It definitely ain't NO..L.A.
La Nouvelle-Orléans.
New Orleans is a city-state if you will. It's so rich in culture and holds deep roots of family and history (and money). The influence of the south as well as the french has made for a place that is nowhere like any other. This is best seen in the variety of foods that you will find and although I wasn't able to have all the best food in the city (no crawfish) - I still loved all the great people I met and the food we were able to enjoy together.
After a long delayed flight, I was greeted with a bag of
Chick-Fil-A. Although there are a few chains around town, I don't think they're as popular as they are in the south. Chick-Fil-A used to be a sabbath splurge when I lived in Atlanta. haha.
The next morning we settled into our guest house on Magazine Street. Magazine St is interesting because it is a mile away from downtown and the northern part of Magazine Street is pretty worn down. Some portions of it are industrial and then a few broken down houses but as you head south, you find a very bourgeois sector of the city. The homes that you pass are beautiful - shrouded by massive pillars and two story porches. Fleur de lys are all over the place and there's a very strong sense of unity in the air -- no one wants to forget who they are and the tragedy that has brought them together.
So our first "real" meal was at
Juan's Flying Burrito. And yeah, I'll admit I was a bit skeptical eating a burrito in New Orleans. But hey, I was hungry and I was willing to eat anything.
flying... donkey?
I got myself the Jerk Chicken Burrito.. It definitely wasn't a pollo asado but it was still mighty tasty. Although I have to say that the jerk chicken tasted more like roasted chicken. I was hungry and there was hot sauce to excite my tastebuds. That's all I needed.
We rested a bit and then met a few more people and dragged them back out to Magazine Street. I forgot how humid the south gets... and they made sure we wouldn't ever forget again. It's the kind of weather where you'll take a shower and then sweat as soon as you step out. But I guess it's kind of nice - a free sauna, clears up your pores!
We were swimming in the humid crust and could barely see as the sweat dripped down our faces and matted hair at the nape of our necks. Our jeans clung closely and uncomfortably chafed the skin. We found a gelateria that gleamed with frosty display cases and colorful flavors. I'm sure we looked like salivating dogs in front of a butcher shop. I read that
Sucre was a million dollar renovation and I'm not too surprised. The interior was beautifully done, minimalistic furniture and a clean aesthetic. The gelato didn't disappoint either.
*o*!! Coconut Fudge. I liked that the chocolate taste didn't overwhelm the coconut and it wasn't overly sweet.
Have you ever taken a ripe, cold mango out of the fridge, peeled it and just went at it with the flesh? The juice drips down your chin on to your clothes but all you can think about is the way that the mango transports you to a world of hot ladies, mai tais, and salty oceans. That's what this mango sorbet was like.... I'm still thinking about it!
It was finally time for dinner... so we made our way to:
Do you believe in magic?
VooDooBBQ
I had myself the slow cooked brisket platter. Sides of corn pudding, baked beans and texas toast. The beans were delicious! Swimming in a sweet, juicy soup. The corn pudding was a bready version of corn bread -- but lacked the dry texture of cornbread, this pudding was absolute. Kernels of corn helped break up the smooth pudding. Yum.
The brisket on the other hand? Dry. dry dry dry dry dry.
I guess that's what sauce is for! Cane vinegar, Mango crystal, and MOJO sauce!! The mango crystal was the absolute best. I'm assuming they added "Crystal Hot Sauce", hence the name. I couldn't taste the mango, but I could sense the nectar like sweetness. It revived the juices in my brisket and .... revived my meaning in life. Mmmm. The mojo was a standard BBQ with a vinegar kick that added much needed flavor to the brisket.
Here it is! We can all use a little bit of sauce in our lives. Saucy saucy.
On Saturday, I had red beans and rice as well as an oyster po boy. (Forgot to take pictures) Red beans and rice, is a slow simmered dish of ham hock, andouille sausage, and sausage links. How tasty! I also had an oyster po boy which was de-li-ci-ous! Although I'll have to say that I think that po boys are a bit too bready for my taste. The french bread is overwhelming and the filling too dry. It may have just been the place we got our food from. But fried oysters? Oh my.
That evening we visited
Chartres House Cafe in the French Quarter. The wknd we were in New Orleans happened to be Jazz Fest so there were plenty of revelers around.
Food. I had "A Taste of New Orleans" From the top - clockwise: Rice Jambalaya, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, and Red Beans and Rice. The whole dinner was a blur but I really enjoyed the food and it was a lot more than it looks. I could barely finish the three bowls.
After dinner we walked around the French Quarter a bit and saw some street performers!
The kind that only performs when you drop change in the bucket. fairies.
Right across the street was the famous Cafe du Monde where hoards of people were sipping cafe au laits and consuming delicate fried pillows of goodness!
There were so many people there! It was crazy because there is a whole bunch of outdoor seating and you just sit and wait. It was a bit of chaotic order.
An order of three french doughnuts = $1.59!! Can you believe it.
This isn't a very good picture but hopefully you get the idea. Pillows! of fried goodness, dusted with white heavenly powder. They tasted the best freshly out of the fryer, not so much when they had cooled down a bit.
Can you tell I was stuffed silly?? I kept forgetting to take pictures because I was having such a great time...
And for those of you that were in NOLA with me, I'd like to leave you with this picture:
Thanks for stopping by.
