New Orleans is know for it’s food, and we love food. However, we rounded up a zillion calories worth of recommendations before we even set foot in the city, so that meant we had to make some hard choices.
To even dent the list, we decided to take a grazing approach — fewer sit-down meals and more appetizers, counter-service, shared entrees, etc. It was an effective way to taste what we wanted. Here are a few of the highlights:
Super-Sized Sno-Bliz
We trekked to locally famous Hansen’s for sno bliz, and they did not disappoint. Each towering cone was made to order with the same equipment they’ve been using for the past 80 years, and I’m presuming the same secret flavor recipes.
Jan went for the senior atomic with fruit, ice cream, and a cherry on top because if you’re going to stand in the heat for 30 minutes, you might as well go all the way, right? I opted for a peach cream concoction with a bonus scoop of ice cream in the middle resulting in a delicious peaches-n-cream-n-cream. I would stand in line for another, true story.
Gris-Gris Gizzards
Everything we tried at Gris-Gris was delicious, including their gumbo and shrimp & grits. However, the chicken gizzard grillades, tenderly cooked sous vide and served with a perfect brown gravy has set us right on this oft-scorned offal. I’m not sure I could reproduce this dish, but I want to try.
If you can manage it, get a balcony table looking up Magazine Street towards downtown. It’s a pretty view and it’s on the shady side of the building.
Praline Brioche
We stumbled upon Breads on Oak on our way to the Mississippi River Bike Trail that runs atop the levee. Our thought was to grab a little something and watch the river while we ate, but things turned out much better than that.
The brioche here is amazing — I mean really excellent. We got a selection of flavors including vanilla, cafe au lait, apple, and an intriguing praline brioche. The last was the perfect combination of bread and dessert with a creamy praline filling and topped with candied praline nuts. I mean, damn, it was good.
I went back the next day for more, but they’d run out so settled for a caramelized cinnamon-raisin brioche that was a close, close second to the praline.
Iced Cafe au Lait
We’ve found the key to Cafe Du Monde is to not go in the morning. The coffee and doughnuts crowd snakes past St. Louis Cathedral and bakes in the hot Louisiana sun while beset by tuba players and fortune tellers. It’s best to go in the afternoon when the interest in caffeine and sugar is at a lower pitch, and the musicians have moved indoors.
By all means, get the beignets with the half-ton of powdered sugar. They come in orders of three. But don’t skimp on the drinks — the iced cafe au lait is the closest thing to a snow cone in the French Quarter, and worth the wait, too. We enjoyed it more than the hot, fried dough, but I’m willing to concede that the swampy weather may have had something to do with the assessment.
Pho-gettaboutit
Did you know that after Cajun, Creole, and Beignets, Vietnamese food is the biggest ethnic cuisine in New Orleans? (Learn more here.) Since we tapped out on gumbo* towards the end of our stay, we decided to switch to pho and experience the city’s other culinary delights.
We trekked to Pho Tau Bay in 90-degree weather for hot, steamy bowls of pho. The place was packed with staff from nearby hospitals and no tourists, which we took as a good sign.
Wow, what great broth! Rich, clear, and full of flavor. I amped up my rare beef with a bit more with extra jalapenos and hot sauce because if you’re going to go hot, go hot, right? Well, you don’t have to, but I did. Jan laughed at me. I wish we hadn’t left pho until the last day because I want to try more from this and other Vietnamese restaurants in the area.
Ah well, next time New Orleans.
*Gumbo didn’t make our list. I consider finding “the best” an open search and will pick up where we left off the next time we make it to NOLA.
Oh, you make me want to revive my praline recipe. Reminds me. I need a new candy thermometer…
Why am I just now hearing of a praline recipe???
Well, I used to make Mrs. Boykin’s red beans too. Get me some good andoullie or dry, spicy sausage an’ we good to go! I should have mentioned it while you were in NOLA. There’s a particular brand she’d buy or have sent to her because she said the ones in the stores here were not as good.
Hate to say this, but have you looked on Amazon? I find a lot of regional stuff. BTW, we plan to take over your kitchen when we’re there. Be prepared for lasagna, etc. etc.
Yes, Amazon has them. So does CajunGrocer.com. I used to use them years ago and their prices are more than decent. Their boudin blanc is delish. No, I never had any interest in Turducken.
Please, feel free to take over the kitchen. It hasn’t been used for much of anything since last July. It’s feeling unloved except by bowls of yogurt and microwave food.