Thanksgiving in New Orleans

[bleachboy]

I'll be in New Orleans with my wife and another couple over Thanksgiving weekend.

My boss says he looks forward to a buffet lunch at Kabby's, but to me this looks like a sports bar, which I'm not into at all.

Any recommendations for a Thanksgiving dinner? I assume many restaurants will be open, but who really throws down for this food-centric holiday?

[bleachboy]

For example, does anybody know whether K-Paul's serves Turducken on Thanksgiving?

(bump)

[Mayhaw Man]

I will compile a list of Thanksgiving places for you this afternoon when I get home. I usually end up with my family on Thanksgiving, but two different years we have ended up at Mr B's for Thanksgiving and I give it pretty high marks. It is a table service meal (as in no buffet) and is not outrageously priced. Wine with every course, and most importantly, many alternatives to Turkey.

Nothing against your friends sensabilities, but unless you want wings and bleu cheese dressing for your meal, you might want to pass on Kabby's.

[Mayhaw Man]

I'm sorry that it took me a week to get back to this and I hope that you are still able to read it before your trip.

If you will go to Tom Fitzmorris's Website you will find a fairly comprehensive list of places open on Thanksgiving along with the menus that will be served. There is also an excellent description of the dining situation in New Orleans on Thanksgiving.

As far as reccomendations go, I have been to Mr. B's twice on Thanksgiving and really enjoyed it both times. Great food served at bargain prices.

As far as something fairly interesting and out of the ordinary-you could make a clubhouse reservation (if you can still get one) and head over to the New Orleans Fairgrounds on Thanksgiving afternoon. The Fairgrounds uses Thanksgiving as their opening day and it is a really old tradition. I know that this may be a bizarre reccomendation but most people who have been to New Orleans want to know "what do the locals do" and this is about as local as it gets. I promise you you will see a slice of New Orleans that you might never have a chance to see otherwise. Very well to do families spending their traditional holiday lunch gambling and drinking. What more could you want out of a holiday? The food is good and the atmosphere is great in the new clubhouse. This is the oldest racetrack in the country and they run good horses with decent purses.

[tryska]

copelands?

[Mayhaw Man]

copelands?

Well you could do that. they are open. but there are so many other choices that would make you much happier. Copeland's is sort of like Applebee's with seafood and extra salt.

[Jason Perlow]

copelands?

Well you could do that. they are open. but there are so many other choices that would make you much happier. Copeland's is sort of like Applebee's with seafood and extra salt.

Oh my god does that place look gawdy as hell.

[tryska]

copelands?

Well you could do that. they are open. but there are so many other choices that would make you much happier. Copeland's is sort of like Applebee's with seafood and extra salt.

ah. i wasn't sure if it was the same in new orleans as it is in atlanta. the atlanta one i know does a thanksgiving dinner.

but when i was visiting i thought i saw a copeland's (the original perhaps?) in the garden district, right on St. Charles, i think, which looked a little less pink and blue neon. so they're tacky regardless, huh?

[FistFullaRoux]

Also, if you are staying in a hotel, check their Thursday menu. If you aren't, check some of the nicer hotels in town. That is usually the best bet, I've found the few times I've been out of town on Thanksgiving. They do the whole shooting match, turkey, fixin's, dessert, all of it.

[Mayhaw Man]

copelands?

Well you could do that. they are open. but there are so many other choices that would make you much happier. Copeland's is sort of like Applebee's with seafood and extra salt.

ah. i wasn't sure if it was the same in new orleans as it is in atlanta. the atlanta one i know does a thanksgiving dinner.

but when i was visiting i thought i saw a copeland's (the original perhaps?) in the garden district, right on St. Charles, i think, which looked a little less pink and blue neon. so they're tacky regardless, huh?

There is in fact a Copeland's on the corner of St Charles Ave. and Napoleon Ave. It is right next door to a frat hangout called Fat Harry's. The food is not bad, very dependable in a VERY salty kinda way. The drinks are reasonable and the place is usually crowded. It is not bad, and for a chain very good as foar as that goes.

