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Archive for category New Orleans restaurant

Domilise’s Poboys

Jan 12

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | 1 Comment

Domilise's

Located near the river in Uptown New Orleans, Domilise’s has been a New Orleans poboy hotspot for many years.  The small, uninviting corner store is not an easy place to find for those unfamiliar with the location.  Directions are a must as you are more likely to be riding up and down one-way streets in search of poboy greatness.

Once you finally happen upon it, don’t be surprised to see a line outside the door.  This should not deter your attempt at chowing down on one of there many delicious sandwiches however.

Another thing: Domilise’s is small to say the least.  The kitchen is smaller than the bar and there are only about five or so tables at which to eat.  Be sure to grab a number printed on a ratty tag and then wait in line to be waited on.  When finished ordering your poboy, pull up a seat at the bar and order a cold Abita beer or a bottle of root beer.

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Enjoying the lake at Landry’s Seafood House

Oct 5

Posted by Martee in New Orleans restaurant | 1 Comment

Fall is in the air and this is the perfect time of year to enjoy Louisiana outdoors.  You can find a spot to dine in a famous New Orleans courtyard in the French Quarter or you can head to the lake.    Last week we ate lunch on a beautiful, cool, blue bird day at Landry’s Seafood House  at 8000 Lakeshore Drive  in New Orleans.

If anyone saw the devastation to this area after Katrina you will be amazed at the progress that has been made in reviving the area.   This restaurant sits in a picture perfect spot overlooking the lake and the marina.  You are almost on top of the water; definitely close enough to hear the waves lapping on shore and have the gulls flying over head.   We wanted a lunch spot where we could talk in a relaxing, peaceful setting without loud noise and this place fit the bill.

The Landry family began it’s tradition in the seafood business with the first Landry restaurant in Lafayette, Louisiana in 1947.  There are now 24 restaurants, two of which are in New Orleans: one at the lake address and one in the French Quarter.

We did not expect a whole lot of the food as we really chose it for the ambiance.   This place has not received many accolades and in a city where everyone is a foodie and stellar restaurants abound we were not expecting much but we were pleasantly surprised and had an enjoyable afternoon on the deck.   Our meals were delicious!!!

The menu has fresh seafood in every way imaginable with a variety of toppings to suite your taste.  Also on the menu is certified Angus beef steaks which you get with a choice of sides two of which are the signature Landry’s sweet potato and creole green beans or go for the chicken BLT or a 10 ounce sirloin burger.  Oyster season is here so look for other seafood favorites such as oysters on the half shell, fried, grilled, and baked oysters.

All entrees come with Landry’s Salad Bowl which is presented in a very large bowl,  tossed table side and served family style.   A Bloody Mary set the mood for the lunch for me.  Served in a huge glass rimmed with Old Bay spices, it came with enough garnishes to meet my minimum daily requirements for vegetables.

The specialty of the day was a fried soft shell crab dish.  It was a winning dish with two very fresh crabs served crispy with an “Acadian” topping of crawfish tails, corn pico de gallo and andouille cream sauce.

As we had to try a dessert to share, we went for a bananas foster recommended by the waitress.  The rich vanilla bean ice cream was served in a crepe and topped with the banana, rum and brown sugar cane topping and whipped cream.  A beautifully presented twist on a New Orleans tradition this dessert literally fed our table of four.

This is the place to go for a walk by the lake and a meal with a view or just a drink on the open deck.  Try it!

Landry's Seafood House on Urbanspoon

The Galley Seafood Restaurant

Aug 25

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | 1 Comment

IMG 0585 300x225 The Galley Seafood RestaurantThe 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.

Due to the somewhat small dining area, waiting for a table can be very common.  This is especially so during the Lenten season as locals flock to the Metairie Road establishment to chow down on great seafood.

The Galley serves up the typical appetizers of a seafood restaurant.  The crawfish hushpuppies, their twist on the traditional variety, comes with a great crawfish sauce that adds a great layer of flavor to an otherwise normal hushpuppy.

When in season, the boiled seafood is usually the go-to option.  They serve up boiled shrimp, crawfish and crabs.  I generally don’t order boiled seafood from a restaurant because they never seem to be seasoned correctly…either too bland or over salty.  The Galley is the exception…

The crawfish and crabs are always seasoned to perfection with just the right amount of spice and salt to compliment.  Besides the great flavors, the boiled shrimp peel easily signaling that they have been cooked well.  There is nothing worse than getting a bunch of boiled shrimp that are over cooked and a struggle to peel.  No worries at the Galley.

