mwbachta's Profile
New Orleans for a Week in July
so i am a big beer guy and it seems there are 2 major beers down in Louisiana- Dixie and Abita. Is this right? Any other suggestions? I remember having a Dixie beer when i ate at Emeril's Orlando several years ago and also remember loving it. What are some of the other drinks down there and places to get them. I have seen a lot of talk about Pimm's Cups. what are they?
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Emeril's Restaurant
800 Tchoupitoulas, New Orleans, LA 70130
New Orleans for a Week in July
thanks everybody. I will probably try one of these places that have crawfish boils even though they are out of season. just to say that I did. i wont be able to tell the difference between a hard shell or otherwise anyways sicne I have have never had them in season. anyways, I would much prefer fried catfish anyways!!!!!! i am not a huge fish guy, but I do love me some catfish. only two weeks left! I am sooooooo excited. New orleans is my american dream trip! followed by lexigton, NC, memphis and anywhere in texas. You guessed it, I am a BBQ nut as well!
New Orleans for a Week in July
I just meant that all I see about crawfish boils is on TV, you never know how accurate it is to the truth. example- boston baked beans. no one really makes them anymore, and you can only find a handful of places that do make them.
New Orleans for a Week in July
thanks all. somewhat ashamed to say that i am not really an oyster fan anyways. If they were available and fresh I would eat them, but I can definately live without.
New Orleans for a Week in July
what about arnauds? also, wondering if anyone has any recs for nice cigar bars? do most bars and stuff allow smoking? up here in boston, it is a no-no wherever you go (that rhymes). sorry for asking so many questions but I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!
New Orleans for a Week in July
what about a crawfish boil? an recs for places for an 'authentic' louisiana crawfish dinner? not even sure if they are in season or if crawfish boils are 'authentic' in louisiana.
New Orleans for a Week in July
haha. silly me. oh well, i'll stock up on dri fit shirts and a headband. I don't care how hot it is i am still gonna love New Orleans!
New Orleans for a Week in July
you guys and gals are all AWESOME!!! Thanks so much- these are so very helpful. I plan on taking some time this weekend and setting out a schedule and making reservations for where I want to eat.
I heard somewhere that the shops and stuff in the FQ are all connected and airconditioned. Is this true?
New Orleans for a Week in July
you have all been very helpful! I have plenty of choices to starting making reservations, etc.
couple other questions:
1) can you tell me eateries to absolutely avoid either because they stink or they are tourist traps (or both)
2) places where locals would go to listen to music. I know jazz is the thing down there, but my wife also loves zydeco music. I think zydeco is typically more of a country thing, but there must be places in NO that feature it.
3) bayou tours. I know it will be effing hot, but I have always wanted to see the bayou. Will probably have to leave the wife in the hotel for this one, but 'ive always wanted to do it! can you recommend any reputable tour groups.
4) any other must see attractions either in NO or within a day trip away.
New Orleans for a Week in July
oh and one other question: is seafood still an option now? i know the oil spill has impacted fishing, but are items still available, just at a higher cost?
New Orleans for a Week in July
thanks for all the replies so far. Yeah we know it will be unbearable, but plan on taking it slow and easy. To me it will be worth the sweltering heat and humidity. As a chef and food nut, I am absolutely extatic about coming to New Orleans!!!!
We are staying at the worldmark new orleans (part of our time share network) on St. charels ave. We won't have a car but are not opposed to renting one if there are places you reccoment outside of the city...
New Orleans for a Week in July
My wife and I are coming to New Orleans for a week in July. I know it will be very hot :-), but I have always wanted to see New Orleans and eat my way through it.
I have already reserved a jazz brunch at Commander's Palace on Sunday, but I was wondering if you guys could tell me some other can't miss places. We will be there for a full week, so plenty of time to try different places.
1) we like authentic places. if locals would not go near it, then we probably won't want to either. I'm sure there are a couple of places that are touristy but are also important parts of New Orleans culinary history (like Commanders palace, arnaud's, etc). For the most part we would like recs for local places.
Thanks!
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Commander's Palace Restaurant
1403 Washington Ave, New Orleans, LA 70130
Dining in Portsmouth
Went this past weekend with the guys. Had several beers, all of which were delicious. The nachos with chicken and chili were great, as were the pulled pork sandwhiches that we had. The menu here is NOT traditional brew pub fare- so be warned. It is very upscale for the most part, except for the nachos and pulled pork obviously. Still well worth the trip though!!!
Cafe Barada
Good stuff, I love Cafe Barada. Very nice owners. Great food. The falafel wrap was HUGE!!! enough for lunch the next day.. All the traditional lebanese foods were delicious. Almost as good as my lebanese mother makes :-)
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Cafe Barada
2269 Massachusetts Ave Ste 1, Cambridge, MA 02140
CnD Barbecue Grille in Wakefield
Hi everybody. Finally had a chance to try CnD's BBQ grille yesterday!!! Here is what I thought.
Best ribs I have had in a long time. I have had my share of ribs in this area and I think these are the best I have bad so far. They are moist, very flavorful and just smokey enough. They are soo very tender, but hold their shape and dont turn to mush. The rub he uses is very basic but tasty as heck. I got the ribs with the spicy sauce which was not spicy at all by my standards, but "zippy" is a word i would use to describe it. One downside is that he put the sauce on the ribs for me, and i would have preferred it on the side. Again, these ribs are definately worth driving to.
