“A bit.” Pearl knocked on the door, peering inside.
A couple of minutes went by before Pierre appeared in the door, smiling brightly. “You both made it to my bistro.”
“Your bistro?” Phineas asked, stunned.
Pierre nodded, grinning and stepping aside to let them in. “Cajun cuisine in the north.”
“You said you had an in with the owner,” Phineas said.
“Mais. I do. It’s me,” Pierre said proudly.
“When do you open?” Pearl asked.
“Not for some time. I just bought it yesterday,” Pierre responded, shutting the door and locking it. “Coat will be the best Cajun fusion bistro this side of the Mississippi.”
“Coat doesn’t sound very Cajun,” Phineas said, trying not to laugh.
“Mais, I know. It’s named after my little dog Coat.”
“Your dog is named Coat?” Pearl asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
Pierre nodded. “When I adopted him, I wanted to name him Coach, but the shelter I got him from misheard and named him Coat and it stuck. I mean, he’s black and white and it looks like he’s wearing a little coat with a bow tie. Coat is staying with a friend in Louisiana, but will be joining me here in Harmony Glen next week. My apartment above the bistro is almost done.”
Phineas found it endearing that Pierre had a pet dog. He loved all animals, but never plucked up the courage to adopt one. It was clear Pierre was a decent, gentle gill man, which put him at ease.
“Where are you staying now?” Phineas asked, though he knew because Pearl had told him. He just didn’t want to seem like a weirdo knowing his supposed brother’s movements.
“Room with a Tomb,” Pierre stated. “The ghosts are interesting characters. Although, the nude one is a bit of a surprise at first.”
“Mario,” Pearl said. “And yes, he is.”
“Have a seat, you two, and I’ll bring out some boudin. I have vegetarian boudin too, because I don’t eat meat and wasn’t sure if either of you were vegetarian.”
“I am,” Phineas remarked.
“I am not,” Pearl said. “But I’m open to trying both varieties.”
“Great. I’ll be back in a moment.” Pierre disappeared into the kitchen.
Phineas pulled out a chair for Pearl and she took a seat, then he sat next to her and studied the bistro. It was still a little bit rough around the edges and needed some work. He’d like to lend a hand to Pierre.
Maybe they could bond that way.
Pierre returned with a tray of boudin and water. There was also Tabasco on the table and some olive salad.
“Boudin,” Pierre proudly announced. “The traditional kind is sausage and rice with spices. Of course, the casing is pork as well. The vegetarian boudin is tofu and rice and the casing is seaweed gel dip I’ve perfected. Gives the hold of a casing and if you fry it, you can’t tell the difference. The olive salad is used in muffaletta.”
“I want to try both,” Pearl said. “Do I put Tabasco on it?”
Pierre nodded. “Of course, it’s a tradition.”
Phineas ate eggs and cheese, but he didn’t eat pork or fish or beef, so he opted for the tofu seaweed version of the boudin. He dumped some Tabasco on it and then took a bite. It was one of the best things he’d ever eaten.
“Holy cow,” Pearl exclaimed. “That’s amazing, Pierre.”
Pierre grinned. “I went to culinary school.”
“You might want to share this with Magnus,” Phineas suggested. “He loves cooking, and I might opt to have more breakfasts at Room with a Tomb if the sausages were like this.”
