crrush wrote:Just dropping by LTH after a long, long time away and saw this thread about my new hometown. I've been in N.O. since last November, and I'm loving every minute. Read through the suggestions and I have a few to add/subtract.



Acme, Felixes...meh. They're conveniently located and serve good food, but Casamento's is definitely the place to go for oysters, softshells and a local feel. They close for the summer, and just reopened about a week or so ago. On a side note, it warms the heart to see an "out-of-towner" (albeit one known for his foodishness) so gung-ho about eating Gulf seafood. Oysters are more expensive at $10-$12/dozen (although still laughably cheap compared to, say, Shaw's) and some restaurants have taken them off the menu because the supply has taken a beating. If you see 'em, eat 'em.



Commander's over Galatoire's -- the "rowdy downstairs" action is definitely more adult- than kid-friendly, and it's unlikely they'd seat you downstairs with a kid. Tory McPhail at Commander's is a rockstar chef, and you'll never forget the experience of eating there. (Not that this has any bearing on my recommendation, but a funny side note: a gun went off in Galatoire's today -- lady dropped her purse in the foyer of the restaurant, and the gun she was packing went off. Who brings heat to Galatoire's?)

I have the biggest crush on Cochon Butcher right now. I like Cochon, but if you're having your blow-out, sit-down meals elsewhere, I say go for Butcher. I love their Cuban, if the banh mi is on the menu GET IT, duck pastrami sliders are over-the-top, muffuletta is righteous (although I know some people who think their olive salad is weak)


I lean to Parkway for po'boys, but po'boys are a religion down here -- everyone has their own belief. The roast beef po'boy at Parasol's is excellent, but there was a recent ownership change and the bar/restaurant is temporarily closed. The guy who ran Parasol's for the last 12 years (and pretty much resurrected the place after years of neglect) just opened a bar/restaurant up the street on Magazine called Tracey's -- same staff, same legendary roast beef po'boy.

I'm not sure why MiLa at the Pere Marquette Hotel isn't on the radar more, and this might not fit the bill for dinner with the kiddo, but they have a $20, 3-course lunch menu that is outstanding. Dinner is even better. It's nouvelle southern -- the husband/wife chefs are from MS and LA, and they both have impressive resumes/background.

I seem to remember you're a beer guy. If you find yourself in the Lower Garden District on St. Charles, the Avenue Pub (1732 St. Charles) has a knock-out selection, and the kitchen cranks out seriously good pub eats. (Think: Paramount Room) I ate a duck sammich there the other day, and washed it down with an Octoberfest beer. Tasty.

And for the kid...while you're strolling around the FQ, take the her to Meltdown Popsicles (508 Dumaine) for a gourmet pop. City Park is a great place to take her, too -- playground, Storyland, little choo-choo ride around the park. And it's on the side of town where Parkway Bakery is. Just sayin'...

This is usually where I PM a food friend my cell number and offer my bail-out services (as in, 'if you get arrested or you're too drunk to find your way to the hotel, call me'), but I take it the family vacation won't involve such debauchery. I'll send it to you anyway...you never know.

great tips, thanks alot

Commanders will be solo, and I am looking forward to that for sure.

Glad to here about Cochon, their menu has really captured my imagination.

My SO just returned from NOLA and she thanks y'all for the Cochon recs. She brought me back a muff from the Central and after spending a night in a hotel fridge and a long delayed plane trip back to Chicago, it still holds up as one of the best sandwiches around and the muff I remember from way way back. ( I wouldn't try this, by the way, with an oyster po'boy from Cassamento's or anywhere else.)

Hi- I just watched If God is Willing, which is the new Spike Lee documentary about New Orleans on HBO. He decided to go back to New Orleans, 5 years after Katrina, and do a sequel to When the Levees Broke. I highly recommend both documentaries. In the first part of If God is Willing, he visits Willie Mae's Scotch House, which he mentions has won two awards for having the best fried chicken in the U.S. Spike Lee also goes into how much the residents of New Orleans love food. For people that have Comcast HBO on demand, today 9/27, is the last day the documentary is available for viewing. HBO often brings movies back though, and I am sure that it will be back for the 6th anniversary of Katrina. They bring back When the Levees Broke every year.

