NOLA Eats
(The photo above is brother Jimmy's award winning crawfish boil which he catered for us at Jazzfest in 2019. He also makes an out-of-this-world gumbo. Contact him at xxxxx if interested.)
NOLA Eats
As Moose often quotes, NOLA is more a Caribbean protectorate of France than a city in the US, and the food here exemplifies that. From gumbo to jambalaya to crawfish etouffee to beignets, the list of iconic New Orleans dishes is distinctive and long; the number of purveyors, more so.
And beyond the classics, the city's diverse denizens are continuously introducing fresh cuisines, techniques, and cooking philosophies. Sadly, there are more places we've wanted to try than we've actually been able to sample during our short visits home. However, below are a few that we would endorse over and over again.
Lilette (Uptown Magazine St.) - One of our favorite uptown spots. Chef John Harris is a James Beard awardee with a French and Italian inspired cuisine. Get the pear and goat cheese dessert, trust us. Everything is wonderful. And a wine bar next door.
Miss River (CBD) is in the new Four Seasons Hotel at the foot of Canal St. We love to eat at the bar and Alon Shaya rarely disappoints. The Louisiana seafood tower more than amply serves four so you may want to order it if you're with a large group else it may appease your appetite. We've not encountered anything on the menu we haven't liked.
Saint-Germain (Bywater) is one of our absolute favorites. It's a bar with a small private restaurant. The chef's tasting menu in the private dining room (you need a reservation) is world class. If you don't have time or can't get a rez, the bar/back patio food is also wonderful (but get the rez, trust us). Our dinners here in Mar and Dec rival the best meals we had in 2022.
MaMou (French Quarter) is an exciting new spot on Rampart St. from our friend Tom Brannigan. It's set to open soon, so check back and we will update.
Compere Lapin (Warehouse Dist.) is the signature restaurant of James Beard awardee Nina Compton. Chef Nina melds new American cuisine with her native St. Lucian roots to offer amazing food and the opportunity to drink a French75 from the head of a large bronze rabbit. Eater named it as one of America's 38 essential restaurants in 2018.
Yes, it's a sandwich shop. And yes, Bon Appetit's headline read: "Yes, America's best new restaurant of 2017 is a sandwich shop." Chef Mason Hereford has a lot of fun and makes the sandwiches you only wish you could make at home. The only item we weren't crazy about are their fries which were too salty and meh when we ate here in Dec 2022.