My point was that you can do much better for the same money all over town on Thanksgiving day. I used to live down Napoleon frim Copeland's and ate there ocasionally, but usually because they were open late and not because I was dying for coconut shrimp with spicy "mynez" (The New Orleans pronunciation of mayonaise)

[tryska]

ha ha - i understand - i've actually only to been to copeland's here in atlanta once - a friend's husband was the general manager at the time, so we got to eat for free.

for free it wasn't bad. but i've never really explored the menu. I don't know of too many places around here that are open and serving on T-day. a couple of restaurants and a strip club.

i'm surprised so many places are open on T-day - but lucky you - especially if they are quality.

Edited November 25, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

New Orleans is, in fact, an industrial town and Tourism is our biggest industry. The hotels pretty much have to be open and lots of people come to New Orleans just to spend the holiday weekend, so the restaurants jump on board.

[bleachboy]

Actually, Copeland's was started by Al Copeland, the same guy that started Popeye's. It's awesome food as long as you think of it as a "Super Popeye's", and not the kind of upscale place they try to market it as here in Nashville.

Thanksgiving in New Orleans was a blast! We had lunch/dinner at

Mr. B's Bistro (the "B" is for "Brennan"). We ate early (1:30) so as to procure the choicest cuts.

Two of us had the smoked free range turkey, myself included. I had never tried free range turkey before. It was served as two huge half-inch thick slabs of breast meat, and served with a scrumptious cornbread stuffing, pureed sweet potatoes, and haricots vert.

I was really impressed with the flavor of the free range turkey. It was definitely richer in flavor, though tougher and less juicy, than the turkey I prepared last Thanksgiving (organic, brined, deep-fried). Next year, I'm definitely going to use eGullet to source one of these turkeys out!

One of my other dining companions ordered a decadent pork "roll" - sausage wrapped in tenderloin wrapped in bacon. Oh my! She traded me one of her pieces for a piece of turkey, and I have to say.. well, what do you think? Three layers of pork heaven.

My wife got a trout meuniere, being a vegetarian - it's exactly what you'd expect for a poisson meuniere in New Orleans. Tasty.

The wines were not included, but that was okay given that the dinner price was very reasonable and included an appetizer (I had a delicious squash bisque) and a dessert. I sprung for a bottle of champagne and a bottle of pinot noir and a bottle of riesling.

Some of our food plans were laid to waste by the Bayou Classic. This is the second time I've been in New Orleans during this stupid football game, in which the French Quarter becomes so packed with people as to be completely inaccessible, especially if you are like my wife and I and can't deal with huge crowds.

So Saturday night we went to Cuvee in the CBD. I had been here before, actually, and was yet again impressed, especially with their sommelier and wine list. I was dining with four other people this time, and he helped me choose a bottle of sparkling, a white, and a red, that were quite delicious for right around $100 (for all three). Now that's a sommelier!

Thanks again for the advice, Mayhaw man! We were not disappointed! Want me to give you a call next time I'm down there? Dinner's on me! (My employer's office is in Poydras Center, so I'm down there about 6 times a year for meetings and junk).

[Mayhaw Man]

Actually, Copeland's was started by Al Copeland, the same guy that started Popeye's. It's awesome food as long as you think of it as a "Super Popeye's", and not the kind of upscale place they try to market it as here in Nashville.

Thanksgiving in New Orleans was a blast! We had lunch/dinner at

Mr. B's Bistro (the "B" is for "Brennan"). We ate early (1:30) so as to procure the choicest cuts.

Two of us had the smoked free range turkey, myself included. I had never tried free range turkey before. It was served as two huge half-inch thick slabs of breast meat, and served with a scrumptious cornbread stuffing, pureed sweet potatoes, and haricots vert.

I was really impressed with the flavor of the free range turkey. It was definitely richer in flavor, though tougher and less juicy, than the turkey I prepared last Thanksgiving (organic, brined, deep-fried). Next year, I'm definitely going to use eGullet to source one of these turkeys out!

