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Places to eat in NOLA!

Optiontrader
Optiontrader Posts: 174
edited September 2012 in EggHead Forum
I'm in NOLA for a few days.  I'd like to know the best places to eat.  (Where the locals go!)  Not looking for the tourist stuff.  All suggestions would be appreciated.
Brighton, IL (North East of St. Louis, MO)
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Comments

  • I'm far from local and Nola will help, K-Pauls, Brennans for brunch, Pascals Manale fo barbeque shrimp. Po boys, etouffes, red beans and rice everywhere. Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • I'm far from local and Nola will help, K-Pauls, Brennans for brunch, Pascals Manale fo barbeque shrimp. Po boys, etouffes, red beans and rice everywhere. Cafe du Monde for coffee and beignets

    .......and a lucky dog from a street vendor if you are out late
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • I'm not a NOLA local but it's one of my favorite cities! 

    A few of my recommendations:

    Li’l Dizzy’s (on Esplanade) for soul food... neat local place with tasty seafood gumbo & fried chicken. 
    August is really good -- Chef John Besh is a favorite of mine. 
    Cafe Du Monde is very touristy but the beignets are good.
    I've heard that Acme Oyster House is a great place for  crawfish. 
    Port Of Call (also on Esplanade) is another local spot for cheeseburgers and a beer. 

    Be sure to go over to Frenchmen Street for the music scene -- Spotted Cat & Snug Harbor are both fun! 
    I'm Kristi ~ Live in FL ~ BGE since 2003.
    I write about food & travel on Necessary Indulgences.  
    You can also find me on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter.
  • Dragos for charbroiled oysters.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited September 2012
    Off the beaten path local joints where just about all the customers are local - try Franky and Johnny's on Arabella St (uptown), Commander's Palace (garden district) (expensive), Dante's Kitchen (riverbend), La Peniche (marigny), Domileses Po-boys (uptown), Rue 127 (mid city)...so many good places to eat.

    Little Steven has some good recommendations. 

    A great resource is nomenu.com.   See http://www.nomenu.com/joomla1/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=288&Itemid=275 - read the summaries to try to find the kind of food and budget you have. 

    We're going to R'evolution tonight - made reservations a couple of weeks ago.  http://www.revolutionnola.com/  new place, haven't eaten there before but I heard they trained the staff for a month before opening.  High hopes.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    Dragos for charbroiled oysters.
    Their oysters are SPECIAL.  Go to the fat city restaurant.  Mr. B's in the french quarter - the BBQ shrimp are insane - I felt like I needed an angioplasty after eating them.  John Besh has a few restaurants - they're some of the best in the world, all in one city. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Franky and Johnny's and Dragos....both of those for sure!
  • I have been there twice and Oceana at the corner of Bourbon and Conti was my favorite both trips.
  • +1 for Drago's. 

    And Willie Mae's Scotch House for the best fried chicken & bread pudding around!!  
    Don't get set into one form, adapt it and build your own, and let it grow, be like water. Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless — like water. Now you put water in a cup, it becomes the cup... Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend. - Bruce Lee
  • Sunday brunch at Elizabeth's in bywater.
    Green Eggin' in Lafayette, Louisiana
  • QDude
    QDude Posts: 1,052
    A real dive that many locals like is Muthers.  Is isn't too far from the casino and I loved it.  Went there three times  in the three days I was there.  The doorman at the hotel recommended it to me and he was right.  It isn't fancy though!

    Northern Colorado Egghead since 2012.

    XL BGE and a KBQ.

  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    Muthers is good. Also, I recommend the muffuletta at Central Grocery. Didn't care for ACME but it was a hot tourist spot. I'll confrm the charbroiled oysters at Drago's are just out of this world! Great place called Irene's Cuisine and a neat little bar called Napoleon House. Lots of history. Enjoy your visit.
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    http://www.nomenu.com/joomla1/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=583

    Mothers is good - locals love to go there before Saints games (I'm saddened by their sucking so bad this year).  Anyway, because of it's location in the CBD (central business district) it does get overrun by tourists.  

    Best part other than the food with going out to eat in New Orleans for me is the people.  The local people are so different than anything you'll see anywhere in the country.  They're all characters, they're friendly, they love to talk, and some of the accents around here are incredibly wonderful to listen to.  You'll get engaged by locals if you try to engage them.  And you'll see evidence, I hope, that is the essence that makes New Orleans a different place that you just can't duplicate.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I'm not a local.  But I've been here 22 years straight, and my SWMBO is a born and raised local.  French quarter is fun, but get out and about and I guarantee it'll be worth your while.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    4Runner said:
    Muthers is good. Also, I recommend the muffuletta at Central Grocery. Didn't care for ACME but it was a hot tourist spot. I'll confrm the charbroiled oysters at Drago's are just out of this world! Great place called Irene's Cuisine and a neat little bar called Napoleon House. Lots of history. Enjoy your visit.
    I LOVE central grocery.  They do have some of the best muffs in town.  If not the best.  
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Not trying to derail but since we all keep bringing up Dragos.....does anyone have a recipe that comes close to their charbroiled oysters?
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    They publish their recipe - google it.  I've done it a few times.  Trick is to have a moderately hot fire and feed it with dripping butter.  Smoke galore.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • 10-4  Thanks Nola!
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    edited September 2012
    http://www.gumbopages.com/food/seafood/char-erstas.html  Here it is...not much to it...having good oysters is key too.  


