Willie Mae's Scotch House
Fried chicken. Who doesn’t like fried chicken? Most people think of Popeye;s when they think of fried chicken. Heck, so did I until I made my way to the Treme area of New Orleans. I was finally going to try the fried chicken at Willie Mae’s. And this chicken is not supposed to be any ordinary fried chicken. Willie Mae’s won a James Beard Foundation award as an American Classic. Read the rest of this entry »
Pascal’s Manale New Orleans BBQ Shrimp- the real deal Holyfield (or as close as you are probably going to ever get)!
2-2 1/2 lbs. Jumbo Shrimp, unpeeled (20) shrimp to a pound)
one stick Butter (although rumors are swirling that it may actually be margarine or even half butter, half margarine) emulsified fat
4 ounces of Vegetable Oil
2 ounces Worcestershire Sauce
So two nights ago, Lindsay and I were prepared to fulfill our lenten penance filled with heaping quantities of fried or boiled seafood (yeah, I know, what a sacrifice). We quickly narrowed our options down to a couple of choices – Crescent City Brewhouse, Franky & Johnny’s, or Casamento’s. Luckily for us, we chose the latter. I saw this restaurant on the Food Network’s show “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” and I was very intrigued. We arrive at Casamento’s at 8:00 p.m. to see a line curling out of the door. The restaurant is located on Magazine near the corner of Napoleon, right next to Miss Mae’s, which caused a good laugh as one of my friends once offered to buy a pretty young lady there a Milwaukee’s Best Light and – 5 years or so later – now they’re engaged to be married.
Simply put, Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar is the place to go in NOLA for a wicked breakfast. The place is nestled along the the tree lined Magazine Street in the Lower Garden District. If you are not familiar with the area, you may have a tough time finding it at first but your patience will be greatly rewarded. While Surrey’s also serves up some tasty lunch items, it is the breakfast that keeps people coming back. Once seated, feel free to order a glass or two of your favorite fresh squeezed fruit juice: OJ, carrot, celery, beet, apple, grapefruit and lemonade. If you are a fan of OJ, I suggest ordering a carafe because one glass of Surrey’s OJ won’t be enough and while the waiter may look at you a little funny because you are ordering a carafe for yourself, it’s worth it.
Jimmy and the giant poboy
We were in New Orleans on Saturday night and dropped in at Ye Olde College Inn on South Carrollton. We had to wait about 15 minutes for a table and was it worth it!!! This place has been open since 1933 or somewhere in there and I had not eaten here since my college days 30 years ago, but I think that has been a mistake.
Definitely the best poboy I have ever had!!!! We opted for onion rings for the table and the Abita Beer on tap. Great onion rings but the poboys were amazing. One foot long on Leidenheimer French Bread (the best French bread in Louisiana in my opinion) and they were gourmet like the menu claimed. I ordered the Fried Green tomato and Shrimp Remoulade and others at the table had the Fried Oyster with Havarti Cheese and Bacon. The waiter, Jimmy, recommended they come dressed so that’s how we got them. These were HUGE!!! No one could finish and we blamed it on the onion rings.
When I woke up yesterday in the French Quarter (without having to browse late-night text messages), I immediately remembered seeing the Michael Phelps of mexi-mullets last night at BBC and knew that my day was destined for something good. I wasn’t sure why I’d have a good day, but I knew it would involve TV, A/C, relaxing and good food. After getting back to the real world and making time for my usual Sunday visit to Rouse’s on Clearview (my condolences to their family), I remembered another local classic – Danny & Clyde’s. That’s right – a convenience store.
I am a natural born procrastinator. Recently, I decided I would try to change that because I knew the little lady had a lot on her plate with the wedding planning and all. I wanted to try to do everything I could to get my stuff done on time so that she would have less to worry about and I figured my wedding suit would be a good place to start… if had known that my tasks on the wedding planning list included stops at The Bulldog in Uptown New Orleans, I’d have started a long time ago!
I finally made it to Parasol’s Restaurant & Bar. From the outside of this Irish Channel establishment, one would think dive bar. That assumption is confirmed as you enter the place. The bar is small, dark, smokey, and dingy in a good way. Parasol’s is widely known for its St. Patty’s day celebration and what a party they put on.
Sometimes lost in the whole deal is the back kitchen serving up some killer food. The kitchen crew serves up a variety of po-boys and traditional sides such as fries, wings, onion rings, etc. But what most people come here for is there roast beef po-boy. They claim to have the city’s best po-boy. That is a statement used by many who serve the famous sandwiches but few can actually deliver on that. All of their po-boys may not be the best but the roast beef is indeed the best one that I have eaten in a city full of wannabes.
Feb 26
I have been living across the lake just north of the Big Easy for about a year now and I must say, I have been very disappointed in the food selection. Sure, there are a couple of places that the fiancé and I enjoy once in a while. It’s as though there is no love in the cooking here. Everybody just wants to use big words and fancy ingredients without the slightest clue how to properly implement them. I have been spoiled living in Lafayette for the previous 5 years where you have to really search for a bad meal. I have been desperately missing my Laura’s, Julien’s Poboys, and basically every bar in and around town that seem to have my grandmother cooking plate lunches in the back.
Anyway, this lack of gastronomical gratification has forced me to broaden my horizons. I have reluctantly (yeah right) moved on to something that they obviously take a lot of pride in over here. That something is Beer! With 2 microbreweries in a 15 mile radius, one of which is run by one of 8 (I think) certified German brew-masters in the United States, surely they know their stuff. And, of course, I’m not talking about the horrible excuse for a beverage with no taste or character known the world round as “American Pilsner”. You know, that stuff we all drank, and sometimes still do, but never truly enjoyed. Insert Name Here Light. I’m talking about beer, malty, hoppy, or balanced, dark, amber or light. Just as long as it taste like something other than dishwater.
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