New Orleans 2025 Birthday: Where to eat, what to do

If you plan on going anytime soon to New Orleans here are my tips.

• Get a room off Bourbon a bit but still in the French Quarter especially if you're there during Marti Gras.
• Get room with a separate living room.  It allowed us to chill on the couch, relax, watch TV and regroup.  I’m not a fan of spending time in a room or a lot of money on a room because we don’t hang out in it however I do want a clean room in a nice location.  On vacation we are there to get in the sites, hang with the locals and have a great experience.  I can sit on my butt and relax at home, I love my quite home, that is not what I use vacations for.  I usually need a vacation from my vacation.
• Make reservations for the higher end restaurants before you leave home, some require months in advance like Commanders Palace in the Garden District or you may not get in.
• Can’t get into a restaurant, try the bar.

Favorite Restaurant Foods:

• Red Fish Grill:  EXCELLENT Flash fried oysters served with hot sauce (Crystal hot sauce, honey and butter), blue cheese sauce and blue cheese crumbles.  They were like boneless hot wings but better, 5Star👍🏻.  They were tender, maybe a bit mushy, but it was my first time trying oysters and that was OK, the sweet homemade sauce was just the right amount of sweet heat and I even loved the blue cheese crumbles in the blue cheese sauce.  I'm also not a blue cheese crumble fan but these were not too blue and my favorite appetizer of the week.  So much so we  had them at least 3-4 times, last day we doubled our order because during happy hour it is BOGO (buy 6 for $20 get 6 free).  Before this we didn’t eat oysters but I always want to try the local foods so we had to give them a try.  If I only remembered they were on happy hour I would have had them every day.  We also had dirty martinis (drinks in glasses are a thing for me, I don’t like plastic), alligator boudin balls also very good, I had the red fish over potatoes & butter sauce topped w blue crab & hubby had fried catfish over shrimp etouffee.  His was ok to me, not big on fried foods in general. Mine was better, it needed more butter sauce and a waiter who could time entrees but I'll return to bar for oysters, which we did 3-4 times.

• Mr. B’s:  Best lunch.  I had bacon wrapped shrimp with creamy grits.  I was told the secrete was mascarpone cheese.  Hubby had pasta jambalaya but with rice.  He later tried it as served with pasta but there is nothing to sop up all the thin gravy.  Serving it with rice allowed you to soak up all the good gravy.  Thanks to the bartender for the great tip!  The other benefit of eating an entrée at the bar was the $1.50 bloody mary’s or martinis you can order with an entrée purchase.

• Irene's:  Best dinner, best environment, great waiter, atmosphere fancy but I didn’t feel bad about how I was dressed.  I was dressed nice but I wear walking closed toed shoes in NO.  We started with dirty martinis with a free bruschetta appetizer with melted cheese then crab au gratin, Caesar salad perfectly tossed, hubby had the lasagna and I had the seafood fettuccine in a cream sauce.  All was to die for!

• GW Finns. It was very good but it would have been even better if I was more hungry😳We started with dirty martinis, I had Rare Yellowfin tuna, hubby had Scalibut (halibut compressed together with scallop slices) topped with shrimp & ended with Crème Brulee.

• Fives:  the raw oysters at Fives were on point for a first timer (2 Pretty Baby's & 2 Beau Soleil) , my Pimms Cup was great & hubby’s tequila old fashion is something I would try again.  It was much better than bourbon for me.

• Seawitch in the Garden District:  My lobster was good and I forgot to take a pix but I didn’t get my melted butter dipper instead it was sitting in a bit of flavored butter, not my favorite way to have it but it was still good.  In an attempt to get some veggies I ordered roasted brussels sprouts but didn’t realize they would be swimming in pepper jelly.  Way too sweet for me and so much for healthy.  We also had a Caesar salad which was good, hubby had a double bone pork chop & dirty rice. The pork chop was huge but a bit dry and I didn’t like the mint gremolata/sauce.  The dirty rice on the other hand was great.  I’d give them another chance.  It was my birthday so I had high expectations that were not met.  Not even an acknowledgement of my birthday beyond replying “you're an Aquarius, I’m on the cusp a Capricorn” nothing like turning the attention to yourself.

