Best Vacation Bites - Eating Good in New Orleans

This wasn't my first trip to the great city of New Orleans. Since my bestie moved there for law school back in '07 I have visited for Spring Break and Mardi Gras. In January of this year I served as a chaperone on a school trip where we rehabbed storm-damaged houses. Over the course of those three trips I did some seriously "New Orleans" things. I ate beignets at Cafe du Monde, watched street performers in Jackson Square, got gussied up with my girls for the Zulu Ball, I even caught beads from floats and second lined with the best of them at Mardi Gras parades. How could this, my fourth trip get any better than that?

The answer can best be described in some of our Twitter/Instagram hashtags from the trip:

• #TURNUP
• #turndownforwhat
• #LOOSENESS
• #mystikal
• #baddecisions (forget you saw that one)

From the moment we got through security and headed straight to the Silver Diner for mimosas, I knew I was in for quite a weekend. I won't reveal the details because what happens in NOLA stays there, but I will say I'm glad I got to do NOLA the Bourbon Street way before I was old enough for it to be embarrassing. Among the Abitas, Hurricanes, Daiquiris and Hand Grendades, I did some mighty fine eating. My travelling crew (love you all!) were great sports, passing around my iPhone camera so we could get pics of everyone's decadent choices - and they were decadent. Something about NOLA makes you throw your diet and common sense out the window and eat whatever you want with no inhibitions. I ordered more than one item on numerous occasions and felt zero guilt.

So here are my best vacation bites for my four days in NOLA 2013:

Day 1: Domenica Restaurant - This posh Italian restaurant, from New Orleans celebrity chef and food God, John Besh, is located in the Roosevelt Hotel on Baronne Street, right outside the Quarter. As you all know from my last post, I had zero intention of enjoying this level of cuisine - I wanted deep fried seafoood with a side of carbs - but I am so glad I was forced to change my mind.

Domenica is a dark, sexy restaurant with a deep menu of refined pizzas, pastas, and paninis. It may technically be a "hotel restaurant" but it is worthy of its own trip. At our table of 11 I got to see and taste many of the pizzas. My faves - the simple and bold Proscuitto pizza, accented with pepper arugula and fresh mozzerella and surprisingly, the potato salad that was served with the paninis. I ordered the hefty Bolzano (my order), topped with roasted pork shoulder, crispy bacon and sweet fennel and onions. The food was satisfying, the service was solid, and the 1/2 price happy hour meant we were there for a very very long time.

My favorite - the prosciutto pizza

Duck pizza with sweet potato, mascarpone, and porchini mushrooms

Chicken panini with a super complex and crunch potato salad

Appetizers - crab, oysters, alligator - oh my!

Day 2: Royal House Oyster Bar - For some much needed fuel early Saturday afternoon, a friend who lives in the Quarter took us all to Royal House. It had everything we could want: Interesting (and strong) cocktails, a menu chocked full of traditional New Orleans fare like po'boys, gumbo and jambalaya, a friendly and accommodating waitstaff (our party grew and grew), and a beautiful, airy upper floor that made it feel like we were eating outside.

If Royal House was in DC, I'd be a regular. The menu has everything you could want, including super fresh seafood and interesting light options (not that I tried any of those). The sauces I tasted - on the crab claws and crawfish ravioli - were well seasoned with a kick that wasn't overwhelming. I ordered skewered oyster beignets, a cup of gumbo and the shrimp po'boy. I could have done without the stale bread and boring mayo on the po'boy, but the gumbo was spicy and flavorful, if a bit watery for my taste.

The only thing I ever wanted...

Day 3: The Ruby Slipper - Sunday's brunch was a family affair, with my bestie's husband and perfect son joining us, so the semi-private room at the Ruby Slipper was the perfect choice. Like so many New Orleans establishments, the Ruby Slipper has a Katrina history and comeback tale, inspiring its "no place like home" name and "purposefully re-purposed" look, as our dining space was unquestionably a former bank vault. It's location on Burgundy Street (that's bur-GUN-dy) in the Marigny was a welcome chance to escape the Quarter and see this colorful, hipster-boho hood.

