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Tag Archives: new orleans

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

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!

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

Borgne (CBD, New Orleans)

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Chef John Besh does it again! I’ve heard about Borgne by word of mouth, but what really inspired me to go try it out for myself was when I tried the Oyster Amandine at New Orleans Oyster Festival at Woldenburg Park 2012 (click for pictures). I swear, festival food is always the best..Have you ever heard of the law of Diminishing returns? Basically, when applied to food, it means serving food in small bites that leave your palate longing for more…so when I tried multiple miniscule oyster dishes at the festival, you can only imagine how I felt when I only got to enjoy a BITE of Oysters Amandine…After that experience, I’ve had high expectations for Borgne…

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Panoramic restaurant view.

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Early for lunch…

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Charbroiled Oysters. 

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Duck Poppers. Jalapeno. Bacon.

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Slow Smoked Pork Empanadas. White BBQ Sauce.

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Sopa Ajo (Garlic Soup). Garlic Soup. Idiazabal Cheese. Cured Egg Yolk. 

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Honeysuckle Hotty. Cathead Honeysuckle Vodka. Hot Chamomile Tea. (Missing: Sugar Candy pop)

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Marinated Crab Fingers. Bread Salad. Torn Herbs.

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Ragout of Louisiana Rabbit (Lunch Special). Orecchiette Pasta. Garlic. Tomatoes. Rapini. Reminds me a lot of the Spicy Lamb Meatball dish at Domenica’s except with rabbit! 

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Fried P&J Oysters Amandine. Grilled Mushrooms. Wilted Spinach. Oh..the delicious Oysters Amandine…Delicious and LOADED with cornmeal crusted oysters!

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Seared Jumbo Shrimp. Brandade Ravioli. Shrimp Chorizo Consomme. Brussel Sprouts. Pumpkin. Chick Peas. 

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Pecan Praline Beignets. 

My favorite dishes had to be anything with oysters: Charbroiled oysters and Oysters Amandine. I also LOVED the Pork Empanadas...Honestly, I hadn’t known much about Spanish or Mexican food until I relocated to Texas and since then, I just LOVE it. It’s just so rich, but can be so refreshing at the same time. 

What didn’t I like? We had a grapefruit sorbet (not pictured) that was definitely homemade, but the fruit itself was not ripe and left a not-so-enjoyable bitter aftertaste. Another item I could’ve done without was the Honeysuckle Hotty. My girlfriend said the same about her cocktail so if anything, I would suggest grabbing a local beer like NOLA Brewing. I really like the blonde ale..it’s lighter and goes great with the food at Borgne.

Overall, good meal! I feel like Borgne’s menu is a boiling pot of Domenica and Luke…The rusticness of Luke together the Italian refinement of Domenica. If you’re in the CBD and looking for a fine lunch, Borgne is a great place to try! 

Borgne (Hyatt Regency) on Urbanspoon

Tartine (Audubon, New Orleans)

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Tartine is a cute and quaint little cafe that serves French breakfast and pastries. Before I even show you pictures, I must say that the food here is delicious! All the breads are made in house…nice and crunchy on the outside, but dense and soft on the inside. Breakfast is delicious and lunch is basically a breakfasty version of lunch…(my best explanation). They put a little touch of “Tartine” on every menu item…


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Baked Egg in Brioche. 


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My favorite part about breakfast foods…the cutting of the poached egg. Who knew egg yolk could be such a delicious sauce! 


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Quiche. 


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Cafe Au Lait.


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Ham Sandwich. Triple Cream Brie. Fig Mustard. Butter Lettuce on a Baguette. 


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Salmon Rillete. 

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So I’m showing you pictures from two different occasions…one to go order and one sit down in their tiny patio. It’s THAT good..I’ve been here multiple times and just can’t get tired of the food. It’s refreshing and not overly heavy considering you’re eating quite a bit of carbs. All spreads are flavorful and leave you wanting more…

I don’t know what else to say. I love it so much that writing this post is making me want to visit tomorrow morning. I’ll see y’all there! 


