Best New Orleans Eateries for Foodies
Headed to New Orleans soon? Whether you're visiting New Orleans for the Super Bowl or Mardi Gras, you'll want to take advantage of all the city has to offer. And one of the best ways to do that: sample some of the best local food.
Here's our handy Best New Orleans Eateries for Foodies round-up based on top local, food and travel sites such as Tripping.com, Urbanspoon, nola.com,Travel Channel, Epicurious, bestofneworleans.com, Travel and Leisure, TripAdvisor, Zagat, Frommers, Yelp, Food & Wine, Aol Travel, localeats.com, and Chowhound.
Café Du Monde: renowned for its delicious cafe au lait and beignets, Café Du Monde is a New Orleans tradition. Serving hot little pillows of sweet fried dough and chicory-blended coffee since 1862, it is a popular spot in any season. Its original French Market location is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, except for Christmas day and when "the occasional hurricane passes too close to New Orleans." So if you need a little New Orleans-style pick-me-up any hour of day, you know where to go. (4 Yelp stars, $)
Cochon: located in a post-industrial Warehouse District space, Cochon is one of the hottest, most-written about restaurants in town. Founded by award-winning chefs (founder Stephen Stryjewski won a 2011 Beard Award for Best Chef in
the South), Cochon draws locals, travelers and foodies like Anthony Bourdain. Dishes include flaky crawfish pies, catfish court bouillon, wood-fired oyster roast, fried alligator, country-style charcuterie such as headcheese and boudin, okra-cornbread fritters, roasted suckling pig with cracklings and rabbit and dumplings served in a cast iron skillet. If you're looking to sample the best in Cajun cuisine, Cochon is the place for you. (4 Yelp stars, $$)
Domilise's: widely acclaimed as having the best po' boys in New Orleans, Domilise's is a no-frills venue (described on Lonely Planet as "a dilapidated...shack by the river") where customers take a number and pay in cash. Their shrimp, oysters and catfish are freshly fried and the French bread is from the iconic local bakery Leidenheimer. (4 Yelp stars, $$)
Commander's Palace: first opening its doors in the Garden District in 1880, Commander's Palace is a New Orleans institution. The award winning menu of Creole cuisine includes pecan-crusted Gulf fish, cracklin' crusted duck, gumbo, and their acclaimed Foie Gras du Monde (skillet-roasted foie gras served over apple, pecan and foie gras beignets). Crowd favorites on review sites like Chowhound and Yelp include the turtle soup and bread pudding soufflé. And if you go there for lunch, you'll find 25-cent martinis on the menu. (4.5 stars on Yelp, $$$)
Willie Mae's Scotch House: recommended by New Orleans locals on Tripping.com and awarded "Best Soul Food Restaurant" by bestofneworleans.com, Willie Mae's is known for having some of the best fried chicken around. You'll find classic sides including mac and cheese and cornbread, plus Louisiana Creole cuisine favorites like red beans and rice. (4 Yelp stars, $$)
Jaques Imos Cafe: one of the top Creole restaurants in town, Jaques Imos offers eccentric dining options. Try the chorizo-stuffed redfish roulade, the paneed duck with sweet potato shrimp sauce or the bronzed swordfish with jalapeno pecan meunièr. Or stick with more traditional fare like rabbit tenderloin, grilled duck breast or steamed mussels. And don't forget to sample the popular shrimp and alligator cheesecake (actually a quiche). (4.5 Yelp stars, $$)
Taceaux Loceaux: if you're a food truck lover, you'll want to try the bestofneworleans.com "Best Food Truck." They feature tacos with unique ingredients and clever names, such as the "Carnital Knowledge" carnitas taco and the "Seoul Man" Korean-style taco. Anthony Bourdain deemed their cuisine "better than excellent." Follow their Twitter account to catch them on one of their stops around town.
[caption id="attachment_9878" align="aligncenter" width="612" caption="photo via Taceaux Loceaux Facebook"][/caption]
Central Grocery: widely regarded as the creator of the world-famous muffuletta sandwich, Central Grocery is a must-visit French Quarter eatery. The sandwich - consisting of pepperoni, provolone, mortadella, Swiss cheese, ham, coppa and salami topped with a layer of olive salad (olive oil, carrots, olives, celery and seasonings) on focaccia-like bread - is a New Orleans staple. Enjoy your sandwich perched atop one of the limited number of stools in the grocery store, take it to Jackson Square for some people watching, or sit on a bench along the Mississippi River. (4 Yelp stars, $)
Have a favorite New Orleans eatery we should all check out? Leave a comment!
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References:
Tripping.com, Urbanspoon, nola.com,Travel Channel, Epicurious, bestofneworleans.com, Travel and Leisure, TripAdvisor, Zagat, Frommers, Yelp, Food & Wine, Aol Travel, localeats.com, and Chowhound
Photo credits: Photo 1; Photo 2; Photo 3