BTW-They talked about the crime problem in New Orleans, and they said the murder rate is the highest per capital murder rate of any city in the U.S., and is 20 % higher than the next city in line. It is safe to be in the French Quarter at night, and most of the CBD, but there are many sections of New Orleans that you do not want to be alone at night. There are plenty of policemen in the FQ at night, if you don't mind dealing with the drunks. One of my sisters lives in the Garden District, which is supposed to be one of the safer neighborhoods, and somebody got shot 2 blocks from where she lives during Mardi Gras of 2009. Hope this helps, Nancy

New Orleans Trip Report 9/18-9/23 (Long)
Disclaimer: I should have been taking pictures and writing down descriptions but completely forgot due to all the damned good food. The following is to the best of my memory paired with online menu descriptions that are available. There were many places that I wanted to try but ran out of time/stomach room. The St. Charles Trolley was shut down while we were there thus limiting our options since we didn’t have a car and didn’t want to take cabs everywhere.

Saturday 9/18

New Orleans had a promotion going called “Coolinary” that was similar to a restaurant week. However, instead of a week, their Coolinary promotion lasts two months and it started August 1 and ran until September 30.

Dinner at K-Paul’s; Coolinary Menu, $34
Shrimp and Corn Maque Choux
Louisiana Shrimp, Corn Cut off the Cob and Simmered Together with Onions, Bell Pepper & Celery. Served with Rice
This soup had some love put in it. It had a good amount of spice without being overpowering. The freshness of the corn right made for a nice compliment to the texture of the rice.
Bread service consisted of four individual items including a sweet corn muffin, a molasses muffin, a biscuit, and a roll. All arrived warm and welcomed the soft whipped butter. My favorite was the sweet corn muffin, of which I gluttonously requested a second. It had a nicely tanned top and an inside that almost fell apart that withstood a good schmear of butter.

Louisiana Grouper
Panko Crusted with a cream sauce served with Mashed Potatoes.
This fish was delish. I was hesitant that the cream sauce would overwhelm the crusted Grouper resulting in a soggy mess. I had nothing to worry about. A conservative application of the sauce on the center of the fish made for a nice touch. The Panko crust held up against the sauce. The mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery and melted in my mouth.

Bread Pudding with Buttercream(if I heard right, it was loud)
It was a great version of bread pudding and the dollop of cool buttercream stood no chance against the warm Bread Pudding. It was an incredibly rich dessert that I normally would have struggled to finish. However, after devouring the previous courses, I pushed the bread pudding away in reluctant acceptance of my limitation of stomach room.
K-Pauls
416 Chartres Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 596-2530

Sunday, 9/19

Lunch at Mother’s
The line was about a half block out the door. It moved quickly and was greeted by a line 10 people deep once inside. I was amazed by the amount of people who seemed like they had never been in a line or to a cafeteria since that had no idea where to go or how to order/pay. I originally ordered my Roast Beef Debris Po’ Boy to go since I had intentions of eating outside somewhere. After talking to the doorman/host, I realized the Bears were on in the other room. I resigned to the bigger room with round community tables and sat next to a couple other Bears fans. As I took my first bite and washed it down with an Abita Amber, I thought about how nice it was to again be relaxing with a Sammy and a beer while watching the Bears on a Sunday Afternoon. I ordered my Debris Po’ Boy dressed and the sandwich was damned good. It reminded me of a Chicago Italian beef wet if you put cabbage on it in the same way that a Varsity, or other southern hotdog, has coleslaw on it. I think the debris, the leftover drippings, made the sandwich. The gravy added all the juiciness that the sandwich needed. It was equally as good when I ate the other half cold at 2am out of the fridge.

Mother’s Restaurant
401 Poydras
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-523-9656

Oyster Happy Hour at Lüke ; 3-6pm, 50 cents each
I have never really enjoyed oysters until this month. I realized that the reason that I’ve never been a fan is because I’ve never eaten good oysters. Earlier this month, I had my first good oysters at SeaBlue in Las Vegas. I knew that I would regret not ordering oysters while in Louisiana. I saddled up to the bar and ordered a dozen. The bartender and a couple from Boston educated me while I was waiting for a dozen oysters while sipping a $4 Bass Ale. The oysters arrived and were beautifully presented along with being shucked well. Each had a decent amount of liquor in them and they were very clean tasting. They were of good size and plump. Once done with round one, I ordered another couple rounds washed down by a couple more beers. A couple of the oysters on subsequent rounds were smaller but were compensated by being a baker’s dozen instead of the normal 12. I forgot where they said these were from.

Lüke
333 St. Charles St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-378-2840

Monday, 9/20

Lunch
Restaurant August
I headed there for their $20 three course prix fixe lunch. While perusing the prix fixe, I noticed that the one appetizer that had been highly recommended was not a choice. The waitress was very accommodating and I was able to order the appetizer for an upcharge.

