Comestiblog

Drinks at Pat O'Brien's

After dinner, we return to the French Quarter and make our way up Bourbon Street.  When the sun sets, the area bustles with the effusive din of partyers determined to make merry.  We turn right onto Saint Peter and enter the carriageway of a 1791 building that once housed the first Spanish theatre in the United States.  This is Pat O'Brien's, home of the world-famous Hurricane—a fruity rum concoction that originated here in the early 1940s.  Albeit there's a wait for a table on the open-air Patio, it's well worth it.

Though I'm not particularly fond of sweet cocktails, I do make an exception with Pat O's Hurricane.  We delight in the aura of the Patio Bar's flaming fire fountain as we sip a New Orleans original under the night sky.

"Now I know why they call it a Hurricane:  the room was spinning when I got back to my hotel!" declared Brian, a colleague of mine from Canada, who thus described his baptism of fire here.  In truth, the cocktail isn't all that potent, but it is insidious—it's probably advisable to stop at three.  The real derivation of its name, incidentally, comes from the shape of the glass—similar to that of a hurricane lamp—in which the drink is served.  (Customers receive their logo glass as a souvenir as they leave.)

The upshot: follow the advice of Pat O'Brien's motto and Have Fun!

Pat O'Brien's

718 Saint Peter Street (between Bourbon & Royal Sts)
New Orleans, LA   70116-3119   (map)

(504) 525-4823

http://www.patobriens.com/

After stumbling out of Pat O's, consider taking in some of the other sights in the French Quarter …

 

Dinner at Mulate's

With so much to explore in New Orleans, there are countless ways in which to work up an appetite.  One particularly pleasant divertissement is a ride on the historic St. Charles Streetcar line to the Garden District.  Magnificent mansions of various architectural styles afford a delightful setting for an afternoon constitutional.  When evening arrives, we return to the Central Business District and prepare ourselves for an authentic Cajun dinner.

We pass Emeril's and follow Julia Street four blocks to our destination at the corner of Convention Center Boulevard.  A group of colleagues introduced me to Mulate's 14 years ago while we were in the Big Easy to attend a convention—I've been a fan of "the original Cajun restaurant" ever since.  From the street, we can hear the cavernous hall resonating les bon temps.  The party is already in full swing as we enter the circa 1885 Italianate warehouse.  A Cajun band is playing, people are dancing, and everyone appears to be having a good time.

In terms of food, Mulate's sets the standard for Cajun cooking.  From the gumbo to the alligator to the catfish to the crawfish to the jambalaya, this is the real deal.  We ordered the Catfish Mulate's—a seasoned fillet, lightly floured, grilled, and topped with crawfish étouffée.  Jambalaya, sautéed vegetables, and a twice-baked potato filled out the remainder of the plate.  Beer was the perfect libation to accompany the food, music, and checkered napery.  With everything having been prepared to perfection, this remains one of the tastiest Cajun meals I can recall.

Catfish Mulate's

Celebrating its nineteenth year in New Orleans, Mulate's continues its tradition of blending authentic Cajun food, music, and culture with reasonable prices.  Though I prefer the shack-like ambiance of the original Mulate's in Breaux Bridge, the large space on Julia Street has its own charms—to say nothing of its easier accessibility to conventioneers.

 

Mulate's Restaurant

201 Julia Street (NW corner Convention Center Blvd)
New Orleans, LA   70130-1622   (map)

(800) 854-9149
(504) 522-1492

http://mulates.com/

By streetcar:  Riverfront Line to Julia Street

Riverwalk and Convention Center across the street

 

Lunch at Central Grocery

There's nothing like a stroll through the French Quarter to help burn a few breakfast calories.  As we wend our way through the charming streets, we pause at various landmarks, museums, and shops.  After a visit to the French Market, it's time for lunch.

Would having a sandwich be too banal in this epicurean city?  Yes, if it were an ordinary ham-and-cheese or something of that sort.  But I have an extraordinary kind in mind—a Muffuletta (pronounced "moof·fuh·LET·tah," often abbreviated, simply, to "muff").  It's made with a fresh, round loaf of Italian bread, onto which generous quantities of imported salami, ham, cheese, mortadella, and special olive salad are layered, and served at room temperature.  (Don't even think of asking to have it warmed!)  This is one big, tasty sandwich that easily feeds two people.  Half a sandwich at midday is ample—especially if one is still planning to have dinner.

As we cross Decatur Street and enter Central Grocery, we take a step backward through time.  The old-fashioned Italian-American emporium that proclaims itself to be the "home of the original Muffuletta" gives the impression of having forgone any sort of redecoration since its founding in 1906.  Apparently, there's no need to change—this place draws visitors from all corners of the globe.  No trip to New Orleans is complete without a stop here.  The Muffuletta's putative place of origin is also where the sandwich reaches its acme of perfection.  Purportedly, it was created here by Salvatore Lupo the same year he founded the grocery.  Though time seems to have stood still at Central Grocery, its most famous product remains a timeless classic.

Central Grocery Co.

923 Decatur Street  (between N. Peters & St. Philip Sts)
New Orleans, LA   70116-3307   (map)

(504) 523-1620

 

Breakfast at Brennan's

Breakfast at Brennan's is something everyone should try at least once.  Situated in the French Quarter, this lovely dining spot has been a Crescent City phenomenon since 1946.  Owen Edward Brennan's elegant culinary namesake evokes images of New Orleans French aristocrats sipping wine and enjoying leisurely breakfasts on the patio nestled among exotic plants and redolent magnolia blossoms, cooled by Palmetto fans.

Eggs Sardou (foreground) and Eggs Hussarde

We began our aristocratic breakfast with an "eye opener" called Fleur de Lis—Champagne with Grand Marnier and Lillet Blanc.  (One might think of it as orange juice with a kick.)  With appetites whetted, we were ready for our main course.  My Comestaccomplice ordered the Eggs Sardou (poached eggs on artichoke bottoms in a bed of creamed spinach and covered with Hollandaise sauce) while I chose the signature Eggs Hussarde (poached eggs atop Holland rusks, Canadian Bacon, and Marchand de Vin sauce, topped with Hollandaise sauce).  Ahhh … If only all eggs were this good!

Crêpes Fitzgerald (aflame, left) and Bananas Foster (right)

To finish on a sweet note, we ordered two Brennan's originals:  the Crêpes Fitzgerald (crêpes filled with cream cheese and sour cream, topped with strawberries flambéed with marischino liqueur) and the signature Bananas Foster (bananas sautéed in butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and banana liqueur, flambéed in rum, and served over vanilla ice cream).

What a delicious way to start the day!

Brennan's

417 Royal Street (between Conti & St. Louis Sts)
New Orleans, LA   70130-2103   (map)

(504) 525-9711

http://www.brennansneworleans.com/

 

Laissez les Bon Temps Rouler!

The carnival festival that portends the coming of lent is winding down.  With celebrations culminating today, Mardi Gras (literally, "Fat Tuesday," the eve of Ash Wednesday), I thought I'd share a few of my favorite New Orleans memories with you.

The following posts could represent a food-filled day in the Big Easy:  Breakfast at Brennan's, Lunch at Central Grocery, Dinner at Mulate's, and Drinks at Pat O'Brien's.  Where ya at?  Hungry?  Let's begin with breakfast in the French Quarter.

Jackson Square (Place d'Armes) in the French Quarter

Comestiblab:  The word carnival comes from the Italian carnevale, an alteration of the older carnelevare (from carne, flesh, meat + levare, to remove (from Latin levare, to raise)).  Thus, the literal translation of carnival is, "removal of meat."