New Orleans
New Orle
ans is one of the most iconic food cities in America. And, after my first visit, I would argue it is probably the greatest food city in our country. I realize the boldness of that statement, but the argument is strong. What is it about this city that creates such incredible, diverse food? Culturally speaking, New Orleans is as diverse as it comes. Major international influences of French, Spanish and Vietnamese cultures are easily seen on one short city block. Where the difference lies, in my humble opinion, is the craft and care that each individual takes in creating their food. From the down and dirty Po’ boy shops, to Micheline starred restaurants like August, the same heart and care is put into making their offering not just delicious, but memorable. This notion first hit me with the very first bite of food I had in New Orleans when I bit into Boudin for the first time.
We were tired from our red eye across the country, but excited to finally be in New Orleans. Our trip focus was pretty simple: Eat as much as we could and listen to as much music as possible. A local friend had given us the tip to check out Stanely’s by Jackson Square for brunch when we arrived. Not really having any idea of what to expect, we walked through the French Quarter and made our way to the restaurant which is located right on the square. I was impressed by the beautiful surroundings, but a little put off by the hoards of tourists. I wanted to dine where the locals eat and where we could avoid the tourist crowds. But, we were hungry, tired and just ready to get some food in our bellies. Stanely’s is a pretty large restaurant, not overly big, but big enough that it can handle a large volume of groups any time of day. We nestled in at the bar counter and began looking over the menu. As I was sipping my coffee I looked over to my left and saw a man, who looked like a construction worker, get a massive plate of eggs Benedict and a side of two brown patties that looked delicious. I was somewhat mesmerized by the unattractive food and leaned over to ask what it was. “Boudin,”said the man in a fairly thick Louisiana accent (it sounded like boo-dan). He described it as essentially a slow-cooked pork with rice, made into a sausage form (the Louisiana version would be some form of Boudin Blanc). All I heard was twoof my favorite ingredients made into the form of one of my favorite things to eat. I
quickly scanned the menu and saw that they offered a Benedict with Boudin. Sold. And I was not disappointed. It had the perfect balance of salt, texture, andrunny egg. I would order this every Sunday if I could.
With our first meal under our belts, it was time to explore the city. Little did we know at the time, it would be the beginning of an epic food tour, combined with some walking. Within minutes of finishing our first meal, we were onto our next stop and likely one of the most iconic bites of food New Orleans has to offer; the Beignet from Cafe Du Monde. This french doughnut was totally worth the hype. Blanketed with powdered sugar, served in 3s, the beignet became a staple of our diet in New Orleans. I would categorize it as equal tohaving a Guinness in Ireland. It just tastes better and has you craving another.
Our feet took us around the Garden District and through Magazine street, which would become one of our favorite places to hang out. Eventually getting hungry, there was one spot that was on my ‘must check out’ list. Cochon andButcher from Chef Donald Link. Cochon literally means Pig in French, and both eateries boast an impressive array of tasty pork dishes. We ended up eating at Butcher which is actually next door to Cochon. Butcher has much more of a deli feel, rather than a restaurant — much more my style. Once I saw the case of cured meats, I knew this was going to be special. After some slight anxiety as we decided what to order, we landed on the classic Muffuleta sandwich and a pork
belly sandwich. All the meats are cured and cooked in-house, and if you weren’t sure of that notion, one of the chefs was butchering a whole pig on your way to the rest room. Pretty awesome. The muffuleta is a classic New Orleans sandwich, designed to travel well with cured meats, cheese and olive spread served on a round absorbent roll. Butcher’s version was toasted, with the provolone cheese oozing out. It was, dare I say, the best one I’ve ever had. And, not to be shown up, the pork belly sandwich, which was served on house-made white bread, was mouthwatering. Savory and juicy, with a perfect amount of acid coming from house-made pickles, this sandwich would not leave my thoughts until our next meal.
