New Orleans

Re:New Orleans (Nancypalooza)

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 11:05:49 GMT

It sounds like a very fun and full weekend!

Re:New Orleans (318)

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 10:43:34 GMT

Sounds like fun! Great report EJ

Re:New Orleans (BT)

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:41:17 GMT

E. J.

stopped at Luke's, which is a John Besh restaurant just off Poydras. Very nice restaurant. I had a pressed cochon de lait with house fries. Excellent. The sandwich was described by our waitress as their version of a Cuban. The meat reminds me of the roast beef in the Ferdi's Special at Mother's.

Since you mentioned Cuban sandwiches, a place that doesn't get mentioned a lot but which I really like is Liborio's, a genuine Cuban place serving killer ropa vieja (and much more including Cuban sandwiches) also in the CBD: http://www.liboriocuban.com/

Re:New Orleans (BT)

Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:36:25 GMT

X1

I do not understand the obsession with Krystal.

No one does unless it's between 2 and 6 AM and they are drunk.

That's the genius of putting the Krystal in NOLA on Bourbon St. which is a common place for bars but not at all for "fast food" (the alternatives to a Krystal slider are mostly pizza--there are a number of spots selling pizza and hurricanes--and/or hot dogs from the carts on most corners).

Re:New Orleans (adam1230)

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 23:48:51 GMT

Re:New Orleans (schindlr)

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 22:16:14 GMT

Acme and Felix's are indeed quite similar, and native New Orleanians generally go to one or the other, probably depending on where they were taken as a child. Acme apparently has a heavy web presence and thus almost always has a long line, where, as EJ discovered, you can step across the street and be seated immediately at Felix's.

It's hard to get a disappointing meal in New Orleans, which is why I keep going back!

Re:New Orleans (BelleReve)

Wed, 24 Nov 2010 09:39:01 GMT

X1 - tell me where and when you'all will be, and I'd love to meet up with you, and any of our other visiting roadfooders.

Re:New Orleans (X1)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 17:05:44 GMT

BelleReve - except that they're going to serve alcohol at this one!

Jim2903 - I think I mentioned this to you before, but three of The Contingent (ChuckL, Q, and me) will also be in NOLA before and after New Year's (I'll be there Wed after Xmas 'til Tues after New Year's). Send me a note if you want to meet up for drinks or a meal while you're there.

BelleReve - We should try to meet up AGAIN, since we missed each other last time!

E.J. - I agree about Mr. B's grits...their Grillades and Grits are just fantastic. Tender meat and creamy grits.

I do not understand the obsession with Krystal.

Re:New Orleans (mar52)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:56:42 GMT

I would love duplicating your weekend. Thanks!

Re:New Orleans (Jim2903)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 15:50:29 GMT

Thanks for the report -- will be in NOLA between Christmas and New Year's ...

Re:New Orleans (BelleReve)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:45:19 GMT

Always enjoy hearing about others' visits to NOLA and restaurant recommendations - there was an article in our paper today that Camellia Grill will open a FQ branch at 540 Chartres on Dec 3rd, with supposedly the same menu. Hope some of roadfooders who go will give us a trip report on it.

Re:New Orleans (eruby)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:38:44 GMT

Great report E.J.

No matter where we eat in New Orleans, I always have at least one Krystal slider. Good to know Felix is an acceptable alternative to Acme.

My only small criticism - use more paragraphs.

Re:New Orleans (joerogo)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:36:39 GMT

I never get tired of reading about NOLA.

Re:New Orleans (MilwFoodlovers)

Tue, 23 Nov 2010 14:09:01 GMT

Nice report.

New Orleans (E. J.)

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:40:03 GMT

Great weekend in New Orleans. Arrived mid morning Thursday and left the bags at the hotel and trekked to our favorite bloody mary spot, Molly's at the Market on Decatur. After a couple of awesome bloodies (a shot of Guinness is their secret), we needed food and went next door to Coop's Place. My wife is a fried oyster fanatic and this was her first order of four and rated the best! Also excellent jambalaya. Coops is a bar with food, service is tolerable but the prices are about half what you would get nearby. For a real surprise, walk out back to the restrooms and you will find yourself in the middle of their kitchen - outdoors! At least this was the only kitchen we could find. We wound up eating snacks at our hotel's happy hour so had no dinner meal. We went to Mid City Lanes Rock n Bowl for Zydeco night (a tradition when we visit) and had a blast dancing to a live Zydeo band. Friday we had probably our best meal of the weekend, at Mr. B's Bistro on Royal. This is not a roadfood joint but an upscale restaurant with impeccable service and awesome food. A $20 lunch special included entree and appetizer. I had the brisket and grits with gumbo ya ya. Best gumbo, deep, rich. Also maybe the best grits I've ever had. The brisket was moist, tender and flavorful. Others at our table had excellent meals as well. At lunch, they had special cocktails at deep discounts - bloody marys and martinis were 1.50, champagne cocktails and blood orange margaritas 3.00. Great margaritas, bloodys and champagne also enjoyed at our table. With a big lunch behind us and munchies at happy hour we partied a bit too hard that night and skipped dinner (unless you inlcude the Krystal sliders on the walk back to the hotel). Saturday we had an afternoon football game and planned to go to one of our favorites - Mother's (on Poydras) for lunch. The line was way too long so we headed back towards the Superdome and stopped at Luke's, which is a John Besh restaurant just off Poydras. Very nice restaurant. I had a pressed cochon de lait with house fries. Excellent. The sandwich was described by our waitress as their version of a Cuban. The meat reminds me of the roast beef in the Ferdi's Special at Mother's. It came dressed with a nice house dressing and was very very good. The fries were very good as well. My wife's fried oysters were a bit too strong and crunchy for her taste (and she is a fried oyster connoiseur). Since we couldn't make Mother's at lunch, we hit it after the game for all the regular stuff - Ferdi's Special, Jerry's Jambalaya, fried oyster and shrimp po-boys,bread pudding and more. Everything as expected and another great trip to Mother's. One meal left, on Sunday before flying out. We did some wandering and wound up near Acme Oyster House so we figured we would make that our last local meal. Long lines steered us across the street to Felix's which pretty much serves the same menu as Acme for a few less bucks. Nice lunch - shrimp, oysters, jambalaya, etoufee, gumbo, fine finish to the weekend. We were greeted by the shuckers as we walked in, promptly seated and served. Try this place is you don't want to stand in line across the street.

A final tip - don't go to the airport too early - we wasted too much money on $7 beers and $8-10 cocktails that could have better been spent at one of the awesome establishments of this great city.