Three days of eating in New Orleans

Introduction

So my wife and I are foodies.  Well, she’s a foodie, and I just go pay the bill.  Or maybe I’m a closet foodie.  Whatever.  Here’s where we ate in NOLA and my reviews and comments.  This trip was in September 2015 so if you Google’d this in 2020, things may be slightly different then.  By the way, I gained 8 lbs in those 4 days, a new record that I’m very proud of.

Deanie’s Seafood

So apparently Deanie’s is an institution.  We got there at around 7pm on a Thursday night, and the wait for 2 people was 45 minutes!   Luckily we found 2 seats at the bar and was able to order food there.   We ordered the charbroiled oysters (first time I’ve ever had them this way), bbq shrimp, and the seafood platter (shrimp, fish, and oysters.)  The charbroiled oysters were surprisingly good.  However, the bbq shrimp was NOT GOOD.  The shrimp was clearly NOT fresh.  It had a semi-mushy taste to them.  I was very disappointed.  Then of course that meant the fried shrimp was also old!  I’ve never been a fan of fried oysters due to that bitter taste, and the fried catfish was okay.  Due to the NOT FRESH shrimp and the ridiculous wait, I would only give it 2 stars on Yelp and never return.

Cochon

This was recommended to me by 3 different people.  We walked here from Bourbon street and it took about 20 minutes.  We had an rsvp for lunch on a Friday at 11am, and when we left at noon, the restaurant was still half empty.  We’re not sure why because it was indeed delicious.  Maybe because it’s more of a yuppy spot and off the beaten path, but it did not disappoint.  The drinks were solid.  The charbroiled oysters were better than Deanie’s.  We used the bread to dip all of that oyster juice/sauce because it was so good.  The drum fish special was also good.  And it was reasonably priced.   I’d give this place 5 stars on Yelp and it’s a must stop if you’re going to NOLA!

World War 2 Museum

I realize this isn’t a restaurant, but since it was 3 blocks away from Cochon and we had nothing else planned for the day, we decided to stop in.  Now I’m not a big museum guy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the museum.  I actually wished I spent more time here reading every story.  It definitely deserves it’s ‘Top NOLA attraction Tripadvisor ranking.”  Here’s a #protip – I was waiting in line and Googled “World War 2 Museum coupon” and found a PDF that saved me $2 per ticket (regular price admission was something like $26 per person.)  If I had more time, I would have paid $5 for each of the movies too.  By the way, in a random TV in the museum, you’ll watch and hear a story from a vet who survived D-Day.  He witnessed 5 deaths of people RIGHT NEXT TO HIM and almost died 3 times himself.  When you hear the story, you will be shocked at how he did not die on that beach.

 

Square Root

So we had a reservation at 6pm on a Friday at Square Root.  We were orginally going to go to Commander’s Palace, but at the last minute, another friend recommended this place instead.  It reminds me of Brooklyn Fare in NYC where you sit around the chef’s table and are served 12-15 items on the tasting menu.  When we went, it was $150 per person for the tasting menu and another $150 for the wine pairing.  Initially we were going to share a wine tasting, but I decided to get my own at the last minute, which I actually now regret.  I think the wine pairing should have only cost $75 since to be honest, it didn’t blow me away and the pours were a little on the light side (I think they were 2 oz pours.)  The food however was delicious and well worth the $150.  I give this place 5 stars on Yelp if you like the whole 15 course tasting menu type of dinner and can afford it.

Mother’s

This is another New Orleans institution.  My friends and I went here over 10 years ago, and so I had high expectations.  However, I should have learned that things change over the years.  When we got there, we saw about 5 people waiting outside, which is always a good sign.  The wait wasn’t too bad (maybe 5 minutes) before they let us inside.  I ordered the shrimp poboy, a large seafood gumbo, and the wife had the jambalaya and a soda.  The total came out to be $50.  HOLY CRAP!  That’s Cochon-like prices without the Cochon-like decor and service.  When we sat down, my wife showed me the Facebook reviews, and oh man, I’ve never seen so many polarizing reviews – they were either 1’s (poor service, lack of seasoning, pricey) or 5’s (“best shrimp poboy EVAR!”).  Well, you know I keep it real with you guys.  I was disappointed.  Maybe the FB reviews psychologically made me think the shrimp was bland, but after eating it at Acme, for sure, the shrimp at Mother’s was bland!  I would give it 3 stars on Yelp and tell my friends to no longer go here…sadly.

Acme Seafood House

This was our last meal in NOLA.  We thought about going to Commander’s Palace, but it was so far out of the way that we didn’t want to Uber there and then Uber back and then Uber to the airport.  And so it was either going to be Acme or the place across the street, Felix’s.  When we were walking up, Acme had more people outside and so we chose Acme (you’d think I would have learned my Mother’s lesson.)  We ordered a dozen charbroiled oysters, a large seafood gumbo, and a half shrimp and half fish poboy.  Everything was delicious!  The shrimp had more seasoning than Mother’s, it was cheaper than Mother’s, and it was closer to our hotel than Mother’s.  After eating here, we can’t go back to Mother’s.  See, it’s all relative right?  If I didn’t eat at Acme, I would have given Mother’s maybe 4 stars, but after eating at Acme, clearly Mother’s was only 3 stars.  I can’t see why I would knock Acme a star, so I’d give them 5 stars on Yelp (until I find a better/cheaper place.)

Cafe du Monde Riverwalk Location

While we wanted to go to the original location, we were in the Riverwalk mall area and decided to stop in at that location.  Depending on what time you go, you may have a line of 10 people deep.  As I was ordering and waiting to pay, the lady behind me told the cashier what she had ordered so he could ring her up.  He then got mad at her for basically not waiting for him to acknowledge her.  Then the manager told him to calm down, and so now he’s arguing with the manager at what just happened although the manager witnessed the whole thing.  The situation got ugly, and so the lady just left (I don’t blame her.)  I think the manager then told him to go take a break.  I bring that up because it explains why the cafe is SO DIRTY!  When we were there, I must have counted 7 employees working, and there was 1 person cleaning the tables.  However, he wasn’t doing a good job because the tables and chairs were all sticky from the powdered sugar.  We ate our beignets as fast as we could and got the heck out of dodge.  If I was the owner, I’d fire everyone working there!  They didn’t seem to enjoy working or you know, being nice to customers.  I’d give it 3 stars on Yelp because the beignets were delicious, but man oh man, I wouldn’t go back to this location.

Willie’s chicken shack(?)

I went to this place twice (both times after midnight since we were at the Absinthe bar across the street on Bourbon street.)  Both times, the seafood platter (fried shrimp and fish) was DELICIOUS!  Granted we were drunk and starving, but after I brought back my order the first night, I was the hit of the party.  Everyone thought the food was delicious.  This reminds me of what the taxi driver was saying on the way into the city – I was asking him for restaurant recommendations, and he just said, “It doesn’t really matter where you go.  Every place is delicious.”  And clearly he was right.  Forgot going to an expensive restaurant like Deanie’s when a random take-out stop like Willie’s has better food!  So if you’re on Bourbon, ignore the fact that it looks like a dingy take-out-spot.  It’s delicious!