USA - The Hungry Nomad

Emeril’s Delmonico- Central City (New Orleans, USA)

July 8, 2012 No Comments

I walked into Emeril’s Delmonico with high expectations since it was my first time at an Emeril Lagasse restaurant. We wanted to try at least one of his three restaurants before leaving New Orleans. The choices were Emeril’s Delmonico, Emerill’s and Nola Restaurant. We decided to try Delmonico’s given the location and type of food. Emeril’s Delmonico is located in the historic garden district right on St. Charles in a beautiful building and serves traditional creole food. We were seated at the piano bar while we waited for our table. Towards the end of the night people were dancing and the ambiance was fantastic. The decor is elegant and full of history.

We were immediately greeted at our table with water and a basket of bread and butter. The server was very attentive and went through all the specials and answered all our questions.

Our first starter dish was the dry aged New York strip carpaccio, arugula, caper and pecorino. The description sounded delicious and the presentation was great; however I was very disappointed with the actual taste. I love beef carpaccio and order it often whenever it is offered on a menu. However, this carpaccio dish was covered in a mayonnaise sauce and capers. I attempted to clear the sauce to the side but it still took away from the rich flavors of the meat and pecorino cheese. Typically, this dish is served plain with shaved pieces of beef, pecorino cheese, arugula, drizzled with olive oil. Overall, neither of us liked it and weren’t impressed.

The next starter dish was the barbecued shrimp over baked grit cake. Now, this dish was what I expected of an Emeril’s restaurant. The flavor, presentation and creativity were all there. The barbecued shrimp sauce was one of the best we have had in New Orleans (second to Mr. B’s). I have never had grits served as a cake and really enjoyed it.

For the main course, the Count ordered the dry aged moulard duck breast served with sweet corn choux, Swiss chard, roasted poblano and cheddar grits drizzled with a house made tasso jam ($29). The meat was so dry which was a surprise since duck is a fattier meat and tends to be juicy. Overall, it was not a dish worth $29. It certainly didn’t taste like a $29 dollar dish although the presentation and service were five star.

The next entree was the jerk spiced lamb sirloin served with pickled pork braised collard greens, black eyed pea cake, mango chow chow and house made pickapeppa sauce ($32). I don’t know what it was about the dish but I really disliked it and couldn’t touch plate. I am not a picky eater at all but there was something with this dish that did not sit right. I expected a lot more and was disappointed as soon as I took the first bite.

As a result of the above, a side plate of fries were ordered. The fries themselves were not crispy. The skin was soft and some of the insides hard. However, the tart lemon sauce which it was mixed in was good. Perhaps that is why the skins were soft and soggy.

We should have known to leave without having dessert but decided to try something else to sweeten our taste buds . Two chocolate cheesecake bites were ordered. Again, nothing special. Nothing to remember. And nothing to set apart Emeril’s Delmonico from all the other wonderful restaurants in New Orleans. For the prices and and name, we both thought we were in for a real treat only to leave the restaurant disappointed. There are so many wonderful, delicious and reasonably priced restaurants in New Orleans. It does depend on what you are looking for. If you are looking for a classy and elegant ambiance then you will enjoy this restaurant. However, if you want a really great New Orleans dining experience I would recommend going to one of the many other great restaurants (Mr. B’s and Commander’s Palace to name a few).

Gourmand, Ice Cream, New Orleans, Sno Cone, Summer

Hansen’s Sno-Bliz Shop- Uptown (New Orleans, USA)

July 6, 2012 No Comments

A sno cone is one of the top highlights of summers in New Orleans. In the midst of a hot, muggy and sweaty day you can look forward to cooling off with a sno cone from one of many great sno cone shops around town. Hansen’s Sno Bliz shop is a New Orleans tradition and I was told by many that I must try it out before leaving town. And so I found myself waiting in that long dreadful line on one of the hotter New Orleans days to get my hands on one of these famous sno cones.

