NOLA food – Page 2

New Orleans Coffee & Beignets

Posted on September 15, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

When I first saw this place, I was skeptical. I mean, who can beat the classic Cafe Du Monde beignets that we grew up with? My hubby and I made a bet on whether or not it was as good or even better than the original Cafe Du Monde. I definitely lost, because these beignets were rollin’!

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

Happy Hour at Sac-a-Lait (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on July 24, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

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

The Halal Guys (New Orleans, LA)

Posted on July 10, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

I first heard of Halal Guys in New York and the over an hour wait for their amazing chicken and rice as well as their gyro sandwiches. I didn’t have the pleasure to try the original New York location, but I’ve gotten to try the Houston location and now in NOLA. I’ve gone multiple times since it’s so convenient and on my way home from work.

The Halal Guys.

Indoor Seating.

Beef and Chicken Combo Bowl.

What’s inside the Combo Bowl…

Beef gyro.

Hummus.

Fries…because I can’t say “no” to fries…

I definitely enjoyed the short wait time and delicious food here at the NOLA location. The gyro was delicious and the Combo bowl was good, BUT the chicken is consistently dry here. I would go easy on their HOT sauce. It’s deceivingly HOT but very flavorful!

The Halal Guys purists will say that “Nothing beats The Halal Guys in New York City!”, but until I try it, I’m still enjoying the Halal guys here in New Orleans. The location is quite small, but there’s a good amount of seats considering the location downtown. Service is hit or miss, but I’m usually in and out so no biggie.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Dat Ice Roll (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on June 29, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

I was in the neighborhood and craving some Dat Dog on Magazine St when I noticed some changes. Dat Dog now has a cute little art market where you can enjoy your hot dog and peruse some cute local art. At the front of the market is a a little stand owned by an adorable French couple who came to the states to share some ice rolls with us!

Speculoos Ice Roll.

Oreo Ice Roll.

Speculoos, a cookie butter, is my favorite so far! I also tried the Oreo and that’s good too. My group was lucky since it was the last one of the day. Typically, they serve until there’s no more cream. The presentation could be quite showy, but it’s definitely a more artistic style to ice cream-making. If you’re in the area, try it! That’s all I gotta say!

TIPS: CASH ONLY

RATING: 5/5 spoons

Houston’s Restaurant (Central City, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on June 27, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

Houston’s Restaurant, although part of a small national chain, is probably one of my favorite steak restaurants in the city! I know, everyone loves to eat local and hear all about the places that the locals like to go. Believe it or not, this is one of them!

House-smoked Salmon. Toast. Chef’s Dressing.

Hawaiian Rib-eye Steak. Pineapple Sesame Ginger Marinade. Rib-eye. Loaded Idaho Baked Potato.

Kale Salad.

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake. Pan fried Blue Crab. Pommery mustard. French Fries (substituted for Kale Salad)

“The Chef” and I usually order the Smoked Salmon, Hawaiian Rib-eye, Lump Crab Cakes, and Kale Salad. I usually substitute the fries that come along with the crab cakes with the Kale Salad. Healthier? Maybe. Delicious? Yes! I’ve heard that certain locations don’t offer the Kale Salad as a side, but be sure to ask. What I love about this particular location is the LIVE jazz music they play every night. Houston’s is a touch of NOLA with a great company and excellent food! How could you not love it?

Dining tip: There’s usually a 40 minute wait especially closer to the weekend so be sure to call for a reservation at least two hours in advance! If not, try going on a weekday for easy, delicious, and comfortable dining!

‘

Rating: 5/5 spoons!

Cavan (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on May 22, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

Cavan opened just a few months ago and was on my food radar. I was excited when the hubby decided to surprise me one night. Cavan is gorgeous! It’s in an old historic mansion located on Magazine St. with high ceilings, beautiful chandeliers, and your classic old New Orleans home feel.

Oysters. Mignonette and Cocktail Sauce.

Scallop Crudo. Lime. Pistou. Pickled Red Onion.

Crab Deviled Eggs.

Old Bay Fries. Malt Aioli.

Fried Oyster Caesar. Kale. Romaine. Pecorino. Crackers.

Clam Chowder. Baked Oyster Crackers.

Seared Scallops. Jalapeno-white cheddar grits. Sweet corn. Crab. Arugula.

Complimentary Cherry Meringue.

