Planning different foodie adventures excites my everyday life. I then have experiences to look forward to. The original plan was to check out Jazz Fest. After the unsuccessful hunt to find nothing but pricey hotels, we decided on going the weekend before the madness. There are still amazing bands playing so why not? The last time I visited Nola was in college during Mardi Gras. It was an intense and crazy introduction to a lively city. This time, however, was much more modest. My boyfriend and I ate our way through the city (no joke) attending reservation after reservation. Perhaps next time, I’ll visit longer than a weekend, space out my large meals, and make more time to listen to local bands.
The first stop was Luke, a fabulous restaurant by the famous Chef, John Besh. Here’s to my boyfriend and my first time eating raw oysters…
I give you, the charcuterie platter! On the top left corner going the the right, we have: Foie Gras, Blood Sausage, Compania Pork. In the middle: Rabbit and Chicken pate next to it, Rillete of Pork. The sauces consisted of stone ground mustard, housemade pickles, pickled watermelons, sweet pickle relish, and pepper marmalade. My all were amazing but I could do without the blood sausage. My favorite was the rabbit and chicken pate, it was sweet, velvety, and rich. We tried every which combination to get the best flavor, see below…
Late night eats. This is a must. We don’t have a Krystal Burger in Houston, Texas…
Something to wake up to, Cafe Du Monde beignets.
Next stop, Commanders Palace. Way too much good food.. Below is a picture of the perfectly made gumbo. It has a dark roux flavor and color. Next to it, I’m smelling the turtle soup. It was rich in sherry and had tons of flavor. My first experience was excellent!
As if I wasn’t full after the soup and killer bloody mary (ahem, heavily hand poured vodka and mixed table side). Below is a picture of shrimp & grits with pork belly. Needless to say, the pants were unbuttoned at this point. The flavor combination was a party in my mouth, from the sherry to the rich and buttery grits, I couldn’t stop eating.
Why stop there when dessert is coming? Bread pudding souffle you say? Eek, I’m so full but must. eat. more.
Time for a nap.
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I was still incredibly full after our filling yet delicious lunch and much deserved nap. BUT we had to attend our next reservation at Cochon.
Here you go, the oh so delicious fried alligator. Simply cooked to perfection without a tough chew. Sriracha aioli was the perfect addition to these nuggets. Below is the rabbit and dumplings. I would love to describe the flavor but I couldn’t eat anymore at this point.
It’s safe to say that we had a successful cajun fix.