Over the past weekend, I was joined by my favorite ladies in the Big Easy to celebrate my last single lady hurrah. Amongst the beads, the debauchery and the unforgettable stench of Bourbon Street, we managed to eat extremely well- which isn't too hard in New Orleans. To really understand the food in a city like New Orleans, it's important to know the city's history. We learned just that at a wonderful cooking demonstration at the New Orleans School of Cooking. Our instructor took us back in time and taught us the long history of the city influenced by French, African, and Creole cuisine. Then, she demonstrated how to make a delicious Shrimp and Artichoke Soup, Crawfish Jumbalaya and New Orleans Pralines. We happily washed it all down with a delicious Abita Beer. Although it wasn't hands on at all, it was quite nice after a long evening amongst good friends to sit back, relax, and let a true New Orleans cook prepare our food.
That evening at G.W. Fins in the French Quarter, we had one of the most transcendent fish meals I have had since that delicious Baramundi at Tramonti. Let me first tell you that this restaurant is not cheap, but boy is it worth every penny. The average entree will set you back anywhere between $22 and $35. The restaurant itself is quite gorgeous, with dimmed lighting throughout and exquisite three dimensional wrought iron artwork covering the walls. We began our evening with appetizers of Lobster Dumplings and Blue Crab Pot-stickers which were enjoyed by all of us. The only complaint we had was that they could have been slightly warmer. Otherwise, they were delicious. For my main course I ordered a Parmesan Crusted Drum with Lump Crab Meat and Meyer Lemon. The fish was a flaky perfection with just the right amount of crispy parmesan coating. The lump crab meat was generously piled atop the fish, and when a bite of Drum and Crabmeat were taken together the two flavors sung out in a harmonious duet of fresh seafood flavor. It was a meal that was as unforgettable as it was satisfying, and I'd quickly jump on a plane back to New Orleans to dine at G.W. Fins again.
We ended our New Orleans trip with the brunch of all brunches. We dined at an adorable restaurant on Magazine Street called Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar. We had a bit of a wait as it's a popular Sunday morning brunch spot, and during our wait we watched the servers bring out platters full of grits, biscuits, and even bagels. They don't serve alcohol, but there's a dive bar next door that serves an epic Bloody Mary, so after grabbing our Bloody Mary's and heading back to the restaurant we were seated at a quaint table just outside of the adorable wooden home that houses the restaurant. In a highly unusual turn from my traditional omelette or bagel brunch order, I ordered a Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit with an over-medium egg sitting on top and finished with a heaping serving of sweet pulled pork. Talk about a guilty pleasure- this dish sent me into a fit of culinary excitement! The sweet pulled pork with the yolk from the over-medium egg all combined into an epic masterpiece when they met the flaky Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit. People can get away with things in New Orleans that they can't get away with in any other city, and I think it may be illegal in any other city to serve a brunch dish this amazing! By the last bite, my stomach was calling "uncle"but I didn't want to leave any of this brunch to go to waste so I finished the entire dish and left happy as a clam!
New Orleans, until next time, laissez les bon temps roulez!
That evening at G.W. Fins in the French Quarter, we had one of the most transcendent fish meals I have had since that delicious Baramundi at Tramonti. Let me first tell you that this restaurant is not cheap, but boy is it worth every penny. The average entree will set you back anywhere between $22 and $35. The restaurant itself is quite gorgeous, with dimmed lighting throughout and exquisite three dimensional wrought iron artwork covering the walls. We began our evening with appetizers of Lobster Dumplings and Blue Crab Pot-stickers which were enjoyed by all of us. The only complaint we had was that they could have been slightly warmer. Otherwise, they were delicious. For my main course I ordered a Parmesan Crusted Drum with Lump Crab Meat and Meyer Lemon. The fish was a flaky perfection with just the right amount of crispy parmesan coating. The lump crab meat was generously piled atop the fish, and when a bite of Drum and Crabmeat were taken together the two flavors sung out in a harmonious duet of fresh seafood flavor. It was a meal that was as unforgettable as it was satisfying, and I'd quickly jump on a plane back to New Orleans to dine at G.W. Fins again.
We ended our New Orleans trip with the brunch of all brunches. We dined at an adorable restaurant on Magazine Street called Surrey's Cafe and Juice Bar. We had a bit of a wait as it's a popular Sunday morning brunch spot, and during our wait we watched the servers bring out platters full of grits, biscuits, and even bagels. They don't serve alcohol, but there's a dive bar next door that serves an epic Bloody Mary, so after grabbing our Bloody Mary's and heading back to the restaurant we were seated at a quaint table just outside of the adorable wooden home that houses the restaurant. In a highly unusual turn from my traditional omelette or bagel brunch order, I ordered a Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit with an over-medium egg sitting on top and finished with a heaping serving of sweet pulled pork. Talk about a guilty pleasure- this dish sent me into a fit of culinary excitement! The sweet pulled pork with the yolk from the over-medium egg all combined into an epic masterpiece when they met the flaky Jalapeno Cheddar Biscuit. People can get away with things in New Orleans that they can't get away with in any other city, and I think it may be illegal in any other city to serve a brunch dish this amazing! By the last bite, my stomach was calling "uncle"but I didn't want to leave any of this brunch to go to waste so I finished the entire dish and left happy as a clam!
New Orleans, until next time, laissez les bon temps roulez!
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