THe pulled pork was just okay in my opinion. Not smokey enought and it did not have any chunks of "bark" mixed in which i love. Also, i have a hard time eating pulled pork without the carolina style vinegar sauce. CnD's does not offer this style of sauec which I found dissapointing.
The sides were very good. They were out of collards, which was sad for me. The potato salad was very good, but my gramma's is much better. The beans were delicious and the cornbread sausage stuffing was delicious.
The owners are awesome. "Big Dog" gave all of us waiting samples of the ribs and sides as we waited. Very nice touch. Service was a tiny bit slow, because they are new and still trying to find their groove i would guess.
I really hope this place does well, especially since I live down the street. The ribs are some of the best I have had in this area and the owners are great!! Please BBQ buffs, give this place a try! Keep in mind that it is takeout only and it is probably best to call ahead, especially if you want fried or bbq chicken because they make it to order (about 45 minutes). Also, the ribs are less smokey and charred than a lot of local places (Blue ribbon, lesters, etc). They are smoked, but more subtley so it is not overpowering. Ask for the sauce on the side if you like dry rub style ribs like I do. Honestly, these ribs don't need a drop of sauce!
My only advise to CnD if they read this site is to offer some carolina style vinegar sauce!!! Oh and start a web site too!
Almond Slush?
Thanks for all of these responces. I have recently purchased the slush at Howe St market in Methuen. I had my tonsils out last month and my brother (who lives in methuen) made frequent stops to buy me some almond slush.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
Just thought I'd post that i tried Angela's Pizza and Wings this weekend on route 1 in Saugus. First we got an order of their famous wings. I thought they were just okay. They were marinated and had good flavor, but the skinn was a bit mushy. The foccaccia bread that the wings come with was nasty and cardboardish, which had me very concerned for the pizza!!
we just got a plain ol' pizza margherita. It was delicious!!!! the crust was nice and tender and well charred from cooking in the coal oven. Reminded me of pizza's that I have had in naples! The sauce was great and fresh and the fresh basil sprinkled on at the end was amazing. The only downside i had was that I would have liked a bit more sauce. So next time I go i will skip the wings and ask for more sauce.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
very cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! although i fear it will become yuppified at that location.
CnD Barbecue Grille in Wakefield
NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am very excited now. Saves me a trip to arlington blue ribbon or lesters in billerica. i usually load up on the meat and scip the sides anyways, save for collards.
CnD Barbecue Grille in Wakefield
is the meat smoked at this place? i know some of you mentioned that the meat was smokey but i just want to confirm that they actually have a smoker and smoke the meat. Otherwise I will not waste the money, i can make pulled pork and ribs at home in the oven just fine. Real smoked bbq though is a lot more work than I have time for and would definately love to have a place to get it in wakefield where I live!
Cedar Crest Restaurant from Lawrence has reopened in N. Andover.
I usually stick to the veal parm anyways. been eating it there since I was a kid and it taste the same to me. Truth be told there are better veal parms to be had in the area, but this one is sentimental to me and that is why i still plan on going there for veal parm.
Cedar Crest Restaurant from Lawrence has reopened in N. Andover.
I heard the same thing- that it was painfully packed. I just hope it doesnt become yuppified. It will be hard to operate in North Andover and not go to the dark side.
Cambridge School of Culinary Arts
I am a graduate of the professional chef's program there. It is a very well run school (at least it was when i graduated in 2003. As far as the individual classes there I can generally vouch for them. I would call first and ask about specific teachers though if you are concerned about teacher patience or something. They will be able to tell you who is their best teacher or most patient. Not all of the individual classes are taught by their full time teachers. They hire other chefs to teach specific things as well. They usually also have students from the professional chef program at each class to assist with teaching and cleaning. Again, best bet is to call and speak to the people at the school and ask about which teachers are best.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
interesting. Slice pizza looks intriguing from the website. Good rec. I will definately try.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
tried the sal's in woburn friday. my mouth was so happy! only like 5 miles from my house too- i thought it would be longer. I am very happy!!!! Now I got papa gino's and sal's near me and my pizza woes are gone. By the by, my papa bear happens to be a friend of the sal's owner and I told him to tell sall that melrose/wakefield needs their own franchise. who knows, maybe someday!
Half-sour pickles
There is a deli in Saugus on Route 1 called Lendy's. My wife and I go there all the time because its cheap and the food is very good- not great though. They always serve nice half sour pickles with their sandwhiches. They are vibrant green and very good and fresh with just a touch of pickling. They have a big bin of them up at the counter, so i am sure you can buy a bunch to take home too.
Wanted: Authentic German Food!!!
You absolutely have to try Karl's Sausage Kitchen!!! Amazing homemade sausages. I tried the brats and the knocks. The brats were amazingly smooth and tender. They also have plenty of other eastern european meats and groceries.
I have been to the Green Barn in Salem NH but was not all that impressed. I lived in eastern europe for 2 years and have traveled a lot in germany. The saurbraten at the green barn was not all that good.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
I like greek style too from time to time if is good. My key is that there must be a good sauce to cheese ratio. To much of one or not enough of the other ruins it for me.
Wakefield, MA- Pizza black hole
interesting. I live on the other side of wakefield, but depending on where in lynfield it is it may be worth trying. Thanks for the tip.
Odyssey Cruise
Thanks so much everybody! So that idea is out!!!!! I didn't even think of being trapped on a boat for so long!!!!
What about other ideas though? Looked at some of the above and none jump out at me. My priority is atmosphere, then I would say food. I would like something with maybe live music (jazz or somthing) and dancing. I live in wakefield, ma but will travel if it is worth the trip!!!!
