oysters – ChefsGirl

New Orleans’ Hottest Restaurant “Bars”…

Posted on September 12, 2017 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

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

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?

Best New Orleans Happy Hour Oysters

Posted on February 8, 2017 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

On a recent venture for the best happy hour oysters in town, my hubby and I actually had trouble finding decent places in the Metairie area. Due to costs, many restaurants have cut back on offering happy hour oysters, but here’s a list of the most consistent and delicious oyster happy hours in the city:

1. Lüke

I already love Lüke’s for their mainstay must-order items (IMO): Moules et Frites and Fried Oyster Salad. To top it off their oysters are delicious! Happy hour consists of Gulf Oysters only, but they also offer select imported oysters such as Kusshi, Naked Roy’s, Bluepointe, and many others if you’re looking for variety. If you prefer a nicer, sit down environment, Lüke’s is your place. For a sporty, casual oyster bar, read on…

Lüke’s HH hours: 3:00-6:00 PM, Daily

Lüke’s HH menu: 75 cent oysters, no minimum or alcoholic beverage requirements

2. Samuel’s Blind Pelican

Samuel’s Blind Pelican is a small sports bar joint that is very well-known for being the “home of the 25 cent oysters”. I’m positive their HH oysters are there to stay. Parking is fairly easy except over the weekends or big game days. Oysters are quite large and tend to be gritty from time to time. I don’t mind it and will definitely come back! Their charbroiled oysters are awesome and I actually prefer it over Drago’s. They’re lighter in flavor, but still buttery and mouth-watering. They leave you wanting more.

Samuel’s Blind Pelican HH Hours: 4-8 PM, 7 days a week!

Samuel’s Blind Pelican HH menu: $3/dozen raw (or 25 cents each) $8.50/dozen charbroiled oysters WITH an alcohol (beer/wine/cocktail) purchase.

TIP: Just keep in mind that this is a sports bar so you won’t get the same dining experience as you would at Lüke’s Restaurant. Also, they’re known for their HH so it’s definitely a wait on some nights, but well worth it for .25 a pop + a drink!

3. Sac-A-Lait

Click here for a full review of Sac-A-Lait Happy Hour!

The problem with a lot of happy hours are the hours themselves! It’s so hard for those with 9-5 jobs, who usually have to rush to get off of work just to attempt to make it for the last hour of HH. Luckily, Sac-A-Lait offers a later HH from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. The oysters are always fresh, but Gulf Oysters are the only ones offered on the HH menu. Other items to order: Truffle Honey fries and Pig’s Ear.

Sac-A-Lait HH Hours: 5:30-7:30 PM, 7 days a week

Sac-A-Lait HH menu: 1/2 off selection of wines and beer. Requirement: Be sure to sit at the cocktail bar to qualify for HH specials.

Johnny Sánchez (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on November 3, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

Johnny Sánchez is a Chef John Besh and Chef Aaron Sánchez venture for authentic Mexican food. I’ve been a couple times and my most recent dinner was mainly small plates. I ordered the Camida Bay oysters. Those are one of my faves! I loved the mignonette that came already on it.

Beef Barbacoa Flautas. Guacomole. Crema. Valentina. Queso Fresco.

My flautas were great and flavorful, but I will say they are pricey for what they are. Every dish I’ve ordered here including the Plato de Carnitas and Fajitas were all so-so that’s why I highly recommended eating family-style dining here. It’s fun to eat a little bit of everything and due to the deep flavor profiles, it’s easy to get bored of your one dish. I wouldn’t call this authentic Mexican, but more of a modern take. It’s great for large groups and very family friendly. Service was wonderful and accommodating!

What to LOVE: Happy hour is 3-6 PM with $2 tacos and half off drinks!

What NOT to LOVE: $$$ Tacos are definitely pricier when it’s not HH. Small plates and appetizers are more tasty! Sharing entrées or family-style dining is recommended.

Rating: 4/5 spoons

Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)

Posted on October 31, 2016 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

My friends and I stopped by Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar for a bite and beer. It’s a small oyster bar setup very much like a bar where you grab a drink except it’s for oysters! We don’t have anything like that down South so I am a bit jelly. Usually, our “oyster bar” is another bar setup in a full-service restaurant but having an actually bar restaurant dedicated to servicing different types oysters from different coasts around the U.S.

Fresh Oysters.

More fresh oysters calling your name…

Beautifully plated.

Bottoms up!

I ordered the Shucker’s Dozen Platter, which is the chef’s selection of oysters. Our selection of oysters were the Fat Bastards, Shigoku, Virginica, Kusshi, Kumamoto. The selection was excellent! I was a bit jealous of how flavorful these oysters are compared to the Gulf Coast oysters. Gulf Coast oysters tend to be much larger, but they’re more on the blander side compared to East and West Coast oysters. It’s amazing the amount of flavor that these tiny little oysters can hold. Luckily, some of these oysters are offered in New Orleans too.

What to love: The excellent oyster selection and oyster bar concept.

What NOT to love: They tend to be pricier here so I would come here for drinks and an oyster snack, but it’s not the best if you’re hungry and on a budget.

Rating: 4.5/5 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

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

Carrollton Market (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on May 3, 2015 by chefsgirlnola@gmail.com

My fiance and I try to have date nights as often as we can. This is super gag-worthy, but he still tries to surprise me. I never know where we’re going on “date night”. On this particular night, he surprised me to Carrollton Market. Carrollton Market is located on the further end of South Carrollton, among other great restaurants worth mentioning such as Brigtsten’s and Dante’s Kitchen. The restaurant was one of the few things that were actually open in the area. It’s nestled in an almost residential area among a few boutiques that are only open during the daytime. The area is very safe and quiet and has a romantic feel to it…

“Buttery Biscuit Roll”. At least that’s what I called it. This dinner roll is flaky and buttery like a croissant but in a biscuit.

