I wanted to to do the turkey spatchcocked on the grill after using a dry brine on it. This was my virgin flight with all the qualifications above. I did a dry run last week with a 5 pound chicken just to get the logistics figured out a bit, but this bad boy was big. I got an 18 lb heritage turkey (Bronze) from Good Shepard farms. http://www.goodshepherdpoultryranch.com/

I'm posting what worked for me, because I really found nothing much to guide me online about this with all those qualifications above.

First, I dry-brined it using 4 tablespoons kosher salt (Mortons) and 1 tablespoon rubbed sage. Rubbed it in, inside and out. Turkey sat in disposable aluminum pan and was covered with plastic wrap. 24 hours covered, then overnight uncovered. Overall about 36 hours total before hitting the grill. I noticed about 6 ounces of juices in the bottom of the pan at the end of that time. I did not rinse the bird, just wiped it off a little. I did the dry brine rub before spatchcocking it, frankly because I wasn't sure I would succeed in getting it cut and thought I might have to bail out and just roast it the regular way after I felt that bone structure.

The biggest challenge was spatchcocking it. This bird was big but also since it was a heritage breed it had different heavier bone structure. These guys spend a life running around outside on a farm, and I could tell by feeling it that my regular Cutco kitchen shears were NOT going to make it. I started with my trusty Cutco shears from the neck end first. They did OK through the ribs, but about half way down I hit the pelvis. It was like trying to use a scissors on concrete, so I needed something else. First I sliced through the skin with a knife to expose the bone. I then used a Japanese-style pull saw with a 14 inch blade to saw through the pelvis. It worked quite well actually and with a bit of effort I sawed it apart and repeated the process on the other side.

I did not tackle the keel bone at all. The pointier breast structure of the heritage turkey along with stronger bones did not make it possible to squash it down appreciably. I did manage to get the legs and thighs splayed out akimbo. I tucked 1 onion in the neck cavity as well as fresh sage, thyme and rosemary. Tucked same herbs in the legs area too.

Bird went on grill at 3:30. I was expecting at least 3 hours for 18 lb bird. I used Kingsford Competition briquettes. Fire was banked at 1 end of basic Weber kettle. I put the oval disposable pan on the lower rack and added about 1 quart water in the pan. The pan worked well also to keep the fire banked and indirect. I placed the turkey with the butt end closest to the coals to give the dark meat extra heat. I was surprised to find that at 2 hours the thighs were already at 155 degrees while the breast was only at 118, so I rotated the bird 180 degrees to put the breast end closer to the fire. By 2 hours 45 minutes the breast was at 157 degrees and the thighs were at 168. I also began brushing on an apple cider glaze (cider reduction and butter) during the last hour.

I must say, it came out great! I was worried the breast would be a bit dry at that temp, and I admit I overshot slightly, but maybe due to the dry brine it was very moist and juicy anyway. I used the back, neck and giblets on the stove to make gravy. The pan under the bird accumulated too much crud, ash, etc to use.

So my summary is- first, dry brining is great! I don't miss sloshing around with loads of icky turkey water at all. Second, to spatchcock a heritage breed turkey takes some different tools because they have stronger bones, but can be done if you plan it out. I really recommend the Japanese style pull cut saw, which worked very well. Finally, between the spatchcock cut and grilling, the bird was done faster than I expected. It had to sit nearly an hour while my other dishes caught up, but was still delicious. Next time I will time it differently.

We ate at Sweet Melissa's twice during a recent week in Sanibel. Loved it. Excellent food, excellent cocktails. Loved the duck leg confit and husband raved about fish stew. They do small plates and "petit portions" of regular mains, which I love because I would prefer several smaller things than one big dish. We ate one night at Mad Hatter which seems to get love-hate reviews, but we had an excellent meal. Went early for sunset. Got bottle of wine and went out back to the beach, watched sunset from beach and then dinner.