The menu consists of a lot of small bites and small plates that are quite small in portion so be sure to order multiple dishes. We ordered Oysters, Crab Deviled Eggs, Waffle Fries, Salmon Crudo, Clam Chowder, Fried Oyster Caesar Salad, and the Seared Scallops for my husband and I. The dishes were light and appetizing but were a tease since they were in small portions. The Waffle Fries were more like a thin potato waffle wedge as opposed to fries, but were good and went well with the aioli. The Salmon Crudo was refreshing. My favorite was the Clam Chowder. It was more of a Clam Soup but was very flavorful. There was an herbiness with a delicious oniony finish. I loved it. Too bad I had to share it with my hubby. The Kale Caesar Salad with Fried Oysters was pretty good as well. I only wish the kale were chopped into smaller pieces for easier eating. The scallops were really good and laid atop a bed of homey corn grits. It was a very light entree and I somewhat wished it was loaded with cream or butter, but I won’t complain on reduced fat since it was still very good!

I would definitely like to try Cavan again. Service was super friendly and the food came out fast! I’d really like to see what else they have to offer since this was only their first few months of opening.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Mr. Bubbles (Gretna, LA)

Posted on May 17, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

As we’re approaching hump day/mid-week, I’d like to talk about a great lunch spot! Years ago, there was a bubble tea shop at this location that was easy to overlook and they’ve made quite a few improvements and serve Vietnamese sandwiches are there menu.

Banh Mi Dac Biet. Combination banh mi. Bubble Tea: Jasmine Iced Tea with Tapioca, Taro and Tapioca

From left to right: Jasmine Green Tea with Tapioca x 2, Mocha and Tapioca, Black Milk Tea with Tapioca.

My favorite is the Combination sandwich loaded with delicious Vietnamese cold cuts, pate, aioli and veggies. My go-to drink is the Jasmine Tea with Tapioca…it’s healthy and refreshing! There are more desserty flavors that aren’t as healthy but make a great treat such as the Taro or Cafe Sua Da. Another plus? There’s a loyalty card! With every 10 drinks, you get a free one. Easily done with summer approaching! There are only a few tables since it’s mostly take-out orders, but it’s quite spacious. The restaurant is located right outside of the Hong Kong Market so you if you happen to be in the area, Mr. Bubbles is a great treat!

Rating: 5/5 spoons

Trenasse (CBD, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on May 12, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

It was a Monday night and my husband and I decided to celebrate our first month of being married. Cheesy! I know. But why the heck not? My husband and I tried brunch at Trenasse with some friends not too long ago and had a good experience. After brunch my friend continued to rave about the Escargot and Crawfish Pie and neither were available for brunch. We had to try dinner!

Escargot “Trebeache”. Sauteed escargot. Button Mushroom. Charred Tomato. Browned French Wine. Wine. Lemon. Garlic and Butter.

Louisiana Crawfish Pie. Crawfish. Creamy Pepperjack Cheese Filling. House made pie dough.

Pan Roast Cauliflower Steak. St. Andre’s Brie. Rough-cut Pistachio Pesto.

TThe Wedge. Crisp bacon. Crumbled blue cheese. Green Goddess Dressing.

Special of the night: Veal and Lobster Ravioli Duet

I loved it! My favorite dishes were the Escargot and the Crawfish Pie. The escargot is served differently than your traditional Escargots à la Bourguignonne, a garlic herb butter sauce, but it was really refreshing to try it served a different way. The crawfish pie was perfectly crisped on the outside and filled with a perfectly seasoned crawfish and pepperjack filling. We also ordered the cauliflower steak, Wedge Salad, and the Veal and Lobster Ravioli duet. The cauliflower steak was pretty good! The Wedge salad was refreshing. Honestly, we only ordered the extra salad to appear “healthy”. The Veal special had to be the most disappointing. The veal was over-salted that we couldn’t even finish the last piece. On a brighter note, the lobster ravioli were delicious and balanced the over seasoned veal a bit. Overall, everything was great! Service was super friendly and I loved the ambiance.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

« Previous Page

ChefsGirl

Tag Archives: NOLA food

New Orleans Coffee & Beignets

Happy Hour at Sac-a-Lait (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

The Halal Guys (New Orleans, LA)

Dat Ice Roll (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Houston’s Restaurant (Central City, New Orleans, LA)

Cavan (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Mr. Bubbles (Gretna, LA)

Trenasse (CBD, New Orleans, LA)

Pages

Archives

Categories

WordPress

Subscribe