Cafe Beignet - on Bourbon in New Orleans

By my 4th day in the big easy, I still hadn't tried the coffee or eaten any beignets. This was worrying to me, so I pulled myself out of the hotel room, and hit Bourbon in search of Cafe Beignet. There are 3 different locations (as there often are with many bars or cafe's in the French Quarter) and I chose the larger location on Bourbon. Cafe Beignet is a large outdoor courtyward, with a full bar and ordering counter in the rear. At the entrance, there are bronzed statues of New Orleans music legends (Fats Domino, Pete Fountain, and Al "Jumbo" Hirt) and to the right, there is small stage where daily/nightly live music is played. It has a very spacious and relaxed feel, with tables and chairs scattered about and always buzzing with activity. Cafe Beignet offers typical cafe fare. Breakfast, sandwiches and a few Cajun dishes. I went to the ordering counter and was greeted by quite possibly the friendliest punk rock girl I have ever seen. I ordered the coffee and chicory, and 3 beignets ($2.69...for 3 of them!) My coffee came up in a few minutes, and they then instruct you to sit so the server can bring your food to you. So, I went and sat in what was the tiniest and most uncomfortable chair I've ever encountered. No big deal...when in Rome! About 10 minutes later, they arrived.

I have always heard these are good, but that's kind of an understatement. Being someone who doesn't have much of a sweet tooth, I greatly appreciated the balance of savory to sweet. They were warm, soft (but not too soft..) and comparable to a funnel cake (or "elephant ears") that you would get at a local fair. Being a novice beignet eater, I exhaled while eating! Even when I learned from my mistake, I still got sugar all over me. These are quite messy, but they are truly a little piece of heaven!! A must have on a day (or night) trip to the French Quarter!

http://www.cafebeignet.com/index.html

Zea Rotisserie and Grill - New Orleans, LA

I awoke one afternoon in my hotel room in New Orleans with the gut rumble hunger usually associated with a hangover. Not wanting to leave my hotel, but desperately needing time alone and some food, I headed out. Shaded eyewear mandatory.

Not wanting to (or luckily for me, needing to) travel too far, I popped across the street to Zea Rotisserie and Grill. They are somewhat of a southern chain, but not so large they suck (kind of like Buca Di Beppo - one of my favorite Italian places.) The exterior was inviting and very modern, and I was greeted right away when I stepped inside. The area is divided with varied seating if booths and tables, and is spacious and clean. I chose a booth and studied the lunch menu, which I would rate a 4 out of 5 on my lunch menu scale.

It only took about a minute for my server to come, who was extremely friendly and accomodating. He helped me finally decide to order a small zeasar salad (siiiggghh...i know, i know) and the lunch portion of 1/2 rotisserie chicken (1/2 chicken roasted on an open flame - $14.95), and decided on the sweet and spicy chili glaze. It came with a side, so I decided on the red beans and rice so I could at least say I tried some local specialties during my trip!

I didn't get a good picture of the salad, but I literally could not even eat all of it. Not because it was so huge, but because it was SO overdressed and salty. I had a few bites, slurped down like 2 diet cokes, then hit re-set on my mind before my lunch came.

I started off by trying the red beans and rice, which were surprisingly hearty in a thick gravy and a good kick of spice. I know I don't have much to compare this to, but I was definitely won over by this southern classic!

The chicken was extremely moist, juicy, and even greasy. I know that dark meat with skin is usually a little greasy, but I had to ask my waiter for lots of napkins (the cloth napkins just don't cut it in these situations.) Despite it being a little messy, the chicken was flavorful and savory. The seasoning didn't add anything significant, but it didn't take away from the essence of the bird either. Overall, I ate half of my 1/2 bird, all my red beans and rice, and was stuffed.

Zea was very, very good. And since I am staying in the same hotel next time I go, I definitely will return.

http://www.zearestaurants.com/site127.php

Hoshun - New Orleans, LA

After a long day in the French Quarter, I was super hungry and craving something noodley. Wanting to stay near my hotel, I decided upon Hoshun right across the street from my hotel. The description is, "Asian, Japanese, and Sushi." I skimmed over the menu on display outside, and decided the price was right, so in I went.

The exterior looks modern and posh in comparison to the hundreds of smaller, older restaraunts within a 5 mile radius. The interior is no different, it is large, dim, and well decorated. I waited 10 minutes (even though the restaraunt was half empty...) and was then seated at a table. I started browsing the menu, and was disapointed to see the prices on the menu display were in fact, the lunch prices. This could have easily been an oversight on my part, but I don't recall the display as being a lunch menu only. So I felt a little tricked.

