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Monday, January 31, 2011

Sucre

We had a couple hours to kill before heading to the airport so we drove down Magazine Street where people have recommended us to check out. So we just parked the car and took a stroll.

Sucre
3025 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
(504) 520-8311
http://www.shopsucre.com/
Price: $

We ended up at Sucre, this dessert boutique that someone had recommended. They said it had the best macaroons in town.

The place was really cute. The decor and styling was very appealing and fit the type of store really well. Other than selling bakery items they also had a gelato counter and a chocolate counter. Everything looked pretty and fancy and delicious.

I'm not really a macaroon fan but I figured since I was there I should give it a try. OMG! They were sooo expensive. Each macaroon (they were tiny...about 1 inch in diameter) was $2. I decided I didn't want to try it that badly. haha.

I ended up getting 2 Scoops of Gelato with Waffle Cone (Mint Chocolate Chip and Rocher gelato) $4.75~ The Rocher gelato tasted just like Ferro Rocher (one of my favorite chocolates of all time). YUM! But I still prefer Paciugo's gelato...it tastes great and is lighter and healthier in my opinion.

So this place was packed...and people continued to come in and out. They were definitely short staffed even though there were quite a bit of people behind the counter working. The service was terrible!! After I got my gelato I stood in line to pay. I noticed that the girl at
the register left and started making something for one of the customer, while leaving a line of 5-6 people waiting. You would think they would have people manning the registers and other prepping the food... We waited a while longer and people around me started talking. We didn't know why no one was there to check us out. I could've easily just walked out without paying! The lady in front of me said she wanted to sit down and enjoy her gelato but she was almost finished with it! Ridiculous. Finally I flagged down one guy behind the counter. He looked utterly confused that I asked for someone to check us out...as if I made some crazy request. Hello?!? Then he proceeded to walk away! WTH?!? Finally some girl showed up behind the register. She was confused as well. Apparently there were 2 different lines at 2 different registers (one for the gelato, the other for the bakery/chocolates). One of the customers didn't know which line to go into and the girl behind the register didn't know either and couldn't help her... OMG. I really should've just walked out and gotten free ice cream.

Geezus...that was a crazy ordeal. Finally I made it out of there. Very unimpressed with how they ran the place. Unless you are a macaroon fanatic, I can say this place can be skipped. Go to Kupcake Factory instead!! :P

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Awesome Brunch @ Patois

Last day in NOLA. We had a late brunch scheduled. I'm surprised we can still eat more! haha.

I picked this place after looking at their menu. It sounded really good and price was decent in New Orleans terms... haha. I was able to make a reservation through their website.

Patois
6078 Laurel Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 895-9441
http://www.patoisnola.com/
Price: $$ (for Brunch)

This was a cute little place. Seemed kind of like a restored home or something. The place was clean and bright. I thought it was perfect for a brunch setting.

We got there right at 1PM and was immediately seated. However, we waited a long time before anyone else came to greet us or give us water or menus... Not a really good start. They're lucky we're in no hurry so we didn't mind it as much. But not really a warm welcome
I'd say...

Finally our waitress showed up. At least she was nice. We made our order and she brought out their Muffin/Bread basket (assortment of muffins and bread with Strawberry jam). YUM! They were delicious. There were blueberry muffins, rolls, and some popovers. Everything was delicious. Warm, buttery, flaky, and the jam was fantastic. I think the food is redeeming the lack of service! haha.

A friend of mine ordered a Mimosa $11~ It was small and not that good. And he had no idea it was gonna be $11! Dang! Oh well...next time he should learn to ask the price...

I got the Duck Confit Salad (with arugula, spiced pecans & pear vinaigrette) $12.50~ I wanted something fairly small because I also wanted dessert. hehe. This was sooo good. The duck was SUPER tender and moist. I loved the pairing of the fresh salad with the fattiness of the duck. The salad was great, the vinaigrette wasn't too much or overpowering and the pears and pecans added just a bit of sweetness. One tiny complaint is there was a bit of grease under the duck which is understandable since it was a confit (cooked in fat). But all in all, it was fantastic!

One friend ordered the Rabbit, Andouille & Greens Gumbo $7~ to start. I tried a bite. I didn't seem the rabbit anywhere but I definitely got some of the sausage and greens. It was a little soupier than I would've liked my gumbo and needed more rice I thought. But the flavor was great...really bold with a kick at the end. :) I also thought the greens in there was a nice touch.