The menu options had us all salivating over our double mimosas (yay!) so there was no surprise when we ended up with some really stellar picks on our table.  The shrimp and grits (which I somehow didn't order) was one of the best things I've ever tasted. They had a hint of sweetness and acidity that perfectly complimented the super creamy grits and the burst of flavor that came from biting into the shrimp. I also tasted the Croque Madame, which was as delicious as expected - decadent with just a bit of crunch on the corners. I ordered the fried green tomatoes for appetizer and then went with the Costa Rican breakfast, because sometimes this African girl just needs some fried plantains. The dish was yummy but light and gone in about 2 minutes flat. Luckily I also had an order of French toast to fill in the gaps. I'm not a huge sweet breakfast fan, but these were respectable - made with large slices of baguette and  lots of cinnamon.

Shrimp & Grits - da bomb!

Croque Madame

Fried Green Tomatoes

Costa Rican Breakfast - gone in 60 seconds!

French Toast

Day 4:Our last day sucked as we were all exhausted and heading back to reality. In a fit of confusion we chose the Gordon Beirsch next to our hotel for a quick meal before we headed to the airport. A fateful mistake. We spent two hours at the restaurant, during which we were made to feel like our presence was an irritation and that the pace and quality of service was totally normal. Uh, not!

Yummm!

So in lieu of sharing the deets of that painful meal, let's go back to day 3 (aka the day that never ended): Around 5pm we made our way to Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar & Restaurant down on Tchoupitoulas for their weekly "Sunday Funday" and crawfish boil. This place was absolutely perfect. Our party never quite had a table that was big enough so we all just stood around, sometimes in the street. At one point, a copped pulled up out front, but it was our friend who was there to see us not scold us. Mimosas were only $3. And to top it all off, this place had the biggest, meatiest, best seasoned crawfish I've ever tasted. I don't know if that's just par-for-the-course in the Gulf States, but I was shocked by the baby lobsters I was served - and for the price of a burger in DC. Yeah - it was amazing.

Thanks for reading about my gluttony in New Orleans! Please leave a comment and tell me what you love to eat in NOLA!

I'll leave you with a few of my other favorite moments from the weekend...

Beer, lights, music.

DOUBLE mimosas!

Cafe du Monde beignets... I couldn't resist.. 

The mermaid likes mimosas too!

What can beat a late night street hot dog?!!
Cheers!

Table for 1: Founding Farmers

So I'm dating myself.

No, I am not suddenly single, but I am learning to spend as much time (and money) on going out alone as I do going out with friends or the Mister. Julia Cameron of The Artist's Way says artists must date themselves... Take their inner artists out on the town to spark imagination and that's just what I'm doing.

Last week I took myself to the Museum of Natural History to see an exhibit on race I've been eager to see. This week, its a swanky dinner for one at the acclaimed Founding Farmers. I've trudged through the torrential rain to find out there's a 45 minute wait for a table, so the bar it is.

The plan is as such: A huge glass of Sauvignon Blanc, a big bowl of mac n cheese, the NPR broadcast of Obama's jobs speech and some SERIOUS people watching.

Now if I have any trepidation about dining alone at one of the busiest bars in DC, the headphones are not helping. They are like our generation's version of eating out with a Danielle Steel novel or a coat covered in cat hair. These headphones scream "I'M ALONE. DON'T TALK TO ME. SERIOUSLY" but that's okay because I am alone and fine with it, thank you very much. I hold my head high and enjoy myself, despite the impatient looks from the seat vultures circling around me.

The wine I choose is the Mohua from the Marlborough region of New Zealand. A pretentious man at Whole Foods once told me "Just ANYTHING from Marlborough country" and I'm embarrassed to admit he was right. I've tried many over the course of the summer and this Mohua might be my favorite. It's crisp, fruity and super refreshing (makes me wanna say ahhhhhh like a Sprite commercial).

