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Tag Archives: NOLA food

New Orleans’ Hottest Restaurant “Bars”…

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Whether you’re looking for a place to dine or grab a quick drink, these are the best “bars” to check out this Fall…

 

 

  1. Bar Frances. I’ve been back to Bar Frances twice in the last week! Why? Despite the minimalistic menu, it’s clear that they strive to focus on a few set items and execute them well. I love the brunch options on the weekends…especially the list of bottomless drinks! I’m looking forward to what else Bar Frances has in store. Order the Chicken Biscuit and the Lemon Compari to start your day!

 

2. Nomiya. This HOT and NEW ramen “bar” made its entrance to the New Orleans food scene and it’s here to stay. Nomiya’s authenticity steams from their homey broth to their sweetly balanced braised pork. This ramen bar does not currently serve liquor, but Geki-Kara (“too spicy”) ramen bowl is a great choice to kickstart your night!


 

 

3. Seaworthy. I am absolutely in love with Seaworthy right now. They are truly the “Best Bar” in NOLA this Fall. Why? It’s hard enough to find a great eatery and hangout spot open past 10 PM, but Seaworthy’s kitchen is open until 12 AM Sun-Wed and 1 AM Thurs-Sat! You won’t find your ordinary hot dog and nachos (which I still love from time to time). The menu consists of an array of oysters from coast to coast as well as some sophisticated items such as the Gulf Coast Roll or Blackened Redfish.  Seaworthy is a rare pearl in my book!

 

 

Check them out and let me know what you think! What other NOLA food bars would you recommend?

 

Seaworthy Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato Nomiya Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato Bar Frances Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



My favorite cookbooks at the moment..

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Whoa! It’s been a minute since I last posted anything. Life sure can get crazy…in a good way! During my hiatus, I’ve re-discovered some old cookbooks as well as some new ones. We can’t always dine out and when we eat at home, why not partake in the culinary experience in your own kitchen? Here are some of my faves:

1. Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat by Chrissy Tiegen. Not only am I fan of this spunky lady, but I admire her for her passion for food. If you happen to follow her on SnapChat, you’ll see what I mean. One of my favorites in the book have to be her Creamy Potato Salad with Bacon!

 

2. Ad Hoc at Home by Thomas Keller. Thomas Keller is my Chef hubby’s idol. He’s world-renowned and deserves every bit of notoriety. I’ve been to 3 of his restaurants: 1. The French Laundry 2. Ad Hoc 3. Per Se. I remember every bite from each restaurant. Each restaurant has shared their own cookbook, however, we can’t always prepare a Michelin-rated dinner for the family, so this book shares more family-friendly meals very much like Ad Hoc’s menu.

3. Besh Big Easy: 101 Home Cooked New Orleans Recipes. Besides “The Chef” hubby himself, Chef John Besh is my next chef crush! Not only has he created a restaurants empire in New Orleans, but he’s philanthropic and has a great heart. For refined New Orleans’ homestyle recipes, this is your resource:

  3. I’ve attached the links to check them out for yourself. What are your favorite books at the moment?
  5. Stay tuned for some new, up-and-coming restaurant reviews in New Orleans!
  8. Upcoming posts:
  9. Bar Frances
  10. Nomiya
  11. Restaurant Des Familles

 

Magazine Pizza (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

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It’s Super Bowl Sunday everybody! There’s so many Super Bowl food choices out there and tonight, I decided to order from Magazine Pizza. They’re located at the corner Magazine St and Calliope St and it is super easy to get to if you live in the Lower Garden District. They’re mainly a takeout establishment, but they have a few tables and enough space for dining. What’s great is that they offer online orders directly through their website and they open late…

 

Spinach Dip. 

 

 

Mediterranean Salad. 

 

 

Chicken Pesto Calzone. 

 

 

Magazine Supreme Pizza. 

 

I’ve ordered Magazine Pizza about 3 times and have loved it every single time. Their Spinach Dip is awesome! The garlic bread sticks that accompany it are thicker, but still soft and chewy on the inside. I nearly liked it more than the pizza itself. To be honest, I usually hate calzones due to excessive breading, but Magazine Pizza has found the perfect bread-to-filling ratio. I can now say that I love calzones. As for the pizza, it’s perfect! The pizza was picked up and traveled to the Westbank and despite the wait, it was still crispy and delicious. Excellent job especially for Game Day service!

Loves: Late hours every day of the week. Online orders. Great calzones, dip, and pizzas!

What NOT to Love: Limited parking on busy days or weekends.


Rating: 5/5 spoons
Magazine Pizza Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



Part & Parcel (SoMa, New Orleans, Louisiana)

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Another great addition to the up and coming South Market district (SoMa) area where Blaze, Company Burger, and a few other local favorites reside, popped up the latest and greatest Part & Parcel. Part & Parcel is a Root Restaurant Project that sells house-made charcuterie, sandwiches, and foods, but on another level. This restaurant isn’t as upscale as Root and Square Root, but the sandwiches and foods are surprising at an upscale level minus the formal attire with a casual-but-sleek bar feel.

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Stuffed Shells. House-made ‘Nduja Ricotta. Pancetta. Herbed Béchamel. Toasted Pine Nuts. 

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Happy hour item: Bruschetta. Sundried Tomato Pesto. Goat Cheese. Fresh Basil. 

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The Godfather. House-made Meatballs. Sicilian Red Gravy. Mozzarella. Sweet Peppers. Gracious Bakery Sesame. 

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T.A.S.T.E. Sandwich. Fried Turkey. Avocado. ‘House of Greens’ Sprouts. Tomato. Fried Egg. Chipotle Aioli. Gracious Bakery Ciabatta.