Seafood baskets consisting of fried shrimp, catfish, oysters, softshell crabs, and stuffed crabs are always a good bet too.  These dishes are served with french fries but can be substituted for any side item.  Some of the choices are sweet potato fries, baked macaroni, and corn grits.  I am a sucker for corn grits and they have a pretty good version that is quite creamy with ample amounts of corn.

photo 300x225 The Galley Seafood Restaurant

In the mood for a poboy?  They are whipping out several of the great New Orleans sandwiches…..catfish, oyster, and shrimp.  But the poboy that they are known for is their softshell crab poboy.  If  you have ever been to JazzFest and tried the softshell crab poboy, then you know what I am talking about.  This has been a crowd favorite at JazzFest since 1977.  The first thing I do as soon as I enter the Fair Grounds for JazzFest is to head over to the Galley’s food booth to get one.  No matter how long the line is (and it always the longest of all the food booths), I will always hit it up first.  I can promise you that the end result is worth the wait and it seems to make the music that much better.

jazz fest soft shell close 300x224 The Galley Seafood Restaurant

While waiting for your food to be cooked and served, order yourself an Abita Amber on draft.  Not that the Galley has some special version of this delicious Louisiana brew, it’s just that they serve it in a huge, ice cold frosty goblet that makes the beer taste so much better.

Next time you are in the mood for good seafood and a relaxed child friendly atmosphere, do yourself and your taste buds a favor and head out to Metairie to dine on all the tasty dishes the Galley has to offer.
Galley Seafood on Urbanspoon

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McHardy’s….Great New Orleans Fried Chicken

Jul 29

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | No Comments

IMG 0716 150x150 McHardys....Great New Orleans Fried ChickenI 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.”

I stopped in my tracks and headed over to the North Broad St. fried chicken establishment.

When I arrived at McHardy’s, I was surprised to see that he place was packed with people who had the same idea as me, only it looked like they all knew exactly what they were getting into.

Once I made my way inside, I was again surprised at the size (or lack thereof) of the place.  No tables are inside the restaurant. It’s takeout ONLY.  I knew that the drive home was going to be a very long one, with the  smell of fried chicken sitting on the passenger seat next to me.

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GW Fins- New Orleans Seafood, Redefined

Jul 27

Posted by dpoimboeuf in New Orleans restaurant | No Comments

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/6392/pompano.jpg

Recently, I attended a company meeting in New Orleans. Normally our rather large group is crammed into the banquet facilities of a hotel for dinner and served a mass produced meal of questionable inspiration.

This trip however, we were split into several small groups and each group went to a different French Quarter restaurant. From classics like Brennan’s, Galatoire’s and K-Paul’s to new stars like Stella, NOLA and Bayona, my co-workers got to experience New Orleans’ best.

My group drew GW Fins, an establishment that I had long been intrigued by, but one which I had also not heard much about. I was not overly enthused because I knew it meant I would have to break my long held rule of never ordering fish in restaurants (except for sushi). My cynical policy is based on many experiences both in restaurant kitchens and dining rooms alike.

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Cooter Brown’s, an Oasis

Jul 21

Posted by Captain Butler in New Orleans restaurant | 3 Comments

A long, hot Audubon Zoo excursion worked up an appetite desperate and elephantine. Worse, the seven depleted adults lost the brain function to find a place to eat. Thankfully, the place to eat found us (before the buzzards did), and a cowboy waved us into the cool, beer and brine air .

To call this a bar is a common misapprehension. Cooter Brown’s Tavern is a public house in the proud old tradition, infused with Orleanian hosts’ ethic and dressed for every occasion. Brown’s welcomes Tulane, Loyola, pre-parties, after-parties, former hippies, yuppies, yats, sportsfans, beer snobs and zoo refugees adrift in the Riverbend. The bar with its 150+ beer selection, serves them all competently, but the kitchen stands out: preparing elevated pub grub, or haute grille.

Abstaining from anything stronger than cold Barq’s, we settled at a long table near the oyster shucker. It would’ve been painful to choose just one sandwich from the menu wall, so we worked it out.  Half the menu was soon realized in front of us. Our “Killer” onion rings were truly killer and the meat pies, boudin, phillies, &c. were mercifully rich in calories, flavor and wonderful cheese.

We were long satisfied by time my wife asked for help finishing her oyster poboy, and not prepared to be astonished by it. These oysters were succulent, freshly shucked and perfectly done in the lightest fry coat, nestled delicately into mayo-painted loaf. No diet was worth missing this.

As my Grandma used to say, it was an excellent sufficiency, anything more would’ve been a superfluous inadequacy. Although I did allow myself a final indulgence – known to many locals to compliment a good meal, but rarely talked about – the effervescent Barq’s root beer burp. Ah, contented.

Author’s Note: Please feel free to share your favorite Barq’s burp pairings by commenting below. Example: 1982 Sid Mar’s roast beef dressed, fries. Barq’s served with chilled short beer glass.

Cooter Brown's Tavern & Oyster Bar on Urbanspoon

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Satchmo SummerFest: July 30th-August 2nd

Jul 15

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant, The Cajun Foodie | No Comments

Satchmo SummerFestCome enjoy great music and awesome food for the 9th Annual Satchmo SummerFest paying tribute to New Orleans’ own Louis Armstrong.  Hey, no need for any excuses for not coming out to enjoy all of the festivities.  The Satchmo SummerFest is a free festival for all experience.  If good music, food and tons of fun is how you like to spend your weekends off, head to the French Quarter/Downtown area for a fantastic experience.

Food Vendors:

Bach Dang Cafe
Crepes a la Cart
Crescent City Brewhouse
La Divina Gelateria
Palmer’s Cuisine
Pearl’s Catering
Ralph & Kacoo’s
Saltwater Grill
The Praline Connection
Vaucresson Sausage Co.