An hour later… after getting to know my neighbors in line I finally made it to the the inside of the shop. Another fifteen minutes and I was at the front counter. The inside of the shop is…old. I am guessing that they are trying to maintain that old feel to the place so that it resembles what it looked like when it first opened up many years ago. You can look forward to taking a step back in time where life was simple and there was no AC.

Once you get to the counter you are greeted by the owner and her helpers. The owner is the granddaughter of the founders of Hansens. She is warm, friendly and dripping with perspiration from a hard days work. You order your size, flavor and add any extras. I went with the cream of nectar stuffed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of condensed milk. The Count ordered the limonade- he likes his sno cone tart and fresh.

And finally after an hour and twenty minutes (we timed it)- we got our hands on our very first Hansen’s Sno Bliz. The texture of the ‘sno’ was definitely superior to many I have had in the city. As someone put it- it is like biting on to pieces of a cloud. That’s how it feels. It is smooth, creamy, light and fluffy.

One thing I would like to share is the poor hygiene and sanitation of the place. The Count pointed out the fact that the ice was handled by a young man wearing no gloves and pushing the ice into the ‘sno’ machine. He was sweaty and itchy which resulted in him scratching himself all over and wiping off his sweat with his bare hands followed by handling the ice and pushing it in the machine. The counter was a mess and seemed like there was no real order. The staff had to run back and forth between the rooms to grab different flavors. I guess they are trying to change little but it seems that things would run more efficiently if small changes were made. I have been to other sno cone shops in the area which are cleaner and more sanitary. I guess people down here are so fond of their childhood memories of this place that they fail to notice these small details. Would I go back? Certainly? Is it worth taking the risk of getting sick? Completely!

Gourmand, New Orleans, Pizza

Ancora Pizzeria and Salumeria-Uptown (New Orleans)

July 5, 2012 No Comments

So little time was left in New Orleans and yet so many delicious restaurants to try. It was hard to narrow down the choices to all we could possibly consume in our one week feast prior to our departure. Ancora Pizzeria was an obvious choice since it is the only place in New Orleans that offers true brick oven pizza straight from Naples. And really, who doesn’t love a good Neopolitan pizza.

What is so special about a brick oven pizza imported from Italy? You may want to refer to my post on Nicli Antica Pizzeria in Vancouver.

The Neapolitan brick oven pizza is a new phenomenon in New Orleans although I was up to date on the trend having recently returned from Vancouver where they are popping up all over the place (Barbarella and Nicli to name only a few).

We ended up at Ancora Pizzeria on a Monday night feeling confident that the wait would not be long. And we were right. There was no wait to be seated since half the restaurant was empty- rightfully so on a Monday night. However, we were starved. And I mean S-T-A-R-V-E-D. I had not had a real meal all day looking forward to my pizza and being too busy running around with last minute errands prior to the move. Our server took our order in a timely fashion but failed to warn us that there was only one chef on staff that night given the night of the week and that there were three tables ahead of us. This resulted in us waiting over an hour for our pizza. Had I known that the wait would have been so long I would have ordered a starter to settle my stomach. Anyhow, this was only a slight hiccup as once the pizza arrived it made the wait well worth it and all else was forgotten.

Ancora’s pizzas are made from flour, water and sea salt. No commercial yeast is used as they make clear on their website. In fact the dough takes three days to prepare from start to finish. Now that is dedication. The selection is limited but all the better since every single dish uses high quality products resulting in one delicious pizza. Staying true to their name they only serve pizza and a selection of house cured meats (see menu).

The pizza crust was thin, crispy and chewy. It was perfect. There were minimal toppings but all of high quality. We ordered the Margherita and another one which is not on their online menu. Both pizzas consisted of fior di latte mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and basil. The second pizza had fresh tomatoes and garlic added to the mix for a wonderful burst of flavors.

As the photos reveal there were several burnt bubbles which I have been taught is a big no-no when presenting a Neapolitan pizza- but it didn’t take away from the flavors. All in all, Ancora Pizzeria serves one mean Pizza and the best I have had in New Orleans.

I love Freret street and how its being revitalized by local businesses. The Cure, Company Burger, High Hat, Dat Dog and Ancora Pizzeria have really made this street the place to be if you are looking for good food followed by great drinks at the Cure.