Doc Ford was just ok by our estimation. Would return, but didn't thrill us. We had a wonderful breakfast at Over Easy Cafe and can recommend. Tried Lazy Flamingo for lunch. Blech. Conch fritters, conch chowder, all awful. Bland, gummy. Yuck. Went to Schnapper's Hots for lunch one day. While it was good I thought it was very overpriced for hots dogs and fries.

I'm seeking hound input on Chef's Table at the Edgewater. We have rendezvous with daughter in Orlando next week for Food and Wine Fest. Have res at Victoria and Albert's on Friday (not chef's table) and will do Party for the Senses on Saturday. Daughter lives in New Orleans and we are frequent visitors there. Currently I have res at RP for Thursday but we have eaten there a few times and was thinking of Chef's Table for something new to us. I see Cask and Larder opened as well and the menu looks very interesting as well.

Any thoughts on my dining options?

The menus are now posted. http://www.sunny.org/dineout/ A quick perusal, and I see that some look pretty good. Primavera and Market 17 have very extensive offerings. Cafe Maxx has 4 courses offered rather than three. Yet some fall into the usual petite-filet-chicken-salmon rut. Gotta choose carefully.

Bouligny Tavern has a good small-plates menu exactly for that purpose. Same ownership as Lilette next door. Would also recommend Coquette for drinks and appetizers at the bar, at corner of Magazine and Washington. While not on Magazine, other Uptown places good for drinks and snacks include Cure on Freret (fantastic cocktails and small plates) and Delachaise on St Charles for the goose-fat fried pomme frites and great wine selection.

I live in South Florida but I'm in Nola at least once a month, and have eaten at all those places, and in some of them several times. Commander's would be the only place where you might wear a jacket. Even there it's really optional for brunch. At dinner I think most men wear jackets there but it is not required any more. When I ate at R'evolution last month there were a minority of tables where men had jackets. Brightsen's and Emeril's are pretty casual, like Dockers-and-polo-shirts casual. My husband carts a jacket along if we're going to Commander's or Galatoire's. Otherwise he sticks to slacks and a collared shirt, but he can be pretty old-fashioned. Even then he has looked overdressed at times. Still, I prefer to be a bit overdressed than underdressed, personally. I get by at all of the above with women's business slacks, a nice sweater and pumps, if female attire is of interest. BTW, great list of restaurants! You will have a great time!

I agree with Patois. It is also in a completely different part of New Orleans. Excellent cocktails, food and service. Probably my favorite restaurant in Nola. They have a pickle martini that I love. It tastes exactly like it sounds, (and is possibly an acquired taste!) but I love the combination of flavors. Patois gets my nomination for best gumbo in the city with their smoked rabbit and andouille gumbo. Also love Coquette and have had several excellent meals there. Agree with GDPhalp about Coquette for a (leisurely) lunch, especially if its a rainy afternoon.

Exactly. Pre-wrapped, and selection same as Whole Foods. I want a place where they will cut to order, with knowledgeable staff. I want to be able to point and say "Give me this much of that one." I would like it to be properly aged and stored and cut and wrapped correctly. Cheese Course is nice as a sandwich place, otherwise, not what I had in mind. DD goes to Tulane and I'm in Nola frequently. I'm also a former New Yorker. What I had in mind is like St James Cheese shop in New Orleans (http://www.stjamescheese.com/) OR many of the cheese places in NYC (eg Murray's). But St James proves that a great cheese shop does not have to be in a huge city.

My "most wanted" would be a top-notch cheese shop. This would be some place with well selected, properly aged and stored cheeses that could be bought by the piece or pound, cut to order. It would have a wide selection, intelligently sourced cheeses and with knowledgeable staff to help.

Agree with Hansen's over Plum Street, but not walking distance from campus, if that's a concern. I recommend Crepes a la Cart. http://www.crepecaterer.com/main/page...
Sweet crepes are amazing and it is crawling distance from Tulane at Broadway and Zimple. (BTW, my daughter goes to Tulane and is happy there, and I get to visit frequently for eating trip!)

OK, I'll chime in. I'm not local but have made about 20 trips in past 2 years, mainly focusing on eating.

Dinners- LOVE all 4. Don't need to change a thing.