• Galatoires:  I had to try the shrimp remoulade in New Orleans.  This version was like a shrimp cocktail, good but was hoping for the white version which I believe is the French version.
• Lorettas Authentic Pralines:  Crab beignet & praline beignet, the praline was the best, the crab was ok so I wouldn’t try that again.  The crab got lost in the dough🧐

• Dicky Brendan's one of the two priciest dinners was just OK.  I was concerned if my dark black jeans and sweater with black tennis shoes would be ok😳but it was fine, some others were dressed much worse. The bbq shrimp was great since he removed the headed & shelled them, the Caesar salad was lame, skip it, it looked like a cigar with a couple of croutons and a fishy anchovy on top that I had to cut up myself.  I want it tossed so the dressing is evenly distributed.  My filet was not great, a bit chewy, not bloody but too red raw in spots making me have to cut it into baby bites so I wouldn’t choke, the potato au gratin was excellent even two days later, the baked potato was good and we were givin a free scoop of ice cream for my birthday.  The atmosphere could be better in the dining room, with the low ceiling with white acoustic ceiling tiles.  I prefer a dark wood steak house.  I would opt for the bar if I go back.  Also the hostess at the front desk was a bit rude when we walked in off the street to check availability.  She shrugged me off since she was unable to answer my question quickly and moved on to those who were just arriving.  She should have finished with me first or in a more professional manor.  I should have gotten the hint that this might not be the fancy place I was expecting.

• Napoleon house:  I wanted to try a Sazerac, hubby added the absinthe the more traditional version.  Bourbon didn’t fail me, still grouse.  My first taste of gumbo however was good, dispite how the pix's look (I often forget to take a pix until it's too late) and I wish I would have tried it again before we left.  It wasn’t slimy like I was afraid it would be because of the okra.  I also ended up liking the warm Muffaletta.  I didn’t think I would because I’m not crazy about olive salad but the melty cheese made if for me.  They are the only one who makes it warm.  If you would prefer it cold you should try the original at the Central grocery store by the outdoor market.   The jambalaya was OK but I like mine better.  The waiter wasn’t friendly or very helpful.  He didn’t know what he likes or was unwilling to share his advice.

The Bars:  I’m not a sweet drinker, sugary drinks give you a hangover so I stuck with my normal drinks (Stolie and soda or Martinis).  I also don’t like drinking from plastic.  Some places only serve in plastic and others switch to plastic when it gets crazy.

• Ryans Irish Bar:  Favorite Bar:  We ended our first night at Ryan's Irish bar with my favorite drink, Stolie blue and our 2 drinks were $13.  I was so happy that I could find Stolie let alone Stolie blueberry and the prices and bartender couldn’t be beat.  We stopped by this bar several times.
• Erin Rose for 2 drinks and we split a Beef Po boy with pickled veg.  This is a historical bar and if there is a seat at the bar grab it.  We were not able to get in on our first try.
•  Lafittes Blacksmith Shop:  Historical a must stop just.
• Hideout Bar:  Music with Dirty Martini & 3 Olives Citrus vodka with Muddled cucumbers
• Jimani: A true dive bar for a chicken Caesar wrap to end the night and then again later in the week.  I needed some greens and I loved it.  Hubby had a burger but the second visit was a tasty cheesy Philly

To Do:  Beyond eating and drinking which is the majority of what you do in New Orleans you can also do the following:

• First full day: Start your vacation with a 10:30 historical tour to try and get your bearings or learn about the city your visiting.  Check Groupon to see what is available.  Our tour was $15@
• Walk the Market:  Shop for some cheaper novelty gifts and souvenirs
• Music at Famous Door:  The band was great, the two girl singers had powerful voices
• Marti Gras Museum:  A must see, take the tour so you get the additional information incase you can just roam around on your own.  The float characters are   They have a free shuttle.
• Trolly over to the garden district, it’s only $1.25 but have exact change or get the day pass. 
• Take a Garden District tour to get the history.  We saw many beautiful houses including the American Horror Story house.
• Walked around and over to Frenchman but it was too early so we just saw a lot of homeless sleeping & we didn't go back at night.  We should have gone their at night to listen to music.
• Pay your respects at the memorial of those that were killed on Bourbon street was touching and so heart breaking🙏🏻
• Uptown:  skip or have a plan.  We walked Magazine street, not worth the street car ride all the way to the bend because we spent the day walking back looking for bars, restaurants and shops.  There were a few but they were far between.  Granted this was during the day and most things didn’t open till after 3 but we were looking to get away from the craziness not looking in peak in windows.  We stopped at the first open bar, LeBon Temps Roule dive bar for a drink they were not serving food, next NY pizza slice that we had to wait for awhile for them to make a slice, odd but it was a hot good thin cracker crust.  Then Bulldog for a drink but after the stinky bathroom I didn’t have an appetite, finally one more bar and then back on the trolly mid way.

