New Orleans 2022: A brief foodblog

[Chris Hennes]

Last (and definitely least!) meal here is at Leah’s Cafe in MSY:

 

Yep, the flavor and texture of an airport shrimp sandwich, as you’d expect. And slow, besides. (Not something you want at an airport in most cases!)

 

It’s probably just as well I’m heading home now: I need a few days of eating yogurt for lunch and vegetable stir fries for dinner, sans wine! Well, and maybe a pizza or two  

[rotuts]

@Chris Hennes 

 

wonderful blog 

 

many thanks.

[Shelby]

Loved reading this.  Thanks so much and safe travels home!

[kayb]

Very enjoyable, Chris. Thanks, especially for thee look at Peche. We walked past it a couple of times but never managed to go.

[ElsieD]

Thanks for bringing us along.  I have never been there, despite the fact I have family there.  I really should go, now that I know where to eat!

[rotuts]

P.S. :

 

Nice Chablis

 

my favorite white wine

[NancyH]

Thank you for sharing! I enjoyed reading this. Safe travels!

[Smithy]

Chris, everything looks enviably delicious and I'm glad you brought us along. I have a few belated questions, beginning with this dish at Herbsaint

On 1/3/2022 at 3:49 PM, Chris Hennes said:

 

My wife had a "small plate" of homemade spaghetti topped with breaded egg. She reports that it, too, was excellent.

 

 

 

 

What exactly is breaded egg? I can't make it out from the picture. Oh, and do you remember what sort of sauce was with that spaghetti?

[SusieQ]

On 1/6/2022 at 5:23 AM, Shelby said:

We love drum and eat it quite often.  Around here some folks consider it a "trash" fish, but it shouldn't be.  I want to make that salad.  Could you describe the dressing a bit please (insert question mark that doesn't work on my keyboard anymore)

 

Drum fish? Never in my life have I heard of it nor seen mention of it. Until now. 😛 

 

[liuzhou]

I only know red drum, which I eat regularly. But I suspect that is something different. It is farmed locally and is similar to seabass.

Edited January 8, 2022 by liuzhou (log)

[Shelby]

4 hours ago, SusieQ said:

 

Drum fish? Never in my life have I heard of it nor seen mention of it. Until now. 😛 

 

 

3 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I only know red drum, which I eat regularly. But I suspect that is something different. It is farmed locally and is similar to seabass.

Here is a bit about the KS version of Drum.

 

 

[liuzhou]

1 minute ago, Shelby said:

 

Here is a bit about the KS version of Drum.

 

 

 

Thanks.

 

Yeah, I'd worked out we were talking about two different things. Yours are a freshwater fish and mine is an Atlantic seawater variety. Similar name, but there it ends.

 

@Chris Hennes Thanks for  this topic. I don't really know what drew me to it. I've never been to New Orleans and probably never will make it, but it was interesting.

[heidih]

If you've read Pat Conroy's "Beach Music" - drum  is the fish the Southern boy speaks lovingly of catching and cooking. Thanks for the ride Chris.

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by heidih (log)

[Dave the Cook]

15 hours ago, Smithy said:

Chris, everything looks enviably delicious and I'm glad you brought us along. I have a few belated questions, beginning with this dish at Herbsaint

 

What exactly is breaded egg? I can't make it out from the picture. Oh, and do you remember what sort of sauce was with that spaghetti?

 

At the risk of pre-empting Chris, and the further risk of being accused of shameless promotion (the recipe was worked out by my partner, @JAZ), it looks quite a bit like this. Maybe not exactly carbonara, but that little strip of bacon on top brings it awfully close.

[Steve R.]

8 hours ago, SusieQ said:

 

Drum fish? Never in my life have I heard of it nor seen mention of it. Until now. 😛 

 

Adding my 2cents to this, I think that, in N.O. and other southern parts, drum is sometimes referred to as croaker.  At least that was what I was told years ago when we were there and I asked if it was related to catfish.  Its not.

[weinoo]

4 minutes ago, Steve R. said:

Adding my 2cents to this, I think that, in N.O. and other southern parts, drum is sometimes referred to as croaker.  At least that was what I was told years ago when we were there and I asked if it was related to catfish.  Its not.

 

Yes to croaker/drum. No to catfish.

[Chris Hennes]

19 hours ago, Smithy said:

What exactly is breaded egg? I can't make it out from the picture. Oh, and do you remember what sort of sauce was with that spaghetti?

As Dave says, the dish was essentially spaghetti carbonara (that was guanciale on top).

[SusieQ]

Chris, thanks for this gustatory tour! I've never been to New Orleans, so this was fun to see a few spots and lots of dishes. I appreciated all your photos.