I travel mouth first and one of the best places to do that is in the Big Easy. Here are the top meals you need to try on your next trip to New Orleans.
Po-Boys at Mahoney’s
Can you even say you have been to New Orleans if you haven’t had a po-boy? Named for the “Poor Boy” sandwiches that were handed out to workers who were involved in the 1929 streetcar strike, they are truly a New Orleans original. I went for Mahoney’s fried shrimp Po-Boy dressed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo. Also ordered a side of their Creole Slaw which was a perfect compliment.
Eggs Sardou and Baked Apple at Brennan’s
Brennan’s is a must on your New Orleans food adventure. Breakfast is spectacular and quite honestly if I could have ordered the entire menu I would have! I decided on the Eggs Sardou which feature crispy artichokes, parmesan creamed spinach, and a choron sauce.
Brennan’s is famous for their Bananas Foster which is made tableside and quite the spectacle! Unfortunately, they require a minimum of two people per order so as a solo traveler I opted for the Baked Apple. It was a fabulous second choice and if it hadn’t been such a fancy restaurant, I would have licked my bowl clean! If this makes you sad that you are not enjoying a baked apple right now, Brennan’s actually has the full recipe on their website for you to make at home.
Oyster Sampler and Crevettes Creoles at Antoine’s
In the heart of the French Quarter is Antoine’s, the oldest family run restaurant in the country. It is also the birthplace of Oysters Rockefeller. Not wanting to miss out on the original, I ordered the Oyster Sampler which is oysters three ways: Bienville, Thermidor, and Rockefeller.
For my main, I ordered the Creole Shrimp, a hearty dish of shrimp with creole sauce and rice. Clean your dish with the bread that comes with your meal.
Beignets and Chicory Coffee Au Lait at Cafe Du Monde
One of the most iconic eats in New Orleans is Beignets and Chicory Coffee from Cafe Du Monde. The beignets are large and fluffy, heavily coated in powdered sugar that will get everywhere while you eat them. I recommend visiting early in the morning to avoid a wait and if you are visiting the original location near Jackson Square be sure to bring cash to pay for your order.
Gulf Seafood Napoleon at Criollo
Tucked inside the Hotel Monteleone is the Criollo Restaurant serving elevated Louisiana dishes. And there is one dish that is literally elevated off the plate and that is the Gulf Seafood Napoleon. It is a beautiful tower of fried eggplant & green tomato, shrimp, jumbo lump crab, oyster, drizzled with a garlic butter sauce. Heaven.
Death by Gumbo, Oysters R’evolution Style, and Creole Cream Cheese Bread Pudding Creme Brulee at R’evolution
R’evolution is an exquisite restaurant that has a modern take on traditional Louisiana dishes. Their most famous dish is Death by Gumbo; a boneless quail stuffed with rice, oysters and sauces, served with a gumbo-like soup that is poured over the quail at the table. I think about how incredible this dish was even months later.
For my starter, determined to eat my weight in seafood on this trip, I decided on the Oysters R’evolution Style which are oysters on a halfshell dressed with lemon-horseradish granita and tabasco verjus.
Finally, for dessert, I ordered the extravagant Creole Cream Cheese Bread Pudding Creme Brulee. Four desserts fused into one delicious union. Take note that the dessert menu does rotate so if you see this be sure to order it because you don’t know if it will be there on your next visit.
Want to see more of my trip to New Orleans? Check out my NOLA highlight on Instagram.