There's some confusion at the bar - plates are being thrust in my face and then withdrawn before I can examine their contents thoroughly. Flatbreads, colorful salads... Stop teasing me people!

Finally it arrives: my mac n cheese. Not as cheesy or macky as I hoped, but tasty nonetheless. This dish is loaded with ham, gruyere cheesy, peas and apples (yes apples) but it kinda works. I have recently been on a mac n cheese kick, trying it at Brookland Cafe in NE and Commisary in Logan Circle... both renditions were surprisingly good. Especially Commisary's which managed to be unconventional, heart warming, and a true meal. Founding Farmer's take is really just penne pasta with a bechemel sauce... not quite enough soul for me but I still have to stop myself from trying to eat it all. The bread was fresh and buttery but after a few bites I turn it over to discover the bottom was burnt black as tar. I do what I'm sure you all expect me to... I eat it anyway.

So my Founding Farmers dining experience has been mixed... great atmosphere, delicious wine, friendly (if confusing) service, but lackluster food. But I shall reserve my judgement for a later date. There is no way that after the rave reviews I've heard from friends that this is the best they have to offer. For now I'll just give up my seat to the eager beavers lurking behind me and step out into the rain, alone but with a to-go box of pasta that will make a decent lunch tomorrow.

The next date can only be better.

http://www.wearefoundingfarmers.com

Bad timing, great pizza

For the last three years I've worked as a school librarian for a charter school here in the city, and for two and half of those years our school was located just east of North Capitol Street in a part of town that didn't have much to offer. Big Bear Cafe and a corner deli were the only options and if we wanted to do happy hour, we had to hop on the bus and head downtown.

Picture this: it's 3:45 on a Friday which means it's almost time to get the most alcohol we possibly can for the least amount of money. Estelle and I, being vehicularly challenged, are going from classroom to classroom, trying to gauge who's coming out, but more importantly who's driving. We know what it feels like to take two buses and walk 5 blocks to just miss the end of $1 happy hour at Nellie's. We have to find a ride! Some weeks are easy: everyone's coming out and getting out and even home is a breeze. Other weeks, we find ourselves doing the Metrobus two-step or just walking and calling it "exercise".

One week, while making the trek to the bus stop, we noticed a newly renovated brownstone with papered over windows that reeked of gentrification. It was clearly a new restaurant or bar and we couldn't wait to see what it would be. But we did wait. By the time the place opened, I was elbow deep in boxes, packing tape, and book dust because the school was moving over winter break. The place, that arrived too late to be my default but that I'm happy for all the same, is Rustik, an aptly named restaurant and bar that serves up cold beers and delicious brick oven pizza.

I recently paid Rustik a visit, with the intention of writing a review and drowning my stress in a Yuengling and some piping hot pizza. Rustik feels rustic, but not in a woodsy way. The exposed brick and a rich wood bar are warm, while the wall murals that remind me of the graphic novel Coraline lend a sense of fun that is creative and certainly hipster.

My friends and I arrived just after 5, and took a seat at the high tables near the windows where we were served room temperature water (the ice delivery hadn't arrived yet) by our very apologetic waitress. The ice soon arrived, our water was chilled, and we proceeded to enjoy some cold beer with little to no distractions as the restaurant was nearly empty until about 7. When people did start to come in, I was amazed by who came in the door: young edgy families and intrepid home owners, pushing their blond babies in strollers and greeting each other familiarly. It felt like I had entered a secret sanctum, where the white people of Bloomingdale shed the invisibility they used on the streets and magically appeared to one another. My friends and I found ourselves in the racial minority for the first time in that neighborhood (but certainly not in the city) and we wondered where else in the area this strange magic took place.

As I was dining with vegetarians, I tearfully passed on the Christina, a pizza topped with pear, goat cheese and prosciutto and opted for the Going Green, an intensely flavorful pizza with roasted garlic sauce, watercress, and mozzarella. I cannot exaggerate how much this pizza blessed my spirit that day. When it was put down in front of me, the smell that reached my nose was mind-blowing, so much so that the fact that it was fresh out of the oven and the cheese was literally bubbling did not stop me from diving in. My friend ordered the Margherita that was good, but no match for my choice. They say sharing is caring, but I had a hard time sharing that day.


