New Orleans Restaurant Advice???

[blueboss]

Got a friend going down next week. Where is the “must eat at before you die” place in New Orleans??

... and off the beaten path places to eat, where locals go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Darrell KSR]

Went to two restaurants I had never been to on my latest trip, and recommend one of the two. It's not in New Orleans "proper," so it depends on your buddy's interest in really going where the locals go, but it's the first place I'd go because a) no tourist is going to go there, b) your portions are tremendous, c) the food is beyond outstanding, d) the atmosphere is my type of atmosphere, and e) the prices are reasonable.

Charles Sea Foods in Harahan. I looked up the address -- 8311 Jefferson Highway, Harahan, La 70123. Here's a good story on it:

http://thefoodalmanac.com/joomla1/?o...article&id=531

Read the article.

At least from where I came, I drove through "Rivertown" to get to it, which made it even better. Extra-cool.

Here is my "canned" list. I need to update it. Doc didn't care for "Mother's" when he went, and IIRC, Mickintheham likes Mothers, but thought it had declined over the years--which is entirely possible, as it has been quite a few years since I have been and can't speak to recent. I'd still go myself, but your friend may want to take that into consideration.

My "canned" list.

1. **Cafe Maspero. It's on the outskirts of the French Quarter, closer to the river (Decatur Street). Has great sandwiches (mufalettas, po-boys, etc.) Super place to enjoy a cold beverage (whether adult or non adult) of your choice and one of those kind of sandwiches you just can't get anywhere here in Birmingham.

2. **Central Grocery. Same type thing, line will probably be on the street. Also on Decatur Street. World famous mufalettas. Big one will run around $7, but it'll stuff you. I'd either go to Cafe Maspero or Central Grocery, but probably not both--although each is very good, they are similar in what they serve.

3. Mother's Restaurant. It's a "red beans and rice" kinda thing; the atmosphere is ...mixed. I personally wouldn't go there late, but it's a great place to get an authentic New Orleans family kinda meal at a great price. It's on Poydras Street.

4. The Fairmont Hotel is a place downtown in the CBD (Gravier Street) that is a nice blue chip hotel, but it has a "50's style lunch diner" in it. Unless things have changed in 17 years (my wife and I spent our wedding night there), it's a nice, old hotel with good atmosphere.

5. **Cafe du Monde (Decatur Street). You know about getting your beignets and coffee au lait here, but just thought I'd throw this in for completeness.

6. **Deanie's Seafoord (Iberville Street). We're more familiar with the one in Lakeview/Metairie, but it's a great place to go for New Orleans seafood; particularly fried seafood as I recall. Price was very reasonable, although not inexpensive.

7. **Camellia Grill (S. Carrollton Ave.) This one is NOT downtown, but is "uptown," toward Tulane and Loyola. You can take the streetcar (trolley) from downtown/CBD until it reaches S. Carrollton and get out there. Streetcar runs all the time. Superb hamburgers, desserts and "ice cream freezy," etc. . A true taste of "real New Orleans." White jacketed waiters in a diner atmosphere, at diner's prices. Late night this was a popular place for students to take a study break. Has won awards for "best burgers" in New Orleans before. Can get their "nutty waffles" (pecan waffles) or chili cheese omolettes (HUGE) in the morning for breakfast. This is going to sound stupid, but I would go to the bathroom there--requires you to walk through the kitchen to do so. Hey, it's New Orleans -- laissez faire, you know.

8. ** Port Of Call. Esplanade Ave. Another hamburger place; also city winner for "best burger." Hamburger, steak and pizza place.

9. ** Mama Rosa's. If you're in the mood for pizza, this one is great homemade pizza. My roommate and I used to get this at least once a week. Located on N. Rampart St. A few years ago, this pizza restaurant made the "top 10 pizza restaurants in the U.S." It's really good. Just like you're in the middle of Italy.

10. ** Cafe du Monde **. Yeah, everybody knows this -- but it's not just a tourist trap. Great inexpensive place to enjoy cafe au lait and beignets. Nothing special about the place, but great desserty-kinda thing, fun thing to do where you will see locals and tourists alike.

11. ** Pontchartrain Hotel ** and their "Mile High Pie." They have, or used to have, two restaurants--a casual place you could drop in, and a more formal one. It's lower garden district; a short streetcar ride up St. Charles from downtown. I used to live on St. Mary Street, which is a block plus from the Hotel.

12. Everybody has their "favorite" upscale New Orleans restaurant. I interviewed at a dozen places, and probably had two dozen meals at different ones, and then lived in New Orleans for a couple of years, two income, no kids, newly married and entertainment/food money to burn, so I've eaten at a bunch of them. You'll have fans of Court of Two Sisters, K-Paul's, Napoleon House, Delmonico's, Brennan's (Breakfast at Brennan's), Arnaud's, Galatoire's, Gautreau's, Upperline, Pascal's Manale, Casamento's, Mandina's, but for me, I'll take Commander's Palace, which is lower Garden District (I lived on Jackson Avenue around the corner from it), above all comers. It's across the street from a raised-tomb, New Orleans graveyard, and to me, it's worth it for that alone. Warning--you generally need reservations a LONG time in advance. It's a several hour experience generally as well.

[Darrell KSR]

I see I have Cafe du Monde listed twice, too lol. I'll work on that list sometime.

[Darrell KSR]

Charles Sea Foods 20180721_131322614.jpg

[dan_bgblue]

Charles Seafood Menu

[Darrell KSR]

My mouth is literally watering after looking at the menu Dan posted, reliving the experience.

Get the onion rings for an appetizer. I know, that sounds very standard, doesn't it? It's not--I don't know what they do, but they are incredibly onion-y, big and meaty, yet fried perfectly, and the order is a mountain of onion rings, not this little "everybody gets one" crap appetizer size.

We had 8 of us, and we had several onion rings each, along with some other appetizer that isn't listed there, and didn't catch my interest--something like pork rinds or something. My FIL wanted them. He paid for us, so he got what he wanted. (I paid the next night, much to his consternation, and my pocketbook.)

Literally everything everybody got was good. I had the "Baltimore" for a change--it was an oyster po-boy, with Fried Oysters, Applewood Bacon and Swiss cheese. It's a different take on it, but it worked--especially if you like applewood bacon, which I do, and fried oysters, which I love (as one of the few seafood things I can continue to eat with my shellfish allergy).

My wife got the Cajun crawfish po-boy, which she loved.

My son got a hamburger. Yeah, really.

I looked long and hard at the Rajun Cajun--Grilled Alligator Sausage with grilled onions and green peppers on a Poboy. That's right up my alley, too.

If you get a platter, make sure you eat there on a day when you are going to spend the night, so you can put the leftovers in your room refrigerator and have it for lunch the next day. I had no trouble finishing mine, however .

[MickintheHam]

Dookie Chase for Honest to God Creole. Fried Chicken is the best ever. Definitely off the beaten path.

OMG! I forgot! Royal House 441 Royal for coffee and dessert. But only go if you believe you would like Bananas Foster Cheesecake. I am just sitting here with my eyes closed basking in the glow from the memory. You don’t have to like bananas or cheesecake to love this bit of sweetness.

[KSRBEvans]

Our 2 favorite meals on our last NOLA trip: Felix's and Court of Two Sisters. Got the grilled oysters and combo (red beans, jambalaya and crawfish etoufee) at Felix's and they were out of sight. We did the Sunday jazz brunch at Court of Two Sisters when we couldn't get a reservation at Commander's Palace and it was great--wide selection of familiar local favorites and the patio seating under a canopy of trees was beautiful.