.JPG)
A few weeks ago I traveled to New Orleans for one of my best friend's bachelorette party. Although the trip started out rough for me (I was suffering from a killer summer cold/exhaustion), I managed to get in some great food on my first night in The Big Easy.
After wandering around the city on a vodoo tour, we stopped in NOLA Po-Boy on Bourbon Street. I knew I wanted a traditional shrimp po-boy, which came with lettuce, tomato and mayo. I actually had to ask for a side of remoulade sauce, which surprised me. The shrimp, however, was perfectly fried and the bread was delicious! The only thing that slightly turned me off to this sandwich was when I noticed the shrimp wasn't deveined. Come on! Still worth a stop by this spot if you're in the area, though.
The next day, after having my hand nearly devoured by an alligator (yes, seriously) I had to try on some beignets at Cafe Du Monde. This is a mega food tourist stop in the city. The cafe opened in 1862, and the only food item that this place serves is beignets. They cost about $3 for 3 beignets, and it's amazing to me that a restaurant that serves one item is packed and flourishing. I admit they were amazing! Perfectly fluffy, not oily, and with the right amount of powdered sugar. The staff at this place didn't seem especially friendly though. I guess serving table after table of hungry tourist gets to them . . .
On Saturday night, all 13 of us headed to Emeril Lagasse's restaurant NOLA. I started with a house martini. It featured tomolives (cherry tomatoes soaked in olive juice) instead of olives. Although it was a uinque twist, they tasted almost like a pickle to me. I switched back to the traditional garnish for my second round.
I shared a mussel appetizer with my friend Katie. The mussels were obviously fresh, and had a pink color that I've never seen before. The broth was definitely southern inspired. It featured ham, corn, roasted red peppers, and corn bread. The ingredients were incredibly fresh and offered a totally different spin on mussels than I've ever tasted before.
For my entree, I chose a traditional southern dish - shrimp and grits. The shrimp was perfectly prepared and the cheddar grits offered a great complement to the spicy red-chili sauce. And there was bacon. So, obviously this dish was awesome.
Overall, my foodie adventures in New Orleans did not disappoint. Make sure if you get a chance to visit this amazing city you take in the great food options they have to offer!
The Shrimp and Grits with spicy chill sauce looks truly awesome! I'm dying to try it. Do you have a recipe? Or is it as simple as it looks? And I have to agree with you regarding the lack of deveining; what were they thinking?
ReplyDelete