Eating like a local:
Regional food specialties
- Back to The Big Easy
There's not many places that bring you to life quite like New Orleans. I returned to the Big Easy for the first time in years this past Thanksgiving. It had been so long that I kind of forgot just how much I love this city. It's easily one of my five favorite in the U.S. and the food and fun is a big reason why but I also love the people and the culture. New Orleans is an absolute treasure and in my opinion the entire city should be a UNESCO Heritage Site. NOLA is too small to be the best food city in the country but it has the best regional food. That and a high quality of cooking from spot to spot are what make New Orleans such a great food town. But it's more than the food. There's plenty of good food to be found across the globe but there's only one New Orleans and we're gonna jump right into it.
Sights from New Orleans (click pics to enhance)
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Mr. B's Bistro
After arriving early on Thanksgiving I decided to hold off on eating until lunch though I really didn't have a choice as there wasn't many spots that were open that early if at all. I was thankful that Mr. B's was not only open for Thanksgiving but they were doing their regular menu on top of turkey. After all I didn't go down there to eat like a pilgrim. I was there to eat all the wonderful local dishes and there's a bunch of them on the menu here. Mr. B's is a sibling of the legendary Brennan's but it's also a legend in it's own right with a history in the French Quarter going back to 1979. Mr. B's is beloved for it's barbecue shrimp among other things but first things first I had to get some gumbo. Their seafood version was the bronze medal winner of the trip. As for the barbecue shrimp it was really good but be prepared to get messy or at least to feel so since it's peel and eat shrimp sitting in a pool of sauce that's nothing like the barbecue sauce you get with ribs and chicken. New Orleans style bbq shrimp never sees a grill or a smoker as it's sauteed with a ton of butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and lemon among other things. The sauce was lip licking good but I wish the shrimp were a bit more plump. Erica had the wood grilled Redfish Meuniere and added blue crab to the mix (so good). Brennan's bread pudding rounded out the best Thanksgiving day meal I've ever had. Sorry fam.
Lunch at Mr. B's Bistro
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Luke
Luke was the winner of closest restaurant on my hit list to where we were staying downtown. It was on the list bc they have a very good happy hour as do most places in New Orleans. But Luke has good deals on food and drinks. The latter being half off most of the beverage menu and the former is $1.50 Gulf oysters and $8 baskets of fried oysters. With Luke being open on Thanksgiving day we headed over for Happy Hour as it's available from 3-6p daily. We returned the following day for more.
Happy Hour Oysters at Luke
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LUFU NOLA
This newish Indian restaurant that started out as a pop-up was one of the only spots on my list open for dinner on Thanksgiving. On top of that they were doing their regular menu and it was a short walk from our resting spot so it all worked out nicely even though we were both pretty full from the previous spots. Because of that we only ordered a few things but each of them was awesome. For starters fried squid with curry leaf, dry masala, and carrot-coconut chutney was unlike anything I've ate on Thanksgiving while garlic naan was soft and crisp in all the right spots. Dal Makhani was a tad soupier than I'm used to but as flavorful as any I can remember. I had plans to come back alas it didn't work out but I would let these guys feed me anywhere so don't shy away just because there's no Étouffée.
Dinner at LUFU NOLA
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Bearcat CBD
A best breakfast thread on the Reddit NOLA board led me to Bearcat CBD which is a popular breakfast and lunch cafe known for high quality, locally sourced and seasonal dishes. They have two locations and one of them was just down the block from our spot so I walked over for breakfast. Specifically for a biscuit with crawfish gravy. It was damn good but could've been hotter in temp.
Cajun Gravy Biscuit at Bearcat CBD
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Guy's Po Boys
I had a Surf and Turf lunch in Po Boy form at Guy's Po Boys on Magazine street where I went a small shrimp and a small roast beef which made for a complete meal and then some. I kind of forgot that half sized po boys are still really f'ing big. I’m not sure which of the two fillings I prefer in a Po Boy but roast beef allows for more interpretation from spot to spot. Some places do a shredded version while others do sliced plus there's the seasoning and gravy factor too. Roast beef at Guys is thinly sliced with just a little gravy and a bit of resistance which is what helps it stay together when sliced. It's a delicious rendition while the fried shrimp was a textbook example of that style. This place is great.
