Dining in New Orleans by Jane Bigelow
New Orleans has been a lynchpin global port for almost 300 years. With each influx of immigrants and their cultures, new culinary dishes emerged and have been crucial to this city’s growth. The history of New Orleans is actually found in just eight dishes: Andouille Sausage, 1755-1764; Gumbo, 1760s-1800s; Jambalaya, 1849; Sazerac, 1850; Ya-Ka-Meins, 1870s-1910s; Po-Boy, 1920; Snoball, 1933; and the Banh Mi: “Vietnamese Po-Boy,” mid-1970s.
So what are some of the culinary delights awaiting you in New Orleans? Just too many to list here, but you might like to narrow it down to some or all of the “21 Things You Absolutely Must Eat in New Orleans” that I found while searching the internet for dining in New Orleans…so consider the following: Beignets, Fried Chicken, Quail Salad, Curried Cauliflower Hummus, Char Grilled Oysters, hrimp Po’Boy, Roasted Cauliflower, Turtle Soup, Banana Foster, Praline Bacon, Gumbo, Muffaletta, LePig Mac, Satsuma Sno-Bliz, Eggs Stanley, Blue Crab Beignets, Oyster loaf, Samoa Donuts, Whole Grill Fish, Jambalaya, and Potato Gnocchi with Blue Crab and Truffles.
Dining is a passionate art in New Orleans. Few other cities feature so many award-wining restaurants, famous chefs or food festivals. New Orleans has food and dining to please every palate. Food can be served on fine bone china or paper plates; the dining rooms can resemble a chateau or a road house. It makes no difference. New Orleans serves up some of the most delicious food on the planet.
Here are just five restaurants that were recommended by a friend of mine, a native of New Orleans. According to Dr. Richard Phares, all of the following restaurants require shirt/tie, suit jacket for male customers and women dress appropriately. No cut offs, flip flops, blue jeans or tee shirts. I have included addresses and phone numbers for these five locations for your use. Please be aware that at each of these restaurants, individual menus are extensive and too long to list in this article. If using the internet, I recommend that you go to http://www.neworleansrestaurants.com/ and by doing so, it might make it easier for you to make lunch or dinner reservations ahead of time.
Bon Ton 401 Magazine St. New Orleans, LA 70130; phone: 1-504-524-3386. Website: thebontoncafe.com. Cuisines: American, Cajun, Crawfish. Crawfish is a staple in The Big Easy’s culinary traditions and this place serves up numerous dishes from crawfish etouffee to jambalaya. No place has mastered traditions like this café.
Brennan’s 417 Royal St. NO 70130; Phone: 1-504-525-9711. Enjoy the rebirth of this iconic New Orleans restaurant featuring French and Spanish influenced cuisine infused with newfound Vietnamese cultural contributions for a unique and distinctly lighter style.
Commander’s Palace 1403 Washington Ave. NO 70130; phone: 1-504-899-8221. Cuisines: French, American, and Seafood. This classic landmark attracts diners from near and far, but don’t let the heavy menu and fancy façade scare you away. Check out their lunch special, which is one of the fine-dining deals in the city. For $18, you can dine on their famous turtle soup and lunch special like a “Creole Tostada,” which is bison brisket, boudin and more. If you have sweet tooth, splurge on dessert and get an award-winning, three course meal for under $30. Even better, they offer inexpensive martinis during weekday lunches. Redfish is frequently the featured fish. You may wish to order and savor their delicious pecan crusted fish recipe.
Galatoire’s 209 Bourbon St. NO 70130; phone: 1-504-525-2021. Cuisines: Creole, French, Seafood. This is one of the oldest and most charming restaurants in the City Founded in 1905, this legendary restaurant started with recipes and traditions brought from France by Jean Gataloire. Remaining consistent for more than a century, it’s original menu and ambiance is still present today. Galatoire’s is classic, old school and very lively. Be sure to order the shrimp remoulade, crab maison and soufflé potatoes to share.