We also ate or drank at these establishments: 

• Clydes for a burger, owner was from SF hence the SF burger where he use to work, chef gave him permission to use her recipe as long as he promised not to add tomatoes. I liked it more than the classic with bacon jam but it wasn’t my best burger.  The Classic burger was too sweet for me, Roy liked both. I was still full after 5-6 hours
• The Channel bar for 2, Stolie blueberry is everywhere 🎉, hubby had a frozen Irish coffee baileys chocolate, too sweet & brain freeze for me. We also had brown gravy beef cheese topped fries. Only OK.
• Pierre Maspero's for spinach dip & a drink cause Napoleon house had a line
• Saddlerack but no live music & empty.  You can ride a bucking chicken if that’s your thing.  I was expecting live country music.  They need to work on this.  It was during the day so maybe they have it at night but I was looking for a more Nashville experience here.
• Drinkery for local music.  Nice establishment but plastic glasses and hubby’s syrupy batch made strawberry lemon drink was way too sweet and lacking booze.

We Missed:

• Superior seafood uptown grilled oysters
• Acme oyster house

New Recipe: Buffalo Mini Meatloafs

 I don’t like to keep blue cheese in the fridge long because I never know when it molds more so I made another trip to the store.  Unfortunately I didn’t know I was also out of carrots and celery so I improvised with the ingredients and the amounts when I cut the recipe in half .  This was the best new meatloaf recipe I’ve tried in awhile.  It was moist, a touch of sweet from the improvised caramelized onions and the honey that should have been in the topping with medium heat from my homemade hot sauce in the topping.  I’m not a big fan of blue cheese except as a dipper for wings but inside this meatloaf it was the best.  I’ll try it again but it will be hard to try the original recipe since my version was oh so good.  Be sure to sprinkle loaf with some blue cheese crumbles.  I forgot before taking pix.

1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
1 egg, beaten
1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
3/4 C. blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 C. caramelized onions, chopped
1 T. Franks hot sauce
1 T. ketchup
1/4 t. ground black pepper
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
1 T. honey

Topping:
1 T. ketchup
1 T. hot sauce
1 t. Sriracha

Line a cookie sheet with foil.  Beat egg, add turkey, panko, blue cheese, hot sauce, ketchup, peppers and honey.  Mix.  Shape into 6 small loafs, place on sheet pan.  Mix topping ingredients.  Brush tops of loafs with sauce.  Preheat oven to 350F.  Bake 25 minutes, till 165F internally.  Turn on broiler, move meatloafs to top shelf and broil another 3 minutes to brown.  Serve with a sprinkle of blue cheese.

Variation:  Saute 1 1/2 stalks celery, 1 1/2 shallots, 1 scallion, 1/2 lg. carrot, cool and add to meatloaf.

Mahammara Dip, a new to me recipe and I loved it

Tried a new recipe yesterday and it was a winner.  A good for you dip😄  This was very tasty even though I didn’t follow the recipe correctly, always in a hurry and easily distracted.  I was suppose to only add the lemon and honey if I couldn’t find pomegranate molasses or balsamic but that was the entire reason I was trying this recipe.  It was a touch sweet but not too much.  I’ll try it without the lemon and honey to see if I like it better.  Mine was looser than the picture looked but after sitting in the fridge it tightened up and was perfect.  It was served it with a drizzle of EVOO and parsley on top.  I served it alone on crackers and for a side dish as a pasta sauce with a drizzle of EVOO for dinner with grilled cod in a coffee dry rub.  Both were tasty and the crackers dipped where addicting.  This dip is pronounced “m’hmara” which means “red” in Arabic and is served throughout the Middle East so I read.  The fiber rich peppers and walnuts are good for your gut so eat up.  Original recipe came from the newspaper, Aug. 14, 2022.  

MUHAMMARA DIP

12 oz. jar roasted red bell pepper, drained
1 C. walnuts, toasted or not
1/2 C. sourdough breadcrumbs
3 T. EVOO
1 T. pomegranate molasses or
1 T. lemon juice
1 t. honey
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. cayenne
1/4 t. Kosher salt
1 clove garlic

Toast walnuts.  Add everything to a food processor.  Process on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth.  Store in a 16 oz. wide mouth jar in the refrigerator.

Notes:  I freeze the ends of sourdough bread loafs.  When ready I grind them up to make breadcrumbs.  Storage: You can refrigerate in a tight-lid container for 4 days and up to one week. A thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to cover the top of the dip will help preserve it.

