A Hobbit in New Orleans

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Those oysters were perfectly breaded and fried, and oh so plump. 

 

Awesome.

[rotuts]

@ProfessionalHobbit

 

thanks for this Tour.

 

I have not been to N.O.

 

I also love the menus

 

and the Food sans le plate.

 

thanks again

Edited May 10, 2018 by rotuts (log)

[HungryChris]

@ProfessionalHobbit,

NOLA is one of our favorite destinations, thanks for taking the time  to show us around!

HC

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Thanks folks

 

After lunch, we took a tour of the Garden District that was bookended by food.

 

First we went to

 

 

where I bought

 

 

and incidentally, the other books on offer were:

 

 

and

 

 

Then we ogled a bunch of houses, like these:

 

 

 

(this and the one immediately below this sentence were once owned by Anne Rice)

 

 

 

 

 

this was the house where the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button was shot

 

then, we finished in front of Commander’s Palace

 

 

and took a street car back to the French Quarter where I saw

 

 

which is very likely NOT the same as the classic place

 

We’re resting for a few hours before dinner. More later...

[Dave the Cook]

2 hours ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

which is very likely NOT the same as the classic place

 

It's not, but it's owned by the same family, and, if I'm remembering correctly, the classic place is right next door.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

We went to Compere Lapin tonight.

 

 

 

left - tequila, aperol, passion fruit, lime

right - rose wine, hibiscus, elderflower, honeysuckle vodka

 

 

 

 

 

 

chive-bacon biscuits with chive butter and maple butter

 

 

conch croquettes, pickled pineapple tartar sauce

 

 

smoked tuna tartare, avocado, crispy bananas

 

 

hamachi, guava curry, papaya 

 

nice balance of sweet and heat, with a lingering “bite” that slowly builds in intensity 

 

 

roasted half chicken with rice and peas

 

 

curried goat, sweet potato gnocchi, cashews 

 

a combination that worked and also had no bones which attests to the kitchen’s attention to detail.

 

 

roasted banana zeppole, hazelnut, caramel sauce 

 

 

spiced chocolate mousse, lemongrass, cashews 

 

there was chocolate “soil” underneath the ice cream and faint notes of chile in the mousse, sort of like a mole

 

with a 20% tip, total for two came out to $190. plus the service was better and more attentive than our experience at Bayona.

 

Edited May 11, 2018 by ProfessionalHobbit (log)

[ProfessionalHobbit]

 

@gfweb - unfortunately we will have to file August and Cochon under “next time”. 

 

rather a pity too since these menus appeal

 

 

on the way back home, B and I discovered 

 

 

located on the first floor of the Roosevelt hotel which will also have to be for the future 

[suzilightning]

If you are walking around the Vieux Carre  look for the author Frances Parkinson Keyes which you can tour.

If you like them the Audubon Zoo is a wonderful place to wander around.  I took a boat up to the zoo, spent the day there then took the streetcar back to Café du Monde.

We also toured the Mardi Gras museum and the mint, took a bayou tour and a history tour to Chalmette.

 

 

 

[chromedome]

18 hours ago, ProfessionalHobbit said:

 

 

(this and the one immediately below this sentence were once owned by Anne Rice)

 

 

 

I was never a fan of her vampire books, but if you have the chance by all means read Feast of All Saints. It's about the free people of color living in Louisiana before the war, and arguably the best thing she ever did.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

After a jazz history tour, we were famished and ended up at Felix’s instead of Acme because we didn’t want to wait.

 

Bzzt....wrong answer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

these were the best thing - giant oysters that were fresh-tasting and sweet, served with lemon, cocktail sauce and horseradish 

 

 

these were subpar and probably were sitting out too long

 

 

just average 

 

 

red beans and rice needed oomph (and no andouille sausage)

 

oh well...

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Then we went to a used cookbook store 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the 1936 edition of TJOC sells for $200

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Not a bad haul for $73

 

 

I needed this volume to complete the hardcover portion of my FOTW collection 

 

 

 

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

We’re resting for a couple of hours before dinner.

 

Stay tuned....