The Amuse Bouche was a whole egg shell with the top cut off. Inside was seafood sabayon custard topped with bonefish caviar and a slender brioche crouton. It was decadent and a promising start to the meal.

Bread service was a couple mini baguettes that arrived warm and easy to tear. Nothing spectacular, just well-baked bread.

Appetizer - Buster Crab Tempura. I wish I remember more details about this because it was the highlight of the meal. It was topped with some sauce which I can’t remember for the life of me. It tasted and was spiced like a remoulade but much thinner. The mint and basil that rested on the sauce brought everything together for a wonderful bite. It was served with a Vietnamese Sweet and Sour Dipping sauce and a few pickled cucumbers and carrots as garnish.

Entrée - Jumbo Gulf Shrimp and Okra Stew with Andouille Sausage and Heirloom Tomatoes on a bed of risotto. The only problem with this dish was having to debate whether to use a fork or spoon with which to eat. I chose poorly with the fork and ended up with a grain of stew stained rice on my shirt. It was a tableside presentation of the stew being poured over the bed of perfectly cooked risotto. The shrimp were fresh and indeed jumbo, the biggest that I had while in New Orleans. I really liked the flavor combination of vegetables and proteins. The stew by itself would have been worth the price of admission. When the risotto was added, it was reminiscent of an Étouffée that has a nice scoop of popcorn rice.

Dessert – Chocolate Pot De Crème. So rich, so unnecessary, so good. I didn’t need the recommendation from the server to know I would love this. She wasn’t kidding when she said I wouldn’t be able to leave anything on the plate if I liked chocolate as much as her. As I was consumed with dessert, Chef Besh came out to chat for a minute. I deeply appreciated him taking the time to stop by, asking about the meal, and genuinely thanking me for coming. He could not have been nicer.

Post Dessert(complimentary) – Homemade Praline and a chocolate consisting of a dark chocolate shell and an orange chocolate nougat filling(don’t remember the exact name)

Restaurant August
301 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
(504) 299-9777

A friend joined me for the remainder of the trip at this point.

Dinner – Original Pierre Maspero’s (Friend’s pick)
Atchafalaya Alligator
Fried with Cajun Seasoning and served with a spicy mustard sauce. It was the first time that I tried Alligator and I was surprised that it wasn’t gamey. Lightly breaded and pretty tasty.

Barbecue Shrimp Po’ Boy
Recommended by our server and was greatly disappointed in their “specialty”. Their barbeque sauce was a combination of butter and Worcestershire and reflected the blandness. The shrimp were tiny salad shrimp, maybe u61-70. The bread was stale and I simply ate the shrimp out with a fork. I asked for a side of remoulade to dip and was informed of a $1 charge since it was homemade. I have no problem paying for anything additional as long as it is clearly communicated when ordering or stated on the menu. The person must who came up with the remoulade recipe must have been the same person who made their barbecue shrimp recipe. It was pretty flavorless. It had the same viscosity as my NOLA Blonde Ale and not in a good way. The fries arrived cold but I had no desire to ask for a hot batch since they were of the frozen variety. The coleslaw was bland and not worthy of a second forkful.

Dining companion had the Fried Shrimp Platter and seemed to enjoy it enough since he ate it all. When asked, he said it was just ok.

Original Pierre Maspero’s
440 Chartres St
New Orleans, LA 70130-2102
(504) 524-8990

Late Night Snack – Café Du Monde Beignets
Grabbed a bag to go on the way back from Frenchman St. The people watching while waiting for the beignets was superb. They were delectable and definitely hit the spot. The beignets were hot to the touch but not dripping oil and covered with a liberal sprinkling of powdered sugar. While taking one out of the bag, I leaned over to eat it sensing the powdered sugar shower to follow. My friend must not have noticed my stance since he ended up with his dark shirt covered in powdered sugar. He mentioned that he usually doesn’t like sweets like donuts but these were great.

Café Du Monde
800 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
504-525-4544

Tuesday, 9/21

Lunch
Central Grocery

Whole Muffaletta split between my friend and me, a big bag of Zapps Chips, and a can of Coke. I failed in not ordering a bottle of Barqs but a can of Coca-Cola from the Vending Machine sufficed. I liked the ambiance of an old family grocery store when I walked in. The community counter seating is always a plus for busy grab and go joints. I really wanted to fall in love with this sandwich. I just don’t see what’s so special. It was huge but it should be for the price. The bread was the highlight for me. I thought the olive salad was alright but Bari’s makes a much better giardiniera. The oil from the salad did work well with the bread. The meat was of good quality but there just wasn’t enough of it. I should have taken my other quarter sandwich worth’s meat and combined it with the first quarter sandwich. I’ll take a Bari Prosciutto and Fresh Mozz on Focaccia or a Large Italian any day over Central’s Muffaletta.

