I had the incredibly good fortune to visit New Orleans twice this year. The first time, I carefully arranged it so that the family cruise left from the Port of New Orleans — we were there for New Year’s Eve. I was afraid the crowds were going to be unbearable, but the city knows how to host a party and the crowds were friendly and fun with plenty of security at every block to ensure a safe celebration. I was very impressed. It was amazing to ring in the new year with several drinks along Bourbon street and beignets from Cafe Du Monde.
Bourbon Street on New Year’s Eve
After the cruise was planned, Gracie asked Sean and I if we’d be interested in a foodie trip to the Big Easy. We couldn’t turn that down, so in March, we met up with Gracie, Ku, Adrian, Mia, Kate, and John for a food frenzy. It also happened to be the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day means parades and parades mean beads! Gracie, Sean, and I braved the pouring rain to see the parade, kiss some Irish guys (Gracie and I), catch some cabbages (Sean), and rake in the beads (all of us!) We were lucky enough to have some local guides showing us around — Tiger and Patty, Gracie’s old family friends, helped make the trip extra-special by taxiing us around while giving us the background on the buildings and neighborhoods.
St. Charles Street Car to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Sean is the King of Cabbages and Beads!!!
Of course, I can’t talk about New Orleans without talking about the food. Here’s a long list of the amazing food we sampled along the way.
Lüke
Lüke is a John Besh restaurant. It’s more casual and less spendy than August. It’s basically an Alsatian brasserie that also serves local New Orleans favorites. We visited Lüke on both trips. The food was really good while the service was great during first visit and very friendly, if a little shaky, the second. But, Sean’s $13 choucroute maison — a saurkraut and pork fiesta (sausage, pork belly, cochon de lait, and pork knuckle) was and incredible value and worth the shaky service. It was so delicious, he got it both times we were there. We also greatly enjoyed the flamenkuche tart (bacon, onion, and cheese on a crispy flatbread) during both visits. The frites were delicious and the burgers were reportedly perfectly cooked (and HUGE.)
Mother’s
Mother’s is an institution in New Orleans and another restaurant we visited on both trips. I only ate breakfast at Mother’s, so I can’t speak to the lunch and dinner menu items, but I found Mother’s to be a mixed bag for breakfast. During my first visit, I got a basic breakfast with grits, ham, eggs, and a biscuit. The grits didn’t knock my socks off which was disappointing since I love them and you can really only get them cooked right in the south. The meal as a whole was fairly forgettable except for that biscuit! Mother’s biscuits amazing — they bake up tall and fluffy and pretty near perfect. Damn, I want one now! I’ll admit, the ham was delicious, too. On my second visit, I smartened up, stuck with biscuits, and was very happy.
Biscuits at Mother’s
Gumbo Shop
It’s funny, I rarely see the Gumbo Shop mentioned on foodie boards, but it’s one of my favorites. Possibly because it’s one of the places I ate during my first ever visit to New Orleans. But, I think it’s also because it serves up tasty, comforting New Orleans fare at reasonable prices. We ate at the Gumbo Shop on both visits — it was the only place I trusted without a reservation on New Year’s Eve. It’s one of Gracie’s favorites, too, so we had to go with her as well. I love that the Gumbo Shop serves warm french bread loaves at the table. All the food was great on both visits. I especially liked the oyster and andouille gumbo I had on the second visit.
New Year’s Eve at the Gumbo Shop
Cafe Du Monde
There’s probably no better place to grab a cup of chicory coffee, a warm, sugary beignet, and people watch than Cafe Du Monde in Jackson Square. We got to ring in the new year with little French donuts and cafe au lait — a great start to 2009. Though, I have to admit, on my second visit to NOLA, we stopped at Cafe Beignet and I actually thought the beignets there were some tough competition — bigger than Cafe Du Monde and a little more airy. When I suggested I might like those beignets better, though, my foodie friends couldn’t agree, so you should try both versions and decide for yourself if you’re ever in New Orleans.
Central Grocery
Yes, it’s touristy, but there’s no doubt that Central Grocery serves up a mean muffuletta. A whole sandwich loaded with Italian meats and olive salad is bigger than my head. Gracie, Sean, and I bought a whole one to share and we carried it out to the banks of the Mississippi River to chow down. Sean and I also tried the version at the Napoleon House, however, I didn’t like it as much. The Napoleon House’s olive salad was way too chock full of large pieces of celery and it was toasted. I prefer my muffuletta cold. I do recommend the Napoleon House for great ambiance and a classic New Orleans drink — they are known for their Sazeracs and Pimm’s Cups.
Eating a Central Grocery Muffuletta on the Banks of the Mississippi
Acme Oyster House
Acme was my first choice for New Year’s Eve dinner — I really wanted some oysters and crawfish! But by the time we were able to meet for dinner, it was closed (early for the holiday!) I had to wait until our foodie trip to get inside the door, but it was worth it. Our group devoured raw and grilled oysters, spicy boiled crawfish, and crawfish fritters along with cold Abita beer. Nothing fancy about Acme, but who needs fancy when you’re getting crawfish seasoning all over your fingers?
Jacque-Imo’s
Everytime I’ve been to New Orleans, I read restaurant reviews and message boards that extol Jacque-Imo’s — yet I never seemed to actually make it there. Lucky for me, Kate decided to make reservations during our foodie trip. I am grateful for this because, woah, what delicious food! The menu was huge and it was tough to decide what to order. But, amazingly, everyone in our group of 7 order something different so we played pass the plate and we all got a taste of the other dishes. Not a bad dish in the bunch — Jacques-Imo’s is known for seafood and there was plenty of it all fresh and tasty. Of course, I knew it was going to be good when we passed through the kitchen on the way to our seats and I saw one of the cooks liberally brushing butter on freshly baked corn muffins.
Camellia Grill
“If I get into heaven and I don’t wind up here, I’ll be mad.” That’s a quote I heard while sitting in the Camellia Grill waiting for my pecan pie to be warmed up on the griddle. It was from what I assumed was a Tulane student — he was sitting with friends opposite Sean and I at the old-school counter that serves as the only place to eat at the diner. I think I might have to agree with him and I’ve only ever ordered the pecan pie ala mode. Great service, obscenely delicious pie. I never miss going to the Camellia Grill when I visit New Orleans.
Johnny’s Po-boys
Tucked into a small shop on a side street in the French Quarter, Johnny’s Po-boys was a delicious stop. Friendly counter service and a huge po-boy stuffed with crispy fried oysters won my seal of approval.
I am Queen of the Beads!!!