We just got back from what was kind of a whirlwind trip to
New Orleans—it was crazy because the kids were there with us and we did a lot
of sightseeing, visiting with members of hubby’s family who lived down there,
as well as trying to fit in some adult time to eat at some of the amazing
restaurants as well. I am not going to
do a full post about each restaurant, just some of the highlights and lowlights
of each.
The first thing we did we when got to town was go to
lunch—everyone was starving. We hit up Joey K’s on Magazine Street near where
we were staying. It is a friendly neighborhood kid friendly spot that was
featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives awhile
back. I had my first po boy (shrimp)
($8.50) and it hit the spot. Lots of
fried shrimp, mayo, lettuce and pickles. And of course, the perfect roll. After eating it, I realized how lucky we are
to have B’s
Po Boy here in town because they were remarkably similar. My son had a
fried soft shell crab ($16.95) that was also quite good.
Our first night, we hit one of the old school
standards—Commander’s Palace. This is
the restaurant where Emeril got his start.
It is a bit stuffy and we had the kids with us, so they lost a bit of
patience with it—especially since the service was pretty slow. I was kind of surprised honestly. My first
course was by far the best, and was quite delicious—it was spicy shrimp
remoulade ($9.50). It was wild white
shrimp that were boiled crab boil style and served with hearts of palm, tomato
and lettuce with a spicy lemon vinaigrette.
The shrimp were perfectly cooked and tender and had a zippiness to them
from the seasoning. Honestly, the rest
of the meal was fairly disappointing—well my taste of hubby’s turtle soup was
ok if you are into that kind of thing.
Tasted heavily of the Sherry they pour in at the end.
We randomly stopped into a little outdoor place in the
French Market section of the Quarter for lunch the next day called the Market
Café. We were with a bunch of hubby’s
family members (and kids) and it was nice to sit outside and enjoy the
music. I had my doubts about this place
when I saw it—seemed like a tourist trap kind of place, but hubby and I split a
fried seafood platter ($20.95) and it was really good. Catfish, shrimp and
oysters—all cooked nice and crunchy outside but tender inside. The shrimp were
probably my favorite.
We had our first really good dinner that night at Mr.
B’s. They are known for their barbecued
shrimp ($26), which we shared an order of and which lived up to the hype. If you aren’t aware, barbecue shrimp in New Orleans
is shrimp cooked in a sauce that contains Worcestershire sauce, butter, and
tons of herbs and spices. We also shared
an appetizer of their fried oysters ($10.25) with the table and they were
probably the best thing we had that night—super fresh, super crunchy oysters
sitting in their shells which were filled with bacon horseradish
hollandaise. And I really liked the cool
old school bistro-ish vibe.
Lunch the next day was with friends at Borgne, which is a
John Besh restaurant. We had some really good food here, although it is a
restaurant in a hotel and the atmosphere is a little generic. We had a bunch of stuff—my favorites were
probably the slow smoked pork empanadas ($9). They were served with a creamy, tangy dipping sauce and were
tasty. I also liked the creamy oyster
spaghetti with garlic and bottarga
($20) just for something different. The
oysters were really tender and delicious, and I have to say, I always prefer
them cooked.
Dinner was at Root which was a restaurant several people had
recommended to me—it is a very modern place located in the Warehouse District.
It has a very hip urban feel to it and a very hipster-ish clientele. Honestly, this was the biggest letdown food-wise
for me. They have a nice charcuterie
menu, and we had a couple of things (face bacon and rillettes) and I
appreciated all the cool accompaniments that came along side (many pickled
items). Probably the most memorable was
the blueberry mustard that came in the little tube (as in like toothpaste). Apparently,
they have something different in the tube each day and they squeeze a little
out and leave the rest of the tube there for you to use. First time I have seen that (and it tasted
good too). The rest of the food wasn’t
that great taste-wise, although also likewise inventive—there were avocado
dippin’ dots on my watermelon salad and the scallops our friend ordered came in
a cigar box filled with cigar smoke (not so sure how I feel about that, not
being a fan of cigar smoke). An
interesting experience for sure, but not one I would likely repeat.
Our last dinner was the best—it was at Bayona. There were some clear standout food items,
but everything about the experience was just really nice, even when certain
food items weren’t as memorable. The restaurant
is in the French Quarter and has an old school feel and I loved our server—she
chatted with us quite a bit and genuinely seemed to like her job and where she
worked. The items that stand out in my
mind were an appetizer we all shared—the toasted bread with goat cheese and
this wonderful mushroom mixture with Madeira. Simple, but perfectly executed. I
am so going to try and duplicate this one at home. (I just found the recipe here.)
Hubby had an amazing sweetbread appetizer with a Sherry vinaigrette sauce that
also had the perfect mix of acid and savory flavors—and the sweetbreads were
perfectly crisp. It was a perfect way to
end our trip with a great meal, wine and friends.
Oh…and there were beignets at Café Du Monde of course…
Oh…and there were beignets at Café Du Monde of course…
Live Oaks in the Garden District |
Cemetery |
Mardi Gras Heads |
3001
Magazine Street
New Orleans,
LA 70115
504/891-0997
Commander’s Palace
1403
Washington Avenue
New Orleans,
LA 70130
504/899-8221
The Market Café
1000 Decatur
Street
New Orleans,
LA 70116
504/527-5000
Mr. B’s Bistro
201 Royal
Street
New Orleans,
LA 70130
504/523-2078
Borgne
601 Loyola
Avenue
New Orleans,
LA 70113
504/613-3860
Root
200 Julia
Street
New Orleans,
LA 70130
505/252-9480
Bayona
430 Dauphine
Street
New Orleans,
LA 70112
504/525-4455
Café du Monde
800 Decatur
Street
New Orleans,
LA 70116
504/535-4544
NOLA is a wonderful city -- and you went at the perfect time of year (spring is beautiful too). Wouldn't go between June-Sept, it's unbearably hot! Never been to CP, but am not surprised at your review -- it's more of an historic staple than anything else, it seems.
ReplyDeleteCochon and/or Cochon Butcher. Incredible!
ReplyDeleteWhen you come back definitely try Cochon/Cochon Butcher! Amazing!
ReplyDeleteAnd make a trip to Meltdown off Decateur/Dumaine, kid friendly ice cream shop with homemade popsicles (Carmel Sea Salt is sooo good.)
There are so many places to choose from and when you come back try exploring the Marigny-prices are little lower and great food.
If you're visiting NOLA and brought the kids, Mothers on Poydras Street is great choice. Casual and the best Po'Boys around. Don't get me started on their breakfasts - they do their own hams.
ReplyDelete