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Cafe Du Monde (French Quarter, New Orleans)

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A Local’s Take…

When I think of Cafe Du Monde, I think of my childhood and how my family would take out of town relatives down to the Quarter, do a little siteseeing, and finally rest in the heart of it all at Cafe Du Monde and absorb the city sights, sounds and yes, smells =P. While living in NOLA, I took for granted the wonderful food, people, and ambiance of the city. When I relocated to a different state, I would visit often and do all the things tourists would do…visit the St. Louis Cathedral, walk down Bourbon St. with some sort of alcoholic beverage in hand, and then eventually end up at Cafe Du Monde…

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…These delicious pillows of donuts are not only a tasty treat but also a memory. Lightly crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside…and dusted with powdered sugar. So whether you’re a local or tourist, these beignets (pronounced ‘Ben-yay’) are worth trying. How can a French donut not be delicious? My favorite drink has to be the Frozen Cafe Au Lait. Definitely wakes you up and cools you down after a long walk around the French Quarter!

**TIP** If it happens to be too crowded, you can jump into a to-go line towards the back and find a place to eat, but I usually wait. The wait line moves quickly…depending on whether it’s a holiday season or not!

Café Du Monde on Urbanspoon

Emeril’s New Orleans (Warehouse District)

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The “chef” and I had some friends come into town and Emeril’s was the perfect place to take them. We had a rather large group and figured it would be great if we ordered several different entrees and appetizers to create our own “little” feast.

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Amuse Bouche. Vietnamese BBQ

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“Emeril’s” New Orleans BBQ Shrimp. Petite Rosemary Biscuit and Fresh Chives.

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Charbroiled Oysters and Escargot in Butter.

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Steamy Buffalo Chappapeela Farms Duck Wings. Shaved Celery. REd grapes. Whippe Blue Cheese Creme Fraiche.

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Crisp -Point Judith Calamari. Olive Salad. Parmesan. Smoked Tomato Sauce

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Crisp – Point Judith Calamari. House Made Pepper Jelly. Crisp Okra. Black Pepper-Buttermilk Ranch

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Seared Scallops and Softshell Crab.

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Maple-Soy Lacquered Chapapella Farms Duck. Dirty Fried Rice. Pickled Local Vegetables.

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Shrimp and Linguini.

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Truffled Shrimp “Louis” Salad. Iceberg Wedge. Applewood Smoked Bacon. Chopped Eg. Asparagus. Tobiko.

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Canteloupe Sorbet.

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BAM! Bombarded with the whole dessert menu! Man, is it good to have friends in the industry. Being the foodies that we are, the chef and I have made friends in the industry and we were treated like kings and queens. To top it all off, they served us with a buffet of desserts:

Key Lime Ice Box Pie. Torched Cinnamon Meringue. Honey Graham Crust.

Emeril’s Banana Creme Pie. Graham Cracker Crust. Caramel Sauce. Chocolate Shavings

Chocolate-Sambuca Mousse Cake. Au Lait Semifreddo. Espresso Bean Bark

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie. Oreo Crust. Caramel Sauce.

Walnut Foster Bread Pudding. Cinnamon Candied Walnut. Bruleed Banana.

What a memorable meal! Tons of food and all with that Emeril’s flair! Great execution of every dish. Rich with flavor and leaving my mouth watering..even now.

Emeril's New Orleans on Urbanspoon

Brunch at La Petite Grocery (Magazine St., New Orleans)

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La Petite Grocery has to be one of my TOP 5 restaurants in New Orleans….so why I haven’t I tried brunch until now?

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Delicious sourdough bread…Good bread is always a sign of great food!

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Paneed Rabbit. Buttermilk Biscuit. Sunny-side up eggs. Braised Greens. Bearnaise.

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Pork Cheeks Benedict Jalapeno cornbread. Poached eggs. Collard greens. Smoke Hollandaise.

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Carmelized Brussel Sprouts.

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Hot Iron Buttermilk Waffle. Salted Peanuts. Caramel. (Chef’s selection of the day)

As expected, La Petite Grocery’s brunch was refreshing and delicious. Delicate and yet so rich! If you’re debating on what to eat for brunch or dinner, La Petite is the place. I’ve loved their dinner menu for years and finally had the chance to try brunch and I love it all. Great rendition of brunch with a French twist.

For La Petite Grocery’s dinner review, CLICK HERE.

La Petite Grocery on Urbanspoon

Fat Bao (Houston, TX : Kirby)

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There’s a new restaurant in town! Fat Bao took the traditional steamed bun and converted it into a delicious new concept. Steamed buns were most popularly stuffed with delicious roasted Peking duck, but Fat Bao has taken that idea and created their own variety of stuffed steamed buns, delicious appetizers, and even desserts…

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Avocado Chips. Panko crusted w/ Jalapeno Dip

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Crab Daddy Bao. Soft shell crab. Spicy mayo. Asian Slaw. Bulgogi Bao. Beef ribeye. Kimchi. Green onions. Peking Duck Bao. Roasted Duck. Green onions. Hoisin sauce.

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Curry Bao. Beef brisket. Cilantro. Pickled Red Onions.Crab Daddy. (close up)

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Peking Duck (left) and *Special*: Fried Portabello Bao w/ Asian Slaw

 

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Fried Bao: Cafe du Monde Bao (left) Spicy Chocolate Bao (right)

Something so simple, but transformed into something so delicious! The idea of stuffed baos is not only impressive but the quality of the food is unexpected. Along with good food, the customer service here is awesome! Check this place out..you’ll love it!