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Go there a bunch for business. My favorite locals place to eat is Dante's kitchen. Get the chicken under a brick and shrimp and grits. Best meal I've ever had in NOLA. When the taxi failed to show up our waiter Larry offered to drive us back to our hotel! Awesome place.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Go there a bunch for business. My favorite locals place to eat is Dante's kitchen. Get the chicken under a brick and shrimp and grits. Best meal I've ever had in NOLA. When the taxi failed to show up our waiter Larry offered to drive us back to our hotel! Awesome place.
    We've known Eman (head chef) and the manager Lee (and SWMBO adds "...and his liver")  of Dante's Kitchen for decades.  Eman cut his teeth as a sous chef at Commanders.  I'm not sure if Lee still owns any of it anymore or if he moved on to a new project.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • 4Runner
    4Runner Posts: 2,948
    I'll have to hit Dante's next visit. Again, great city to visit.
    Joe - I'm a reformed gasser-holic aka 4Runner Columbia, SC Wonderful BGE Resource Site: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramicfaq.htm and http://www.nibblemethis.com/  and http://playingwithfireandsmoke.blogspot.com/2006/02/recipes.html
    What am I drinking now?   Woodford....neat
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    We got back from R'evolution around 10PM and it was incredible.  I had the chef's charcuterie plate with 6 different cured hams...one of which was a leg weighing at least 30 pounds (maybe from a wild boar) and was prominently displayed and cut off of on an open kitchen counter, and I had the steak tartar (interesting take on it).  Entree was a short rib dish.  Over the top.
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • Clancy's uptown, Mandina's on Canal in Mid City, Crescent City Steak House on Broad, Fury's in Metairie.
    Born and raised in NOLA. Now live in East TN.
  • I'll have to +1 Drago's. I've never been there but I used their recipe to do two bushels of fresh oysters at last years Salado Eggfest. It was a huge hit. Several non oyster eaters tried them and fell in love. Id really like to try them cooked by the masters.
    Be careful, man! I've got a beverage here.
  • Wow New Orleans is a foodies mecca. +1 on Domoilise (if you can find it), Mothers, Mr B's, Central and we love Clancy's!

  • Thanks to all, for the many suggestions.  Trying Frankie and Johnny's first since it was mentioned by more than one.  Please keep the suggestions coming.  I'm here until Sunday.





    We're going to R'evolution tonight - made reservations a couple of weeks ago.  http://www.revolutionnola.com/  new place, haven't eaten there before but I heard they trained the staff for a month before opening.  High hopes.
    How was this?  Was it everything you expected?
    Brighton, IL (North East of St. Louis, MO)
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102

    Thanks to all, for the many suggestions.  Trying Frankie and Johnny's first since it was mentioned by more than one.  Please keep the suggestions coming.  I'm here until Sunday.





    We're going to R'evolution tonight - made reservations a couple of weeks ago.  http://www.revolutionnola.com/  new place, haven't eaten there before but I heard they trained the staff for a month before opening.  High hopes.
    How was this?  Was it everything you expected?
    It was excellent - here's SWMBO's review that she sent out to a few friends:

    Tonight, we ate at R’evolution, John Folse and Rink Tramonto’s restaurant on the bottom floor of the Royal Sonesta (the space that was once Begue’s). It was AWESOME.

    They brought out a complimentary amuse bouche of blue cheese foam with sweet potato puree (just a bite). Then we had the Sizzling Oyster appetizer (basically Oysters Bienville), a wonderful Steak Tartare with a truffle aioli, and a small charcuterie plate with all house-made cured meats. For the entrees, I had a lovely Filet with a Lobster Bearnaise sauce, while CJ had Braised Short Ribs. For dessert, we had a cheesecake trio, with mascarpone, creole cream cheese, and goat cheese cheesecakes each with a fruit topping. As if that weren’t enough, they brought me a “happy birthday” platter (written in chocolate) with tiny éclair  bites. Then they brought out a lacquered jewelry chest with 6 different complimentary house-made confections, including a delicious bacon praline. I think we each gained 20 lbs.


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..