It’s Carnival Time. Oh, it’s Carnival Time...and I’m getting out of town. We’re taking advantage of cheap flights to visit Italy, a country where I’ve never been (Except for a two-day trip in high school with a busload of German, but that’s a long story). If you’ve got tips for Rome or Florence, send them my way. If I find good food in Italy (pretty sure I will), the next newsletter may have some picks that are far from the 504.
Where to Eat Now in New Orleans (and beyond)
Long Chim NOLA
I was so disappointed when I heard that Long Chim closed its Auction House stall. May Mananya and Kirk Cohen made some of the best Thai food in town, like the tom yum goong soup and transparent “unicorn” noodles. Then I got the good news: Long Chim was relocating to Magazine Street. It’s now a tiny restaurant between Napoleon and Louisiana avenues. The menu is set to expand, so check back often. I order my food “spicy,” but the brave can go for “Thai spicy.” (Pictured: cucumber salad)
4113 Magazine St., New Orleans, 504.982.0046
Turmeric
Stepping out of our car, we were hit by the spices in the air. Even if it weren’t enveloped in aromas, the bright orange building off the West Bank Expressway would be hard to miss. I went for lunch with the whole family. Although buffets are not my favorites, my kids were hungry and I wasn’t going to make them wait. Everything, from the chicken curry to Indo-Chinese Gobi Manchurian, was vividly flavored. The friendly serves made sure we had fresh naan, and everyone left satisfied.
1025 Westbank Expressway, Gretna, 504.354.1422
Otra Vez
Mexican food is having its moment in New Orleans. And I say the more tacos the better. While most of the newcomers keep it casual, Otra Vez, from Indian-American chef Akhtar Nawab, makes the case -- if it still needs to be made -- that Mexican food doesn’t have to be cheap. At a recent dinner, I found his argument compelling. Nawab, a protege of celebrity chef Tom Colicchio, made a shrimp cocktail simmering with heat and tumbling with textures, a grilled cauliflower taco with just the right edge of oiliness and a delicately seasoned whole red snapper. (Pictured: churros)
1001 Julia St., New Orleans, 504.354.8194
Food Pak
On a recent reporting trip in Mobile, I followed a tip and stopped by Food Pak. Step inside the convenience store, and you’re walloped with the aroma of meat on the grill and savory spices. The shop stocks an impressive array of salts, spices and teas, all sold in plain plastic tubs. Behind the counter, where a display case is full of feta and olives, a spit of gyro meat spins. The gyro sandwich I ordered, stuffed into pita bread, strongly flavored with sumac, topped with crunchy diced cucumbers and peppers then finally crowned with an unruly tangle of shredded lettuce, is alone worth a two-hour drive to Alabama.
5150 Old Shell Road, Mobile, Ala., 251.341.1497
Hot Links
The opening of the Sazerac House was an excellent excuse to delve into the history of my favorite cocktail for The American South. Although we’ll likely never know who mixed the first Sazerac, I did get a chance while reporting to meet the French family who made the original Sazerac de Forge et Fils brandy.
We are not alone. Turns out drive-through daiquiris have been legal in Texas for a few years. Now the New Orleans Original Daiquiri chain plans to move into the state with dozens of stores, reports Eater.
Science has debunked the claim that MSG gives people headaches. It was known as “Chinese restaurant syndrome,” even though MSG is used in all kinds of commonly eaten foods. The New York Times reports that a group is urging Mariam-Webster to update its definition of “Chinese restaurant syndrome” to match the facts.
How do you pay?
Shortly after Bonci, the Roman pizzeria, opened in New Orleans, I went for lunch and passed a group of construction workers speaking Spanish. I wondered how many of them could eat at Bonci. The pizzeria, as is the custom in Rome, lets you order by the inch, so you don’t need to spend much for lunch. But Bonci, like a growing number of businesses in New Orleans and around the world, doesn’t take cash. As my friend Chelsea Brasted noted in Very Local, the people without bank accounts and access to credit cards are more likely to be poor, Black or Hispanic.
Businesses cite safety or convenience as reasons for not taking cash. Most customers likely don’t mind. But it tells some they’re not welcome, because literally their money is no good there. Now, the New York Times reports, there are cities trying to end the trend. In New York, Chicago, San Francisco and elsewhere, bills are being considered that would make most businesses take cash.
NOTE: The vintage photo will return in March.
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