Visit Rustik during happy hour, where beers are $2 and small selection of pizzas are available for only $4. Go early if you want the place to yourself, or come a little later to people watch. A dime for every plaid shirt or barefoot child will make you a millionaire.

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I Truckeroo'd! You should too.

Friday night was amazing. Estelle and I arrived at Truckeroo around 6 and found a moderate crowd gathered at Das Bullpen. The lines were manageable, except for the ultra popular TaKorean and Red Hook Lobster trucks. We were able to get our first round of margaritas, play a few rounds of corn hole, mull around, and then get some beers before we even decided what to eat. But I'm glad we got food when we did because by 7:30 when we found a comfy spot under the tent to perch and gorge, the place was jumpin' and the lines were super long. My friend Kelly waited in line for 45 minutes to choose from the 2 things left on the BBQ Bus menu! She opted for ribs that did not meet her Texan expectations (or my lowly Northerner ones either!)

I tried two new food trucks and loved everything I ate. Eat Wonky has hot dogs, grilled cheese and whoopie pies, but the "wonky" is poutine - a French dish that consists of fries, covered in cheese and gravy (in Jersey its called Disco fries). Estelle and I shared the "Wonky Dog" which is a hot dog topped with poutine. While fresh cheese curd and brown gravy doesn't make the most appetizing looking meal, it was delicious. Salty, fattening and very satisfying, especially with a cold beer.


Dessert was a slice of the Baltimore Bomb pie from the Dangerously Delicious Pies truck. The creepy all-black truck with its lazily scribbled menu screams Bal-ti-mo with a capital "TI" and the pie went right along with the image. It was a scary thugged out slice of pie - all rough around the edges and perilously unrecognizable - but just like Omar from the Wire when his lover was killed, it turned out to be sweet and lovely. I want to marry that pie. The main ingredient in the Bomb is Baltimore's "famous" Berger cookies that I somehow missed when I was living there. These chocolate covered sugar cookies were crushed and mixed with custard and then baked in an insanely moist and buttery pie crust.


Trust me, that was not my last encounter with the Baltimore Bomb, so help me God.

So...
- you need to go to the next Truckeroo
- get there early so you can actually eat
- wear sunscreen
- try some disco fries - Churchkey near Logan Circle has them on their bar menu as does the Black Squirrel in Adams Mo.
- RUN to your nearest DD Pies and get a slice of the Baltimore Bomb. Heck, buy a whole pie and then invite me over for some. Or else...

The bar, and the talented Tico from White Loafer who had everyone shakin it to the beat.

I had to stop and say hi to those crazy kids at Merlindia.

Love and Corduroy

Valentine's Day 2011 I did the unthinkable... while sharing a wonderful night with the man I love, I met someone else! His name is Tom and I think he may be the one!

Okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but that night Tom did sweep me off my feet... first with the scallops, then the venison, but what really did it was just one dollop of his chestnut puree.

Tom is in fact Tom Power, the executive chef of Corduroy, a cozy modern restaurant that just oozes class and service. Corduroy is located in a rescued row house just across from the Convention Center on a stretch of 9th street that out-of-towners usually speed through with their windows locked. But being a block from my house I can vouch for the safety of the neighborhood and I encourage you to give it a try (plus they have valet!).

Here are some photos to entice you further.

1st Course:

The special for the 1st course -- tuna tartare that the waiter assured us was "swimming this morning"... supposedly Tom's friend catches the fish off the coast of NJ and buys it a one-way ticket on a Greyhound bus. How cool is that? The heart-shaped watercress was a nice touch.

The creamiest scallops I've ever tasted. What more can I say. I didn't order them, but I pulled Valentine's Day privilege and ate most of them!

