New Orleans - The Hungry Nomad

Company Burger- Uptown (New Orleans)

June 18, 2012 No Comments

There are many places in New Orleans where you can get your hamburger fix. Ranging from the peanut butter burger at Yo Mama’s bar to wet and sloppy at Buffa’s or Port of Call. However, one of the newest additions to the New Orleans burger family, the Company Burger, offers a more refined American burger.

The owner, Adam Biderman takes a lot of pride in his restaurant. I was lucky enough to have met him the day I went in. I got a brief lesson on his approach to the American burger and restaurant history. His beef patties are all hormone and antibiotic free, with the patties made in house from scratch. The buns for the burgers are baked on the Northshore using his own personal recipe. There is also a condiment station offering a wide array of sauces ranging from garlic mayo to basil mayo.

Who can resist their carrot and chocolate cake stand? I have of course heard about their tasty burgers but whats more I have been told repeatedly about how they have the best carrot cake in town. So without hesitation a carrot cake was added to our order. Biderman told us that the secret to the amazing carrot cake is his mother’s home recipe. I must get my hands on her recipe. It was probably the best tasting carrot cake I have ever had…no exaggeration.

The place was modern and clean. I really appreciate a restaurant that pays attention to sanitation and cleanliness. Many burger joints in the city (some hole in the walls with good burgers as I have mentioned) really pay no attention to sanitation whatsoever and I sometimes question what else is being served with my burger. But not at Company Burger- the place was spotless clean and whats best you can literally see whats cooking right in front of you.

Before I get too carried away, back to the issue at hand: the burgers. We ordered two single patty burgers although Biderman later told us we should have ordered the Company Burger- a doubly patty burger. I don’t think I could have finished it. I struggled with my own single patty burger.

The burger bun was perfect. Not soggy. Not wet. Not stale. But fresh, chewy and pretty much what a burger bun should be. The patty was delicious and meaty. What I mean by meaty is that you can actually taste the char grilled beef. Sometimes less is more. This is what a hamburger should be. At Company Burger, your burger is served without condiments. You have the option of adding fresh jalapenos and a variety of sauces at the condiment stand.

Okay. So now back to dessert. We were also given the chocolate cake to try. They offer only two kinds of dessert: the carrot cake and the chocolate cake. Both tasty, however, I devoured the carrot cake in less than a minute whereas the Count devoured the chocolate cake alone. It’s personal preference I guess but for me the carrot cake ruled.

Burgers, Gourmand, New Orleans

Comfort Food at Cowbell (New Orleans, USA)

June 16, 2012 No Comments

When we first walked into this place I immediately felt like I was home for Sunday dinner. The place has a casual ambiance and the menu offers many comfort foods. I’ll begin by telling you that I loved it before I get into the details.

Brack May– “philosopher, social entrepreneur and teacher” was formerly a chef of the former Cobalt and opened this homey restaurant last year. The place uses many eclectic pieces and elements from post-Katrina (including their sign which as I was told was the door from a washed up car from Katrina). The inside is wonderfully decorated. My favorite: the host stand, black tiles and the lighting fixtures. Maybe I can ask them to come decorate our home?

The menu has a range of comfort foods from mac ‘n’ cheese, grilled cheese with a side of soup and of course their amazing natural beef burgers and fries (notably the chili cheese fries).

In order not to feel guilty of what was to come we decided to order the mixed green salad served with goat cheese. The dressing was slightly oily but nevertheless it was good.

I was in the mood for anything unhealthy and so of course I ordered the chili cheese fries as a side to my burger. Best decision ever. The fries were so good and the chili cheese topping even better. Needless to say I single-handedly finished the fries without the Count’s help. The burger came next. I was completely full after only a few bites. I love a good burger, especially one that is made with detail and love. The cowbell burger tasted like those high quality burgers my parents made at home. The beef was tender and tasty. The condiments were fresh and were topped off with the special pink sauce they serve with every order. It was definitely one of the best burgers I have had in town.

As we were leaving we noticed their sign hanging outside which stated ‘eat happy’. What a great motto. From now on I’m going to always eat happy.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Vietnamese

Magasin Cafe Re-visited (New Orleans, USA)

June 15, 2012 1 Comment

I already wrote a post on this restaurant but I think it deserves another one since their service has dramatically improved. I love Vietnamese food- particularly a good pho and am so happy to have this place so close to home. The Count and I are frequent visitors (don’t tell Tan Dinh since the Count has been their loyal customer for years).

