo, Jambalaya, Red Beans & Rice, Etouffee and the traditional Po’ Boy sandwiches. It is more than food - it is an experience where customers can dine for lunch or dinner in a setting of artwork and decor reflecting the stylish character of the New Orleans French Quarters while Jazz and Zydeco play in the background.
Not just a restaurant
With the eatery’s popularity, Nola Roux has added a food truck that frequents many local breweries and wineries and caters for special events.
Additionally, Nola Roux staff can fully customize on-site Seafood Boils. The name refers to both a dish and the event where it’s served. Seafood boils (usually shrimp, crab, and crawfish) are common in Louisiana and areas along the coastal Southern United States and are soon to be just as popular in the Tri-City area.
To find out exactly when the doors will open follow them on social media for updates or just to find out what Cajun food is all about from their ongoing segment called, “Edu-Cajun.” This series is where they dispel the misconception that Cajun food is all spicy and they teach visitors to the site about all the New Orleans traditions including Mardi Gras.
A sample of one of their informational Edu-Cajun segments is about January 6, referred to as The Twelfth Night, which marks the end of The Twelve Days of Christmas and the start of the Carnival Season, Mardi Gras. To celebrate this tradition, many people start with a slice of King Cake.
The name “king cake” comes from the Biblical story of the three kings who bring gifts to Baby Jesus. A blend of coffee cake and cinnamon roll, king cake is usually iced in yellow, green, and purple – the colors of Mardi Gras - and is frequently packed with fruit fillings and decadent cream cheeses. Hidden within these season sweets also lies a special surprise: a plastic king cake baby to continue the fun.
Welcome to the area
Pedro Villasenor stated, “Due to the continued demand we began the search for a second location with added capacity. We found the Watervliet location and we’ve been greeted with the best support from city officials and residents in this community.”
The Nola Roux family is excited to get their Creole cuisine in front of new customers where they will taste and feel the best of The Big Easy. Indeed, this gumbo pot of culture is the basis for the traditions, cuisine, jazz music, and architectural designs of New Orleans and it will soon be as close as Watervliet.
Comments