A week in New Orleans

NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 23:17:17 GMT
Organization: Verio
Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu rec.food.restaurants:52494

Been to New Orleans 4 times this year - 3 on business and then Thanksgiving.  Here's my very opinionated list:

K-Paul's.   My favorite.  The upstairs is for reservations - I suggest making them now. Mr. B's Bistro.  A Brennan's restaurant - the Gumbo Ya-Ya is even better than K-Paul's. Bayona.  I was disappointed. Alex Patout's.  Underrated, I think.  Had a great dinner.  Lousy service. Magnolia Cafe.  A sleeper for breakfast in the Quarter. Sara's.  An interesting fusion of Asian & Cajun.  You'll need a car or cab to get there. Brennan's.  Good solid food, nothing spectacular. Nice genteel atmosphere.  Way overpriced, IMHO. La Madeleine.  Great place for breakfast.  The potato galette is phenomenal. Katie's.  Mid-town neighborhood joint. Nice change from the tourist craziness.  I had a fantastic fish dinner with a side of pasta. Mandina's.  Another old standard on Canal Street, mid-town.  Mostly locals.  Great tastes but be prepared for a cholesterol explosion. NOLA.  Enjoyed the dinner, not as good as Emeril's.  Hate the noise level. Felix's.  I like it better than Acme for the raw bar.  Also, excellent oyster po' boys. Lucky Cheng's.  It's worth walking into to check out "Delicious" the 6'4, transvestite waitress.

Lagniappe.  Abita beer is better than Dixie.  Especially the Thunderdog dark, if you can find it.   After a couple of beignet's at Cafe du Monde the powdered sugar euphoria will overcome the detestable cattle car "atmosphere."   Mitchell Cormier & the Can't Hardly Playboys are a zydeco  treat at the Cajun Cabin on Bourbon.  After a few days in the French Quarter, YOU"LL feel like mugging some tourists.

Someone wrote:

>I'm new to this list and wonder if anyone with first hand experience can
>guide us around the New Orleans (and surrounding areas) eating scene.
>We'll be there for a week or so around January 12th.  I have the high
>class restaurant list from a library book and Gourmet and Bon Appetit
>magazines list a few.  Do we know about any 'secret places'?  Native
>cooking is what we're after.
>
>Any help will be appreciated.  And we won't whine if it doesn't work out
>and we get mugged, robbed or poisoned along the way.  (Do I have to add
>a little <g> so people will know I'm kidding)?
>
>Mort
>

You must go to Uglesich's.  It is truly a dive but the food is great. One of the best things about it is that if they can't get great, fresh local seafood, they take the items off the menu.  I overheard the owner talking to another customer about why one shouldn't eat crawfish in December.  "You're eating Chinese, and I don't serve Chinese."  They couldn't get good Louisiana mudbugs so all crawfish dishes were off.

There is a procedure to eating at Ugie's.  Once you get past the door and into the 10 table restaurant you place your order with the owner or his wife.  If you would like they will guide you.  You are given a number and move further down the tiny counter to a piece of marble that serves as the oyster bar.  Order some, they are wonderful.  You can scan the room to see if any local chefs are there. Its a very good chance that they will be.

When a table opens up, you will be seated.  Your order has been working while you have been standing so the food comes in short order.  Make sure you get plenty of bread to soak up all the great sauce.  Don't let the fact that you are sitting at mismatched, bare tables set amid cases of beer and Barq's take your attention away from the food.  Once you have stuffed yourself (and you will) head back over to the counter to settle up.  It's cash only so bring a good amount of folding money.  Lunch for 3 with app.,entree and two drinks each was $80 plus tip.  And it was worth every penny.

The fact that a restaurant of this type (small, divey and in an iffy part of town) is consistently named among the top 5 spots in one of the great food cities says more than I can.

Rules to follow:

Take a cab.  The area really is kinda rough.

Don't let the neighborhood freak you out too much.

Come early or late in the lunch hour to avoid the longest lines (They are only open for weekday lunch)

Bring a few people so you can order and try lots of things

Order the fried green tomatoes with shrimp remoulade and the Shrimp Uggie

If you like oyster po-boys order one here.  They are shucked to order and said to be the best in town.

Give them a head start when calling you a cab.  It can take a while.

Don't plan to do much but digest for the next few hours.

Here are a few review links that might be of interest:

http://yatcom.com/neworl/dining/uglesich/uglesich.html http://netscape.digitalcity.com/neworleans/eat/venue.dci?vid=81791 http://netscape.digitalcity.com/neworleans/eat/venue.dci?vid=18920

This message board may help you with other meals.  They are into good food without the hype

http://chowhound.com/south/boards/neworleans/neworleans.html

Have a good time and post a trip report when you get back.

Cheers-

Tom

BTW if you like zydeco music don't miss Rock and Bowl at the Mid City Lanes on Thursday night.  Another local favorite.

greenie wrote:

> I'm new to this list and wonder if anyone with first hand experience can
> guide us around the New Orleans (and surrounding areas) eating scene.
> We'll be there for a week or so around January 12th.  I have the high
> class restaurant list from a library book and Gourmet and Bon Appetit
> magazines list a few.  Do we know about any 'secret places'?  Native
> cooking is what we're after.
>
> Any help will be appreciated.  And we won't whine if it doesn't work out
> and we get mugged, robbed or poisoned along the way.  (Do I have to add
> a little <g> so people will know I'm kidding)?
>
> Mort

NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 14:39:49 CST
Date: Wed, 27 Dec 2000 14:37:26 -0600
Xref: usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu rec.food.restaurants:52519

I went to Uglesich's last spring and found it highly overrated.  The portions were small, the food was o.k. (but not outstanding), and it was grossly overpriced.  I think there is some "reverse snob appeal" connected with this restaurant; i.e. it has to be good because it's a dive.  For a local place seriving great food at a much lower price, I prefer Frankie and Johnnie's, which is uptown, just north of the zoo.  Only locals there, and fabulous food at reasonable prices.

I always go to Mosca's, which is about 15 miles outside of town in Waggaman. It's another dive, but serves fabulous (and fairly expensive food). REserve well in advance.  Their cracked-crab salad, as an appetizer, is to die for. Ditto for their oysters Mosca or garlic shrimp.