Pascal Manales 1838 Napoleon Ave. NO 70115; phone: 1-504-895-4872. Cuisines: Italian, Creole. Founded in 1913 is a family run business located uptown New Orleans. It is famous for creating barbecued shrimp and features a great Oyster Bar. This restaurant also offers fine seafood, Italian specialties and delicious steaks.
There’s is no denying that dining out can get expensive quickly. But when you are in a new city, you want to make sure you get to taste as much of the local flavor as you possibly can. And while there are certainly hundreds of restaurants worth splurging on in New Orleans, and a number of must-try dishes at every end of the cost spectrum, it’s also refreshing to know that you can indulge in delicious meals without breaking the bank.
So here I have noted just a few places from the “Cheap Eats in New Orleans” listing for you to think about.
Bearcat, the Biscuit Sandwich is a steal for $5 or get a full breakfast for under$10.
For healthy options, Surrey’s Café and Juice Bar, located on Magazine Street, is just the place. For $6.25, you can get the breakfast classics, and for just $8 you can order the Costa Rican comes with rice, Pico de Gallo and avocado.
Looking for some of the best Mediterranean food in New Orleans, then 1000 Figs is where you might like to dine. Get a group of friends and split the Falafel Feast for $36. It comes with flatbread and all the toppings and dips they have to offer and it feeds four people, just under $10 per person.
Warbucks is a great place to explore funky New Orleans food combinations in a laid-back atmosphere. This place brings high-end cooking expertise and applies it to low-brow but delicious dishes. Order the shrimp rings or the Louisiana meat pies for the table for just $9. Try the crusted fish sandwich for $13. Unique meals here won’t empty your pocket and will certainly be one of a kind.
Meril is a shared-plate restaurant (if you choose) and a collection of Chef Emeril Lagasse favorite foods. The Fried Rock Shrimp Tacos for $10 is the perfect dish worth trying. Happy hour has $5 flatbreads as well.
At the Neyow’s Creole Café they serve authentic Creole food. A truly New Orleans meal might include a cup of gumbo $5.75, sausage po-boy $9 and homemade bread pudding $5. So for just $19.95, you will have tried local New Orleans food.
If you love ice cream, then The Creole Creamery is where you definitely want to go. They have over 40 fresh flavors including eccentric ones such as Lavender Honey (a local favorite) and seasonal White Chocolate Truffle Popcorn. A small scoop is on only $3. The better deal is to purchase the ice cream sampler which allows you to try either four flavors for only $5 or 6 scoops for $7.
Go to www.neworleans.com/blog/post/cheap-eats-in-new-orleans for additional low cost eating places.
So what is your pleasure? Please know that you have a great variety of eating places — from Romantic restaurants to Food Trucks — to choose from during your stay in New Orleans. I do hope that you will enjoy it all.
Post Script by Kay Fryman:
Set within a coveted French Quarter location, Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans places you amid the most alluring local dining venues. That said, you don’t need to venture outside to experience some of the Big Easy’s most enticing fare. Conveniently located within our New Orleans hotel, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House and Beyond offers a rich array of tantalizing Creole specialties, freshly caught seafood, BBQ Shrimp, thick, juicy steaks and decadent desserts. It also provides a fun, lively atmosphere, enhanced by a compelling view of Bourbon Street. Located inside Astor Crowne Plaza, Dickie Brennan’s Bourbon House invites guests to enjoy authentic New Orleans dining in a lively atmosphere. With picture windows overlooking the action of Bourbon Street, indulge in fresh Gulf seafood. If it’s not in season, it’s not on the menu. Shrimp Creole, Redfish on the Half-shell, New Orleans Style BBQ Shrimp are just a few of their many options. Oysters are a house specialty and served anyway you like them, from on the half shell, to charbroiled to fried. Order a dozen at their oyster bar, while being entertained by some of the City’s best shuckers. The rib-eye with pomme frites and andouille steak sauce and their critically acclaimed roasted chicken are better than good options for land lovers. The NY Times called Bourbon House “one of the best people watching perches in the City.” And, Bourbon House is more than just a name with over 150 Bourbons and American Whiskeys to offer. Get whiskey neat, or in a cocktail. Their frozen bourbon milk punch has been featured in many publications, including Wine Enthusiast, enjoy it at the restaurant, or take it with you as you stroll through the French Quarter.
