First installment
All installments in reverse chronological order
Around 400,000 calories remain to be covered in my New Orleans trip, and we've already used up nine installments. So it's time to pick up the pace! Note that quantity of verbiage is not necessarily proportional to deliciousness. Some "quick hits" were gems, (I'll either tersely say so or else hope the photos do the talking). On the other hand, anything I'm bothering to tell you about is worthy of attention and ingestion, unless otherwise stated.
Tribute was paid to the celebrated barbeque shrimp at swanky Mr B's Bistro (201 Royal St; 504-523-2078). Great bartenders here; I befriended one while eating at the bar, and asked whether there are any other must-eat dishes. After a weighty pause, eyes sparkled ruefully, and I was told no. Not really. But that's absolutely fine. Oh, my lord, those shrimp:
Charlie's Seafood (8311 Jefferson Hwy Harahan; 504-737-3700), an old-timey place owned by the Brigtsen's people, was a bit of a trek, but I heard they serve a nearly extinct dish: shrimp callas. These are fried balls of fluffy yeasty rice and shrimp. Something like an Italian arancini, or rice ball, only better.
Very good gumbo, too:
Kim Anh's Noodle House (6624 Jefferson Highway Harahan, LA; 504-739-9995) was passed on the way back from Charlie. I caught a vibe, we stopped in for a bite, and were wowed by the bbq pork. Nice freshness to the noodles, too. Very short menu here, but it's good.
A tale of two breakfasts:
New Orleans Cake Cafe (2440 Chartres St; 504-943-0010) was disappointing. There are many online raves for this place, but their baked goods looked "meh" (a few tastes confirmed the impression), and breakfast was merely solid:
Much better breakfast at Elizabeth's Restaurant (601 Gallier St; 504-944-9272) in the Bywater district. This place is no secret find, however. We waited a long 45 minutes for our table. But It was worth it for incredible praline bacon:
And callas! Not shrimp, but still a nice surprise:
Exemplary home fries, "grit fries", eggs and catfish:
Not pictured: really outstanding coffee, Community brand (which includes chicory).
I stumbled across a glamor photoshoot of an underaged pig, glimpsed through the window of Cochon (930 Tchoupitoulas St; 504-588-2123). There was no appetite left to actually get a bite there, alas, but this place is a top priority for next trip.
Read the next installment (#11)
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