Sunday, December 19, 2010

New Orleans Hamburger & Seafood Company

At St. Charles and Milan, Cannon's has been replaced with a local chain. The New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company has opened up its first New Orleans location and they've done a good job. The interior is quirky with interesting chandeliers and artwork on the walls that don't have humongous televisions. The food is a mix of typical Nawlins fare plus the burgers and seafood of the name. It also doesn't hurt that the establishment is within walking distance of my house.

Last week I had their beignets--they have an attached cafe called New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Co. They were very good and sure beat having to fight for a parking space in the French Quarter. I love that they put a shaker of powdered sugar on the table, as if the mountain on the plate isn't enough.

The burgers are juicy and delicious and the roast beef poboy took 12 napkins, making it pretty high on the scale of deliciousness. The garlic aioli on the french fries was killer.

I got in there with some friends before noon and the place was empty when we ordered. By the time our meal was done and the Saints pregame show started, the place was packed.

The staff was friendly and attentive and I will definitely head back there for another meal (or six).

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Stanley's Restaurant


Located right on Jackson Square is the companion establishment to Stella! Stanley serves breakfast and brunch all day with an old fashioned soda fountain bar to enjoy home made ice cream year round. The location is perfect for people watching and the food is pure comfort but with enough personality to raise their profile up a notch.

For breakfast, I had the poached egg poboy with creole hollandaise and canadian bacon. It could have used another slice or two of meat as they were sliced very thin but the flavors melded together terrifically. The Eggs Stanley with fried oysters was yummy and I loved the homestyle potatoes with creole seasoning on the Corned Beef Hash.

The coffee drinks were brewed to perfection so the meal was a hit on all levels. Be advised that it's location makes the meal expensive but as a treat on the last day that my friends were in town, it was a perfect way to end their magical time in the Crescent.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Napoleon House

During the spring and summer months, whenever I'm in the French Quarter, I usually stop by Napoleon House for a drink. Their Pimm's Cup is incredibly refreshing and the ambiance of this 200 year old building has always been worth the stop after a day of working, shopping, or touring. I have got to tell you, though, that the drink doesn't have quite the same impact when it is under 40 degrees outside! Brrr!



It was lunch time and my dining companion had their toasted mufaletto. Because of the cold weather, the melted cheese was a nice variation but there is too much pepperoncini in their olive salad for my taste. I had the red beans and rice and my meal was remarkably flavorless. Who even knew that was possible? While I've had decent food there in the past, it is their famous drink that keeps this place on my regular visit list.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Casamento's

If you like oysters, Casamento's Restaurant is a must stop. Whether it is for a dozen raw or in their famous oyster loaf sandwich (overfilled and served on Texas toast), the flavor is top notch.

If you're not such a fan of kissing the ocean on the lips,* then they also do a great job on all the shrimp dishes. The calamari is very good, the homemade fries tasty and the tartar sauce nice and tangy. While the ambiance is in keeping with a place that hasn't changed much since opening in 1919, the staff is friendly and the food delicious enough that you don't care one whit.


*"To eat an oyster is to kiss the ocean on the lips." Leonard Beck

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Parkway Bakery

Located in Bayou St. John, this corner icon was recently on Food Network's Food Feuds for their roast beef po-boy. Parkway Bakery and Tavern features a number of regular and jumbo sizes of the Crescent City's favorite sandwiches, plus they've got the bar up front when you want to wet your whistle.

The group I was with ordered a variety of po-boys--all of which were piled high with fillings. Among us, we had the roast beef & gravy, meatball & marinara, Reuben and fried shrimp po-boys. My roast beef took 16 napkins--a sign of just how good it was (a true po-boy connoisseur figures deliciousness is proportional to the mess). The sweet potato fries were excellent and the regular fries were pretty good, too. Two bottles of Barq's root beer washed everything down with perfection.