I decided against sushi (yes - shocking I know) and decided on the Crab and Crawfish Rangoon (Sweet snow crab, cream cheese & crawfish in a fried wonton - $6.25) and the Chicken Lo-Mein (Classic stir-fry lo mein with mixed veggies & a choice of chicken, roasted pork, gulf shrimp or crawfish - $9.50 for chicken.) I have only had crawfish one time, and it was years ago at a terrible restaraunt in MN. So I figured I would try it inside an already familiar food to ease myself into it.

After waiting around 30 minutes (seriously...what is with the slow service in NOLA??) I got my appetizer, which was extremely hot. I figured I would be nice to my mouth, and pull off the hard, crunchy edges and eat them piece by piece while I let the filling cool. The sauce was awesome, a step above the usual goopy sweet and sour mutation. It was sweet and spicy. Once the wontons finally cooled (took about 10 minutes), I was able to dig in. I was delighted at how well the ingredients meshed together - the richness of the cream cheese against the distinctly sweet crab and crawfish. Cream cheese wontons (or crab rangoons) may seem simple, but I have had my share of bad ones. These were among the best I have had!

Chicken Lo Mein

I finished my appetizer, and 10-15 minutes later the biggest heaping pile of noodles I have ever seen was placed in front of me. It was also piping hot, with thick steam coming off it. Which is not exactly a complaint, because I know it was made right then. But by this time, I was just kinda of frustrated with all the waiting. I had to wait a good 1-2 minutes before eating each bite I pulled out of the pile. No continous eating for me at Hoshun.

Looks pretty, right? I found the Sriracha squiggles a bit annoying, being right there on the edge. I had to be very careful not to let my hair, sleeves, arm e.t.c. drag through the sauce. And when I finally did get to eat my noodles, they would drag across the sauce so the very end of the noodles got a Sriracha swipe, resulting in one big bite of noodle ends and sriracha sauce. Make of that what you will.

All complaining about Sriracha aside, it was much needed. This had to be the blandest lo-mein I have ever had. I found myself dousing it with soy sauce and putting sriracha on my chopsticks for any flavor. I can't say if my taste buds were burnt out after eating different foods, but this was only my 2nd or 3rd day there. Who knows where the blame is, but the slow service didn't help matters.

Sorry, Hoshun.

St. Charles Tavern - New Orleans, LA

On my recent trip to New Orleans, I was filled with anticipation for some good food experiences. I wanted to try a few classics, and there are no shortage of them anywhere you dine in New Orleans. So a local friend and I headed off to St. Charles Tavern, just a few blocks from my hotel.
Inside the yellow building, the decor is cheerful and airy with a continuing yellow color scheme. I found the stone tiled floor to be quite lovely, and the specials chalkboard was old fashioned and charming. Definitely no frills, but relaxing nonetheless.

The menu offers a step above standard bar-fare, and is affordable. They boast a pretty awesome breakfast (chocolate chip pancakes, chicken and andouille hash) and I have some serious remorse about not getting to try the breakfast items. Oh well..next time!

Looking at the menu, I almost immediately decided I needed to try a po' boy. They have a wide selection of them, and I had never tried one. I decided on the shrimp po' boy (hand breaded gulf shrimp, comes with fries - $9.75) and my company ordered a burger (which comes with a baked potato..)

Let me just get some complaining out of the way now so I can say how TERRIBLY SLOW the service was. Our waitress was ok, but our food took at least 30 minutes to come....and maybe that's even too kind of me.

Onto the food - I really liked the sandwich. Being that I don't have much (ok...anything) to compare it to is the only thing that prevents me from saying I loved it. Being Minnesotan, very rarely do I get to taste truly good seafood. My friend said he doesn't like po' boys because the bread is too chewy and he ends up squishing the sandwiches. I can see that. But I loved the bread - it was a little chewy, but it was also soft and light so it wasn't like you were chewing a gummy rock. It was fully dressed (mayo, lettuce, tomato) and wasn't disheveled or goopy. The shrimp inside was lovely - too often have I had fried shrimp that tastes like....fried breading. These were nice and pink, plump and toothsome; even amongst all the other components. The fries were crinkle cut, and had a good bit of seasoning (cajun?) that was a nice compliment.

Upon going to Urbanspoon to rate St. Charles Tavern, I felt stuck. I liked the food, but the service was terrible. I asked for my check, and after 20 minutes my friend ended up having to yell for it. The waitress explained they were having trouble with their machine, so she just told me my total and I paid her. This brings attention to my inner debate about food vs. service. Good food is good food, but having a bad experience can darken my outlook on a place. For now - I've decided to leave a blank vote, until I return and eat there again.