He also ordered the Pulled Pork & Biscuits (poached eggs, smoked tomato hollandaise and bacon braised greens) $15~ This was good as well. The eggs were perfectly poached...and I mean PERFECT! The hollandaise was creamy but not too heavy. And the pork was nice and tender. The braised greens were good as well. Pretty tasty!

My bf got the Egg, Crispy Pork Belly & Gried Green Tomato Sandwich (with cheddar cheese, a crystal hot sauce aioli on brioche, with side of fries) $11~ That was my other choice so I kinda pushed him to get it. haha. I did notice that it was not served on brioche but just regular wheat toast. Didn't really matter...it was awesome. The plate was pretty huge. The pork belly was nice and thick with a good crust on the outside. The egg and tart tomato was great with it. The toast had a nice slight char on the edges. And the fries were great as well. Nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside...perfect seasoning on top.

My other friend got the Classic Breakfast (eggs any style, sausage, hash browns, and toast) $10~ plus a Side of Apple Smoked Bacon $3~ He LOVED the bacon! And said the eggs were cooked perfectly and had sooo much flavor. I tried the sausage and it was interesting. It was like a homemade patty with a sage leaf pressed into it. I thought that was really cool. The hash browns (more like "home fries") were excellent. Crispy outside, fluffy inside.

Everything was going great. The food was fantastic. We were all pretty full but we HAD to get dessert, because they were most likely delicious as well.

We got the Chocolate-Orange Crepe (Orange confit, Grand Marnier anglaise, chocolate sauce, pistachio) $8.50~ I almost ordered this as my entree for brunch. haha. But I'm glad I got the duck. This was good. I liked the citrus with the chocolate... you could really taste both and it was balanced well. The sugar garnish on top was pretty cool looking but was kinda sharp! Be careful if you want to eat it. I didn't really get the pistachio though... I think the dessert was good, but I regretted not getting one of the other options.

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gateau (bittersweet budino, Frangelico ice cream, Hazelnut brittle) $9~ The presentation was totally cute. The budino (which is basically French for pudding) was in a cute little jar. That was the best part of the trio. The pudding was rich, creamy, chocolately goodness. I wanted more of that. The gateau was kind of like a flourless chocolate cake. A little flakier than I would've liked...I wanted it more like a brownie consistency or something. But the flavor was good. I was excited about the Frangelico ice cream but it tasted just vanilla...didn't really get the liqueur part of it. And I loved the brittle underneath the ice cream.

It was a fantastic brunch. We all agreed that Patois was one of the best meals we had on the trip. I wish we were in NOLA a little longer so I can go back and try their dinner and more desserts... The service was a bit lacking but the food more than enough made up for it. If they step up the service then it would definitely be an A+ location.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Jacques-Imo's

OMG....it's time for our ACTUAL dinner. hahaha. I'm sooo full already!

Jacques-Imo's Cafe
8324 Oak Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 861-0886
Price: $$

The restaurant owner is Jacques Leonardi, who is also the owner of Crabby Jack's (I had no idea!). This place was featured on Food Network's "Best Thing I Ever Ate" so I was really looking forward to trying it.

I'm so glad I called and made a reservation (even though the earliest availability was 9PM!) cuz the place was packed! We had to go through the bar to get to the hostess stand. O.M.G. The number of people in the bar was INSANE! You cannot move at all. I almost wanted to
give up the reservation and leave... I get claustrophobic and that was not a good experience!

Luckily the dining area was in a completely different area. Whew. When we finally got to the hostess, we had to squeeze our way back to the front of the bar to go to the dining area. The restaurant decor was very colorful and eclectic. Lots of different art, pictures, drawings on the walls, very random.

We were given complimentary Cornbread after we ordered. I'm not usually a cornbread fan but this was really good. The crust had a nice crunch to it and the inside was pretty moist. I would've liked some chunks of corn in it though.

A friend of mine ordered Fried Green Tomatoes (with shrimp remoulade) $7.50~ appetizer. It was definitely different than the remoulade we had in our po-boy earlier in the day. It was actually whole shrimp..in the shell and everything. I liked the crust on the green tomato but I think it needed more seasoning. I find green tomatoes kind of flavorless so I think some sort of sauce is necessary for flavor.

I just got an appetizer because I was still really full. Fried Rabbit Tenderloin (with Creole Mustard Sauce) $7.50~ I've never had rabbit before so I really wanted to try it. I thought the presentation looked kinda funny... It was ok... The texture was very similar to white meat chicken...a little tough and dry. Although I could taste a hint of some other flavor that differentiated it from chicken. I thought the crust could've been crispier too. I didn't care for the dish too much...