Brick Wall Farms Baby Lettuces. Shaved Radish. Fennel. White Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Oysters Goodenough. Flash-fried Oysters. Benton’s Bacon. Creamed Leeks. Sauce Bearnaise.

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads. Sauteed Spinach. Roasted Oyster Mushrooms. Caper-Brown Butter.

House-made Creole Cream Cheese Cavatelli. Louisiana Crabmeat. Cherry Tomatoes. Grana Padano.

House-made Potato Gnocchi. Braised Oxtail. Raisins. Pine Nuts.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta. Ponchatoula Strawberry Compote. Pecan Brittle. Local Honey.

Baby Beignets.

The first thing that came out was their bread. The bread is like a biscuit but a dinner roll at the same time. It was so buttery, flaky like a croissant. Loved it! I could eat this for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For our salad we ordered the Brick Wall Farms Baby Lettuce salad which had a light and citrusy White Balsamic Vinaigrette. Next, there were the Crispy Sweetbreads, which were bathing in a browned butter sauce. They were moist with a light crisp on the outside and how can you not like anything bathing in browned butter?

Culinary fact: I went out with some friends recently and asked them if they’d ever tried Sweetbreads. Immediately, they shouted, “No, but I LOVE bread!”. I had to quickly explain that sweetbreads aren’t what you think. Sweetbreads are a type of Offal, a group of edible organs and entrails that aren’t considered muscle/bone and are considered a delicacy in the culinary world.

The Oysters Goodenough (named after the Chef) were like charbroiled oysters, but topped in a Bearnaise Sauce and Benton’s Bacon. They were exceptionally rich and flavorful. My fiance couldn’t stop talking about them. If only we had room for more…

We also ordered the Cream Cheese Cavatelli topped with crabmeat. If you know how I like order, you’d know that if I see crabmeat on the menu, it will end up on my dinner table. The Cavatelli was fresh and perfectly cooked. I loved that although this was a pasta dish, the citrusy and wine notes lightened it up and didn’t make you feel to heavy. Since we had good amount of seafood themed dishes, we ordered the Potato Gnocchi and Oxtail to finish off the dinner. The sauce was deep and savory.

Since we were so full, the waiter suggested that we opt for a lighter dessert: the Panna Cotta. It was topped in local strawberry compote and local honey. So light, refreshing and delicious. It paired so well with the mini beignets that we ordered on the side. I know, so much for a light dessert, but it’s so worth it!

The feel is very romantic and the restaurant is small, but there is room for large groups. Just be sure to set a reservation. I love the menu at Carrollton Market since they offer local items on their menu. There’s a Southern sophisticated flare to each dish. Every dish that we ordered not only melded together so well, but it also complimented the other dishes on the menu. I can’t wait to see what they have to offer again soon.

Rating: 4.5/5 spoons

Peche Seafood Grill (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

Posted on July 31, 2014 by chefsgirl

Peche has recently been honored with the James Beard Award and it’s all thanks to Chef Ryan Prewitt, Chef of the South. I’m not going to lie, when Peche opened, I wasn’t very impressed with the menu…very simple and nothing stood out to me. I’ve heard good things from friends so I decided to give it a shot…

The feel is very “Nautical” as I described it to my friend. It’s almost like you’re dining beneath a pier…a really nice one. Dress is very casual and comfortable…especially for an award-winning restaurant, but I love that!

Now onto the food!

Gulf Oysters.

Massachusetts, Island Creek Oysters.

These oysters were a bit smaller and more briney than the Gulf oysters. The strange thing is that I remember the gulf oysters tasting JUST like this many years ago. Maybe the gulf waters have changed…

I prefer the gulf oysters…large, plump, and refreshing. “The Chef” preferred the Massachusetts oysters for the brininess

Shrimp + Fontina Croquettes.

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Chili Vinegar.

Crab + Jalapeno Capellini.

Fish Sticks with LA31 beer batter.

Crab Claws with Chili Vinegar.

Shrimp + Corn Bisque.

Grilled Skirt Steak with Salsa Verde.

For a seafood restaurant, this steak was probably better than any other steakhouses in the city.

Meyer Lemon Pudding Cake. Vanilla Mascapone. Macerated Blueberries

WOW…I am a little upset that I didn’t try Peche earlier. The simplicity of the menu is just what I love, but was so skeptical about in the beginning. Every dish was well-executed and it’s very difficult the rank them by favorites. I will say that the fish sticks were the best fish sticks I’ve ever had! Everything from the moistness of the fish to the crisp of the batter. There’s only so much that words can describe so you’ll just have to try Peche for yourself.

Make sure to make your weekend reservations in advance. Ever since the James Beard award recognition, reservations are filling up quick!

Rating: 5/5 spoons (6 if I could!)

ChefsGirl

Tag Archives: oysters

New Orleans’ Hottest Restaurant “Bars”…

Best New Orleans Happy Hour Oysters

1. Lüke

2. Samuel’s Blind Pelican

3. Sac-A-Lait

Johnny Sánchez (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

Taylor Shellfish Oyster Bar (Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA)

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

Cavan (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Carrollton Market (Uptown, New Orleans, LA)

Peche Seafood Grill (Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA)

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