New Orleans is a city shrouded in historical legend; its dining scene is no exception.
Where else but New Orleans is there an open-air 24 hour table-service restaurant, Cafe Du Monde, that serves but one thing? The beignet order consists of three larger-than-life hot puffs of sweet fried dough, topped with easily a half box of powdered sugar. Whether you are an eager toddler or a seasoned traveler, a big plate of beignets is the of stuff of legend (albeit a very well publicized one) at an incongruously affordable price ($2.50).
If you yearn for a more refined destination, hop the St. Charles streetcar (a throwback which moves at equally historic speed) down the majestic oak-lined avenue to Commander’s Palace uptown. While I have blogged about the Commander’s magic before, I would be remiss not to mention one of its lesser known charms. Request the upstairs dining room and you will find yourself eating in a tree forest. With the garden lights illuminating the same type of oak trees which align St. Charles, I always find myself transported, and that is before the dining pageant begins.
While he got his start with the Commander’s magic, Emeril Lagasse has been his own NOLA sorcerer for years. Like the Brennans' establishments, his restaurants' team service is down to the last detail. I was equally as impressed with Delmonico as I was on my first visit some four years ago. This time it was the presentation and flavor of a gargantuan soft shell crab. Fittingly, the crab was locally sourced from a place by the name of Grand Isle. The crustacean was certainly befitting of its place of origin, and appeared to have descended from the dinosaurs. It was perfectly fried, topped with a zesty tomato sauce,laid over a corn salsa, and seemingly devouring a handful of lightly dressed baby spinach.
Those beignets look so yummy - I can still taste the ones I had at Cafe du Monde back in March. In fact, every single meal I had in New Orleans was completely amazing. I don't know how they do it!
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