2nd Course:

2nd course special: braised short rib over cabbage. Yummy but the only thing I wasn't crazy about... probably because my mom does it better than anyone.

My favorite thing of the night (and of course again it wasn't my order)... venison medallions with not a hint of gaminess served with brussel sprouts and chestnut puree. Now this chestnut puree business really is something special - made with chestnuts and potatoes, it was rich and creamy with just a bit of sweetness at the end that complimented the bitterness of the sprouts.

Dessert:

For the dessert course we ordered the bread pudding and a very interesting pumpkin pie that was less of a pie and more of a pumpkin and marscapone cheese souffle in the shape of a slice of pie. I don't know how they did it, but I loved it. But the best part of dessert was the house-made honey ice cream and the crispy wafer. Delicious!

Jealous? You should be. Make a reservation, meet Tom, and fall in love for yourself.

DCNoodlicious!

Friday night was dreadfully cold, and as the boyfriend is ill, soup was the only logical option. Pho was the obvious first choice, but after hearing raving reviews for months, we decided to try DC Noodles.


His choice: Rice noodles in a spicy soup with shrimp and fishballs







My choice: Green curry (i just can't resist) with chicken and squid ink spaghetti



Verdict: The swanky atmosphere was perfect for a Friday night, but I wish they had a casual dining version next door for quick take-out without the fuss. The food was DELICIOUS and the portions are so big, I JUST polished off the second half of my curry.

Happy Hour Heaven @ LevelOne

For sometime now, I have considered myself a regular at Level One on 17th & R Streets NW. While I still may get funny looks when I enter the dark 1st floor restaurant to use the loo or if I dare to go upstairs to the de-facto "boys-only" club that is Cobalt, I feel 100% at home on the front patio, being served insanely cheap drinks and great food by any of the restaurant's too-cute-to-be-straight waiters. I arrived at the restaurant with my friends Chrissy and Annie and a slight buzz around 7:30. After being greeted by a super sweet and adorable hostess, we found a table in the outdoor smoking section (WTF?) along R Street. Although we'd missed the amazing $1 rail drink special that runs from 5-7 EVERY NIGHT, we were able to take advantage of the $3 deal.

Now in the spirit of this blog, I overcame my urge to order the same things I've gotten at Level One for the past 4 visits... my take on Bethenny Frankel's Skinnygirl Margarita and the Grilled Portobello sandwich with sweet potato fries. A highlight of my year was definitely when i realized I could get tequila and lime juice on the rocks in a salted glass for ONE DOLLAR and it's just as satisfying (and intoxicating) as a regular margarita!

Instead, I ordered an ice cold vodka-ginger ale and the Bayou Burger - an angus, seasoned with cajun spices and topped with Andoullie sausage, pepperjack cheese, sauteed onions, and cajun mayo. Doesn't that just sound perfect?

Peep the buffalo chicken sliders in the background... looks good huh?

So how was it? While I don't think anything can touch the fresh and juicy portobello sandwich, every component of this burger -especially the cheese and sausage- was a great addition. The only downfall - I received a well-done angus when I requested medium. This blasphemy means I couldn't taste the beef like I wanted to, but I could tell it was well seasoned. Like always, the sweet potato fries were on point -thin cut, fried to perfection, and this time, dipped in cajun mayo. Yummmy!

So for those of you who haven't been, it is time to ignore what you've heard about the wild nights at Cobalt and make your way to a relaxing evening in the shade at Level One!

Born Hungry recommends it for the cheap drinks, spicy crab dip, sweet potato fries (with cajun mayo), insanely good people watching, and flirty-friendly service.

http://www.cobaltdc.com/levelone.php

UPDATE: LevelOne and Cobalt have the most INSANE specials!
NEW HAPPY HOUR
$1 RAIL DRINKS & $2 Domestic Beer 5-7 MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY!!
...and then until 9:
$2 Domestics
$3 Rail
$4 Call (stoli,skyy,smirnoff etc...)
Make a Martini for 2 bucks more.

Please let me know if you find this review helpful!