Contenders- Stella and Lilette were two of the best dinners I've had in Nola. Might sub out Emeril's (above) and add either of those two as a dinner instead. Herbsaint was good but not great but we ate there last Mardi Gras and the place was nuts, so will go again next week. Jacques-Imo was not great and stupidly crowded and doesn't take reservations and is too far away, so forget it. Sylvain was nice, good little courtyard behind it, but mainly interesting in that they serve late. Wouldn't bother unless I needed dinner at 11 PM. (BTW, odd how Nola has so few places serving late, but that's a different topic.)

Lunch- Central Grocery- Meh. Famous but not so great. Acme- I found it VERY disappointing. Would take the oysters from Dragos (especially chargrilled) any time over Acme (though we went to the one in Metairie, not FQ. Hope the ones in FQ are as good.) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Casamentos and would go there in a heartbeat. Would add Stanley for lunch. Have had a couple of great lunches there.

Drinks-agree with Cure, second Carousel Bar.

Have a great trip!

I agree with you. Possibly people get the wrong idea. Its basically a diner with attitude and history. We were there last time about 2 months ago around 12:30 (AM). Place was quite crowded. Students, regular folks looking for food before heading home, 2 couples all decked out who had just come from the opera. Grabbed a burger (mediocre-ordinary), onion rings (very, very good) and a chocolate-cherry freeze (YUM!!!). Full stomachs and on our way in 30 minutes. Character, history, fun, pretty decent food but certainly not fine dining. But I enjoy it. And love those freezes!

Dick and Jenny's is on Opentable now, but limited availability for JF weekend. I second the food trucks idea.

I ran this question past my daughter who is undergrad at Tulane. She +1'd Dick and Jennys. It's very close to Tipitinas. Another place she liked which is very close by and really NOLA is Casamentos. About 4 blocks from Tipitinas and fantastic food but casual and cheaper. Further uptown and closer to Maple Leaf she mentioned Dante's Kitchen (I love that place too, but might be pushing the budget) and Camellia Grill. Camellia Grill is hardly fine dining but you won't find anything like it in Western Mass and it's open till 2AM if you're looking for food (burgers, fries and "freezes") after Maple Leaf.

Agree. Fantastic cheese selection, obnoxious staff with attitudes. But really, really great cheeses.

Hmmm... Well, I will have to be the one to vote for Lillette over Herbsaint. Just better meals all around as well as fantastic cocktails. But I agree with the general sentiment that you are better off doing BOTH and skipping Jacques-Imos unless it's the "experience" you seek and not the food. And I'll agree about Cafe Atchafalaya too. Had excellent brunch there a couple weeks ago. Good live jazz during Sunday brunch too.

We have had wonderful meals at Azul, in the Mandarin Oriental on Brickell Key. Excellent service and wine list. Very helpful sommelier. Very good choice if looking to impress clients.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. Well, maybe we will go early then and bail out by early afternoon. I love a good Po-boy for breakfast!

We will be in town this weekend and I'm interested in hitting the Po boy Fest on Sunday. However, I admit to being concerned about a repeat of the god-awful crowds I heard about last year. Any advice on how to manage it (other than shelling out 200 bucks for VIP wristband). Go early? Start at far end and work back toward Carrollton? The food vendor list looks pretty great. Advice about must-try Po boys? Thanks to all!

Thanks. I've been there for a drink but never ate there before.

I'm looking for advice seeking nice place (ie not like Camellia Grill) with kitchen open till maybe 11:30 uptown/Carrollton/Garden District area. Most kitchens seem to close 10 to 10:30ish and I hate gettingg the stink-eye if I arrive 10 minutes till closing. Thanks! (Not to slander Camellia Grill. But want tables, good food, wine,,. You know...)

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Camellia Grill
626 S Carrollton Ave, New Orleans, LA 70118

Went to Cafe Maxx last night and we all had the Dine Out menu. Overall I thought the choices were quite good. I had the pot stickers followed by the goat cheese salad, then the pork chop and finally bread pudding. No complaints, all really good. Ran up a good sized bar bill too between the four of us. But it really burned me that we had to ask for the menu. I don't think I've ever had to ask for Miami Spice menus. What is it with these places?

