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Muffuletta Sandwich from Cochon Butcher in New Orleans
http://www.cochonbutcher.com/new-orleans
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Acme Oyster House in New Orleans
http://www.acmeoyster.com
GENERAL REVIEW:
This is a great location for a late lunch or dinner. Even though the place is always packed and the line stretches for more than a block, they manage to find a way to keep the line moving at a brisk place, and making sure everyone manages to get inside as soon as possible. We were seated very quickly given our position in the line (probably about 10 groups ahead of us), although it was at the oyster bar (which was more exciting than the floor tables anyway!). Our oyster shucker (mother shucker!), was called Hollywood, and he was really efficient and fun to talk to. The atmosphere in here is great, lots of talking and laughing, and the close quarters ensure that you get that cozy, informal feel. If you’re looking for a quiet, laid-back time this might not be your cup of tea, but if you like vibrant, animated local places, then this is a must-see locale (almost feels like a night club). Nice experience, and food was delish!
½ dozen fresh oysters REVIEW:
These oysters were some of the best, if not the best I’ve ever tasted (and seeing them shucked right before your eyes is pretty awesome too!). They were fresh, and were nice and clean, meaning that there was no sand or other debris, and were so fresh the only flavor you get is a pure burst of oyster flavor, no sea salt, no unnecessary toppings, just a straight shot of fresh seafood. Putting on the spicy cocktail sauce and lemon just amped up the oyster flavor a hundred notches. Definitely recommended if raw oysters are your thing!
Fried Oyster Po’ Boy REVIEW:
We were told that this sandwich was rated third best in the country by some magazine, and although we actually had a couple other sandwiches we thought were better (reviews to come!) just in New Orleans, we could see why it might have managed to earn the title. The shrimp and oysters in this sandwich were flavorful and juicy, and the batter on them was flavorful, and didn’t overpower the freshness of the seafood. I actually thought it was a LITTLE bit dry, and asked for some tartar sauce. My companion disagreed, saying that the sandwich was a good balance of flavors and textures, saying she liked the bread, the crunchiness of the seafood, and that it was a nice combination of salty batter, sweet seafood, spicy sauce, tangy pickles and sour lemon. Definitely a good sandwich and would go back for it, but we don’t know whether it’s truly worthy of being called third best in America.
**** four stars
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Muffuletta from the Central Grocery in New Orleans
http://www.centralgrocerynola.com
This was a really good sandwich. It was not the best muffuletta we had, (that review will come later!), but the olive salad by itself was. It had lots of flavor, and there were actual chunks of olive and other ingredients which gave it a more robust texture, and highlighted each ingredient more, since it was less of a homogenous spread. Central Grocery makes it’s own cold cuts, and these were thick and flavorful (but again, this was not the best! Stay tuned!). The store itself is definitely worth visiting since they have lots of interesting food, such as a wide variety of beans, grains and pasta. They claim that they created the original muffuletta, and it is definitely a good representation of the sandwich. Really enjoyable and would definitely recommend.
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‘Red Gravy Cafe’ in New Orleans (recently voted best brunch spot in Nola by Open Table!)
http://redgravycafe.com/#menu
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GENERAL REVIEW: Food here was pretty good. It was nothing like some of the other places we went to like La Petite Grocery, Commander’s Palace, and Cochon Butcher’s (reviews to come). But stacking it up against normal places elsewhere in the world it comes up really good. The atmosphere is cozy and intimate, with a strong red, cushy theme. (Seriously, red walls, and red cushy furniture).
PROSCUITTO DI PARMA AND FRUIT PLATE REVIEW: It’s difficult to make a really good cold cut and fruit plate, since it is literally just that, cold cuts and fruit. The strawberries themselves could have been more flavorful (and I realize that sounds retarded since it’s just a berry on a board, but maybe a quality control issue?). The prosciutto was really good though, pretty good quality. The sweet and salty flavors really complemented each other, and really served as a good app.
IVAN FRENCH BREAD SANDWICH REVIEW: The sausage was good, hot and mildly spicy, but the bread and the rest of the sandwich were rather bland. The potato chips tasted homemade!
CANNOLI PANCAKES REVIEW: Really good for those who like sweet things for breakfast. The sweetness was a bit overwhelming, and it was a bit stingy on the filling (really needed some more ricotta and chocolate chips), but the flavors were there. This is their signature dish, and it’s pretty easy to see why, since it had good flavors and textures, just, again, needed some balance to all that sweetness and a bit more generous on the filling.
Kind of a hipster locale, but cool to eat there. It’s like being inside a fortune teller’s padded room.
*** three stars out of five
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‘Ivan’ Sausage and Pepper Sandwich from Red Gravy Cafe in New Orleans
http://redgravycafe.com/#menu
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Cannoli Pancakes at Red Gravy Cafe in New Orleans
http://redgravycafe.com/#menu
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