I love the interior of the restaurant. It’s clean, modern and fresh. There are stools lining the windows for additional seating and a cement area in the middle which they have creatively used as a seating area.

Each table comes ready with an assortment of sauces, cutlery and napkins.

On our list of must haves are the crab rangoon, various spring rolls, the chicken pho and lemongrass chicken banh mi. The Count also tried the fillet Mignon steak dish once which he thoroughly enjoyed. The crab rangoon is a crispy fried dough filled with cream cheese served with a side of sweet and sour sauce. It was my first time trying it at Magasin Cafe but ever since I have been hooked.

Below is a photo of the chicken vermicelli which as you can see was served with mint, shredded carrots, spring onions and cabbages. The colorful range of flavors exploded into an amazing spoonful of textures and tastes in my mouth. So good and so fresh.

My main dish is always the chicken pho since I love a good soup and for me the pho is a mixture of your chicken noodle soup with a twist. The addition of fresh basil, jalapenos, bean sprouts and lime with a spoonful of the spicy sauce just makes it oh so good. Even when its boiling hot outside.

I also love how they have set up the outdoor space. It reminded me a lot of Thailand (since I have not yet been to Vietnam). It looked like many local restaurants in the area with one man grilling meats on the barbecue outside. Overall, it’s a wonderful creative space to stimulate your senses…the best part: it is very cheap compared to other restaurants in the area.

Bubble Tea, Gourmand, Ice Cream, New Orleans

Bubble Tea at Honeydeux (New Orleans, USA)

May 7, 2012 No Comments

Ever since I moved down to New Orleans I kept questioning why there were no bubble tea places around. After all, it is a frozen drink and seemed like it would be a great hit down here. Well, I am happy to say that finally one has opened on Magazine street. Honeydeux serves bubble tea in a range of real fruit flavors along with an assortment of asian shaved ice and wraps.

What to look for in a good bubble tea? Do they use real fruits? If so you know its good. This place even uses real taro roots (the purple drink on the bottom) which is ever so delicious. Most places use taro powder rather than the real thing. Next, you should look for a perfect proportion of tapioca balls which are average in size and not overly hard or soft but chewy. My personal favorites are the taro, coconut and honeydeux. I’ll have to go back and try their asian shaved ice which is served with fruits and a scoop of ice-cream on top finished off with condensed milk. Anything with condensed milk makes me happy (in fact I may or may not eat spoonfuls at times for dessert…mmmm condensed milk). Ok. Back to my review…. as you can tell by the pink lipstick below I tried the taro and loved it.

The prices are a bit on the steeper end but I’m thinking its the new trend down here. More competition would bring down prices; unfortunately for us, there aren’t that many bubble tea places around and so you have to pay the higher price. In return however you do get real fruits as opposed to powder.

New Orleans, USA, Wine Bar

Delachaise (New Orleans, USA)

April 30, 2012 No Comments

Delachaise is a lovely little wine bar tucked away on Saint Charles street close to Touro hospital and my favorite sandwich shop, Milk Bar. We usually go here for drinks and appetizers (more specifically, the Lambic framboise beer and goose fat fries for me). On this particular day I was craving steak (poor attempt at vegetarianism preceded my cravings). It was a bit early- many restaurants were still not open for dinner and as we drove by Delachaise I checked the menu online to see if they offered your typical french Steak/Frites dish. Once we discovered that they did we quickly made our way over.

Delachaise is a really lovely place and many of their dishes are delicious. The place is usually packed in the evenings- offering a cozy patio overlooking Saint Charles Avenue and the passing streetcars.

I have never had a bad experience at Delachaise; however, I’ve never had a meal and stuck to the fries and other small appetizers. Craving steak I predictably ordered the Steak/Frites while the Count ordered the special for the day- a Peruvian stir fry served on basmati rice.Once the food arrived I was delighted to see the beautiful presentation and the resemblance of a typical steak/frites dish I frequently had in France. However, as soon as I dug my knife in the meat I was quickly disappointed. The meat consisted of 80% fat. I left the entire thing untouched..and the count had to dissect it to find some small pieces of meat. The worst part…it was not cheap. I was expecting a good quality meat given what they were charging which added to my disappointment. On the bright side, the fries were delicious- as they always are.

On the other hand, the Peruvian steak stir fry was an amazing blend of flavors and sauces.

I don’t usually post these sort of photos as shown below but I wanted to show what remained at the end of our meal: Below: steak dissection…

…and to be fair, our Peruvian stir fry was polished clean.