Serving Suggestions:  Use as a dip with crackers, pita chips or pita bread, as a condiment on sandwiches, tossed with pasta and top with a drizzle of EVOO and parmesan or on pizza in place of tomato sauce.

Variations: 

• Top with EVOO and parsley to serve. 
• Roast 2 bell peppers in the oven, 425F/30 minutes.
• Add:  2 ½ T. tomato paste, 1 t Aleppo pepper vs cayenne, 1 t sumac (I have not tried this change)

TACO SHRIMP RICE BOWL 4 TWO

I put off this recipe all last week and it was even easier than I imagined, stupid easy, tricked again by a recipe or afraid of a new adventure, not sure which.  Although mine didn’t look like the picture it was OH SO YUMMY and full of flavor.  I used my taco seasoning vs. Caribbean jerk seasoning cause it’s what I had.  I’ll make it again but my next variation will be to try it more like a black bean salsa.  To add drained pineapple tidbits, a fresher mango so it doesn’t disintegrate and don't warm the beans and fresh green onions incase I’d rather top the dish with them.  The added salsa was from Trader Joes.  Since I couldn’t find a small crushed pineapple I’ll save the other half for banana bread tomorrow.  Original recipe was from “Healthy Table” newspaper insert which sited TasteofHome.com, go figures my favorite inspirational yearly cookbooks.  I rate tonight's recipe a 4 Star ****

 (picture to follow)

TACO SHRIMP RICE BOWL 4 TWO

14 shrimp, clean, tails removed

1-2 t. homemade taco seasoning

2 green onions, sliced

Beans:

2 (15 oz.) cans black beans, rinsed, drained

8 oz. can unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained

1 mango, peeled, diced

1/2 C. salsa

Fixings:

8-9 oz. pkg. brown rice & quinoa, microwaved

Sour Cream

Wholly Guacamole or

• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/3 C. sour cream
• 1/4 t. salt

Thaw, clean and remove tails from shrimp.  Pat dry.  Dice green onion.  Sprinkle with taco seasoning, add green onions and toss.  Set aside.

In a small sauté pan add drained and rinsed beans, undrained pineapple, diced mango and salsa.  Heat to warm.

Heat a cast iron skillet with a drizzle of oil.  Add shrimp and onions.  Sauté 2-3 minutes.  Turning half way through.  

Serve in two bowls each with a half the package of rice, a scoop of two of the saucy beans.  Topped with 7 shrimp, a dollop of sour cream and guacamole.

Variations:  

• Use What You Have:  no crushed pineapple, Use fresh pineapple, tidbits or chunks.  
• Instead of heating the beans with the fruit and salsa, use pineapple chunks, salsa and a fresh mango and serve it more like a salsa.
• Try Tilapia or grouper instead of shrimp.

New Recipe, Broiled Caesar Salad Wedges

It has been awhile since I posted but I'm going to get back to it.  Last nights dinner was EXCELLENT!!!  And it was all veggies but the star of the plate was the Broiled Caesar Salad Wedge.  It  was really all I needed.  It is a company or special occasion worthy dish yet easy enough to eat every week.  One of my 2022 goals includes getting away from bagged salads if I can make it from scratch and enjoy it just as much and it starts with making my own dressing.  This one was a winner.  The item in red is something I will be trying next time.  Here in CA this week it is BBQ weather!

EGGLESS CEASAR DRESSING

2 filets flat anchovies, packed in oil
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 T. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
3/4 C. (12 T.) olive oil
1 T. Worcestershire
1 C. Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 t. coarse black pepper 

Add all to a small blender, food processor.  Blend on medium until smooth.  

Note:  If you don’t blend the dressing smash anchovies on a glass plate with salt to a fine paste, add grated garlic, smash some more.  This was thick which was perfect for broiling.  If tossing in a salad start with only 1/2 C. Parmesan.

Serving Suggestions:  

• Toss with romaine lettuce, croutons and a protein like chicken or shrimp for a full meal.
• Broiled, Company’s Coming:  Broil or set oven to 500F.  Lay romaine halves, cut side up on a sheet pan.  Brush some dressing, making sure that it gets between the leaves with a using a silicone pastry brush.  Cover each romaine half with up to 1/4 C. Parmesan and bake or broil until the cheese is bubbling and golden brown, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with croutons.  
• Grill romaine heart halves on a greased grill on medium heat for 1-6 minutes, till char marks.  I haven't tried this yet but I will and then I'll know how many minutes, recipes I found vary and this it too much of a difference.