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Sneak Peek!

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First, we ordered the Stuffed Shells, which appeared to be so delicate but turned out to be a wonderful surprise. The shells were al-dente but roasted which gave it a nice chewy texture and the stuffing had such an airy filling with a smooth finish. This dish surprised me the most! The Bruschetta came out next and what makes this great bruschetta is that every component was perfection from the airy lightly-crisped bread to the deep and flavorful Tomato Pesto atop it. 

Our sandwiches The Godfather and the T.A.S.T.E. came next and boy was I surprised! The Godfather was a solid meatball sandwich and is great but a little too heavy for me. The T.A.S.T.E. (turkey, avocado, sprouts, tomato, egg) was basically a California Club…on steroids! It has to be my all-time favorite Turkey sandwich EVER. When you turn something so simple into something so amazing, that’s when you know you’re great! Kudos Part & Parcel! You’ve changed the way I look at sandwiches! 

LOVES: Top notch ingredients and well thought out foods. One of the longest happy hours in NOLA 3-7 PM!!

What not to love: Nothing!

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Rating: 5/5 spoons

Part and Parcel Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



Banana Blossom Thai Cafe (Gretna, New Orleans, LA)

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I re-discovered this restaurant recently with a group of friends and the hubby and I couldn’t help but return. When the old Cafe Zen relocated to the corner center of this strip, we accidentally went inside this restaurant but never gave it a chance. Now, they’ve “blossomed” into something great. They’ve never updated their signage so it could easily be missed. The sign says “THAI” in red letters and that’s it…

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Roasted Brussel Sprouts. 

 

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Roti. 

 

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Fried Rice with Fried Chicken. 

 

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Pad Thai. 

 

YUM! Solid dishes all around and our waitress was so spunky and sweet! She had the best recommendations. We ordered the brussel sprouts as her suggestion and it was beautifully plated but equally as delicious. We also ordered our usual Roti and Pad Thai. Be sure to request for spice if you like a little kick. I forgot and was so sad! We opted for Fried Rice with Fried Chicken and it was actually amazing! If you’re in the Gretna area and are looking for a good Thai spot, try Banana Blossom!

LOVE: Solid Thai food. My fav was the Fried Chicken Fried Rice. Great fresh strawberry mojitos!

What NOT to LOVE: Pad Thai is a bit dry but still good. Signage is poor so it can be easily missed. Look for Yoga Krewe and Cafe Zen nearby.

 

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
Banana Blossom Thai Café Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato



Royal Thai (Harahan, New Orleans, LA)

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Another Thai gem! I use to think there was limited good Thai food in the city, but I’ve realized there’s plenty hidden throughout the city. The latest and greatest find is Royal Thai located in Harahan.

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Chicken Thai Basil. 

 

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Green Curry. 

 

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Pad See Ew. 

 

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Royal Dip. 

 

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Thai Chicken Wings.

 

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Curry Puff. 

 

Nothing failed to please! My friends and I LOVED the Royal Thai dip and ordered a second..maybe even a third??? (Along with maybe 5 rounds of sake…) Everything was great. We ordered the Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Chicken Wings, Curry Puff, and Green Curry. I loved every single dish. The restaurant is not too far from the Elmwood Shopping Center, but it is hidden in a more warehouse-y commercial area. It’s so worth it!

LOVE: Royal Thai Dip. Solid and delicious classic Thai dishes. Affordable drinks.

What NOT to LOVE: nothing?

 

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Rating: 5/5 spoons
Royal Thai Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato




Crêpes à la Cart (New Orleans, LA)

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Crêpes à la Cart is a catering service that serves delicious crêpes with filling of your choice. They’re at all the NOLA festivals and can be hired for an event as well. I’ve had them 3 times this year! I had crêpes at the Fried Chicken Festival 2016 and Gretna Food Truck Festival 2016 this past weekend and at Wednesdays at the Square (WATS) a few months ago. My verdict? Delicious! They are definitely hit or miss depending on who’s working the booth. Great crepes and service at the WATS and Fried Chicken Festival, but a big FAIL at Gretna Food Truck Fest 2016. Execution and service was slow and poor that day. My favorite flavor? Speculoos, a delicious cookie butter found at Trader Joe’s. I’ve seen them use a generic cookie butter brand also but it’s still good.

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Rating: 4/5 spoons
Crêpes à la Cart Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
 



Red’s Chinese (Bywater, New Orleans, LA)

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In a recent foodie function, I heard about a hole in the wall Chinese joint in the Bywater that I “just had to try!”. I didn’t think much of it since it appeared to be in an isolated area with no noticeable signs. When you find your way to the entrance, no one would ever guess that there was such a nice restaurant inside! It appears to be an old bar or convenience store from the outside, but what a surprise on the inside!

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Craw Rangoons. 

 

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Pork Belly Buns. Pickled Daikon. Kim Chi. Mayo. Cilantro.

 

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Chicken Dumplings. Black Vinegar. Fried Onions. Scallions.

 

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General’s Chicken. Deep Fried Chicken. Bourbon Soy. Peanuts. Cilantro.

 

The food was surprisingly delicious. I’m not one to normally crave Chinese, but Chef Tobias, although not of Chinese descent, really knows how to throw down a well-done family style meal. My favorites were definitely the appetizers. Pork Belly Bao > Rangoons = Dumplings. The General’s Chicken was good, but order a small. The large was a bit much for our party of 3.

What I love: It’s not quite fusion, but a few small surprises here and there such as the Craw Rangoons!

What not to love: The location. Extra sketchy. Park nearby and walk with groups.

 

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Rating: 4.5/5 spoons
Red's Chinese Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato