Our New Orleans Trip Review, July 2011...Part 2

This is Part 2 of 4 of my series of reviews on our trip to New Orleans and the south.

Link to Part 1 & 3...

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-fl-panhandle-new-orleans-trip-july.html

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-new-orleans-trip-review-july.html

Part 4 

http://myhomecookedmeals.blogspot.com/2011/08/our-new-orleans-trip-review-july_23.html

Calas from The Old Coffee Pot

http://www.theoldcoffeepot.com/

Before our trip, I read on a website that a woman made homemade Calas.  I had never heard of Calas and found out that it is basically a rice fritter that is from the New Orleans area.  Her grandfather was from the area and taught his wife how to make them and then the recipe was passed down to her.  As soon as I found out that it was fried rice, I was intrigued and was on a mission to find them in NOLA.  The Old Coffee Pot was the closest place to our hotel to get them, it's always convenient when it's a short walk! Unfortunatly, I did not like their Calas, they were rock hard!  It just tasted like a hard, fried ball of dough and I couldn't even tell that there was rice in them.  They were served with grits, which I love, but these were a little too bland.  They tasted great when I mixed D's corned beef hash with them;o)  I learned later that these Calas were an anomaly, they are supposed to be nice and fluffy, exactly what I had pictured.  I also was told of another place that serves great Calas & Praline Bacon...a place called Elizabeth's Restaurant and hope to try it next time I'm over there :o)

http://www.elizabeths-restaurant.com/home.html

Banana Pancakes

Hubby had the banana pancakes.  I also did not like these, but Hubby enjoyed them!  They actually add the bananas into the batter instead of just placing them on top.  The bananas were huge slices and overwhelmed the pancakes.

Pain Perdu (Lost Bread)

Mrs. Preggers had the Pain Perdu.  These were delicious and the favorite of our whole group.  It's basically a French Toast, but they call it lost bread because it is traditionally made with leftover French Roll and you are saving the bread that is called lost since it's stale;o)

One note about the Old Coffee Pot, they automatically add 18 % tip to the check, so be careful not to double tip!  The waitresses seem to have been working there forever, one of them even broke out in song.  She was pretty amazing, her voice filled up the whole room, she's not a professional singer, just sings at her church...

Fury's Restaurant for Lunch

http://furysrestaurant.com/

One of the highlights of the trip was Fried Chicken at a small place called Fury's. I heard about this place from a website I've been subscribing to for several years called New Orleans Menu Pages it is filled with info about restaurants in NOLA.  Right before our trip, they posted their Best Fried Chicken List...what perfect timing! 

http://www.nomenu.com/joomla1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2506:12-best-fried-chicken-restaurants&catid=222:top-ten&Itemid=293

Simple Thousand Island Dressing Salad...

I love Thousand Island Dressing, it's so retro!  Whenever I find it on a menu, I get it.  This one was actually pretty good although the ice berg lettuce seemed a little wilted...

Gumbo!

As I said in the past, I love Gumbo!!  This was one of the best I had this trip.  Some have been too salty or too watery, this one was just right!  Hubby always calls me Baby Bear because I always have to find "the just right" stuff...lol

Fried Chicken!!

I also love fried chicken, but it's so hard to find a good one!  OMG, this one was amazing!!  It's one of the best that I've had!!  They make it to order, so it takes at least 20 mins.  It was perfectly crisp and so flavorful from the skin to the inside meat.  Usually the problem is that the skin is too salty if the meat has flavor or if the skin is perfectly seasoned then the meat is bland.  I loved this chicken!!  I also like to eat my chicken with the vinegary type of hot sauce like Crystal or Trappey's and they have plenty of that in NOLA.  This was the 1/2 chicken served with French Fries & White Bread.

Red Beans & Rice w/Spicy Sausage

This was D's dish.  The beans were so good, one of the best I've had! I didn't care for the sausage, it had a weird herb in it. Red Beans is their Mon special like so many other places in the area.  The story goes that Ham is cooked for Sunday Supper and then the ham bone is cooked for Red Beans & Rice on Mon while the laundry is being done ;o)

They also have an extensive Italian menu...

Napolean House Bar & Cafe

http://www.napoleonhouse.com/

This is another of our favorite bars in New Orleans, they have been around for over 200 years! The only problem is that they have weird hours, so you need to check on it before you go.  Legend has it that the owner, back in the day, was the mayor and he invited Napoleon to live there during his exile, but he did not except the offer.  

We've only had cocktails here, but hear that they have pretty good food.  They even have an outdoor patio to eat in. They are known for their Muffulettas, but the controversy is that they serve their's warm;o)

The Bar...

We love sitting at the bar, but it's a little hard to talk when you have 4 people in your party, so we mostly sat at a table at the bars we went to this time.  One of their popular cocktail is the Pimm's Cup.  It has Pimm's #1 (An English liquor that has gin it it), lemonade, & 7-up then garnished w/a cucumber.  It's a little sweet for me, so I prefer the Sazerac.  I love the peeling walls that is left as is...

The Facade...

Love the look of the place inside and out.  Wish we had places like this in LA!

Tujague's

Another old bar & restaurant...

Again, we've only have had drinks here, not dinner.  Both times we've been here has been a Monday and their Red Beans & Rice looks and smells delicious!

http://www.tujaguesrestaurant.com/

On Decatur Street...

The Bar...

I love how this bar is "standing room only".  They don't have any seats at the bar.  It's more fun to stand at the bar and talk to the waiters and other customers, but this time we sat at a table...

Most of the bars were empty when we went this time because we hit them late afternoon...lol

Cafe du Monde

http://www.cafedumonde.com/

Cafe du Monde is a place that you have to go to if you go to New Orleans.  You also have to go to the original location in the French Quarter, it's just not the same if you go to one inside of a mall ;o)  I really wanted to hate it the first time I went, but it really grew on me.  

Beignet's

Don't wear dark clothe or laugh when you are eating these...

Cafe au Lait

They also have a an iced version too...