Tartine on Urbanspoon

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UPDATE 12/28/2012

So as promised, I paid another visit to Tartine and they did it again! I know this is a long post, but I’m sure a little eye candy won’t bother your taste buds…

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Soup of the Day: Cauliflower Soup. 


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House Pate.  Dijon. Onion Confit. Baguette.


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House Smoked Turkey. Gruyere. Avocado. Roasted Gartlic Aioli. Butter Lettuce. Honey Wheat Bread.


Everything was delicious, as expected. The thing I’ve noticed with Tartine is the simplicity of all their menu items. All tartines consist of a skinny baguette baked to a perfect crunch on the outside and dense yet fluffy inside. Each baguette is topped with a fully flavored, well-seasoned spread of choice (salmon, pork, pate..etc). Sandwiches are simple and plain in appearance, but don’t let that fool you…like the House Smoked Turkey Sandwich did to me. The bread was a light and fluffy texture stuffed with deliciously smoked turkey. What really blew me away was how the garlic aioli could add so much flavor. I just wanna add garlic aioli to everything now! I can go on and on…but you’ll just have to try it for yourself! 

My favorite items: 

  • Pork Rillette
  • Smoked Turkey Sandwich
  • Ham Sandwich

 




Cochon Butcher (Warehouse District, New Orleans)

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If you’re familiar with Chef Donald Link‘s restaurant, Cochon, well you’re in luck because Cochon Butcher is right around the corner! It’s a casual deli as opposed to the finer Cochon. They offer a variety of meats, sausages, and best of all sandwiches! Cochon is known for their charcuterie so it’s only natural that the sandwiches are fresh and equally as delicious as the fine meals at its finer counterpart. 


Pastrami w/ Sauerkraut on Rye. 


BBQ Pork. “Carolina Style”


Hot Boudin. To Go! I’ve been on a boudin craze lately so anywhere there’s boudin, you know I’ll be getting it! This particular boudin was SO good. Who would’ve thought that creole mustard could go so well with it? 


Each dish was served with homemade sweet pickles. Great for balancing out their savory dishes. After dining at Cochon Butcher, I ordered a few other sandwiches for “the chef” so he could enjoy at work…and he agrees! Not a single sandwich disappointed us. Every bite infused with flavor… 


Cochon Butcher has been open for quite some time now, but lately has been “Talk Of The Town” (on Urbanspoon). Why now? Who knows, but it deserves the recognition! 

Cochon Butcher on Urbanspoon

Boucherie (Carrollton, New Orleans)

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I discovered this restaurant years ago at a Festival downtown, where they had their food truck, “The Que Crawl”…They served these delicious roast beef poboys. Then I found out that “The Que Crawl” is a branch off of Boucherie so I just had to check it out. Went there for lunch one day and have loved it ever since!

12 Hour Roast Beef Po’boy w/ Pickled Red Onions & Horseradish Cream.  Moist and savory with a wonderful balance of pickled onions and horseradish cream. What’s different about this poboy is that it’s stuffed into French bread from a local Vietnamese bakery, Dong Phuong. It’s a must try if you eat here!

Boudin Balls w/ Garlic Aioli.  I’ve been on a major boudin kick lately and this has to be the best boudin ball I’ve ever had…I don’t know what they put in here, but it was DELISH! Boucherie does a great job at balancing flavors with a little bit of tartness.

Smoked Wagyu Beef Brisket w/ Garlicky Parmesan Fries.  

Every dish was a 10/10 and to top it all off, you get so much bang for your buck! Boucherie offers the best prices for upscale dishes. One suggestion…Make sure you make reservations on weekends. It’s a tiny little restaurant so they get packed really easily and with no reservations…it’s a looooonggg wait AND all you can do is be tortured by other guests devouring Boucherie’s finest dishes. 

Try it out, you’ll LOVE it!

Boucherie on Urbanspoon

Restaurant Listing

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A guide with LINKS to all of my reviews…Still thinking of a good way to organize them for y’all, but until then… Enjoy!

NEW ORLEANS RESTAURANTS REVIEWS

NOLA DESSERTS

NOLA EVENTS

TEXAS EVENTS

HOUSTON

SAN ANTONIO

FLORIDA