coming for the sUGAr bowl!.....

[Lan4Dawg]

Fuss used to live down there and we have visited on a couple of occasions since then for various bowl games, &c but things have changed since our last visit--you had an un-invited visitor that caused quite a stir. We will, of course, hit Willie Mae's and Dooky Chase. We enjoyed both the last times we were there so want to help them get "back on their feet" as it were (& see my SFA donations at work) and help celebrate that they are back in business. Plans are to be there fr/ Sunday, 30th Dec until Saturday. What is open? What is not to miss? Who needs our patronage (the food is still good but they need diners)? We will have a car and Fuss knows her way around relatively well (we hope things have not changed that drastically). We are also open to any thing fr/ dives to serious up-scale and I will eat just about any thing. Our only requirement is some thing relatively nice on NYE but that is not even a real requirement as we can make do w/ what ever.

edited to add: I saw the recommendations under Holly's post below and took copious notes but that was a month ago so was looking for any other ideas or new openings, &c. thx.

Edited December 5, 2007 by Lan4Dawg (log)

[HungryC]

You probably have all these places already on your list, but I think all are worthy of a repeat mention:

--Casamento's; now that so much in our fair city has irreversibly changed, it's always nice to go to a place that is exactly the same as you remember & still delicious in every way. They still fry in lard, 'nuf said.

--Dragos, downtown in the Hilton Riverside. A good option for char-grilled oysters without going out to Fat City to the original joint.

--Lil Dizzy's, either on Esplanade or in the Whitney hotel. Straight-ahead creole soul food, tasty fried chicken and gumbo like my grandma used to make. Nothing fancy, canned veggies, but well worth the thousand calories you'll inhale in the form of fried poultry.

--Cafe Reconcile; as a non-profit, it always needs your patronage, as it is an immensely worthy cause on Oretha Castle Haley (aka Dryades) on the edge of Central City, just upriver from downtown/CBD. In case you don't know about CR's good works, it is a hospitality & job skills training program for troubled youth. They learn to cook, clean, wait tables, & other basic job skills, all under the umbrella of a neighborhood restaurant. Think fried catfish with homemade tartar sauce, sweet tea, mac & cheese, mustard greens, and such.

--Cochon; has a pork-centric menu rooted in south Louisiana. Fun stuff like crawfish meat pies, hogshead cheese, wood-oven roasted fish, housemade sausages, rabbit stew w/dumplings. I really like the ham hock w/greens. Delicious, sugary, southern desserts like butter pecan cake.

--Sucre; just got another mention in the NY Times...fancy desserts, high-end pastry, but you should really go there for the chocolates. My favorite is the Meuniere, a chocolate fleur de lis filled w/ a brown-butter, white-chocolate ganache, though the caramels made w/Avery Island salt are also worth eating.

Sorry y'all ended up in the Sugar Bowl; don't you think Hawaii will give you a run for the money? Geaux Tigers....

[joiei]

You probably have all these places already on your list, but I think all are worthy of a repeat mention:

--Casamento's;  now that so much in our fair city has irreversibly changed, it's always nice to go to a place that is exactly the same as you remember & still delicious in every way.  They still fry in lard, 'nuf said.

--Dragos, downtown in the Hilton Riverside.  A good option for char-grilled oysters without going out to Fat City to the original joint.

--Lil Dizzy's, either on Esplanade or in the Whitney hotel.  Straight-ahead creole soul food, tasty fried chicken and gumbo like my grandma used to make.  Nothing fancy, canned veggies, but well worth the thousand calories you'll inhale in the form of fried poultry.

--Cafe Reconcile; as a non-profit, it always needs your patronage, as it is an immensely worthy cause on Oretha Castle Haley (aka Dryades) on the edge of Central City, just upriver from downtown/CBD.  In case you don't know about CR's good works, it is a hospitality & job skills training program for troubled youth.  They learn to cook, clean, wait tables, & other basic job skills, all under the umbrella of a neighborhood restaurant.  Think fried catfish with homemade tartar sauce, sweet tea, mac & cheese, mustard greens, and such.

--Cochon; has a pork-centric menu rooted in south Louisiana.  Fun stuff like crawfish meat pies, hogshead cheese, wood-oven roasted fish, housemade sausages, rabbit stew w/dumplings.  I really like the ham hock w/greens.  Delicious, sugary, southern desserts like butter pecan cake.

--Sucre; just got another mention in the NY Times...fancy desserts, high-end pastry, but you should really go there for the chocolates.  My favorite is the Meuniere, a chocolate fleur de lis filled w/ a brown-butter, white-chocolate ganache, though the caramels made w/Avery Island salt are also worth eating.

Sorry y'all ended up in the Sugar Bowl; don't you think Hawaii will give you a run for the money?  Geaux Tigers....

←

I want to add don't miss La Divina in the same block as Sucre for the BEST gelato in town by far.

[Lan4Dawg]

and while I am begging....

any suggestions of a place relatively near (walking distance, say up to a mile) the Super Dome for about 10-12 of us to meet before the game?

[HungryC]

It's about a mile from the river to the Superdome, going straight up Poydras past Harrah's, etc. A Gordon Biersch is right across the street from Harrah's; I know, it's a chain, but it has a spacious bar, limited outside seating, as well as some decent chain-style food.

In the same general area is Ernst Cafe, upriver on S. Peters just off of Poydras. Bar-style food, low-key, laidback kinda place. Mapquest says it is .89 miles from Ernst to the 'Dome. Lucy's is another bar (701 Tchopitoulas, I believe) within walking distance.

If you want an SEC-friendly hangout, meet up at Mike Serio's, 133 St. Charles. Who knows if they'll be open; the hours can be kinda capricious (they wouldn't let me in one Saturday afternoon 1/2 hour before closing time; call first: 504-523-2668). Anyway, the proprietor played football for LSU, the decor runs to purple-and-gold, but the food is typical NOLA sandwich joint, and of course, it serves beer.

[Robert Peyton]

To what HungryC has written, I would add Grand Isle, since it's in the neighborhood of Gordon Biersch, and has a good bar for beer & oysters.

If you're looking for more food than drinks, Herbsaint is a good bet.