Fat Bao on Urbanspoon

Pho Bistreaux (Carrollton, New Orleans)

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Just what the Carrollton area needed! In the past year, various restaurants have opened down Oak St. and its newest addition is Pho Bistreaux. They have just recently opened but already have crowds of hungry patrons entering the restaurant and leaving satiated…

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Chicken and Pork Sliders. 

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Pho with Brisket. 

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Flan. 

The restaurant has opened its doors for only a little over a week, but the food is delicious and authentic. Great service overall, especially in comparison to its competitors throughout the city! The restaurant is quite small, but the environment is modern and family-friendly. 

Pho Bistreaux on Urbanspoon

Click HERE for more restaurant reviews!

The Pancakery (Destin, Florida)

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Every summer the “Chef” and I go to Destin, Florida for our annual vacation. Coming from a city known for its delicious food (“The Big Easy”), you often have high expectations for food when traveling. Destin isn’t known for its food…but well-known for its emerald beach waters and white powdery sand, but we happened to stumble across this cute little brunch place called Pancakery..

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Atomic Bomblette. Hot sausage. Jalapenos. Green and red peppers. Onions. Mushrooms. Pepperjack cheese. 

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Sand dollar pancakes. 

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Crabcake Benedict. 

Sure, they specialize in pancakes, but I much prefer the breakfast items that some even have the option of subbing the toast out for sand dollar sized pancakes…The omelette was about the size of my forearm! Although the menu says the omelette has 5 eggs worth, the waitress told us it’s probably 9! Definitely a stretch, but it was huge! The crabcake benedict was delicious. You could definitely taste loads of crab within..the hollaindaise wasn’t the purest one I’ve had, but it was still delicious. 

If you happen to be visiting or just lucky enough to be living in the city of Destin, stop by Pancakery for a delicious breakfast…I know I’ll be back! 

The Pancakery on Urbanspoon

Click HERE to check out my other reviews!

Vizard’s/Hevin (New Orleans, LA: December 21st, 2012) [CLOSED]

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I know I’ve been MIA for quite a while…let’s say I’ve been on a little hiatus, but since I’m coming back to the blogging scene, I thought I should give tribute to one of my favorite restaurants in NOLA…unfortunately, Vizard’s is no longer open, but before the grand closing, Kevin Vizard, created a menu of his best dishes…

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Crabmeat Nelson crispy eggplant, jumbo lump crab, crimini mushroom, green onion, bearnaise 

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BBQ Shrimp and Crab. shrimp, crab claws, onion, abita, lemon, worcestershire, rosemary, garlic

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Greens, Egg, and Ham. spinach, arugula, poached quail egg, duck confit, manchego, crouton, roasted shallot vinaigrette

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Pan Seared Gulf Fish. crabmeat, brabant potatoes, haricot verts, thyme brown butter

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Petite Filet. tenderloin, asparagus, roasted fingerlings, roasted shallot demi

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Black and Blue. soft centered dark chocolate cake, blue cheese, port wine reduction, berries, creme. 

Each dish was paired with a wine..including the dessert. That’s a lot of wine! “The chef” and I could barely finish our glasses, but it sure was an enjoyable meal. My favorite dish: the Pan Seared Gulf Fish. I’ve always loved simplistic dishes…although the fish was simple, it was well-seasoned and never bores your taste buds. Kevin Vizzard dished out his best dishes for the grand closing. Great job chef! Hope to see a new establishment soon!

Vizard's on Urbanspoon

Hevin on Urbanspoon

Bayou Hot Wings (Audubon, New Orleans)

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New Orleans is known for it’s boiling pot of great restaurants all around the city, but when it comes to fast food, where do you go? With the superbowl right around the corner, wings are a hot commodity and Bayou Hot Wings has to be one of the best wings around! It’s so good that the Travel Channel selected BHW to be one of three other restaurants in the city to be on Adam Richman’s special “Super Bowl Tailgate Takeover” airing January 30 9ET/8CT.  The owners are local New Orleans chefs that take pride in local flavors and homemade dishes. All the wings are 24+hr marinated and the sauces are made in house. They even offer local dishes: jambalaya, fried frog legs, and gator bites.  

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Sausage and Seafood Jambalaya. Tasso. Sausage. Shrimp. 

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Deep Fried Frog Legs. Excellent when paired with Remoulade sauce. 

 

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Thick Seasoned Onion Rings.  

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Caesar Wrap with a touch of Hotboy Sauce. 

 

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1/2 lb Burger with Hotboy Sauce. Steak fries. 

 

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Last but not least…WINGS: (left to right) Hotboy, Chipotle BBQ, Sweet, Lemon Pepper

I’ve basically tried the whole menu and I have to say it deserves more than the “best fast food” title…Every menu item comes out fully garnished, steaming hot, and packed with authentic chef-made flavors. I LOVE that their specialty is wings, but even the burgers are delicious…probably one of the best burgers I’ve had! 

My favorites: Chipotle BBQ wings, Hotboy wings, onion rings, coleslaw, and ALL of the burgers

Local favorites: Jambalaya, Fried Gator Bites, and Fried Frog Legs w/ Remoulade sauce

If you haven’t tried them yet, I HIGHLY recommend this local wing joint. Not into wings? No worries, because I enjoy their non-wing items just as much..if not more! Tell them chefsgirl sent you ^_^ 

Bayou Hot Wings on Urbanspoon