midcity's Profile
Concentrated crab boil
Well, this link [ http://www.zatarains.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Boiled-Shrimp.aspx ] says to use 2 teaspoons for 2 lbs. shrimp with shells on, so I guess that would make 90 teaspoons, so if 6 teaspoons equal 1 ounce, then that would be about 15 ounces, or about 1 large bottle.
Bland Oysters... What's up?
In my experience, PEI and other northern oysters taste saltier to me than Gulf oysters. Maybe your palate is reacting to a lower salt level? Since moving here, I've also taken to putting cocktail or hot sauce on my oysters as well as enjoying them with just lemon juice, so maybe that has changed my palate as well.
Arabi
I'd say Rocky and Carlo's, but it's been closed since the fire. If you want another real St. Bernard experience, go to Tony's on Judge Perez for lunch. The Arabi Food Store, on Friscoville, has great muffulettas.
New Orleans on a Budget
This remark kind of crystallizes why I'm not a huge Mahony's fan.
NOLA Cook's Stores? Vintage/Antique Cookware?
+1 on Kitchen Witch. It sounds like a must for you. A wonderful place run by very nice people. They would also be a great reference for places to find kitchen equipment.
Best oyster Po Boy in Uptown orGarden District, near St. Charles Streetcar?
Casamento's oyster loaf with a side of fries and an Abita Amber. Get some raw to enjoy beforehand, too.
Indian food in the New Orleans area?
Nirvana always just makes me wish I'd driven out to Metairie for Tandoori Chicken. Seriously, I think Tandoori Chicken is the best I've had. I'd really like to try the pop-up place on the Westbank, though.
Pralines
I am a devotee of Loretta's Pralines, which is in the farmer's market [open-air] section of the French Market: http://www.lorettaspralines.com/
Also, Crescent Creams' pralines are worth a trip to the Crescent City Farmers Market in the CBD on a Saturday morning.
Wine Tasting Dinner
You might want to check out Le Meritage, which has a menu that is driven by wine pairings. I ate there a few months ago and it was one of the most amazing meals I've had in New Orleans. http://www.lemeritagerestaurant.com/dinner-menu.html
Christmas gifts
I really don't like big-box retailers, but he can buy Cafe du Monde coffee and/or beignet mix for cheap at Wal-Mart. My relatives love the coffee. Winn-Dixie sells them as well.
Urgent sausage question
Hi CHers,
If you were going to spend about $10 on Louisiana-style sausage for someone who lives in the Northeast and likes spicy foods, what sausage would you get and where?
Cheers,
Midcity
River Road plantations lunch?
I think there was a thread on this last spring sometime; might be worth looking up.
best place to get a sandwich for the road
All of the above suggestions are good, but I recommend banh mi most highly. They travel really well. I recommend the roasted pork ones. Muffs travel well too but are harder to eat while driving--and they taste better the next day.
Best Tasting Menu - August, Stella! or Elsewhere?
I have only ever had the tasting menu at August, but it was one of the best meals of my life. I recommend it unreservedly. I did it with wine pairings and recommend that, too. When I went [October last year], August was offering the standard six-course tasting menu as well as an all-vegetarian tasting menu, if I remember correctly.
I remember that the policy with the tasting menu was that everyone at the table had to do it if one person did it. I don't know the policy on substitutions. My impression is that if you call the restaurant well ahead of time--like when you make your reservations--they can accommodate special dietary requests. What I'm not sure about is whether they can accommodate them within the confines of the tasting menu.
Oh, and don't eat, like, all day beforehand. You will be stuffed afterwards, so you should be starving when you go in!
Domilise's
Guy's [my favorite, open for lunch, cash only] and Mahony's [mixed feelings but when they're on, they're on] are both on Magazine, so you could take the St. Charles streetcar and easily walk down to Magazine--a pretty walk on a sunny day. Domilise's is farther south of Magazine but still walkable from the streetcar if you're willing to hike a little further. If you walk to these at night, you might want to stick to the larger avenues [Jefferson for Guy's and Domilise's, Louisiana for Mahony's] where there is a little more foot traffic and light.
