“So, how was that first bite for you guys?” That line from our waitress at Restaurant August in New Orleans sealed my love letter with the restaurant. I made our reservation two weeks in advance, knowing that we had a one night stopover in NOLA before flying out to our Carribbean paradise of a honeymoon. One night in New Orleans. One single meal. After some nerve-wracking research (which included wiping drool from my keyboard while comparing a number of menus), the near-impossible decision was made. We found Restaurant August to be a stellar choice.

Restaurant August

I was also excited to finally dine at one of NOLA darling Chef John Besh‘s restaurants, as August is one of the 8 he owns in and around New Orleans (and 1 in San Antonio). Coincidentally, my dad had reservations for 2 weeks later with some lawyer buddies. When I mentioned where we’d be dining, he said the phrases “absolutely sublime” and “the best restaurant in New Orleans right now” were used to describe it to him. Cue intense anticipation.

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Chick-fil-A is pretty much my favorite fast-food restaurant, so I was excited I got the chance to get an “advance” taste of their new spicy chicken sandwich, which is being debuted for real on June 7. All you had to do for a free sandwich was visit getspicychicken.com and reserve a time for May 24-June 5. A great gimmick for Chick-fil-A, I think. But on to the sandwich:

The anticipation is killing me

The Sandwich

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This is a belated note on a food find from my Mardi Gras trip. I wasn’t going to post on these at all, but after prodding from my brother and another blogger, I’ve decided to grace you all with these meat pies from Brother’s Food Mart:

Brothers' Meat Pies

These were bought from a gas station (though Brother’s has a French Quarter location that is just a food mart) and consumed at 2am, so I think I was justifiably hesitant to try these. But my brother insisted I couldn’t NOT eat one, and so there I was, holding a grease-stained bag and warm dough pocket filled with mystery meat.

They. Were. DELICIOUS. The meat pies consisted of a spicy (almost nose-running spicy) filling encased in a flaky but still substantial crust. I’ve since done some research on just what, exactly, is in a meat pie, and where they come from in the first place:
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On my Mardi Gras trip, I decided to look for something a little different to try in NOLA. There are of course many places I haven’t visited, but Juan’s Flying Burrito was an intriguing (and cheap) option. We stopped by the “Creole Taqueria’s” location on Magazine St. in the Garden District for lunch.

Juan's Flying Burrito: Creole Taqueria

We were seated promptly and had a while (too long, unfortunately) to look around before our server stopped by. The interior is “interesting” (Vortex-like, for ATLiens) with a ton of eclectic art-for-sale lining the walls, much of it featuring skulls or bleeding hearts. Food and drink specials are written on chalkboards around the room, and like any legit New Orleans eatery, they sport a full bar.

Spencer and I deliberated over the menu for about 5 minutes, and then waited another 15 before our waitress came to take our orders. When she returned 10 minutes later asking Spencer, “Oh, your drink hasn’t come out?” we gave each other blank stares because…isn’t that HER job (especially because she had brought my drink 5 minutes earlier)? Sketchy service aside, our food [me: Flying Enchiladas (steak, chicken, and shrimp grilled together, then stuffed inside our cheese enchiladas served with all three sauces, topped with sour cream and guacamole) Spencer: Super Nachos Grande (ground beef and chicken, with black and pinto beans, melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa and jalapenos)] was good:
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On my recent visit home for Mardi Gras, my brother Spencer and I went cruising around New Orleans the Sunday before Fat Tuesday and ended up on Magazine St. in the Garden District. This is the neighborhood you see in romanticized versions of New Orleans: tree-lined streets, mini-mansions, and old-school architecture. Luckily, because of its location on high ground, most of the post-HK damage here was caused by wind and not water, and the vast majority of the residents have returned to the area. Anyway, on our slow stroll up and down Magazine, I happened to notice a sweets shop and of course had no choice but to stop in.

Sucré touts itself as an emporium of artisan sweets. According to their website, “unlike a traditional bakery, Sucré serves plated desserts with custom garnishes in addition to boxed treats.” As soon as I walked in the door, my eyes became the size of dinner plates. It took me a full 10 minutes to decide what I was going to order, and during that time I snapped a ton of pictures of Sucré’s offerings (not including the storefront below; it is from Sucré’s website):

Sucre

My selections

I finally decided to go with a gelato and 2 macaron flavors suggested by a staff member: lemon and the “Valentine’s special” raspberry & white chocolate.
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Acme Oyster House

My family and I visited Acme Oyster House’s Baton Rouge location Sunday afternoon. This is not a first bite for any of us, we all love Acme, so I don’t have any first bite photos to show. Lots of food photos though, so I’ll start with our one “usual”: chargrilled oysters.

Chargrilled Oysters

I’d venture to say that Acme has some of the best chargrilled oysters in town. Mike Anderson’s comes to mind as a close contender, but I’d need a side-by-side comparison for that battle. Next up, entrees: Read the rest of this entry »

For Friday’s lunch in New Orleans, dad, brother, and I visited famed eatery Port of Call.  This certified dive is known for having “New Orleans’ best burgers”, so we had to go see what all the hype was about.  I hear that the line for a table often spills out onto the sidewalk, but we were there shortly after their lunchtime open and were seated promptly.  The only things on the menu are drinks, half-pound burgers (served with baked potato, not fries), and steaks.  My dad and I had mushroom cheeseburgers, and Spencer went for the regular cheeseburger:

Mushroom Cheeseburger

I’ve gotta say, if this is New Orleans’ best burger, they’ve got a problem.

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I spent two days in New Orleans this week accompanying my brother to his freshman orientation.  My dad and I went out to eat at The Red Maple in Gretna (on the West Bank) Thursday night.

The Red Maple

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I have been a very bad blogger.  I try to update the blog every other day, but I am discovering how difficult it is to be a foodie on minimum wage.  Without further excuse, here’s a great food option when traveling through Louis Armstrong International Airport’s Concourse C.

Overcast morning over Lake Pontchartrain

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Drago’s is a New Orleans staple known for their charbroiled oysters.  I shared a dozen  for lunch at the Metairie location after a morning flight into New Orleans:

Charbroiled Oysters

The photo’s a little blurry, but you can’t deny the flavor!  Big, juicy oysters charbroiled with butter, herbs, and parmesean cheese.  Simple, but delicious.  No first bite photo here, by the time I remembered to take one, the plate was empty!

www.dragosrestaurant.com