Yesterday, PoBoyNation shared tips on how to do Mardi Gras in New Orleans like a local, causing all of us to want to head down south immediately. Today as Lent begins and Carnival season ends, I thought I’d share with you my week in eating in New Orleans like a tourist (albeit a tourist who lived there for a bit and visits often) on an expense account. Get your antacid ready to go!
Day One
Late lunch — Cochon Butcher. This was the first of my many visits to Cochon Butcher. The sandwich shop attached to the more upscale Cochon, this immediately became my new favorite spot. I had the buckstrap bacon melt with greens, pickled peppers and Swiss served with house made chips and pickles. Holy crap. This was a game-changer of a sandwich with a perfect combination of flavors and textures. The chips are ideal with the perfect amount of salt. But those pickles… I’ll be chasing those perfect pickles for the rest of my life. Also on the side, the Brussels sprouts marinated in vinegar, chili flakes and mint. So. Freaking. Good.
Dinner — Mosca’s. Friends and I rented a party bus and made the trek to Mosca’s in Westwego, LA. Our table of ten shared crab salad, two spaghetti bordelaise, several orders of sausage with potatoes, a couple of oysters Mosca, couple of chicken a la Grande, and a few shrimp Mosca. All of it was delightful, garlicy, and perfect for sharing among friends. Not the best food of the trip, but a fabulous NOLA experience in a neighborhood that’s off the beaten path.
Day Two (aka, Fried Chicken Day):
Breakfast – Stanley! I ate the vaunted bananas foster French toast with vanilla ice cream and a side of bacon. French toast was good, but a little over the top with the custardy soft bread and rich vanilla ice cream. My companion added the ice cream to her coffee. The bacon was flaccid and uneaten. This was the least memorable meal of the week, and it wasn’t even bad.
Early lunch – Coop’s. I love everything about this place, but especially the fried chicken with rabbit jambalaya. This is my favorite fried chicken anywhere. It’s piping hot, extremely flavorful with a shatteringly crisp skin. If you are feeling really decadent, have the duck quesadilla. I’m pretty sure crack is the main ingredient, because I can’t give it up. Coop’s is a dark dank bar, regardless of the time of day, that may be my favorite spot in the whole city. If you saw the “kitchen”, you might be frightened away. Don’t be.
Later lunch – Willie Mae’s Scotch House. Delicious fried chicken, better than most, but not as good as Coop’s. The line to get in was a little much, as it seemed that every single visitor to the city was there for chicken too. This place is famous, rightfully so, and unique to New Orleans. It’s reopening was a sign that Katrina didn’t win.
Pre-dinner bite – Mother’s. Shared a bite of someone’s fried chicken. Meh. Stick with the debris po-boy.
Dinner – Jacques-Imo’s. This was the last of four restaurants famous for fried chicken that I visited this day. My group of 15 had reservations and we were seated immediately in the annex. (Usually you have a long long wait at Jacques-Imo’s. That’s cool, because the bar next door, the Maple Leaf, is outstanding.) We shared apps – alligator cheesecake, fried grits, fried green tomatoes, fried roast beef po boy (they FRIED that fucking sandwich!), rabbit tenderloin, and bbq shrimp. Three of us shared two entrees: the fried chicken and the Gozilla Meets Fried Green Tomatoes (a stack of FGT, fried soft shell crab, and crab meat dressing). The three of us barely made a dent in the two meals. Both were enormous, decadent and yummy.
Day Three:
Lunch – Cochon. The table shared the crab artichoke stuffed crab, shrimp with chow chow, and the oyster roast to start. I had the oyster and bacon sandwich with mac and cheese, greens, and marinate cucumbers for the table. That sandwich was insanely good, but not as mind blowing as the bacon sandwich next door. The cucumbers, on the other hand, were my favorite side. Such crisp, clear flavors that balanced the richness of the other dishes.
Dinner – Brigtsen’s. This is one of my favorites restaurants in the city, and this meal did not disappoint. Housed in a charming old Victorian cottage in a neighborhood called Riverbend, Brigtsen’s has an intimacy that’s rare and makes the experience so special. I went straight to the duck, their most famous dish. My god, that’s the best duck ever, anywhere. Stuck my fork in all the other dishes on the table, and each was spectacular. My only letdown was the bread pudding… I should have asked about raisins. All the other desserts were excellent. Chef Brigtsen is cooking in the video above.
Day Four (In Which I Buy Chef Link a New Vacation Home):
Breakfast — Cochon Butcher. I went to ask a question about taking their product on a plane, I left with an open face sandwich of toasted bread and pate, and a little container of pickles. I love the employees here more than I love many family members.
Lunch – Cochon again, but with a new group of people. We shared the crab artichoke stuffed crab, hush puppies, fried alligator, and fried rabbit livers. The also kindly brought me pickles from Cochon Butcher (as I now feel like I can ask for special treatment). My entrée was the Louisiana cochon with turnips and cracklins. So many wonderful textures and porky goodness. This meal made me feel sorry for anyone who has never eaten pork. We had the peanut brittle brownie ice cream sandwich and peach ice cream for dessert. That brownie sandwich delight was worth the calories.
Cocktails – Cochon Butcher. These folks know me by name at this point. Two others and I had drinks, charcuterie plate and cheese plate. Just perfect. Superb cocktails, great food, good vibe, wonderful afternoon. I called a real estate agent about looking at condos in the neighborhood.
Dinner — Nope. All liquid for the rest of the day/night.
Day Five:
Breakfast – Café du Monde. The beignets here are delightful and worth the hype. I had an early morning meeting with two colleagues. I love Café du Monde very early or very late. Jackson Square and the Cathedral look so pretty and ethereal in the morning sun. It was claustrophobic by the time we left at 9 am.
Lunch – Cochon Butcher. By now, friends know they can find me here and I reek of smoked meat. This isn’t bad. Two friends and I shared three sandwiches (bacon melt, roasted turkey, and the Gambino) and sides (Brussels sprouts, corn and bean salad, mac and cheese). Every single item was perfect. And not “It’s perfect for a sandwich shop” but perfect in the context of any restaurant. The ingredients are impeccable, the food is creative and well-balanced, the drinks are thoughtful and strong, and the employees are delightful.
Dinner – Clancy’s. I met a small group of old friends for dinner at Clancy’s on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans. This is an upscale neighborhood joint that feels both clubby and warm. I started with fried oysters topped with brie and spinach. Good, but perhaps too rich. The angel hair pasta with tomatoes and crabmeat was great, a nice change. My dessert was my favorite of the trip – a butterscotch pudding topped with caramel sauce. Perfect texture, intense yet balanced flavors.
Day Six:
2 am – Lucky Dog!!!!!! My favorite drunk meal anywhere. It was paired with a delightfully warm and flat half consumed beer.
To go – Cochon Butcher. Picked up sausages and pates for my husband, several bottles of the sweet potato habanero hot sauce, t-shirt for my husband, and Abita mustard. The guys there comped me a hot sauce and bacon praline, and then we did a shot together. It was 10 am.
For the airplane – Mother’s. Jambalaya and debris soaked biscuit. Everyone around me was jealous.