For that matter, Casamento's [oyster loaves] is on Magazine and is fantastic. Get off the St. Charles streetcar at Napoleon. This is also a great option for an earlyish dinner if you're going to Tipitina's later.
Parkway [second-favorite] is accessible by the Canal St. streetcar. Get off at Jeff Davis and walk right, until you come to Bayou St. John. Keep walking, keeping the bayou on your left, until you see Parkway on your right. I wouldn't walk this route alone at night.
Fairgrounds food and dress code?
This might give you an idea: http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2011/11/amidst_all_the_holiday_shoppin.html
Domilise's
I have heard weird things about the roast beef. Care to elaborate? I've never tried it there because usually when I spring for a po-boy I'll spring for seafood, but in those lean post-holiday months I'd like something cheaper and non-fried.
Is Swiss Cheese on a Muffuletta...[moved from New Orleans]
Aw, thanks for the offer! I will be going home to Northeast PA for Christmas and will be picking up some jarred hoagie peppers--probably Tallarico's--to bring back, possibly along with some hoagie vinaigrette. I'll be bringing a box of Costas Club Sandwiches [a Schuylkill County delicacy], too. Now if only Yuengling and Middleswarth chips were more carryon-efficient!
Domilise's
I love them. I usually get the shrimp po-boy. If Guy's [in the same neighborhood] is open, I go to Guy's, but otherwise, I like Domilise's.
Thanksgiving night -- bar with food? (not turkey)
Definitely regular hours that Friday. That late on Thanksgiving, close to your hotel, I'm not sure. Maybe Luke? Not sure when it closes. I thought Rambla [in your hotel] was closed, but it looks like it may have reopened. In that case, it would be ideal, if you can get there before it closes.
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Rambla
217 Camp Street, New Orleans, LA 70130
restaurants on Frenchman St.
Tipitina's is definitely worth the trip in my book, but be aware that there are no seats inside--it's a standing-room club. There is no food sold inside. Tip's has a food truck outside many nights, and when it doesn't, sometimes there is someone selling hot dogs and the like, I think. Ms. Mae's is up the block for cheap drinks [very cheap] before the show. Casamento's is next to Ms. Mae's but closes early--I love it, though. The oyster loaf is one of my favorite dishes in town.
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Casamento's Restaurant
4330 Magazine St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Tipitina's
501 Napoleon Ave, New Orleans, LA 70115
Pop-Ups?
I love Pizza Delicious. I grew up in the Northeast, and their food tastes like home to me.
Po boy Fest advice needed
I think if I go this year, I'm going to go at 10 a.m. [seriously] and buy a sandwich by 11:30. I tried going late last year, and that strategy didn't work at all. It's a shame--it was a great festival the first year, but the crowds are so bad that I'm thinking of just saving my time and my money and going to the restaurants themselves for lunch.
Is Swiss Cheese on a Muffuletta...[moved from New Orleans]
I'm from PA, and as such, I think Swiss on a muff is really weird--it's definitely possible to get wonderful aged provolone in Philly, and that's the traditional cheese for muffulettas. What's more confusing to me is the Leidenheimer bread. Muffs are actually named for the bread they are served on, which is generally a round loaf topped with sesame seeds. It's more ciabatta-like in texture than French bread-like.
When I get homesick, I go to Stein's Deli on magazine--so Pennsylvanian that it carries Tastykakes. They serve hoagies [on rolls imported from the Northeast] that would be perfect if only they had hoagie peppers to top them with. Now if I could only get them to carry Herlocher's dipping mustard and Middleswarth potato chips. I suppose that you wouldn't want hoagies if you traveled here, but they're worth a trip to me.
Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant!
Highly recommend Commander's--I had a great Thanksgiving meal there. But I've also always enjoyed Luke and would be really interested to see what Thanksgiving was like there.
Vizards?
It's in my neighborhood, so I've been thinking of trying it, but I've just never heard anyone say anything positive about it. :(
Buying lard
Please post if you do find somewhere to buy it. I had been looking for some about a year ago to make tamales (the recipe specified not to use hydrogenated) but got busy with other obligations before I had a chance to do an in-depth search.
Destination Dishes
If you go to Middendorf's, go on a sunny day and sit on the deck by the lake. Everything just tastes better out there. It's also good inside, but it's not the same.