Half way through the meal, Jacques himself strolls into the dining room. Cool! He made his rounds at every table, greeting and chatting with all the customers. He seemed really friendly and laid back. When he got around to our table we told him this was our first time there and if we could take a picture with him. He was a good sport and even got on top of our chairs and did a goofy pose. haha! :) Then he asked if we got their Shrimp and Alligator Sausage Cheesecake $7.50~ (we didn't order it), so he gave it to us on the house since that was what they're famous for. It was the one featured on Food Network. It was definitely interesting...a savory cheesecake. Although I felt the texture was more along the lines of a quiche or bread pudding. I could see and taste the chunks of alligator sausage but didn't really get the shrimp. The sauce on top was kind of a creamy tomato-y sauce. I'm not sure if I really liked it that much but it was definitely something different to try.

Here are the entrees that other people ordered...
Each entree comes with house salad and choice of two sides. House salad is a spinach salad with a fried oyster and balsamic dressing. The salad was really good. Fresh and the dressing was tasty and not overpowering. The fried oyster on the side was pretty dang good as well.

One friend got the Cajun Bouillibaisse (oysters, shrimp, mussels, fresh fish) $19.50~ This was kind of like a seafood stew. There were lots of different kinds of seafood in there. I had a piece of shrimp...it was overcooked. :( The flavors were pretty nice though.

My bf ordered Grilled Mahi Mahi (with Pistachio sauce, asparagus, and shrimp); side of Corn Maque Choux and Mixed Greens) $18.50~ The fish was a nice thick piece of fish. It was cooked well, but I thought was lacking in seasoning a bit. The sauce wasn't really what I had imagined when I read the menu. What I really liked were the sides. The corn and greens were awesome! :)

Another friend ordered Blackened Redfish (with a crab shili hollandaise) $18.50~ I didn't get to try it but it looked pretty good.

One of my friends ordered Cowboy Ribeye with Onion Rings and Mashed Potatoes (22 oz. bone-in Ribeye) $36~ when he saw some guy in the table next to us with one. It looked really good. hahaha. I got to try one bite. The flavor was good I thought..but it wasn't as tender as I would like. And I didn't like the onion rings even though they looked good. The batter on the outside wasn't crispy...

OMG we were sooo full... I was at my max capacity and was starting to feel a little sick. haha. Needless to say we did not have any dessert. :P

Overall I was a little disappointed in the meal. I would definitey prefer Crabby Jacks out of the two. But I'm not sure if it's because I was already full to begin with...

There were some good parts and some not so good parts. But it was a nice surprise to meet Jacques thats for sure! All I can say is call ahead and make reservations!! Otherwise you'll be stuck waiting forever...

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~

Ninja Sushi

So we headed over to our dinner location but got there a little too early. We saw this Japanese place down the street. It was on my original list of places to check out but was eliminated due to lack of time. But since we got some time to kill, why not check it out! haha. So I guess this is semi-dinner #2? :P

Ninja Restaurant and Sushi Bar
8433 Oak Street
New Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 866-1119
http://www.ninjasushineworleans.com/
Price: $$-$$$

This place was a 2 story building. Walking in...it was a bar on the first floor, totally empty...and it seemed kinda old and dumpy. I almost wanted to walk out. But they took us upstairs to the dining area and it was like a completely different place. The decor was nice and it was packed with people. Weird...

We were seated at the sushi bar and the guys ordered some Sake. We didn't want to eat too much since dinner was in like half an hour. hahaha.

They gave us some complimentary Ninja Salad (cucumber salad with seaweed and crab in mayo/wasabi/sesame dressing). I've never had cucumber salad like this. The dressing was what made it great. It was delicious. Lots of different textures and the creamy dressing with wasabi and sesame added tons of flavor. It was similar to a peanut sauce but not as heavy. YUM!

My friend ordered the Gyoza (pan-fried dumplings) $5.75~ He said it was good but the sauce was a little too salty. It was a pretty generic gyoza.


We also got the Goma Miso Roll (Spicy snow crab, cucumber, served on sesame miso dressing) $6.50~ This was really good. The miso dressing definitely enhanced the rolls. I've never had a roll like this before. Even my friend who doesn't like seafood said it was good!

