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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sneak Peek!

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!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Roasted Brussel Sprouts. 

Roti. 

Fried Rice with Fried Chicken. 

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.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Chicken Thai Basil. 

Green Curry. 

Pad See Ew. 

Royal Dip. 

Thai Chicken Wings.

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?

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Rating: 4/5 spoons

 

Craw Rangoons. 

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

Chicken Dumplings. Black Vinegar. Fried Onions. Scallions.

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.

Rating: 4.5/5 spoons

New Orleans Hamburger Company is now linked with this location as well so dinner and beignets can both be eaten here. I didn’t have the chance to try the savory foods yet, but I will definitely come back. The beignets here are equally, if not better, than the original Cafe Du Monde but I prefer Cafe Du Monde’s hot chocolate. Pros: Drive-Thru! Cons: Hot chocolate is OK. I’m not a fan of the Beignet bites. Too crunchy?

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Sac-A-Lait has to be one of my top 5 restaurants in the city right now. I’ve been here a couple of times for dinner and my first time for happy hour just a couple days ago. I LOVED happy hour so much that I had to share with y’all.

When you talk about Happy Hour in New Orleans, you’ll most likely get half off oysters and half off wine. At Sac-a-Lait you get exactly that but be sure to sit at the bar to participate in Happy Hour, otherwise, it’s regular price if you dine at the tables. 

1 Dozen oysters. 

Pig’s Ear. 

Truffle-Honey Fries. 

The oysters at Sac-a-Lait were so delicious! They were a good size with a briney finish. Love it. I do, however, I miss the regular saltine crackers that you would usually get, but the fancy Sac-a-Lait crisp does the job. The appetizers and snacks that we ordered were so memorable. The Pig’s Ear was a tease since you literally get one ear (as barbaric as this sounds). That first bite has a crunchy crisp with a deliciously chewy and juicy bite. It paired very well with the accompanied cream sauce topped with black sea caviar. I wish I had a bagful of them. Imagine cracklins, but on steroids! If Pig’s Ear isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t order it but if you’re feeling gutsy, you may just fall in love with it. The truffle-honey fries were my all time favorite fries in the city. There was a truly delicate truffle flavor with a light sweetness, which really set these fries apart.

Sac-a-Lait is hands down my favorite happy hour joint in the city. Happy hour begins at 5:30 til 7:00. I’ve been to Sac-a-Lait for dinner which is also very delicious. Everything I’ve tried is so homey, but with a refined touch. It’s perfect. I’ll post another review very soon on Dinner at Sac-a-Lait!

Rating: 5/5 spoons