Our van pulled up to the Bossier Inn & Suites on Diamond Jacks Boulevard in Bossier, Louisiana. As the driver parked in front of a nondescript block of a building surrounded by nothingness, an uneasy feeling washed over me. But, a trust in my itinerary at this travel writer conference eased my anxiety a bit. And then I walked inside.

Parallel to its exterior, my first reaction was to turn around and question whoever coordinated this visit. But this restaurant, Lucky Palace, was what people raved about — especially the wine list. So, how could I dismiss it based on its looks? The culinary offerings alone were intriguing: Asian-Cajun fusion, which translates to alligator in a stir-fry, as it turns out, among other Louisiana delicacies. But the wine list is what turned Lucky Palace around in my mind.

Although informed the owner was a Master Sommelier, he wasn’t. But, he had a sophisticated, expert palate and knew how to pair world wines. Kuan Lim’s story began with a trip from San Antonio with his wife. They stopped at the Bossier Inn & Suites along the way, but ended up staying for 16 years and counting.

It could not have been the surrounding beauty of the hotel, but perhaps he saw potential for making his mark in an area lacking a top-rate wine list. In fact, Lucky Palace has been awarded several Wine Spectator Awards of Excellence. Lim isn’t shy about stocking wines with a cost upward to $350 a bottle, a paradox even if his Chinese restaurant is considered gourmet.

We began with a seriously delicious glass of blanc de blanc (Pol Roger, Reserve, Brut, NV), paired with crawfish rolls that set the tone of sheer pleasure in an evening that ensued with laughter, travel stories and the company of all walks in the field of travel writing: bloggers, speakers, part-time wanderers, and print, online journalists. The social media enthusiasts among us clicked away, and we all cajoled each other and happily drank together. Our pairings continued with salted duck eggs that looked like a southern-style hush puppy, but were not, and we consumed whole shrimp, Chilean sea bass, and of course, that alligator with garlic sauce, paired with a 2011 Bourgogne Blanc, Dupont-Fahn, Chaumes des Perrieres, Burgundy.

Next, a perfectly balanced 2010 Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey, Burgundy, accompanied a plate of roasted duck on scallion pancakes, and Cantonese crispy T-Bone. I passed on the braised oxtail. Ending the tasting menu with a glass of Madeira, Broadbent, 5 Years Reserve was brilliant, especially when served with sensational sesame balls stuffed with peanut butter sauce. They went fast.

During the remainder of my stay in the Bossier/Shreveport, Louisiana area, like an inside secret, each time we drove past the billboard advertisement for Lucky Palace, I couldn’t help but grin like a Cheshire cat. Visit http://www.Lucky-Palace.com if you don’t believe me.