This is the second in a series of informative emails to make to your “vacation” with SAFN in New Orleans a complete success. This article concentrates on registration for the convention, all the fun activities and some of our meals together. The registration form for the 2019 SAFN reunion/convention can be found online at www.safn.org on the home page. There are 2 options for registering:
1) Click on the “SAFN Convention 2019 Registration” (On-line Registration)” link and register on-line by completing the form and paying securely with a credit card. However, note that while this may be the easiest and most convenient manner in which to register, a 3.5% fee will be added to the total for online registrations and this fee could be anywhere between $3.50 to upwards of $20+ depending on the total.
2) Print the registration form, complete, write a check or obtain a money order payable to Armed Forces Reunions for the total amount, and mail to the address at the top left of the form. There is no additional fee for this option for registration. If you would like to see a copy of the agenda, open this attachment and it is part of this attachment.
With either method of registration, note directions at the top of the form. All registrations are due by August 1, 2019. After that date, reservations will be accepted on a space available basis.
SAFN members who do not have online access or receive e-mails will have the information and registration forms mailed to them by the end of June.
To participate in any event, all attendees (members and guests) must pay the $100 registration which is listed as the first item in the list of activities. The registration fee covers many things such as the welcome reception on Thursday evening, the hospitality room refreshments, the photographer, printing and mailing of registration items, mailing of SAFN items used in meetings, audio-visual equipment, written programs, decorations, and any other expense for hosting a convention.
In future e-mails you will learn more about the tours available, so watch for those so you can make an informed decision about what to attend. The tour cost includes the cost of using Armed Forces Reunions ($7 per person, per tour) plus use of a bus (depends on number registered, but usually $35+ per person) and taxes and gratuities. But regardless of tours, make sure to include the luncheon on Friday and banque t on Saturday in your registration form where we can all be together “caring and sharing.” When the convention committee worked on the meals, we tried to offer good selections and things popular in New Orleans. Unfortunately, to have a meal as part of a convention, there are other things that are included in the price besides the actual food. In our case, the cost of the banquet room, the cost of using Armed Forces Reunions ($2 per person, per meal), the tax on food of 11%, gratuity 23%, etc.
If you would like to see the first article about the convention hotel, Astor Crown Royal, go to www.safn.org. On the home page, click on “SAFN Convention 2019 Info” in the center of the page. It will direct you to SAFN Convention 2019 #1 where you can “click” for hotel registration information. If you have not made your hotel registration, please do ASAP. You can cancel hotel registration up to 72 hours pri ors to your arrival date but if the rooms are filled, there may be no more!
Let the Good Times Roll,
Kathy Reynolds & Kay Fryman
Here is the first in a series of informative emails to make to your “vacation” with SAFN in New Orleans a complete success. This article concentrates on the Astor Crown Royal Hotel where the convention is being held including information on how to make your hotel reservation.
Later this month, the second article will arrive with information on how to register for the convention. In the next few months you will be receiving articles on tours, restaurants, Mardi Gras stories, photos not to miss and much, much, much more information to make your time in New Orleans well spent.
And, of course there will be business of the Society. This will be the first time since 2009 that a major update of the Bylaws will be brought to the membership. During the business meeting on Friday, 6 September, members will be given the opportunity to discuss and vote on bylaws changes the Committee on Bylaws presented and the Board of Directors approved. Please be among the 10% (approximately 150) of membership needed to vote.