Ancora Pizzeria & Salumeria on Urbanspoon

Gourmand, New Orleans, Sandwich Shop

Muffuleta at Central Grocery- French Quarter (New Orleans, USA)

June 21, 2012 1 Comment

As the guests poured in to New Orleans for the wedding my tour guide duties grew. On another day in the french quarter after walking around with over ten family members everyone was hungry. Too hungry to sit in a restaurant and wait. So I suggested Central Grocery for their famous Muffuletta sandwich.

Many cities have their own ‘must have’ sandwich. While in Philadelphia, you must try the Philly Cheese steak, in Montreal, the Montreal smoked beef in Paris perhaps the Jambon-beurre (or the falafels in the Marais one could argue) and in New Orleans, the Muffuleta. Central Grocery is home of the first Muffuleta. In fact, this is the very place that the first Muffuleta was created. Many other shops would soon follow the trend and make their own version of the Muffuleta. Now many New Orleans restaurants carry it as a staple on their menu.

What is a Muffeleta you ask? It is a sandwich consisting of Sicilian sesame bread stuffed with layers of Genoa Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Provolone, emmentaler and mortadella cheese followed by a big scoop of the special olive salad.

Once you enter the shop you may think that you have entered the wrong place. It is in most part an old Italian deli serving Muffuleta’s at the counter. To get your hands on one of these New Orlean’s wonders, you must form a line on the left side of the stand.

Once at the counter, you have very limited options: you can either get a whole Muffuleta for $14.50 or half a Muffuleta for $7.50. The sandwiches are all premade and sitting behind the counter. Once you order and pay you take your sandwich to the back of the deli where there are counter top seatings and a vending machine to buy a drink.

For a family of ten- 3 full muffuletas were more than enough. In fact we had left overs which we savoured for later.

The family all enjoyed the sandwich which was not only filling but cheap. I myself am not a big fan of the Muffuleta. I find it to be too oily and the olive dressing too salty. I can taste the oil with every bite. I have also tried the Muffuleta at other places in the New Orleans area and found it to be similar in taste and generally not to my liking. But don’t take my word for it. Most people love this New Orleans sandwich and I am sure Central Grocery takes pride in creating their very own famous sandwich.

Coffee Shop, Gourmand, New Orleans, Pastries

Coffee at Velvet Espresso Bar- Uptown (New Orleans, USA)

June 19, 2012 No Comments

Velvet Espresso Bar is located across from Wholefoods in Uptown. It is a very small eclectic coffee shop offering only about 6 counter seats. The shop uses a more sophisticated method of brewing coffee than your average coffee shop (the vacuum brew method). They use two regular beans: Intelligentsia’s and Stumptown. They also offer breakfast and lunch consisting of small sandwiches and sweets (see menu). New Orleans definitely has a void for good coffee shops and Velvet Espresso is a great and desperately needed addition. I hope Velvet Espresso Bar motivates others to fill the espresso void and open more solid coffee shops where the staff are knowledgeable and passionate about their coffee.

Burgers, Gourmand, New Orleans

Company Burger- Uptown (New Orleans)

June 18, 2012 No Comments

There are many places in New Orleans where you can get your hamburger fix. Ranging from the peanut butter burger at Yo Mama’s bar to wet and sloppy at Buffa’s or Port of Call. However, one of the newest additions to the New Orleans burger family, the Company Burger, offers a more refined American burger.

The owner, Adam Biderman takes a lot of pride in his restaurant. I was lucky enough to have met him the day I went in. I got a brief lesson on his approach to the American burger and restaurant history. His beef patties are all hormone and antibiotic free, with the patties made in house from scratch. The buns for the burgers are baked on the Northshore using his own personal recipe. There is also a condiment station offering a wide array of sauces ranging from garlic mayo to basil mayo.

Who can resist their carrot and chocolate cake stand? I have of course heard about their tasty burgers but whats more I have been told repeatedly about how they have the best carrot cake in town. So without hesitation a carrot cake was added to our order. Biderman told us that the secret to the amazing carrot cake is his mother’s home recipe. I must get my hands on her recipe. It was probably the best tasting carrot cake I have ever had…no exaggeration.

