![]() That's when I knew our entire evening would be spectacular. Her response was one of the strongest service responses I've ever received: First, let me assure you that you will arrive home safely tonight. Our entire party was enthusiastic about the wine list, so I asked the manager, Anita, what options were available for car service to take us all home. Bar and cozy lounge area was inviting and we quickly felt like our entire evening was going to be special. We did arrive 5 minutes early, so the hostess invited us to have a drink before we were seated. Beautiful setting, manicured pastureland and contemporary, yet rustic building where you are greeted by valet. Driving up to the property, you feel like you are in a luxury car commercial. “Louisiana Purchase is still here, but we’re also evolving.First off, this is an experience and worth planning your trip around it. “The new restaurant isn’t the same old place they remember,” Laurie notes. And some of diners’ longtime favorites might reappear on the ever-changing menu, with new twists. If you feel Nawlins calling at lunchtime, try a po’boy packed with shrimp or oysters (or short rib or surf and turf versions). “It has all those savory flavors people are looking for,” Laurie says. A whole quail is filled with dirty rice made with local Goodnight Brothers country ham, then topped with oyster gravy. The Stuffed South Carolina Quail reflects Patrick’s affinity for LowCountry cooking. ![]() The Bagbeys, left, have run the restaurant since 2004. “It’s spicy and creamy, and savory, with a hint of salty all at the same time.” “Don’t miss the BBQ Shrimp, it’s our version of shrimp and grits,” she says. That includes daily arrivals of the freshest seafood-never-frozen North Carolina shrimp and Gulf oysters. “The emphasis is still on the integrity and quality of our food, and strict standards of freshness and made in-house authenticity,” Laurie says. The menu’s one-time devotion to Cajun dishes has waned, but the Louisiana Purchase palate endures. In 2004, he and Laurie purchased the restaurant, and they’ve operated it ever since. Botta handed off Louisiana Purchase to chef-owner Mark Rosse in 1985, and Patrick Bagbey joined Rosse’s kitchen in 1998. “The Purchase” was launched in 1982 by Argentine immigrant Fabian Botta, whom local foodies still credit with some of the High Country’s earliest great eateries. Lunch is also new, and like dinner is served daily (the restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays).ĭespite all the new innovations, the Bagbeys are keenly mindful of the restaurant’s rich local dining heritage. ![]() “It’s been heartwarming,” says Laurie, “and essential in getting us to this goal.” Firsts for the space include a single-floor design and outdoor seating on a spacious roofed porch. When the new location opened in late 2020, loyal customers bought gift cards and showed up for take-out. But then, their dream seemed to be vaccinated against the virus by “tremendous support from our community,” she adds. A move intended to earn stability and savings suddenly became “a frightening and stressful time for ourselves, our employees, and our families,” Laurie says. However, the pandemic turned what was supposed to be a smooth transition into a traumatic six-month closure before the couple could debut their restaurant’s next incarnation, LP on Main. Luckily for Patrick and Laurie Bagbey, chef-owners of Banner Elk landmark Louisiana Purchase, their new building on Main Street is only a few blocks from the restaurant’s home of almost four decades. When a restaurant long associated with a particular place makes a move, it’s big news.
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