Fried Shrimp Po Boy
Roast Beef Po Boy at Guy's Po Boys
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The Creole Creamery
The older I get the more I like ice cream. We walked past this cool looking ice cream parlor on the way to get some champagne at the wine store a few doors down. We popped in for a peek at the menu and I was impressed. I like to look for uniquely local flavors at small batch ice cream spots like this. The Creole Creamery had a few that I got to taste test. Creole Cream Cheese was the winner.
Creole Cream Cheese Ice Cream at The Creole Creamery
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Mosquito Supper Club
Mosquito Supper Club is a nationally heralded Cajun restaurant that celebrates the bounty of shrimpers, oyster fishermen, crabbers, and farmers that define the local cuisine. Chef Melissa Martin and her team offer a curated tasting menu served in supper fashion. We didn't have reservations for the tasting menu but we were able to pop in and sit at the bar where they offer drinks and ala carte items like Southern Louisiana style gumbo served with a scoop of potato salad meant to go into the gumbo. It was the silver medal winner for best gumbo of the trip - dark in color and deep in flavor. We also got try their version of barbecue shrimp which gave the same vibes as the gumbo - it was dark and delicious. Best dish of the trio was a fried snapper collar served with a delicious dipping sauce plus little strips of chayote or Mirliton as it's called in NOLA. Great cocktails and service too.
Bar Snacks at Mosquito Supper Club (click pics to enhance)
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Jacques-Imo's
After snacks at Mosquito we wandered over to Jacques-Imo's to put our names down (no reservations). I last visited this Anthony Bourdain favorite more than a decade ago where we enjoyed a massive meal in honor of my sisters graduation from college. I thought it would be a good time to return in part bc this would be my aunt and uncles first dinner of the trip so I wanted to do something with a very New Orleans vibe. Jacques-Imo's delivered on the vibes part as it was a Friday and there was big crowd in town for the Bayou Classic. I started with a rum punch as that's where the Friday night vibes led me. We also got a slice of their famous alligator cheesecake which had pretty good flavor but not much texture. My uncle called it mush. Crawfish ettouffee was better than most versions outside of Louisiana but didn't seem like it was one of the better options in state. Aside from the rum punch a plate of blackened redfish sitting over crab chili hollandaise was the big winner.
Dinner at Jacques-Imo's
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Clover Grill
Friday night was a doozy as I met an old friend and roamed around a very busy Bourbon street. We had some beverages but the only place we actually went inside of was the iconic Clover Grill. It's been serving up big and greasy end of the night burgers and more since 1939. You cant expect to get the best burger at a spot like this that stays open 24/7 but you can bet you're going to get the best burger you can find at 4am when you're stumbling around Bourbon street looking for a spot to get some grub before you collapse and call it a night. They lightly smash big and fresh balls of beef on a well seasoned flattop and let it sear for a bit before covering it with an old American made hubcap.
Cheeseburger at Clover Grill
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Ayu Bakehouse
I had read about the pastries at Ayu Bakehouse and specifically the Boudin Boy which is a locally made piece of boudin (pork and rice sausage) with a perfectly boiled egg wrapped up in an extra flaky croissant. So I walked over thru the French Quarter and down Bourbon street one morning and what an interesting walk that was. Seeing the neighborhood from a locals perspective is always interesting. Those locals are lucky to have the pastries from here. The Boudin Boy comes served with a chili crisp and it was possibly the best thing I ate this trip while a lemon blueberry Danish I decided to try on a whim was equally delicious. I can see this place being a regular stop in NOLA from here on in.
