Yes, I've now been to the airport. Yes, it looks spectacular (and I had none of the delays others complained about). And I'll add my voice to those praising all the food and drinks. Now I'll arrive early for my flights without dread. I never thought I'd see the day, however, when a bar called Cure would be serving Bud Light on tap.
Where to eat now in New Orleans (and beyond)
High Hat Cafe
In my new job, I've been thinking and reading a lot about the South. And I'm constantly reminded of how different we are in Louisiana from the rest of the region. Particularly in how we eat. It hit me again during a weekly lunch at High Hat Cafe, where you'll find the highest concentration in New Orleans of "Southern dishes." Catfish, cornbread, grits, field peas, greens and beans cooked with bacon. (Vegetable plate pictured). Here, it stands out for what it is, not just how good it is. In New Orleans, it damn near counts as exotic.
4500 Freret St., New Orleans, 504.754.1336
Paladar 511
I'll admit, breakfast isn't my deal. I'm satisfied with just a coffee most mornings. Maybe a pastry. And I rarely brunch, having passed the age when I wake late and groggy on weekends. But even I couldn't help but be charmed by the brunch at Paladar 511, where I've never had a bad meal. I kept stealing bites of my son's lemon ricotta pancakes and my wife's eggs Benedict buried in crabmeat. And I only reluctantly shared my lamb and hummus topped with a runny egg (pictured).
511 Marigny St., New Orleans, 504.509.6782
El Pavo Real
A change in routine can be good. Now that I'm working at a co-working space in Mid-City, El Pavo Real is only three blocks away. I've long thought it had some of the best Mexican food in town. Now I can eat more of it. Although I most often end up with take-out tacos back at my desk, I always prefer to eat there. It's a true neighborhood restaurant, welcome and comfortable, with a personality all its own. (Pictured: Chicken and cheese enchilada)
4401 S. Broad Ave., New Orleans, 504.266.2022
Zony Mash Beer Project
Lift a pint to celebrate the third act of the Gem theater, was built in 1951 as a movie theater for African-Americans. After decades of less illustrative uses, the space was restored and Wayward Owl brewery moved in. That didn't last long. Now another brewery has arrived, and it gave the interior a makeover with modern lines and even a disco ball. The beers, hazy, hoppy and more, are excellent.
3940 Thalia St., New Orleans, 504.766.8868
Hot Links
Sean Brock has done much to shape how the South eats today, both through his cooking at McCrady's and Husk and his work rescuing ingredients. For The American South, a new publication from the USA Today Network, I talked to him about why he walked away from all his restaurants and what he wants to prove with his new project in Nashville.
The weekend flea market in Harvey, where you can find a huge array of food from Latin America, has always been one of my favorite places to eat. Maria Clark, who works with me at The American South, tells the stories of the immigrants who make that delicious food.
My former Times-Picayune colleague Brett Anderson is now at The New York Times. He took a look at the grim state of Gulf oysters. The situation has improved a little since this story ran a few weeks ago, but not much. And the future doesn’t look good.
What’s the biggest fear of the company that sells Chartreuse? Offending the monks who make the herbal elixir, according to the Washington Post.
Not going anywhere soon
So much of New Orleans' past lingers today. We have our almost ancient restaurants, like Antoine's, that for better or worse have barely changed. But we can also taste more recent culinary eras. K-Paul's, which ushered in the mash-up of Cajun and Creole, hasn't budged much in years. When Gabrielle re-opened in 2017, a dozen years after Hurricane Katrina shut it down, the cooking -- thank goodness -- was pretty much like before. And Upperline is a stubborn legacy of the Creole bistro era, when chefs converted Uptown homes in restaurants. It’s true that most of our restaurant history we can only read about. But it's amazing how much we can still devour.
Today the corner of Decatur and Madison streets is home to Tujague's, the second oldest restaurant in New Orleans. Before Tujague's moved into that location, after opening down Decatur Street in 1856, the corner spot was Madame Begue's Exchange. Elizabeth Kettenring Dutrey Begue, a German immigrant, opened that restaurant. Begue offered a hearty, late morning breakfast for the butchers who worked nearby at the French Market. Many credit her with inventing brunch. Tujague's will soon leave that historic corner, moving up Decatur Street in August. The Motwani family, which owns T-shirt shops and numerous Willie's Chicken Shack restaurants throughout the French Quarter, now owns the building. They have not yet announced their plans for the space.
1903 Detroit Publishing Company postcard from the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs at The New York Public Library
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