Central Grocery in the French Quarter is the mecca for the Italian sandwich that got its start here and dates back to the early 1900′s: the muffuletta. Central Grocery is an old time Italian market specializing in mostly Italian delicacies but the muffuletta is the definite draw. Spell it and pronounce it how you please, but I can assure you that once you experience one of these great sandwiches, you will not care about anything else but going back for more.
Central Grocery’s muffuletta consists of cappicola ham, genoa salami, mortadella, provolone cheese, Emmentaler cheese, and of course, what makes it is the olive salad. This olive salad is a mixture of olives, carrots, celery, cauliflower, seasonings, and copious amounts of olive oil to bring it all together. Of course, I can’t forget about the special bread/bun/loaf/roll that holds all of these flavor ingredients. It is round in shape, with an airy sturdy interior and fairly crusty exterior that is topped with sesame seeds. The marriage of all these ingredients creates what is quite possibly one of the best sandwiches out there.
I am a sucker for a muffuletta and will try one at any place I see it at, aka I have eaten many muffulettas… some that only lasted one bite and some that where pretty darn good. But to date, I have yet to come across one that compares to the original at Central Grocery. There are not many things better than going down to the Quarter and to Central Grocery for a muffaletta, bag of Zapp’s potato chips and a bottle of Barq’s root beer. Depending on when you go, be prepared to wait in a line which at times can stretch down the sidewalk on Decatur but rest assured that you will not be disappointed once you finally get to bite into your muffuletta.
Here is just a little tip I have learned…….if you are not going to eat your muffuletta immediately(almost impossible), turn the sandwich over so that the logo is facing down. This will cause some of the olive oil and all of the flavors of the olive salad to trickle into the bottom part of the bread. So now when you bite into it, you get the flavor in both the top and bottom of the bread.
There is a sign inside the store that reads……”IMITATED BY MANY….BUT NEVER DUPLICATED.” I must say, well put my friends. So to all of those imitators out there, you can’t make the original better. And that is not a knock on any other version, you may be able to put your own twist on the original but never better it.
If I had to recommend a “must go” place in New Orleans to someone, Central Grocery’s original muffuletta would be that place.
The Galley is aptly known as a no frills seafood joint. If you are looking for white linens and other fancy amenities, this is not your place, but if you want great seafood, cold beer, and a home-y atmosphere, this is the place.
I overheard a conversation the other day about McHardy’s Chicken & Fixin’ in New Orleans…the couple was raving about it, and my ears really perked up when I heard them say that “they give you a lot of chicken for $5.”
Come enjoy great 
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