While it may seem a bit counterintuitive, the best place for comfort food in the US is also the nations biggest party town- New Orleans. New Orleans has a special energy, with its unique culture and architecture, fantastic jazz, blues, and zydeco music, and of course delicious and innovative food (note that many of the nation’s most recognized chefs both current and historical, e.g. Paul Prudhomme, Emeril, John Besh, Susan Spicer, …, come from NOLA).
The town has mostly rebounded from Katrina, although the current economic climate is clearly impacting the local economy which is primarily tourism driven. We visited the city end of last year with some friends, for 4 days of birthday fun. We rambled around the French Quarter and Garden District, listened to music at the Zoo’s Swampfest and at clubs in the Fabourg Marigny area, and visited the devasted 9th Ward. We purchased one of Robert Guthrie’s unique New Orleans inspired watercolors (note: we have several from other trips as well) http://www.robertguthrie.com/ . We ate excellent meals at some of the city’s finest restaurants like Herbsaint and Couchon http://www.cochonrestaurant.com, yet our most memorable eating was “comfort food” at local joints serving up their New Orleans specialties.
There is nothing better than starting the day with a beignet and chicory blended coffee at Café du Monde in Jackson Square http://www.cafedumonde.com/. The café is an institution, and even if the confectionary sugar covered powdered “donuts” are a bit too heavy for your liking, with a terrific cup of java and a jazz musician playing while you’re enjoying a relaxing bite in the French Quarter, it’s a place that you cannot miss.
After spending some time roaming around the Quarter, checking out the local artists, the fabulous verandas overhanging the historic cobblestone streets, and browsing and shopping at the daily French Market, you’ll work up an appetite for a New Orleans lunch. There are many options here including a delicious gumbo laden with seafood and spicy sausage, a bowl full of spicy crawfish, or simply grabbing one of the local “sandwiches”.
New Orleans has transformed the sandwich into art, and from my perspective, the nation’s best sandwich is the muffuletta at the Central Grocery, a traditional Italian market which has been around since the early 1900’s. The muffuletta itself is a focaccia like round loaf of bread, with a diameter of approximately 1 foot, which is sliced in half horizontally and quartered, and then covered with an array of Italian meats, provolone cheese, and then topped with olive salad and olive oil. It’s a truly amazing sandwich that you can either eat inside on the Formica countertops, or preferably on a park bench overlooking the Mississippi River. This incredibly tasty sandwich easily feeds a family of four. Note that the grocery is only open during the day, but closed on Sunday, and there are lines that form out the door, so check the store times, and go early.
Po’ boys are another special New Orleans sandwich that typically consist of either fried seafood (e.g. oysters, shrimp, catfish…) or meat (roast beef, pork or sausage), on a warm, crusty French bread. Toppings may include lettuce, tomato, onions, mayo or spicy creole mustard… or gravy on the meat. There are many po’boy restaurants throughout the city and we’ve enjoyed the Ferdi Special- ham, roast beef with debris—the small, delicious bits of leftover roast beef that fall into the pot, and gravy, at Mother’s on Canal Street http://www.mothersrestaurant.net, which is absolutely a must visit classic place, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Heading further uptown, a recent newcomer, Mahoney’s on Magazine Street http://www.mahonyspoboys.com/, makes a mean Fried Shrimp po’boy, and don’t miss getting a side of the fried green tomatoes!
Of course, no trip to New Orleans is complete without comforting oneself with oysters, whether raw, fried or bbq’ed. A fantastic variation of the oyster po’boy can be had at Casemento’s Restaurant http://www.casamentosrestaurant.com, a bit further uptown on Magazine Street from Mahoney’s. Casemento’s is a historic place established in 1919, and still has the original green and white tile floors and walls, with the tin roof ceiling. And, be sure and take a trip to the bathrooms in the outdoor courtyard. You’ll also be rewarded on this journey with a trip through the narrow kitchen where the fish frying will be in full swing. The fried oysters here are heaped onto thick slices of buttered and fried pan bread (don’t worry, your cholesterol will recover at some point), and accompanied with lettuce, tomato and mayo. One bite and you’ll be in heaven! They make a mean soft shell crab loaf as well!
Heading back to the French Quarter, the raw oyster wars are fought across Iberville Street by rivals Felix’s Restaurant http://www.felixs.com/ and the Acme Oyster House http://www.acmeoyster.com/. Both serve incredibly fresh, large gulf oysters, which can be eaten with or without a cocktail sauce that you can fix to your spice preference. It’s easy to quickly gulp down a dozen or two of these sliders with a bloody mary or beer… For a change of pace, check out the amazing chargrilled oysters at the Acme, which are heated over an open flame, and include a splash of Tabasco topped with seasoned butter, worcestershire sauce, and romano cheese. Very Decadent!
My mouth is watering as I remember these outstanding comfort foods! Take a trip to New Orleans, it’s a special town!
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