Pastries at Ayu Bakehouse
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Casamento's
NOLA has a high concentration of good eating spots on a per capita basis so even though I’ve visited the city more than a handful of times I still got lots of spots on my to eat list. I knocked one of them off at Casamento's on Magazine street where they’ve been serving up oysters and more since 1919. It’s currently on its fifth generation of the same family ownership, we were served by members of the 4th and 5th generation (mom & daughter) starting with a plate of their char grilled oysters with some fresh cut fries on the side. Gulf bivalves are layered with garlic and butter and broiled until they start oozing garlic-butter. So, so good. Next up was an Oyster Loaf with tallow fried oysters plus the usual toppings of a Po Boy except they use butter toasted pan bread instead of French bread bc as we were told - it goes bad quickly. The fried crab claws were as good as any I’ve had in these parts while seafood gumbo was like a Creole Cioppino and raw gulf oysters were as plump as I’ve experienced them. If only I had a little bit of stomach space left for some spaghetti and meatballs. It may seem like an odd menu item paired with all this Gulf seafood but Joe Casamento came to New Orleans from Italy more than 100 years ago. Will this be the 2023 'Stop of the Year'? Do stay tuned! Cash Only.
Lunch at Casamento's (click pics to enhance)
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Lily's Cafe
Last time I was in New Orleans before this visit was 2016 so it had been a minute. I can’t tell you exactly how many times I thought about the Spicy Shrimp Pho at Lily's Cafe between now and then but it was many times. The broth has a deep spice profile and is strong in shrimp flavor. It's the best shrimp pho I’ve ever had. It’s also the only one I’ve ever tried but trust me when I tell you it’s worth a stop if you need to take a break from all the buttered and fried food options around town. The Vietnamese have a strong connection to New Orleans via the local shrimping industry and with it there’s some good Vietnamese spots to be found in town and local gulf shrimp is common at them.
Shrimp Pho at Lily's Cafe
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Zasu
As far as dinner reservations go Zasu was at the top of my to try list. The Mid- City restaurant is a dream come true for James Beard Award winning Chef Sue Zemanick. It comes highly rec'd by local food writer Ian McNulty among others that know what's up. We walked into a full house of locals that included a couple of large parties out to celebrate. It's got big time bistro vibes coming from the menu and the space itself which is a renovated New Orleans shotgun house. Food wise the menu leans on local and seasonal ingredients while there's both a local and a global influence as far as the prepared dishes go. We were able to try a nice chunk of the menu and overall dinner was a big winner. Of course some dishes were better than others. The best plate of the night was a masterfully cooked piece of red snapper sitting atop butterbeans, turnips, green beans, cherry tomatoes mixed in a spicy butter. It was probably the best dish of the trip. While it's easy to cook fish it's not easy to cook it as perfect as this. It tasted as good as it looks. The only real miss of the night was a chorizo spiced baby octopus that fell a bit flat. But the rest of the stuff we got was pretty spot on and I plan on going back.
Little Gem Lettuces / goat cheese / radishes / pink peppercorn / herbed pistachio dressing
Soup of the Day (roasted butternut squash)
Crispy veal Sweetbreads / charred broccoli / sushi rice / pickled fresno / ginger soy glaze
Fettuccine / roasted artichoke / espelette / herbed breadcrumbs / white anchovy butter
Chorizo Spiced Baby Octopus / baby potatoes / kale / salami / red peppers / roasted garlic aioli
Fried Sea Scallops / capers / tarragon / celery-root apple remoulade
Korean Chile Glazed Pork Cheeks / bibb lettuce / pickled carrot, turnip, radish / cilantro / puffed rice
Fish from the Specials Board
Sauteed Red Snapper / butterbeans / tunips / haricots verts / cherry tomato / spicy butter
Dessert at Zasu
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Palm & Pine
If you're looking for an interesting breakfast option near the French Quarter you may want to check out Palm & Pine. The menu here is an ode to the American South and everything south of it. So Mexico and the Caribbean too. Their brunch menu was speaking to us with curry crab beignets among other things. We got a order of those plus the TX Barbecue Shrimp with Jalapeno Cream Cheese Grits with mesquite smoked shrimp butter and roasted oyster mushrooms. Good stuff.