The place was modern and clean. I really appreciate a restaurant that pays attention to sanitation and cleanliness. Many burger joints in the city (some hole in the walls with good burgers as I have mentioned) really pay no attention to sanitation whatsoever and I sometimes question what else is being served with my burger. But not at Company Burger- the place was spotless clean and whats best you can literally see whats cooking right in front of you.

Before I get too carried away, back to the issue at hand: the burgers. We ordered two single patty burgers although Biderman later told us we should have ordered the Company Burger- a doubly patty burger. I don’t think I could have finished it. I struggled with my own single patty burger.

The burger bun was perfect. Not soggy. Not wet. Not stale. But fresh, chewy and pretty much what a burger bun should be. The patty was delicious and meaty. What I mean by meaty is that you can actually taste the char grilled beef. Sometimes less is more. This is what a hamburger should be. At Company Burger, your burger is served without condiments. You have the option of adding fresh jalapenos and a variety of sauces at the condiment stand.

Okay. So now back to dessert. We were also given the chocolate cake to try. They offer only two kinds of dessert: the carrot cake and the chocolate cake. Both tasty, however, I devoured the carrot cake in less than a minute whereas the Count devoured the chocolate cake alone. It’s personal preference I guess but for me the carrot cake ruled.

Burgers, Gourmand, New Orleans

Comfort Food at Cowbell (New Orleans, USA)

June 16, 2012 No Comments

When we first walked into this place I immediately felt like I was home for Sunday dinner. The place has a casual ambiance and the menu offers many comfort foods. I’ll begin by telling you that I loved it before I get into the details.

Brack May– “philosopher, social entrepreneur and teacher” was formerly a chef of the former Cobalt and opened this homey restaurant last year. The place uses many eclectic pieces and elements from post-Katrina (including their sign which as I was told was the door from a washed up car from Katrina). The inside is wonderfully decorated. My favorite: the host stand, black tiles and the lighting fixtures. Maybe I can ask them to come decorate our home?

The menu has a range of comfort foods from mac ‘n’ cheese, grilled cheese with a side of soup and of course their amazing natural beef burgers and fries (notably the chili cheese fries).

In order not to feel guilty of what was to come we decided to order the mixed green salad served with goat cheese. The dressing was slightly oily but nevertheless it was good.

I was in the mood for anything unhealthy and so of course I ordered the chili cheese fries as a side to my burger. Best decision ever. The fries were so good and the chili cheese topping even better. Needless to say I single-handedly finished the fries without the Count’s help. The burger came next. I was completely full after only a few bites. I love a good burger, especially one that is made with detail and love. The cowbell burger tasted like those high quality burgers my parents made at home. The beef was tender and tasty. The condiments were fresh and were topped off with the special pink sauce they serve with every order. It was definitely one of the best burgers I have had in town.

As we were leaving we noticed their sign hanging outside which stated ‘eat happy’. What a great motto. From now on I’m going to always eat happy.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Vietnamese

Magasin Cafe Re-visited (New Orleans, USA)

June 15, 2012 1 Comment

I already wrote a post on this restaurant but I think it deserves another one since their service has dramatically improved. I love Vietnamese food- particularly a good pho and am so happy to have this place so close to home. The Count and I are frequent visitors (don’t tell Tan Dinh since the Count has been their loyal customer for years).

I love the interior of the restaurant. It’s clean, modern and fresh. There are stools lining the windows for additional seating and a cement area in the middle which they have creatively used as a seating area.

Each table comes ready with an assortment of sauces, cutlery and napkins.

On our list of must haves are the crab rangoon, various spring rolls, the chicken pho and lemongrass chicken banh mi. The Count also tried the fillet Mignon steak dish once which he thoroughly enjoyed. The crab rangoon is a crispy fried dough filled with cream cheese served with a side of sweet and sour sauce. It was my first time trying it at Magasin Cafe but ever since I have been hooked.