+2 on Refuel. Love the omelets. Grits are my favorite, though I think loading them up with heavy cream makes them that way. (NOT that that's a bad thing!) Also a fruity iced-tea that I love. Lines for brunch can get very long there too.

I have to add Restaurant Patois to the list. Wonderful rabbit and andouille gumbo (which won our family's vote for best gumbo of the trip) as well as fabulous house charcuterie and a great duck confit. We have had great fun at Dante's- terrific drinks and casual setting where we made dinner out of small plates and appetizers. Went to Brightsen's for our anniversary last year and also excellent. I've heard great things about Jamila's (from daughter at Tulane) and it's on the list for my next trip.

Sounds like a great list. Have fun!

They carry Mexican Coke by the case at the Davie Costco. Near the back behind the freezer cases, under big sign saying "Mexican Coke". ;)

Yeah. Could happen. I had a few friends who were on the 6 year plan. Sure gets expensive tho!

"Caribbean" carries quite a range down here. I'm guessing you mean Jamaican/West Indian, not Cuban, which are everywhere down here. Couple Caribbean places I can recommend- Calypso Restaurant in Pompano has good seafood, conch and "cutters" (sandwiches) and jerk chicken. Casual. Islands in the Pines in Pembroke Pines at University and Pines Blvd is really authentic with curries, oxtail and calaloo and delish rice and peas. Along a different line, Tap Tap Haitian in South Beach is worth considering. And Sugar Reef is also worth mentioning as a way to get Caribbean and waterfront at the same time. It's not super-authentic Jamaican, more like Caribbean-influenced but it's ocean front, outdoor seating and on the Broadwalk in Hollywood (at New York St) and is always enjoyable.

For a splurge and on the water, consider Neomi's Grill, in the Trump International Beach Resort, Sunny Isles. Also, they're participating in "Miami Spice" the 3 course prix-fix summer restaurant promotion going on right now, so you might NOT have to break the bank quite so badly. Have fun with Grandma!

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Tap Tap Haitian Restaurant
819 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

Sugar Reef
600 N Surf Rd, Hollywood, FL 33019

Neomi's Grill
18001 Collins Avenue, Sunny Isles, FL 33160

South Beach Cafe
121 5th St, Miami Beach, FL 33139

I second the Liguori's recommendation. Excellent pizza. Capriccio's at Sheridan and University is a little more upscale but I can recommend as well. Also, for something a little different, consider the Beefeater Steakhouse on Hollywood Blvd just west of Young Circle. It's an Argentine steakhouse, very casual and inexpensive (with fabulous chimichurri sauce!) , and has some good pastas and Italian dishes, due to Argentina's large Italian population.

Woo hoo! Thanks to all for great ideas!

Actually, Choupique, we intend to ditch offspring at school and her dad and I intend to spend a couple extra days exploring the city and tasting, er, testing the environs. No offense taken. We will not hover. She has to go to school. (Been there, done that.) Now it's time for us to branch out to explore things too. I've only been to NOLA once before, which was in April to look at the campus (Tulane came late to my kid's radar screen) so we have a lot to learn.

BTW, we live in south Florida, so 94 degrees 99% humidity at this time of year is familiar. Maybe we'll cab it to Dante's so we don't look like wet rags, especially after move in.

I think we will have our work cut out for us. This really is a whole new area for us and we only have like 4 years of visits to eat our way around the restaurants there. Gotta get to it!
Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll report back on this NOLA-newbie's impressions.

We are depositing offspring at Tulane in a couple weeks (incoming freshman). Husband and I will spend a few extra days there and want to eat well and also take offspring (young foodie) out to dinner. Have reservations at Dante's and Mat and Naddie's. I'm looking for 2 more dinners and also some breakfast and lunch options, ideally walking distance from Tulane, and especially places that are casual and typical of NOLA. Places that require using streetcar are also OK but need to be able to round-trip it pretty quickly for breakfast and lunch. Thanks to all.