Moriaki Roll (Yellowtail, fresh salmon, tuna, green onion, smelt roe, radish sprout, avocado) $7.25~ I really liked this roll. It was also really pretty to look at with all the different colors of fish inside. The fish was really fresh and all worked together beautifully.

We chatted with the Sushi Chef, Jimmy, while we ate. Really nice guy and I thought he made the sushi really well. Our waitress was also really friendly and was accommodating when we said we were kind of in a time crunch.

It was a nice surprise and I'm glad we stopped by this place. I wish we would've had the chance to try more stuff there though. If you go, don't let the bar downstairs scare you. haha.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~


The Green Goddess

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the French Quarter. Then we hit up Green Goddess for an early dinner (since our real dinner reservation wasn't until 9PM).

Green Goddess
307 Exchange Place
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 301-3347
Price: $$

This was recommended by a friend on fb. I looked it up online and was immediately intrigued by their menu selection. They had a lot of interesting menu items. It's a tiny little place...only about 4 tables inside and some outdoor seating. And they don't take reservations. We got there at 5:45PM about 15 minutes before the kitchen opened for dinner service. Thank goodness we did because as soon as we walked in, a bunch of people started walking in after us. We got a table immediately. :)

This was definitely a hole in the wall...which are places I want to try the most when I go somewhere new. They have a really extensive wine list and also make some creative cocktails.

We just got a couple things to share since we were still pretty full and were having dinner later.

Absinthe-Roasted Oyster & Fennel Chowder (Louisiana oysters roasted in absinthe and fennel pollen; ladled over a creamy chowder of fennel, potato & celery root, finished with intense Chilean olive oil) $10~ I was a little turned off by the oil floating on top of the soup. I think they could've poured less of that on top. But overall it was really good. The flavors were nice and the oysters were perfectly cooked. The oysters were cooked in a different manner than I've ever had before ..super tender. I liked the chunks of potato and celery root in the soup as well. I wish the soup was a little thicker though (since I prefer creamier soups in general). I enjoyed it!

Louisiana "Bangers & Mash" (Marciante's duck sausage and mashed sweet potatoes with hints of orange and roasted garlic, finished by Steen's cane syrup) $13~ This was recommended by the waitress. It was a really good dish. The duck sausage was really tasty with a hint of spiciness. The sweet potato mash was silky smooth and sweet. The salty/spicy sausage paired really well with the sweet potatoes. Different textures and contrasting flavors are what makes a dish good! I thought it could've done without so much of the cane syrup though since the sweet potatoes were already pretty sweet. I tried to eat the parts not completely soaked in syrup.

Chocolate Biscuit Heaven (Paul's sweet potato biscuit and our Deep South twist on Italy's gianduja, made with chocolate and pecans for a velvety, dark sauce, and the biscuit slathered with pecan butter) $8~ The chocolate sauce was amazing! Rich and luscious...I can just drink it all up! The dessert was quite small...I didn't think it was worth the price. The biscuit was good and flaky but I didn't really get the essence of sweet potato. Also the chocolate sauce overpowered the biscuit and the pecan butter inside. But since the sauce was amazing, I guess I can't really complain. haha.

Their "Notorious" Bacon Sundae (Pecan praline ice cream with a creamy bacon caramel sauce carrying a bit of both Pink Himalayan & Black Lava Salts & micro-planed Nueske's Applewood Bacon, layered with whipped cream) $8~ This was raved about on other reviews so I had to get it. Plus bacon is really good on ANYTHING! This was AWESOME. I think one of the highlights of the trip. The pecan ice cream was super creamy. The bacon added just the right amount of saltiness and texture along with the caramel sauce. OMG! AMAZING. They also layered the bacon and ice cream so you still got some bacon towards the bottom of the glass. You know sometimes people only put the toppings on the top so after you eat the top it's gone? I hate that... So it was bonus points that they layered theirs. I also took some of the chocolate sauce from the Biscuit and ate it with the ice cream. EVEN BETTER!!! hahaha. :P If you are into the whole sweet and savory combos then you've GOTTA try this!!

This was a pretty cool place. Service was really slow though. Which was surprising since I would think they would want the turnover rate to be much faster due to the limited capacity.

I'm so glad we were able to check this place out and not wait to get seats. Thanks for the recommendation!! :) If you want to try new and interesting things in New Orleans, go check out Green Goddess. Just make sure you either go super early or much later so you don't end up waiting forever.

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~~ CHOMP CHOMP ~~