Moving right along on our already ridiculous first day of eating, we ended up at the very well-known Mr. B’s for dinner. Almost all of my friends who had been to New Orleans, as well as a few food TV shows, recommended going there and getting the BBQ shrimp. Don’t let the name fool you, they are not your typical BBQ’d shrimp. Rather, it is the sauce that creates the label of BBQ. These monstrous gulf shrimp (U-15 or bigger) are cooked to perfection in the shell and smothered in this simple, yet complex sauce. A good friend of mine put Mr. B’s BBQ Shrimp on his “Mount Rushmore” of dishes. I can’t disagree with him. It is slightly hard to explain unless you have had it, but its is pretty incredible. The shrimp are highlighted perfectly with a sauce that you just want to drink. They serve you some beautifully simple, crusty french bread to accompany the sauce, and you need every last crumb. My mouth waters recountingthis meal. Day 1 of eating complete.
Our ambitious eating checklist had a good amount taken care of after day 1, but we had plenty still left on our plate (pun intended). We couldn’t leave without getting at least one Po’ Boy sandwich. Yelp and Magazine street proved to be our guide for this adventure and we couldn’t have found a better place:Guy’s Po’ Boys, a little local shop deep in the Garden District. Picture a three-table joint filled with locals eating sandwiches bigger than my arm. Yup, this was the spot. I settled on a fried shrimp Po’ Boy while Michelle had a Roast Beef ‘dressed’. The fried shrimp po’ boy exceeded expectations and then some. It was seasoned perfectly and did not need anything other than what was on the sandwich — lettuce, tomato (not sure why, maybe just because) and some mayo. Perfection.
We had to really temper our appetites on day 2 because I had made reservations at August, arguably the best restaurant in New Orleans. I wanted to be sure I ate at one of John Besh‘s restaurants during my visit. He is a world-renowned chef and a native of New Orleans. He, like Emeril, has built an empire in the city, and was instrumental in helping to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. August is his flagship, and an award-winning one at that. Luckily I was able to grab a table for a late dinner service. Dining out at a restaurant like August is always exciting — knowing it will be a great experience, but having slight anxiety over what to order, and what it all will taste like. All anxiety was dismissed after our amuse; a super light and savory panna cotta served in a local egg shell. Within mere seconds, Iknew this was going to be a dining experience to remember. I won’t go into detail on all of the dishes, but I will highlight my favorite, and easily the best bite of food I have had this year. Easily. Seared Duckling with black cherry jus and a creamed sweet corn & sunchoke (i think) puree, with roasted turnips, radishes and peas. Unbelievable. Its months later and I can still taste the duck and jus. It is a dish that I will remember for a long, long time. Our meal and experience here was so good that we decided not to include it in our rankings of what was our favorite part of the trip. August is in its own class.
Our stomachs were happy, our feet were sore and our ears were ringing with the brass band’s version of Treme we heard at various jazz clubs on Frenchman, but we weren’t done just yet. We had one more item to cross off on this journey (there was a lot more we had to forego) and that was Crawfish. It was the beginning of the season, and I couldn’t have been more excited that we timed the trip with the season. With a tip from our server at August (when in doubt, ALWAYS ask/befriend a server, it pays off!), we headed back to Magazine street and sought out Big Fisherman for crawfish boil. A local favorite, this place is just as salty as the seafood. Set up like a fish market / deli, you order by weight. Crawfish, potatoes, corn, roasted garlic, turkey necks, the list goes on. The guy in front of us explained that usually he would come down on a Sunday and get a few pounds, a newspaper, and head home and spread them across his coffee table while watching the day’s football game. Um, glorious. So, we gathered our bounty, and headed across the street to the pizza joint (of all places) to get a pitcher of beer and get our hands dirty with the tiny crustaceans. I’d like to think that my first experience with a crawfish boil was a success. The salty shell and morsel of meat was outstanding, especially when washed down with an Abita Amber ale and a bite of boiled potato. Definitely not the cleanest meal, nor one you would take a first date on, but oh so tasty. Happy is a good word to describe this meal.
The trip closed on the highest of high notes when we went to see a show at the legendary Preservation Hall. We were lucky enough to catch the name sake band who was back home from tour. This was a musical performance that would turn a jazz hater into a devoted fan. We still had chills when we left the hall. It was truly a magical experience everyone should take part in when they visit New Orleans.
Leaving New Orleans was bitter sweet. I was sad to leave, but have made a vow to return at least once every two years, if not more. I can’t wait for my next visit, and to discover local dishesthat will no doubt inspire me on many levels. I finally understand what friends have been telling me for years about this city. I will summarize perfectly using a quote I heard shortly after our trip: “Once you visit New Orleans, it will never leave you.” See you soon.