Central Grocery
923 Decatur St
New Orleans, Louisiana 70116
(504) 523-1620

Dinner
K-Joes

Tried to go Monday Night to watch the Saints game and use my groupon but apparently their kitchen closes for all you can eat rice and beans. Needing more sustenance we went elsewhere Monday but the groupon brought us back the next night. We were seated promptly and didn’t see our server for 10 minutes in a 10 table restaurant. When the server came and took drink orders, it was another 15 minutes before she returned even though the bar was 20 feet away. She also brought saltines with a pimento spread and black pepper oil as lagniappe. We must have drawn the short straw because the waiter responsible for the other half of the tables moved quickly and effortlessly with the grace of a ninja. He was even nice enough to refill our drinks when the waitress disappeared for another cat nap or whatever she was doing in the back.

I had the Fried Gulf Shrimp platter which was hugungous. It must have had 25 shrimp that were probably u16-20. The shrimp had a very light breading and a good horseradish laden cocktail sauce for dipping. The accompanying fries were nothing special but that was perfectly fine since I was having a hard enough time finishing the shrimp. My dining companion had the K-Joe’s Cajun & Creole Platter which consisted of a cup of Chicken & Sausage Gumbo, Shrimp Creole, Jambalaya, and Red Beans & Rice. He said everything was pretty tasty if not a little too spicy for him. I tasted the gumbo and thought it was mediocre at best. He also remarked it would have been nicer if he received the gumbo before dinner like the other half of the dining room did. His food was cold before he was able to finish and he is a pretty fast eater. I chalk it up to the waitress and don’t blame the back of house at all.
K-Joe’s Restaurant
720 St. Louis Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-566-8900


Wednesday, 9/17

Lunch
Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House
Coolinary Menu; Two courses including tea or coffee $16($20 incl tax/tip)

We sat at the Oyster Bar and got a great view of the action. The man with the magical shucking hands gave us a quick tutorial of how to shuck, determine whether the oyster is good solely by the sound of knife splitting the oyster open, and determining ages of oysters. He was shucking bakers sheet after bakers sheet full of these bad boys and separating them by a bed of ice for later that night. When asked why they don’t shuck them when they’re ordered, he explained there was simply too much demand to keep up with. They had some huge oysters that came from “Zone 5” locally. The biggest oyster that I saw was as long as a baby’s forearm and he approximated was 6-7 years old. He could have been making this up and I wouldn’t have known… While sitting there for the duration of the meal, he slid a couple of oysters our way that were damned tasty.

Appetizer
I ordered the Blue Crab and Corn Bisque. It had huge, meaty chunks of blue crab that were big enough that they stuck out of the bisque. The bisque itself was creamy and the fresh sourdough baguette made a perfect vehicle for sopping it up.

My dining companion ordered the Crystal Alligator and received an ample portion. It was served as tenders in a buffalo sauce with blue cheese dressing. He liked it and I tried a bite. I found it quite similar to Buffalo Chicken Tenders.

Entree
We both ordered the Shrimp Creole. It was chock full of tomatoes, onions, green peppers, gulf shrimp (estimating u21-25), and a scoop of popcorn rice in the middle. It had some good heat to it and was very filling.

Bourbon House
144 Bourbon St
New Orleans, LA 70130
504-522-0111
Happy Hour at Lüke
Another couple dozen oysters that were just as good as the first day. I completely forgot to ask where they were from.



Dinner
Parkway Bakery & Tavern

While this wasn’t walking distance, it was worth the adventure. We waited 30 minutes for the Canal St Trolley since all of the trolleys were bunched up going in the opposite direction(reminded me of waiting for the Western Bus). Since they were all bunched up, the trolley operators were trying to coordinate stops so that they could start spreading the trolleys out again. This led to everyone being in a bad mood and quite a few people vocalizing it. We got off at the Jeff/Davis stop and started walking towards Parkway. I must have read a map wrong cause we took a wrong turn where it became apparent that we weren’t in the best of neighborhoods when it was just about sundown. After seeing vacants, burnt out homes, homes with busted out windows along with their doors wide open, and locals who looked like they hadn’t moved from their porch besides to get a new drink, we bee-lined out of there and got back on the right direction.

