Dayum NOLA, you’re hungry! If there’s a reason why New Orleanians love to eat it’s cause they love eating with one another. Breaking bread with fellow foodies is a great way to experience all of the cuisines our culinary city have to offer.
Here are some of the spots we’ve been bonding over:
The Hangover Helper at Turtle Bay by Very Local’s Clint Durrett (@verylocalnola)
“So this week was a ‘When in Rome’ situation. You know how it is: in the Quarter doing Quarter things. So, I staggered into Turtle Bay for a pizza. But not just any pizza. The Hangover Helper. It isn’t just a clever name for this slice of eggy hazy heaven. It cured my hunger as well as my post-Quarter escapade aftermath.”
Il Monstro at St. James Cheese Company by Very Local’s Alex Galbraith (@verylocalnola)
“It’s hard to set a foot wrong when your starting point is giant hunks of provolone cheese. But St. James Cheese Company did more than just keep it steady, adding spicy salami and capicola to their Il Monstro for an unassailable sandwich. The meats and cheeses are the stars at this Warehouse District spot, but don’t discount the pickled red onions that give this sandwich a bit of bite.”
Black Drum at Seaworthy by Me (@nola.bites)
I was on panic mode during the last week of August as I realized I hadn’t COOLinaried as much as I’d plan. So when a friend posted on her Facebook that she had an opening for her Seaworthy dinner reservations, I immediately jumped on the opportunity. I have this pesky rule that when eating with others, nobody is allowed to order the same dish so that we can taste a variety of things. Unfortunately, said rule had to be broken for the roasted black drum, with sautéed sweet corn, field peas, green onion, miso, oyster bacon, salsa verde, arguably the best entree on the COOLinary menu at Seaworthy.
Vegan Samosa at Avenue Cafe by Lorin Gaudin (@nolafoodgoddess)
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnYnOUBFept/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=3v2fb31fnt6d
Our resident food expert has this pro-tip for those looking for a hearty, healthy, vegan/vegetarian breakfast on the go: the breakfast vegan samosa at Avenue Cafe is the perfect addition to your iced-coffee.
Crispy Goat with Beluga Lentils, Cucumber and Tomato at Herbsaint by Me (@nola.bites)
One of the most consistent dishes you’ll find in our city. The crispy goat is braised for 3 hours and till fork-tender, and later crisped in a cast iron pan. The beluga lentils are seasoned with curry and make for a perfect marriage with the tumeric rice; giving a crunchy twist on the rice-and-beans take. What appears as a simple dish is actually a bounty of complex flavors.
What Our Fellow Foodies Ate…
On that note, we want to see what Y’ALL ARE EATING! Hashtag your food and restaurant posts with #VeryLocalNolaEats so we can share it on our weekly round-up.
Entire Spread at Cane & Table by @randypschmidt
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnJk8XDnO0-/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1jszlqrg44o5v
Local photographer Randy P. Schmidt knows how to do weekends right considering he basically had everything on the popular craft cocktail bar’s menu. We spy the avocado and tuna salad, the pupu platter with pork skin cracklings, and the arroz verde with roasted cauliflower, acorn squash, pepitas, and Cotija cheese.
Fried Calamari, English Peas and Salmon Confit at Longway Tavern by @showmeyournola
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnCxziABAKz/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=13rydrgey4bm8
The food at Longway Tavern is just as exceptional as its drinks. Just ask Danielle Nava of @showmeyournola, whom on a rainy Saturday sought refuge with some friends at the new craft cocktail bar in the French Quarter, and turned lemons into a Greeña Colada…and followed suit with equality bright and zesty dishes.
Chicken Shawarma at Alpha at Auction House Market by @fitfoodie_nola
https://www.instagram.com/p/BnJdjYbH5dF/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1xnj6x8nwqsco
We love it when local foodies get together to eat things. We love it even more when they tip us on shareable masterpieces like this authentic chicken shawarma served table side. @fitfoodie_nola got together with @5forks_foodie and @lets_eat_nola and gave us mad fomo! Give us a call next time you go on a culinary adventure.
Housemade Spaghetti with Guanciale and Fried Poached Farm Egg at Herbsaint by @grubgurlz
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm7FsHuAUMN/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=2ijs2nkyhxfi
This post prompted my visit to Herbsaint this week, and even though I wrote about the crispy goat, I definitely ordered the popular spaghetti dish and made some glorious eggporn with it for the socials. Not only is it insta-worthy, it’s also outlandishly delicious. Pro tip: ask for some extra bread to soak up the remaining sauce.