Brunch at Palm & Pine
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Napoleon House
This 100+ year old bar is a good stop in the French Quarter for drinks and snacks. Napoleon House has been owned by the same family since 1914. The bar is credited with creating the Pimms Cup back in the 1940's and some also say the Hurricane was concocted here though that's disputed. They brought in a Brennan family member a little while back to help fix the place up and I imagine the food is part of the upgrade. With Central Grocery currently closed for renovations I made it a point to stop here and try their muffuletta which is served warm. As someone that grew up eating Italian subs with hot peppers at the original Potbelly's this sandwich tasted like comfort food to me. Good gumbo too.
Gumbo and Muffuletta at Napoleon House
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Cafe Du Monde
Is it really a trip to New Orleans without a stop at Cafe Du Monde? The French Market coffee stand is often the first and or last stop of a large chunk of the close to 20 million people that visit the city each year. Some might call it a tourist trap but at the end of the day beignets are best fried fresh and due to demand they never stop frying them at Cafe Du Monde. It's probably the most iconic spot in town.
Beignets at Cafe Du Monde
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Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Speaking of iconic spots, Felix's Oyster Bar is yet another one. We were walking by and figured we'd try a round of their grilled oysters to see how they compared to previous stops. While I didn't hate them they were the least favorite of the bunch as they had a heavy paprika taste. Just not my style.
Chargrilled Oysters at Felix's Oyster Bar
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Compere Lapin
I cant remember exactly when Chef Nina Compton first appeared on Top Chef but I've been intrigued with her cooking ever since then. It had to have been at least a decade ago so quite alot has happened since then including the opening of her own restaurant. Compere Lapin has been praised by pretty much every local and every national syndicate as far as dining out goes. In 2017 Compton was named Best New Chef by Food & Wine and then the following year she won a James Beard Award for best chef in the South. She's originally from St. Lucia and her cooking reflects that and her current home. We started with an order of jalapeno and scallion hush puppies that really hit the spot. Most of the time I find hush puppies to be nothing more than a filler but these were top notch as was a piece of tender and juicy jerk pork belly with plantain crema and a tamarind jus. They commonly have a snapper collar with peanut jerk sauce on special so if that's the case when you visit do not hesitate for a second to get it. Even if you're dining solo just get it and call it a meal as it was one of the best things I ate this trip. The entrees weren't quite as good as the apps but a piece of snapper with sauce genevoise was very well done but I felt their signature curried goat dish was a bit one dimensional. Maybe it's bc I had some insanely good curried goat in Miami a few weeks before but I don't care for the meat to be shredded if it's not going to go into a tortilla. That and the sauce itself didn't wow me but overall I would happily return here with plans to get something other than the curry. Dessert was a delicious bread pudding with rum caramel, broiled banana, cashews and some rum raisin ice cream.
Dinner at Compere Lapin (click pics to enhance)
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Liuzza's By The Track
If you find yourself in New Orleans on a Monday your lunch plans should be set as it's Red Beans & Rice day at restaurants across the region. This just might be my favorite of all the wonderful Louisiana born dishes of Cajun and Creole and NOLA descent but it’s rare to find a good version outside of here. Popeyes comes close but at the end of the day it’s still mass produced fast food. So we went over to try it at an old favorite - Liuzza's by the Track. I first came here back in 2012 and have day dreamed about the food a few too many times since then. We arrived right before opening and there was already a large group of people waiting to enter. Most of them there for the Monday red beans and rice special which comes with your choice of smoked or hot sausage. We got a piece of each and while both were tasty I preferred the sliced smoked sausage which was nice and crisp. The hot is similar to breakfast sausage and imo works better as a Po Boy filling. Last time I was here we got their signature barbecue shrimp Po Boy which is a hot mess of a hallowed out French bread Pistolette loaded with local shrimp and drenched in NOLA style barbecue sauce. It was just as good this time.
