We just popped our heads into the first place "without flashing strobe lights" as my wife put it. That happened to be Pier 424 Seafood Market. I was able to knock off three items on my NOLA food bucket list in one fell swoop. I had The New Orleans Trio of red beans & rice, seafood gumbo, and crawfish etouffee. I'm glad I did too. They were all tasty and ticked all the boxes. This isn't anything to seek out of your way; but it hit the spot for sure.
The next morning I went straight for Cafe du Monde to sample some beignets and cafe au lait.
I burned my tongue taking a hasty drink of that coffee & chicory blend. But thankfully it wasn't bad enough to ruin the rest of my trip. Phew! It was a great way to start a peaceful morning of walking & taking photos. The beignets were tasty -- but nothing more than a funnel cake in a different shape. I love funnel cakes; but I guess I was expecting something a little more. It is worth a stop for sure, though. And you can bring the coffee home with you.
My first stop for lunch was at Johnny's Po-Boys for a true New Orleans staple. I had a half oyster & half shrimp po-boy sandwich.
(stock photos -- mine got deleted somehow)
Now this is what I'm talking about! These were fantastic. A po-boy is nothing more than a sub sandwich or a hero by a different name. But with the fresh-baked bread, and local seafood, it was fantastic. I added some Louisiana hot sauce for added flair and authenticity -- and it was awesome. You could get by with just a half sandwich, by the way.
After scoping the scene all day, I was tasked with finding a nice place for dinner. We settle on the Bourbon House because it looked really nice. The good thing is most places have their menu posted outside for you to check out first. Bourbon Street is kind of a gross place, if I'm being honest. But this is toward the beginning before all the debauchery really sets in. I feel a little stupid for not knowing that a place called "Bourbon House" located on Bourbon Street had an amazing bourbon selection. So I was in Heaven. I had the catfish pecan with gulf shrimp and it was fantastic. This place lived up to the recommendation if you ask me.
I skipped breakfast the next day because I was pretty full. But then I got what I was looking forward to most of all: a Muffaletta sandwich from the originators themselves at Central Grocery.
I had seen this sandwich on an episode of "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" years ago and had been dying to try the real thing. The fresh ciabatta-like bread is great, they have all their own house-cured Italian meats, and then an olive spread to top it all off. I thoroughly enjoyed this delicious and salty delight. You must go here if your'e in the area!
Another source of restaurant inspiration for me comes from the show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. The website www.flavortownusa.com has a map of all the places Guy has been. I used that to find The Old Coffee Pot restaurant where I tried the calla cakes.
These are rice-filled, sweet-spiced, balls that are fried and topped with powdered sugar. They are served with grits and maple syrup and are much more satisfying than the beignets, in my opinion.
On the last night of the trip we went to Oceana Grill and tried the gator bites (both blackened and fried), and I had the Cajun Jambalaya Pasta with shrimp and gator sausage. I had to get jambalaya in some form before I left, and a pasta was a nice change of pace. The gator was tasty and this rich pasta really hit the spot.
New Orleans is known as a melting pot of Southern, French, Cajun, Creole, and Spanish cooking. I had a really great time and had some fantastic food. Honestly, nothing I had was disappointing. I should thank the concierge at the Sheraton for some great recommendations.
Check back in tomorrow and I'll show you a couple of non-traditional places we went.
No comments:
Post a Comment