It all started 5 years ago, a group of my college friends met up in Chicago for the “Taste of Chicago”. We had a blast going to the festival, exploring the city and having a “mini” reunion because it was the first time we all together since graduation which was the year before. We all departed making a pact that we would take trips together in the future. Exactly one week after we all left Chicago one of my friends had a tragic car accident that left her paralyzed. Fast forward 5 years…….. she wanted to do something that commemorates the anniversary of the accident and continue our “trip pact”.  The choice was New Orleans and I was ecstatic. I have always wanted to go to New Orleans and so were my foodie friends. I couldn’t wait to try jambalaya, crawfish, oysters etc. Basically, I couldn’t wait to eat. The week before we left I went to the gym double just to compensate for the pounds I would definitely gain while there.
          Our first day we started our journey into cajun cuisine at the Acme Oyster House. Many people told me that this was the place for po’boys- a sandwich usually of fried shellfish or oysters, lettuce, tomato on a french bread. I wanted to start off with a bang so I ordered the crawfish & oyster po’boy. The fried oysters were fresh and huge. The crawfish tails we a little over-seasoned. Overall the combination was good. I also felt a little adventurous and ordered fried alligator. To my surprise, it reminded me of chicken breast, just a little juicier. We also tried the jambalaya, which is a rice dish with sausage onions and peppers. It was excellent- the rice was perfectly cooked and the sausage was spicy but not overpowering.

While in New Orleans we did the typical touristy things. We went on a New Orleans/Katrina tour, went to Harrahs casino. We was on Bourbon Street practically everyday -our hotel was a block away, shopped along the stores on Royale Street. We also had to make the stop at Cafe Du Monde. Cafe Du Monde is know for their beignets and coffee. Beignets are a french style doughnut. The were fried and heavily dusted with powdered sugar. It reminded me of zeppole- the fried pizza dough dusted with powdered thats popular here in NYC. Im not a big coffee fan but I did get the frozen cafe au lait. It was good, tasted like a frappacino from starbucks.

Waiter Flambeing Bananas Foster

Eggs Marchand

             For our last day together we ate like queens. We went to the famous Brennan’s for brunch. I ordered Eggs Marchand- poached eggs on top of a biscuit and canadian bacon with a red wine beef sauce. The breakfast was awesome- I had no complaints, neither did my friends. We inspected our eggs because it was remarkable how perfectly poached they were. The egg whites were fully cooked and the yolks runny. The eggs had a perfect pear shape, so we concluded that they have a egg poaching device of some kind. For dessert we ordered bananas foster- which was created there, strawberry crepes which were filled with sweet cheese. The desserts were prepared tableside. We watched the fire show of flambeing the bananas and strawberries in liquor. Then when cooked the waiter poured it over vanilla ice cream. You could have rolled us out of the restaurant after that meal. We were all full and happy.

New Orleans Surf & Turf

              When I was younger, I used to watch cooking shows on the channel pbs. One of the shows was about cajun cooking with Chef Paul Prudhomme, putting the food of the bayou on the map way before Emeril. So i was really excited that we were going to eat at his restaurant K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen for our final dinner. For starters we had a basket of fresh baked assorted biscuits and rolls which our waitress warned us not to get full off of. Jalapeno cheddar, corn, buttermilk and molasses were the varieties. For an appetizer we ordered creole shrimp stuffed artichoke. The shrimp were large, spicy and buttery atop of a steamed artichoke. For entree I ordered their version of a surf and turf. It was a petite filet and blackened sly (a white flesh fish in the catfish family) topped with crabmeat, chipotle butter and served with pomme puree (creamier mashed potatoes) and green beans. This was probably in the top 3 best meals i’ve ever had. The beef was cooked to my liking- medium, the blackened sly with the chipotle butter and crabmeat was divine and the pomme puree was creamy and a great accompaniment to pick up the sauces. Even though we were all full, we couldn’t pass on dessert. The four of us shared a slice of sweet potato pecan pie. It was the best combination of pies into one delicious dessert. I carefully examined it because I am going to make it for Thanksgiving.

Beignets and Frozen Cafe au Lait from Cafe Du Monde

                 While in New Orleans I was already planning my next trip back. I fell in love with the vibe, music and especially the FOOD of this city. The four of us in agreement had a great time in New Orleans. So next summer I going back to explore more and taste even more 🙂