I ordered a full shrimp po’ boy dressed, a bag of Zapps, and a bottle of Barqs. I could not believe how huge the sandwich was. I had trouble taking a full bite since I could barely fit it in my mouth. It was the best po’ boy that I’ve had. It contained a mountain of shrimp that exploded out of the sandwich and onto the paper below. I had so many shrimp that jumped ship that I could’ve made another half sandwich from them. There were no survivors though.

My friend ordered a Roast Beef Po’ Boy that was one hell of a mess of a sandwich. It was gloopy, and dripping, and looked delicious. He said it was pretty good but enjoyed the 2am Mother’s leftover cold Roast Beef Po’ Boy more.

I didn’t have a chance to try Domilese’s since it was inconvenient with the St. Charles Trolley being out of service. Also, I tried to go to Felix’s for a po’ boy but they were renovating. I will have to try them when I go back and see if Parkway really is king.

BTW-We called for a taxi back and were back at our hotel in 10 minutes. It was quite a difference from the hour journey it took to get there.

Parkway Bakery and Tavern
538 Hagan St
New Orleans, LA 70119
504-482-3047

Very nice write-up mkess . . . sounds like you ate real well.

jimswside wrote:Ive got a short list of restaurants for a solo dinner one of the nights we are in NOLA. Top of the list is Commaners Palace. Curious about the "Chef's Playground" tasting menu. Anyone done it.

Was in New Orleans in May and did the Chef's Playground, which was amazing: the best meal I've had yet at Commanders. It included an awesome tuna tartar but the star of the meal was the best foie gras I've had anywhere. I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

Actually, word went around that Mandina's on Canal St. recently changed their cash-only policy. They should be accepting credit cards by the time you get here, if they're not already.

Made some reservations last night & today for our upcoming week in NOLA. LTH NOLA threads provided some guidance, as did info from Danny Toons & alot of research by me). I was working on this post last night and posted it then pulled it in order to add more detail, and make some changes.

Perhaps Ill post pics and eating details when we get back, otherwise they will be on my blog.

interesting(to me) article on NOLA food trucks:

http://www.nola.com/dining/index.ssf/20 ... _find.html

I would scratch Mondo, Oliver's and Jacques-Imo's off of your Wednesday/Thursday list--Mondo is Susan Spicer's newish restaurant in Lakeview, and while it's a good neighborhood joint, there's nothing there you can't get in Chicago (and probably a bit better). Oliver's is a tourist trap, and Jacques-Imo's is a zoo -- I'd replace J-I's with Dante's Kitchen.

Stella! would be my pick from the list, but it's one of the most high-end places in town--if your kid is up for it, go for it.

I haven't seen mention of Lillette, La Petit Grocery or Coquette in your lists -- just had a very good $20 three-course lunch at Coquette yesterday.

MiLa is another great choice, for lunch ($20 three-course) or dinner. Contemporary/nouvelle Southern, which sounds fruity, but it's heady, amazing food and the husband/wife chefs have a great resume stretching back to stints in NYC at Boulud and Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar. (Deconstructed Oysters Rockefeller and sweetbreads that'll knock your socks off.) MiLa is in the Renaissance Pere Marquette hotel (also home to Bar Uncommon, American Cocktail Museum founder mixologist Chris McMillan's place).

crrush wrote:I would scratch Mondo, Oliver's and Jacques-Imo's off of your Wednesday/Thursday list--Mondo is Susan Spicer's newish restaurant in Lakeview, and while it's a good neighborhood joint, there's nothing there you can't get in Chicago (and probably a bit better). Oliver's is a tourist trap, and Jacques-Imo's is a zoo -- I'd replace J-I's with Dante's Kitchen.

Stella! would be my pick from the list, but it's one of the most high-end places in town--if your kid is up for it, go for it.

I haven't seen mention of Lillette, La Petit Grocery or Coquette in your lists -- just had a very good $20 three-course lunch at Coquette yesterday.

MiLa is another great choice, for lunch ($20 three-course) or dinner. Contemporary/nouvelle Southern, which sounds fruity, but it's heady, amazing food and the husband/wife chefs have a great resume stretching back to stints in NYC at Boulud and Jack's Luxury Oyster Bar. (Deconstructed Oysters Rockefeller and sweetbreads that'll knock your socks off.) MiLa is in the Renaissance Pere Marquette hotel (also home to Bar Uncommon, American Cocktail Museum founder mixologist Chris McMillan's place).

great feedback, thanks,

Jacques-Imos looked inexpensive(we need a couple of those), and I wanted to try a Susan Spicer place(mondo). I have looked @ Lillete & MiLa, couldnt find a menu for MiLa online, but your recommendation for lunch looks promising. Ill take another look at Dante's menu I have at home.