Besides for the music and food, there is also a wide variety of special events, seminars and a host of other activities for the whole family.

After enjoying all that the Satchmo SummerFest has to offer, let us know your thoughts, especially on the food.  You can email us at thecajunfoodie@gmail.com

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The ClamHammer Cocktail Tour

Jul 9

Posted by Gilbert in Drinks, New Orleans restaurant | 5 Comments

In conjunction with the Tales of the Cocktail event kicking off yesterday in New Orleans, our friend Gilbert (Jo-bear) decided to write up a post commemorating the drinks of New Orleans and an adventurous evening.

There is no secret that people come to New Orleans to enjoy the nightlife, and with so many delicious drinks and establishments in which to drink them, that it can get a little overwhelming.  For that reason, I decided that I would enjoy an evening of drinking some of New Orleans’ greatest cocktails at some of the places known for making them.  My background research consisted of a little internet search and asking my friends, “Where do you get a good _______(insert drink name here)?”  Thus the tour was born.

To be sure, I am not a cocktail aficionado of any sort, although I do enjoy a drink now and then, and these are my recollections from the night many months ago.  Some of the cocktails that I imbibed that day were maiden voyages, some I have had before.  Nevertheless, I will still relate my opinions of them here.

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Palace Cafe

Jul 3

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | 2 Comments

palace cafe2Palace Cafe is located downtown on Canal Street in the historic Werlein’s Music Building.  The restaurant is the creation of Dickie Brennan’s culinary empire with Executive Chef Darin Nesbit dishing out contemporary New Orleans Creole cuisine.

This was probably the first restaurant that I went to when I moved to the city.  A few of my friends worked here at the time and really talked up the place.  Unsure if my friends were just biased or if the food was actually that good, I made my way to Palace Cafe to find out for myself.  Since then I have been back many times.

The turtle soup served at Palace Cafe is one of my favorites in the city.  It has just the right amount of lemon and sherry to go along with an ample amount of turtle meat.  Turtle meat may seem somewhat intimidating if you are not from the South, but I’d encourage anyone to try it. It’s probably the most delicate and delicious meat there is.  The sherry in turtle soup is what makes or breaks the dish.  Too much sherry and the dish will be overpowering, masking the flavors of the other ingredients.  Palace Cafe’s version hits the mark with the perfect amount to complement the dish.

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Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New Orleans

Jul 1

Posted by Gino in New Orleans restaurant | 2 Comments

IMG 0650 150x150 Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New OrleansIn the wake of that crazy storm in 2005, (I can’t seem to remember her name) the rebuilding efforts of the city caused an influx of Mexican workers eager to aid in this task.  This also brought an increase in taco trucks in order to feed all these workers.

At first, I was quite hesitant to give these trucks and the folks serving Mexican cuisine a chance.  Once I finally made my way to the side of the road to try these tacos, I have been going back ever since.  At one point, the trucks were located all over Jefferson and Orleans parish.  That is until the folks in Jefferson Parish passed an ordinance that all but put these trucks out of business.  However, many of these people simply packed up shop and migrated a few miles to Orleans parish to continue business as usual.

Recently I discovered one of these taco trucks on Claiborne Avenue near my house.  I was told by someone that this location was possibly the best the city had to offer.  Not being one to pass up a culinary opportunity, I quickly headed over to this taco truck to try what they had to offer and to see how their tacos compared to the others.    Well, before even taking the first bite of my tacos, I could just tell that these tacos were probably going to be better than any of the others that I had tried.

I ordered 2 beef, 1 chicken, and a pork taco.  The tortillas were of the corn variety which I prefer over flour tortillas, and at the taco truck on the corner of Claiborne and Eagle St., they throw small corn tortillas on the flattop grill to warm them; two tortillas per taco.

The makeup of their tacos are simple…….beef (steak, not ground meat), chicken or pork, topped with diced onions, and cilantro with a lime wedge on the side.  These tacos are packed with meat to the point where you could almost put together “the falloffs” and make another taco.

The simplicity of the taco made here is what makes it so good.  A squeeze of lime on top the taco further brightens the fresh flavor and that’s all the necessary additions needed.  For those looking to add a little something to their tacos, you are given a little container of a green sauce which tastes like it consists of sour cream, green chilies, and maybe a little avocado.  Whatever it is exactly, it doesn’t really matter since it is so flavorful and adds an extra punch to the already flavorful tacos.

IMG 0645 150x150 Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New OrleansIMG 0648 150x150 Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New OrleansIMG 0647 150x150 Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New OrleansIMG 0651 150x150 Amazing Tacos from a Truck in New Orleans

I would have to say that this taco truck on the corner of Claiborne Ave and Eagle St. has the best tacos the city has to offer.  At a mere $1.50 per taco, fresh, flavorful and made right in front of you, it is very friendly to any budget.  While this particular truck is my favorite, there are also many others dotting the city that are also worth stopping at.

I say to everyone out there who has seen these trucks and have been tempted to stop and try them but just have not done so……..PULL OVER AND ENJOY.

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