You can’t keep a good town down. If gastronomy is any gauge, things in the Big Easy are looking up. Consider: According to the New Orleans Menu, there are more restaurants than ever now in greater New Orleans – 1,178 of them. That’s more than pre-Katrina.
This profusion of plenty means you might consider packing pants with an elastic waistline when you head to the Crescent City. It’s a city in which Creole traditions, people, music and food combine French, German and Spanish influence with African roots.
Start your day at Café du Monde at 800 Decatur Street, down by the Mississippi River. Open 24/7, they serve up hot beignets topped off by mounds of powdered sugar. Wash it down with chicory-laced coffee. Then set out to explore one of the most singular cities on the planet.
This month Cheapflights is focusing on food, glorious food. From New Orleans to Boise we’ll look at where, and how, people eat.
Among New Orleans’ 1,179 restaurants are traditional tourist magnets: Brennan’s, Commander’s Palace, and the like. They’re wonderful. But we’re going to focus on younger stars, and a few less pricey places.
One of the city’s brightest lights today is James Beard Award winner John Besh, famous for restaurants such as August and Lüke. Bite of the Best labels Lüke, “Besh’s homage to the grand old Franco-German brasseries that once reigned [in] New Orleans.” The reviewer recommends Louisiana shrimp ‘en cocotte’ with corn grits and Andouille sausage. Lüke is located at 333 Saint Charles Ave.
Andouille is no stranger over at Johnny’s Po Boys. You’ll be hard-pressed to find more bang for you buck. It’s one of Good Housekeeping’s top 100 value restaurants in the United States. Jambalaya with salad will run you $7.95. Try the alligator (it doesn’t taste ‘just like chicken’) or crawfish platter. Johnny’s was one of the first restaurants to reopen after Katrina, and it’s still thriving at 511 St. Louis St.
New Orleans seafood – in all its incarnations – is sumptuous. But there’s a place for true-blue carnivores too: VooDoo BBQ & Grill. Located at 1501 St. Charles Ave., just a streetcar ride away, Voodoo doesn’t drown its meat in sauce, but instead dry rubs it with spices, then slow cooks it. Voodoo serves up true Pink Meat barbeque in fireboxes that burn pecan and oak. Some cuts are simmered for up to 18 hours. The result redefines the term tender.
To combine the best of Besh with one of the most compelling museums in America, tour the National WWII Museum at 945 Magazine St. and dine at the American Sector. This is Besh’s spin on traditional comfort food. One of the best kept secrets in town is the Sector’s happy hour from 3 to 6 p.m. seven days a week.
Before you head to the airport to return home leave the Big Easy with a sweet taste in your mouth – literally. Take along some gourmet sweets from Sucre at 3025 Magazine Street Boutique. Getting gelato aboard the plane is problematic, but not the macaroons and homemade chocolates.
Once your tummy has convinced you it’s time to go, check out our cheap flights to New Orleans.
Story by Jerry Chandler
(Image: Javier)