You are right, Stella isnt cheap, but looks great. Ill have to see how fat my wallet is feeling a little closer to the trip. The "lobster, egg & caviar" appetizer looks brilliant, as does the "duck 5 ways" entree.

MiLa's posted menus (I think Zagat might have some listed) aren't reliable b/c the menu changes so often. You simply cannot beat the lunch special for the price and caliber of food. Coquette's $20 three-course is great, but MiLa is more inventive.

Also...if you're venturing out at night solo, there's a new 'barbecue and cocktail' dive bar I posted about called 12-Mile Limit. The bbq is not up to the high standards of this forum, but it's not bad and the smoked wings and cocktails are very, very good. The bar is in a borderline dodgy part of Mid-City, but it's definitely worth checking out.

If you considered Lilette but don't want a formal sit-down meal, the chef just opened up a late-night, small plates/cocktail lounge next door called Bouligny Tavern. It's a bit of a scene, but worth keeping in mind.

I forget what dates you'll be here...knowing your love of beer, I would've sent you to Avenue Pub, which is open 24-hours and until next week, home of J'anita's (v. good pub grub), but they just announced that J'anita's is moving out of Avenue Pub and into the newly re-opened Rendon Inn (a neighborhood bar that closed after Katrina and had a major overhaul in the interim). Rendon is in the Broadmoor neighborhood, so it's off the beaten path and very much a locals spot. The St. Chuck Duck sammich is 2 a.m. bliss.

crrush wrote:I forget what dates you'll be here...knowing your love of beer, I would've sent you to Avenue Pub, which is open 24-hours and until next week, home of J'anita's (v. good pub grub), but they just announced that J'anita's is moving out of Avenue Pub and into the newly re-opened Rendon Inn (a neighborhood bar that closed after Katrina and had a major overhaul in the interim). Rendon is in the Broadmoor neighborhood, so it's off the beaten path and very much a locals spot. The St. Chuck Duck sammich is 2 a.m. bliss.

thanks, cheap/good eats rec's are appreciated. I will be heading out solo as many nights as I am allowed to.

I havent posted the exact dates when we are coming(internet safety reasons and too many trolls).

I do like beer, almost as much as I like tequila, and now bourbon. I have a list of bars to hit, some from folks recommending them, and also a recent article in Travel & Leisure listing I think what they thought were/are the 40 best bars in NOLA.

I would be remiss if I didn't comment about how much fun i had sitting in Napoleon House, drinking and eating my self into oblivion.

Also Coop's Place, which is a great dive bar with really excellent food. Strongest Planters Punch I've ever experienced. I literally almost fell off my bar stool after 2 of them. It was a great day.

Coop's is a dive bar with very good food -- the rabbit and sausage jambalaya is what they're known for.



I was there yesterday around lunchtime and the place was packed and the waitresses were yelling at people crowding the door to get in. Watched a guy nibble a whole bowl of crab claws. The service can be frustrating if you're in a hurry. Also, they have video poker machines...so no kiddos allowed.

Coop's Place
1109 Decatur Street
New Orleans, LA 70116-2605

I also ate at Gatreau's and La Bayou and remember them as being good. Also had a wonderful meal at the Windsor court hotel. I think cafe du monde is a must do as also getting a muffaletta.

Don't go north of rampart st. as its a bad area.

some of the many bars on my list:

Swizzle Stick Bar - 300 Poydras
Lafitte's - 941 Bourbon Street
Tujage's - 823 Decatur
Liuzza's 3636 Bienville
R Bar & Inn - 1431 Royal
Snake & Jakes - 7216 Oak Street
Buffa's - 1001 Esplanade
Parasol's - 2533 Constance

Jim,

Just as a heads up, it looks like the folks who ran Parasol's for the last 12 years moved on a couple of months ago.
They've opened up a new place, Tracey's, about a block away.
I think Parasol's is still open under new management, but can't find confirmation of that.

I haven't been to the new place, but enjoyed the atmosphere and poboys at the old place.

Tom

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/gambit/traceys-picks-up-where-parasols-left-off/Content?oid=1338169

I broke the story about the Parasol's buy-out -- it did not sit well with fans of the couple who ran Parasol's, but they've definitely landed on their feet with the move a block and a half away to Tracey's. Bigger space, same roast beef po-boys, same local clientele perched on bar stools (just more of 'em). They get slammed on game days. I went one afternoon and they were out of bread and French fries. Parasol's has re-opened, and I have no doubt the new owners will carry on the tradition, but it's not the same place it has been for the last 12 years.