Lunch at Liuzza's by the Track
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Lil' Dizzy's Cafe
If you want some top tier New Orleans cafeteria style cookin' you gotta head over to Lil' Dizzy's in the Treme. The family behind this place has a long history of cooking in the area. Founder Wayne Baquet Sr learned the restaurant trade from his father Eddie Baquet, Sr who's the namesake of a legendary 7th Ward restaurant called Eddie’s. He retired in 2020 but you can find the same fried chicken he was known for at Lil’ Dizzy’s Cafe which is operated by Wayne Jr and his wife Arkesha. On top of the fantastic fried chicken, which comes served piping hot, they also have daily specials and since it was a Monday I got the red beans and rice with a piece of smoked sausage. It really enriched my soul.
Red Beans & Rice with a side of fried chicken at Lil' Dizzy's Cafe
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Pêche Seafood Grill
We enjoyed a large family dinner here last time I was in town. We ended up returning for a dinner on this trip albeit with a much smaller party. Pêche is the seafood focused sister spot to the pork forward Cochon Restaurant. Both of them are ran by renowned local chef Chef Donald Link and his partners. We chose to return in part bc it was so good the first time but that was a long time ago so the menu has changed a few times over since then. The current chef de cuisine has a Filipino background so many of her dishes have an Asian accent to them. First off their seafood gumbo was the gold medal winner of the trip. It was damn near perfect in color (flavor) and it also had a great viscosity to it. Moving along the cornmeal fried oysters with pickled corn and kimchi aioli were fantastic while a crab rice special was the best bite of the night and also one of the best bites of the trip. Baked drumfish with a soupy coconut curry plus greens and little balls of fried sticky rice was a really nice entree but it was outshined by dessert - a carrot sticky toffee pudding with cream cheese ice cream and candied pecans. It was wowsers. Pêche has placed itself amongst the most reliable restaurants in town.
Dinner at Pêche
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I knocked another iconic New Orleans dining destination off the list on this trip. Mothers is one of those spots that attracts lots of tourists due to location but locals also hop in line at this cafeteria style setup popular for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Lots of options on the menu including Étouffée omelets and their famous baked ham but with this being my first visit I had to get their most popular offering - the Ferdi Special. A Roast Beef Po Boy with baked ham and debris gravy packed into a French roll. It was a damn good sandwich. Only thing that could’ve made it better was some giardineria as the bread was soaked like an Italian beef. I wanted to get Étouffée and grits but settled on a cup of that and also tried the red beans and rice, the latter of which is made with their famous ham. I preferred the red beans and rice to the crawfish etouffée but both were legit. Though isn’t it all down here? Sure there’s better spots than others but coming from the north it all tastes pretty great. Since 1938.
Brunch at Mother's
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Mandina's
Last meal in New Orleans was worthy of being a last meal in life. We went out with a bang. The old school Italian spots are one of my favorite aspects of the local food scene down here. These places ooze with history and bring you back into another era through the food and the atmosphere. Mandina’s is a locals favorite with a history dating back to 1898 when it first opened as a general store. It morphed into a restaurant in 1932 and is still family operated to this day. Regulars flock here for some of the Crescent city’s best seafood. First up was one last bowl of gumbo which here comes made with chicken, sausage and shrimp. Next up was my newest New Orleans food crush - crab fingers in wine sauce broiled with seasoned breadcrumbs was absolutely luscious. The same can be said for their Spaghetti Bordelaise. A decadent pasta drowning in white wine, butter, parsley and cheese comes topped with a generous amount of perfectly grilled gulf shrimp. The grand finale was Gulf Fish Amandine. The specialty of the house was being made with black drum on my visit. It's masterfully fried and doused in a brown Meunire sauce unique to New Orleans with toasted almonds on top. How much did I like this place? I may have a new favorite in New Orleans. So until next time…
Dinner at Mandina's (click pics to enhance)
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