Below is a photo of the chicken vermicelli which as you can see was served with mint, shredded carrots, spring onions and cabbages. The colorful range of flavors exploded into an amazing spoonful of textures and tastes in my mouth. So good and so fresh.

My main dish is always the chicken pho since I love a good soup and for me the pho is a mixture of your chicken noodle soup with a twist. The addition of fresh basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts and lime with a spoonful of the spicy sauce just makes it oh so good. Even when its boiling hot outside.

I also love how they have set up the outdoor space. It reminded me a lot of Thailand (since I have not yet been to Vietnam). It looked like many local restaurants in the area with one man grilling meats on the barbecue outside. Overall, it’s a wonderful creative space to stimulate your senses…the best part: it is very cheap compared to other restaurants in the area.

Bubble Tea, Gourmand, Ice Cream, New Orleans

Bubble Tea at Honeydeux (New Orleans, USA)

May 7, 2012 No Comments

Ever since I moved down to New Orleans I kept questioning why there were no bubble tea places around. After all, it is a frozen drink and seemed like it would be a great hit down here. Well, I am happy to say that finally one has opened on Magazine street. Honeydeux serves bubble tea in a range of real fruit flavors along with an assortment of asian shaved ice and wraps.

What to look for in a good bubble tea? Do they use real fruits? If so you know its good. This place even uses real taro roots (the purple drink on the bottom) which is ever so delicious. Most places use taro powder rather than the real thing. Next, you should look for a perfect proportion of tapioca balls which are average in size and not overly hard or soft but chewy. My personal favorites are the taro, coconut and honeydeux. I’ll have to go back and try their asian shaved ice which is served with fruits and a scoop of ice-cream on top finished off with condensed milk. Anything with condensed milk makes me happy (in fact I may or may not eat spoonfuls at times for dessert…mmmm condensed milk). Ok. Back to my review…. as you can tell by the pink lipstick below I tried the taro and loved it.

The prices are a bit on the steeper end but I’m thinking its the new trend down here. More competition would bring down prices; unfortunately for us, there aren’t that many bubble tea places around and so you have to pay the higher price. In return however you do get real fruits as opposed to powder.

New Orleans, USA, Wine Bar

Delachaise (New Orleans, USA)

April 30, 2012 No Comments

Delachaise is a lovely little wine bar tucked away on Saint Charles street close to Touro hospital and my favorite sandwich shop, Milk Bar. We usually go here for drinks and appetizers (more specifically, the Lambic framboise beer and goose fat fries for me). On this particular day I was craving steak (poor attempt at vegetarianism preceded my cravings). It was a bit early- many restaurants were still not open for dinner and as we drove by Delachaise I checked the menu online to see if they offered your typical french Steak/Frites dish. Once we discovered that they did we quickly made our way over.

Delachaise is a really lovely place and many of their dishes are delicious. The place is usually packed in the evenings- offering a cozy patio overlooking Saint Charles Avenue and the passing streetcars.

I have never had a bad experience at Delachaise; however, I’ve never had a meal and stuck to the fries and other small appetizers. Craving steak I predictably ordered the Steak/Frites while the Count ordered the special for the day- a Peruvian stir fry served on basmati rice.Once the food arrived I was delighted to see the beautiful presentation and the resemblance of a typical steak/frites dish I frequently had in France. However, as soon as I dug my knife in the meat I was quickly disappointed. The meat consisted of 80% fat. I left the entire thing untouched..and the count had to dissect it to find some small pieces of meat. The worst part…it was not cheap. I was expecting a good quality meat given what they were charging which added to my disappointment. On the bright side, the fries were delicious- as they always are.

On the other hand, the Peruvian steak stir fry was an amazing blend of flavors and sauces.

I don’t usually post these sort of photos as shown below but I wanted to show what remained at the end of our meal: Below: steak dissection…

…and to be fair, our Peruvian stir fry was polished clean.

Since I love this place, my bad steak experience will not stop me from going since everything else is amazing, I guess all I can recommend is: stick to the what they know best: appetizers and amazing wine.

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