Tracey's
2604 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 897-5413
www.traceysnola.com

Jim -- I'm curious about your bar picks. Tujage's stumped me. Looks like you're aiming for more dive bars, with the exception of Swizzle Stick. I take it you're not into the frou-frou cocktail thing?

crrush wrote:I broke the story about the Parasol's buy-out -- it did not sit well with fans of the couple who ran Parasol's, but they've definitely landed on their feet with the move a block and a half away to Tracey's. Bigger space, same roast beef po-boys, same local clientele perched on bar stools (just more of 'em). They get slammed on game days. I went one afternoon and they were out of bread and French fries. Parasol's has re-opened, and I have no doubt the new owners will carry on the tradition, but it's not the same place it has been for the last 12 years.

Tracey's
2604 Magazine St
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 897-5413
http://www.traceysnola.com

Jim -- I'm curious about your bar picks. Tujage's stumped me. Looks like you're aiming for more dive bars, with the exception of Swizzle Stick. I take it you're not into the frou-frou cocktail thing?

thanks for the tips on Tracey's, a roast beef po boy sounds really good today.

I do prefer dive type bars. Im the guy who goes to Violet Hour and orders a Pappy Van W neat. I do appreciate the work Bar De Ville, and Violet Hour do, so I could see trying some craft cocktails when I am in NOLA.

Quite a bit of my list comes from a well written article in Travel and Leisure that lists their 38 favorite bars in NOLA. Interesting list & background stories. I do plan on going to the Roosevelt Hotel and the Sazerac bar

Jim,

Here's a po boy inspiration for your upcoming trip. A friend of mine attended this fest last week.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7076082n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

stevez wrote:Jim,

Here's a po boy inspiration for your upcoming trip. A friend of mine attended this fest last week.
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7076082n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

thanks, great link,

I jotted down a few of the places & will add them to my growing collection of menus I have.

Can you tell I'm on deadline by how often I pop up here? Procrastinating.

4th Po-Boy Preservation Festival Winners

Most of the restaurants will be serving the winning po-boys at some point, although I know Coquette will not. (The sausage is on their dinner menu, however.) And Grand Isle will not put the boucherie on the menu b/c it's too time-consuming to make. (Grand Isle isn't one of those restaurants I'd recommend, but they've won big at po-boy fest for the last few years. G. W. Fins is opening for lunch for 2 days in December and serving the fried lobster po-boy, but you probably won't see it on the menu otherwise. It's a great seafood restaurant in the Quarter, despite the chain-sounding name.

Sammy's Ray Ray po-boy is a knockout, and GINORMOUS. Sammy's is one of those off-the-tourist-radar places in an un-scenic part of town that serves it up big and cheap. The $8 bowl of shrimp and grits could easily feed two and still make leftovers. The burger regularly makes 'best' lists around town.

Sammy's Food Service & Deli
3000 Elysian Fields Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70122-3627
(504) 947-0675

crrush wrote:Sammy's Ray Ray po-boy is a knockout, and GINORMOUS. Sammy's is one of those off-the-tourist-radar places in an un-scenic part of town that serves it up big and cheap. The $8 bowl of shrimp and grits could easily feed two and still make leftovers. The burger regularly makes 'best' lists around town.

Sammy's Food Service & Deli
3000 Elysian Fields Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70122-3627
(504) 947-0675

lol,

just printed out Sammy's menu, along with Mahony's, Saltwater Grill, Parkway, Crescent Pie & Sausage Co., Frank & Johnnies, & Jack Dempsey's.

Go ahead and toss the Saltwater Grill menu. Blech. Seriously.

Crescent Pie & Sausage--any of the homemade sausage/boudin/meats are great, but the pizzas are bogus. Great crust, but they glop and squizzle sauces (think: aioli, creama, etc.) all over the pies to the point where it's just silly.

Franky & Johnny's won't blow your tastebuds away, but it is a great, local hangout...and if you time it right and go there in the evening on the right night, you can catch Taceaux Loceaux at Dos Jefes around the corner from there.

Jack Dempsey's is in the same 'hood as The Joint (the only decent bbq in NOLA) and Bacchanal (wine bar with huge outside patio, live music, guest chefs Sunday nights).

