Cafe Pontalba

Situated on the corner of Jackson Square, Cafe Pontalba has one of the best locations in the city for foot traffic. Perhaps that is why it serves pretty darn bland southern and soul food. Very much a tourist trap, don't go into it expecting great food. I was with some folks who were exhausted from walking the French Quarter and were fine with the people watching. The fried shrimp po-boy was served on stale bread, the brown gravy on the roast beef sandwich tasted canned.

Pascale's Manale

I've spoken before about my neighborhood Creole Italian restaurant. It is within walking distance of my house, which is a good thing when you need to work off a bit of over indulgence. Pascale's Manale is upscale and is best known for their Barbecue Shrimp.

This last visit we all decided to branch out and try something new. Helen had pasta with meatballs. The two meatballs were huge and quite flavorful. Butch had the veal gambero that came with a couple of peeled bbq shrimp. The veal was paneed and very flavorful. I kept reaching across to dip my bread into his bbq shrimp sauce. I had the crabmeat alfredo--lots of lump crab meat and two spicy crab cakes. Because the crab cakes were so well seasoned, the alfredo sauce came across a little bland.

As usual, we had a very friendly server who occassionally got distracted by his conversation to the detriment of getting menus and the order taken but, we weren't in a rush, so it wasn't such a bad thing.

American Sector

Next to the theater/stage area of the National World War II museum is John Besh's American Sector cafe. The menu is pretty eclectic with a mix of New Orleans' staples and fusion inspired takes on comfort food.

I had the spicy garlic glazed fried chicken--a very nice heat to the coating made them finger licking good. The mix of pickles that came with it (watermelon rind, squash and daikon) were a cooling touch. My friends got the fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade--the coating was a little thin but they had a good flavor--and the shrimp po-boy that came with homemade potato chips. The fish fry batter was nice and crisp on the shrimp.

This is a good place to take a break between D-day exhibits, the film and the other sites. Plenty of folks who work in the Warehouse District also go there for lunch.

I'm a fan of Chef Besh's red velvet cupcake, so make sure you leave room for at least one!

12 Mile Limit

Not so much a restaurant as a dive bar, 12 Mile Limit is located in Mid-City. They serve barbecue, cocktails and cupcakes, so that is why I included them here. The cocktails are pretty fancy but without the fancy price. The cupcakes come regular size and as a DoBite which usually comes paired with a cocktail or a shot. The BBQ comes in cow and pig and is fork tender. The mashed potatoes were out of this world--creamy with cheese, green onions and a bit of potato skin left in.

All in all a perfect neighborhood bar to relax after a day of work. They even have some board games in addition to the video of poker for folks to make a night of it.

New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company

Attached to the New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company is the New Orleans Coffee and Beignet Company. Frankly, I think their beignet's beat out Cafe du Monde's. Add that to the cleanliness, the ease of parking and it being within walking distance from my house, makes this my new favorite place to get my fried dough fix. The hot chocolate is delicious but the frozen creme caramel is extraordinarily good.

Mr. John's Steakhouse

OMG! Seriously, oh my God! The steaks at Mr. John's Steakhouse are absolutely incredible. We all got ribeyes and they were cooked to perfections--I got mine medium rare, Dad rare and Mom blue and you could totally see the difference. Flavored with just a touch of salt and pepper, the meat stood on its own in a sizzling, lightly buttered plate. Exquisite! The potato sides (twice baked and au gratin) were delicious. Very creamy, with a broiled bit of cheese on top. The Cabernet that I got with the meal matched perfectly the fine cut of meat.

As it was my birthday (ratted out by my Dad), they gave a complimentary bread pudding. I'm not a fan of raisins in mine but the pudding was very good and the rum sauce nice and hard.

Very much a place to take my next celebratory meal.

Superior Grill

Fabulous Mexican dining is what Superior Grill claims to serve and they certainly lived up to that with tonight's meal. We started with the chili con queso--very smooth and with just enough spice to make the Margarita's and Dos Equis taste even better. I followed that with Sizzling Shrimp Brochetas – mesquite grilled jumbo shrimp stuffed with poblano pepper and cheese wrapped in bacon. Bacon and shrimp is a truly delicious combination. My Dad had the Juarez fajitas (mix of grilled beef and chicken) while Mom had pulled pork quesadillas. Everything was delicious, including the refried beans.

I will very much be returning there in the near future.

M's Coffee and Cafe

Right across from Plaza D'Italia at the corner of Commerce and Lafayette is M's Coffee and Cafe. They offer a wide array of po-boys and panini sandwiches for lunch, many right around $5. I had the pulled pork po-boy. Despite the bottled BBQ sauce, the meat was plentiful and well flavored. If you're in the Warehouse District around lunch time and are just looking for simple cafe fare at a good price, definitely consider stopping here.

Also, consider stopping at Plaza D'Italia before, after or to enjoy your lunch. For most of the year (excluding St. Joseph's day-March 19th) you will have the park to yourself.

Easy & Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce

You want to impress the heck out of folks? Use this Hollandaise sauce recipe. It is quick and easy and totally delicious.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional

1. In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted and bubbling, but don't let it brown.

2. Warm the bowl of a blender by filling with hot tap water and then draining and drying it.

3. Working quickly, blend egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne pepper together until the mixture turns light yellow, about 30 seconds.

4. With the blender running, start adding hot butter at no more than a trickle, until sauce starts spattering in the blender, indicating that an emulsion has formed.

5. Continue trickling butter at a slightly faster rate, pausing briefly every 5 seconds or so, until incorporated.

6. The mixture will thicken considerably.

7. Scrape down the walls of the blender bowl and blend 5 seconds longer; cover.

8. Serve immediately, or keep sauce warm by immersing the covered blender bowl in warm water or pouring sauce into a warmed thermos.

Wolf Bay Lodge

Went out to lunch with my folks today at the newly reopened Wolf Bay Lodge on County Road 20 in Foley, Alabama. The space is lighter, bigger and much, much cleaner. What is the best news is that their fried shrimp is still some of the best I've ever eaten and both their cocktail sauce recipe and the way they are making their french fries are way better than their old version.