One of my other dining companions ordered a decadent pork "roll" - sausage wrapped in tenderloin wrapped in bacon. Oh my! She traded me one of her pieces for a piece of turkey, and I have to say.. well, what do you think? Three layers of pork heaven.

My wife got a trout meuniere, being a vegetarian - it's exactly what you'd expect for a poisson meuniere in New Orleans. Tasty.

The wines were not included, but that was okay given that the dinner price was very reasonable and included an appetizer (I had a delicious squash bisque) and a dessert. I sprung for a bottle of champagne and a bottle of pinot noir and a bottle of riesling.

Some of our food plans were laid to waste by the Bayou Classic. This is the second time I've been in New Orleans during this stupid football game, in which the French Quarter becomes so packed with people as to be completely inaccessible, especially if you are like my wife and I and can't deal with huge crowds.

So Saturday night we went to Cuvee in the CBD. I had been here before, actually, and was yet again impressed, especially with their sommelier and wine list. I was dining with four other people this time, and he helped me choose a bottle of sparkling, a white, and a red, that were quite delicious for right around $100 (for all three). Now that's a sommelier!

Thanks again for the advice, Mayhaw man! We were not disappointed! Want me to give you a call next time I'm down there? Dinner's on me! (My employer's office is in Poydras Center, so I'm down there about 6 times a year for meetings and junk).

We just call him Al. He is a class act

I have had dinner a couple of times at Mr B's on Thanksgiving (once on the day before Tulane won their last game to go undefeated. Something that apparently is not going to happen again any time soon.

I have gotten 3 pm's relating to the Bayou Classic. I know what you mean. I was in the Quarter at my apt. on Sat. night and had to park WAAAAY back in the Faubourg. Huge crowd, but for once the game meant something more than a party to the fans (SWAC Title Game) so I suppose more than usual showed up.

Incidentally, I am sure that you noticed restaurants were not as busy as you would expect with that many people on the street. Locals stay away in droves because of the crowd problems and it gives tourists in fine dining places a pretty good idea of how many locals are normally dining with them.

Cuvee is the second restaurant owned by Kenny La Cour, who also has a much more established place on the Northshore called Dakota. They are both excellent and have very tasteful decors . The art on the walls is, in fact, provided by my wife through Brunner Gallery. (sorry, pretty crass promotion, but you gotta take your shots ).

Yes, please pm me next time you are coming down. Always happy to meet someone new.

[Mayhaw Man]

Actually, Copeland's was started by Al Copeland, the same guy that started Popeye's. It's awesome food as long as you think of it as a "Super Popeye's", and not the kind of upscale place they try to market it as here in Nashville.

Since you mentioned Al, I thought that you might be interested in this bizarre little slice of life from the pages of the Times Picayune. This was very big news six years ago and provided a great deal of entertainment for observers of our strange little culture.

Battle of the Titans-New Orleans Style

If you want more, just google on "Al Copeland Ann Rice". You can read the transcripts of Anne's answering machine tapes and more

[bleachboy]

Very interesting, and downright hilarious given that I hardly think of Anne Rice as a paragon of good taste.

I think I have eaten at Straya's a couple of times, although isn't it now called something heinous like "Copeland's Cheesecake Factory...err, Kitchen" or the like?

[tryska]

i don't understand why she pitched a fit. honestly, i felt that particular restaurant was quite unobtrusive on that strip of st. charles.

Edited December 8, 2003 by tryska (log)

[Mayhaw Man]

i don't understand why she pitched a fit. honestly, i felt that particular restaurant was quite unobtrusive on that strip of st. charles.

I don't know if you saw it in it's original inception, but let me put it like this.

Had you been watching a parade on St Charles avenue in 1997 and you were standing in front of this building, you may have become confused and turned and yelled "Throw me Something Mr." to revelers on the balcony of the building because you had become confused about which was the float and which was the building