Just returned from New Orleans and ate some great meals. One place I haven't seen mentioned on here is Surrey's Cafe (1418 Magazine). Had a phenomenal breakfast here (actually 2 breakfasts in one). I had seen it featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives and knew I had to go. I started with the house-made poppy seed bagel with cream cheese, lox and all the trimmings. Seriously the best bagel I've ever had. I also had the corned beef hash, loaded with lots of corned beef, andouille sausage and boudin blanc. It was out of this world. We went back the next day and I had the boudin blanc biscuit with grits. It didn't stand a chance compared to the other two, but it was also good.

We ended up at Bourbon House for Thanksgiving and had a nice meal. Crab and corn chowder, trio of baked oysters, and redfish with a lump crab meat add-on. Ended the meal with a piece of pecan pie and a bourbon milk punch. If you ever end up here, make sure you get that milk punch.

Made our way down to Port of Call for burgers and a bloody mary. I enjoyed the local atmosphere and the food was certainly good, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the grub. Worth a trip for the atmosphere and some drinks though.

We hit up Coop's Place twice. First time started with green beans in bacon sauce (probably the best bite there) and jalapenos stuffed with crab meat, breaded and deep fried and served with horseradish sauce. Top-notch bar eats. Did the crawfish etouffee (watery and bland - skip it) and the red beans and rice with sausage for entrees. The red beans were lacking salt but came with two huge links of sausage deeply caramelized almost to blackness - in other words, perfect. These links weren't very aggressively flavored but the char and juiciness put them over the top. The next time we visited we did the crab claws marinated in italian dressing (doesn't sound promising, but these were really great) and the Jambalaya Supreme (the rabbit and sausage jambalaya with added tasso, shrimp, oysters, etc.). This was great stuff and definitely worth ordering. The staff were friendly and the drinks were cheap.

Had a very nice dinner at GW Fins. The service was on point and everything from apps to entrees to dessert were a cut above. This is a nice choice for a more upscale dinner in the Quarter.

I grabbed a bowl of gumbo at Felix's at one point, and it was good but not particularly noteworthy.

Also ate lunch at Desire in the Royal Sonesta Hotel on our concierge's recommendation. I think this is a good choice for an inexpensive meal in the Quarter. We started with some oysters, then had a great crawfish bisque and combination po boy (shrimp and oyster).

Surrey's is a great spot for breakfast, and they've just opened a second location further up Magazine Street.

Surrey's
4807 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115-1632
(504) 895-5757

Also, a second location of Camellia Grill just opened up in the French Quarter.

Camellia Grill
540 Chartres St.

crrush wrote:Also, a second location of Camellia Grill just opened up in the French Quarter.

Camellia Grill
540 Chartres St.

WOW

Never would've called that one...

I have done alot of reading, and talking with folks in NOLA, folks who have lived there, or knowledgeable people who just love the place, and I think we have come up with a pretty solid list of dinner choices and options for lunches and snacks. I am guessing about $2,000 in pocket money will cover this week of meals, and excess. i dont know when I have looked forward to a vacation as much as this one, family time is priceless, especially in light of recent personal developments.


Dinners were my main focus, so I got those reservations first, I also got the lunch reservation @ Commanders.

Open Lunch and snack choices will consist of: Acme, Felix, Cassamento's, Mr. B's, Central Grocery, Johnnies, Mahoney's, Mothers, Drago's, Cochon Butcher, Cafe Dumonde, Herbsaint, Domenica, Bourbon House,Cowbell, etc.

thanks for the folks who helped & gave me feedback on places.
A couple quick questions if anyone can help:

- my Commanders reservation is for 8:00 p.m. on Monday, I am trying to find out how late the street cars run on a week night(I am having a hard time reading their online schedule).

- Also for dinner @ Galatoire's and Commanders I need to wear a jacket. Is an Ivory dinner jacket over the top, and is a standard sports coat to casual?

Thanks for any help with these questions.

jimswside wrote:- my Commanders reservation is for 8:00 p.m. on Monday, I am trying to find out how late the street cars run on a week night(I am having a hard time reading their online schedule).

- Also for dinner @ Galatoire's and Commanders I need to wear a jacket. Is an Ivory dinner jacket over the top, and is a standard sports coat to casual?

Streetcars run 24 hours but they can be infrequent and you might have to wait. If you are planning on walking from Commanders to the streetcar after dinner I would reconsider if you are alone. I am not trying to be an alarmist and you would probably be alright, but I would never wander around that part of the Garden District by myself.

As for your question about a white dinner jacket being over the top, in New Orleans the answer is a definite no. Not necessary but you wouldnt get a second look.