[Okanagancook]

Interesting shelves.  I see they have The Key to Chinese Cooking and Louisiana Real and Rustic....among others.

Edited May 12, 2018 by Okanagancook (log)

[ProfessionalHobbit]

After a few days of doing the gourmet thing, we decided to have BBQ for dinner tonight, and headed to The Joint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

brisket and sausage with baked beans and coleslaw

 

 

pulled pork with the same sides as above 

 

the meat was moist, the sauces not sweet, the slaw interesting, and the beans well-made

 

the downside being not enough smoke flavor 

 

was better than average...but not a return destination 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

Noticed this on the street as we were headed to Snug Harbor for a jazz concert 

 

 

 

the menu below was not very interesting though 

[MetsFan5]

I hope you’re shipping your cookbooks back or left a suitcase for them! Deep Run Roots is fantastic but a heavy book! 

[MelissaH]

9 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

I hope you’re shipping your cookbooks back or left a suitcase for them! Deep Run Roots is fantastic but a heavy book! 

LOL. You don't know how many times I've spent a panicky last afternoon hunting for a post office in an unfamiliar city!

[ProfessionalHobbit]

@MetsFan5 - thanks but it’s ok, the five books plus the one I bought on Thursday will be my reading material on the trip back. I didn’t buy any heavy books this time.

 

It won’t be Southwest Airlines but the usual United garbage we have to deal with...so I need something pleasant to distract me from our ordeal.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

We went to Cochon today for Saturday brunch.

 

 

 

 

 

Boucherie platter.

 

clockwise from top left: pate; mustard; head cheese; toast points; pickled vegetables (green tomatoes, bread and butter pickles, dill); salami; lard mixed with chopped pork; some kind of ham.

 

 

beef short ribs, rice, mushroom gravy 

 

 

cochon (baby suckling pig), cabbage, pickled turnips, crackling

’

 

pineapple upside down cake, coconut lime sherbet, dulce de leche

 

Was amazing. With a 20% tip, came out to $125 for two.

[ProfessionalHobbit]

We went to a few NOLA museums today and here are some food related pix

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ProfessionalHobbit]

And here are some more menus for your viewing pleasure 

 

 

 

this is the brunch menu at Sylvain and we’re sorry we have not had time this trip to make it

 

 

 

And here is a wine menu in an alley near our hotel 

 

[heidih]

So glad you made it to Cochon. I sat on that side of the room next to a couple who are wine distributors and had just been to an extensive tasting. They were feeling quite social and we shared tastes of all our dishes. I enjoyed each one, but the "lodged in my taste brain" are the fried duck livers with pepper jelly. I see it just says livers on the menu now, not duck.  Great reporting!

[kayb]

I love NOLA; I love to eat my way through it. I have a friend who contends the way to "do" a foodie tour of NOLA is an early breakfast somewhere of beignets or croissants and coffee; brunch at one of the classics; late lunch at a po'boy place or Willie Mae's, appetizers in a bar of a favorite about 5:30 or 6, and then dinner at 9 p.m., with lots of walking between each.

 

I think the only disappointing meal I ever had in NOLA was at Tujague's, on the opposite side of Jackson Square from Cafe DuMonde. I'd heard great things, but I guess you can hit anywhere on an off night. This one was.

 

I've never been overwhelmed with either Acme or Felix's. Drago's oysters are MUCH better. 

 

Glad you got to Mother's. I love the shrimp and oyster po'boy, and the debris isn't bad, either.

 

[Katie Meadow]

Another fan of Cochon. That was my favorite meal in NOLA. It was a late dinner, Wish I could remember what kind of fish I had, but it was the best fish ever. Redfish? One fish, two fish, redfish, bluefish. Grilled, simple. Everything else was really good too, but it's a blur three years later. Hope you got a chance to go to the Backstreet Cultural Museum in Treme. Really amazing.

 

Also memorable, but maybe because it was so murderously hot, was Erin Rose bar in the French Quarter. They have an alcoholic coffee milkshake, sort of like an alcoholic version of Vietnamese iced coffee. But of course you have to like coffee milkshakes to begin with. Also very interesting to me were crossover sandwiches that were part po' boy and part banh mi.