Since I love this place, my bad steak experience will not stop me from going since everything else is amazing, I guess all I can recommend is: stick to the what they know best: appetizers and amazing wine.

Ice Cream, New Orleans, USA

The Creole Creamery (New Orleans, USA)

April 29, 2012 No Comments

I’ve tried many ice cream shops in New Orleans and this one has made it to the top of my list. It has by far the best ice cream in town. As soon as you walk through the doors you take a trip back in time. It reminds me of many hollywood movies based in the South- it definitely has that old world charm.There are so many delicious and creative flavors to try and it’s usually hard to choose just one. However, over time and many flavor tests I find that I tend to gravitate to chocolate flavors. My personal favorites at the Creole Creamery are the entire chocolate section (located on your left as soon as you walk in); more specifically, the chocwork-orange (a dark creamy chocolate ice cream with a hint of orange flavor), the butterscotch english toffee (soooo good) and lavender honey (who doesn’t love lavender?)

What’s your favorite flavor?

Chocolate, New Orleans, Sweets, USA

Bittersweet Confections- CBD (New Orleans, USA)

April 18, 2012 No Comments

Chocolate truffles, cakes, cupcakes and more chocolate. This is what you’ll find at the new Bittersweet Confections location in the Central Business District. Although, there on a cake tasting mission, we ended up tasting many of their delicious cupcakes in various flavors: chocolate, red velvet and almond. All were delicious and washed down with a perfect cup of cappuccino. They also offer little treats to take away- neatly packaged in clear plastic and pink stickers.

Originally located in Lakeview close to City Park the owners have relocated downtown. Lucky us- their treats are now more accessible for those living on this side of town.I hear their truffles are to die for and so I’ll have to go back sometime on a truffle tasting mission. Will keep you posted on my discoveries.

Ice Cream, New Orleans, Sno Cone

Magazine Deli Sno Balls and Ice Cream (New Orleans, USA)

April 17, 2012 No Comments

One of the best ways to cool off from the heat in New Orleans is to have a sno ball. I had my first one just the other day and now understand why there are always long line ups at each sno ball stand.There are literally thousands of stands all over town and some gain more popularity than others based on the flavors, quality of ice and syrup quantity. Some offer preservative free syrup made mainly from cane sugar, extracts and water but most use pre-made syrups.

What is a sno cone you ask? It’s a delightfully simply treat: shaved ice and flavored syrup. I added ice cream to mine which made it extra spectacular. The best part? It is a very cheap way to cool off. Magazine deli is a little stand close to my house. The staff were so friendly and gave me a little history of sno balls and offered their best flavors to taste. I am already a fan.

Gourmand, New Orleans, Vietnamese

Magasin Vietnamese Cafe (New Orleans, USA)

April 16, 2012 No Comments

Yes. Finally a Vietnamese restaurant on Magazine street! This one being modern, sleek, trendy yet cheap and friendly. Magasin Vietnamese Cafe has quickly become a popular spot on Magazine street so you may find yourself waiting in a line up during rush hours. The staff seemed overwhelmed the night we went and I can’t say that the service was amazing because it was far from it but given that they are a new restaurant I won’t be quick to judge. Hopefully, once everything falls into place they will get the hang of things and provide better and more prompt service. On the night we went, we had to wait 15-20 minutes before anyone came to our table. The food came out in a timely fashion but there was not enough spoons and when we asked it took another 15 minutes (the waiter forgot) and we had to go inside to grab spoons ourselves. There was no alcohol (assuming they do not have an alcohol license) so we went across the street to buy some wine which was fine. We went on a Friday night and were surprised to learn that the restaurant closes at 9 pm until we looked around and saw that the place was empty except for us.

Despite the lack of proper service the food was great (see menu). It was everything you could ask for on a Vietnamese menu: pho, spring rolls, subs and rice noodles. The best part was the vegetarian and vegan options which I found to be extremely refreshing since its a rarity down south. Our vegetarian friends were very happy with the options and ordered several of the veggie dishes off the menu. I am a big pho fan and opted for the chicken pho which was just perfect. The spring rolls (both friend pork and shrimp) were good as well. Perfect proportion of meat and rice noodles served with peanut sauce. The crab rangoon for appetizer was really delicious. I had never had it before and found it to be a perfect dish- creamy cheese and crab wrapped and fried in a crispy dough. The best part had to be the prices. Everything was reasonably priced: dinner for our table of 5 came to just over $60 dollars.

This place is great if you don’t feel like making the trek to the West Bank for your Vietnamese food fix. I for one will definitely be back for more. I just hope their service improves in time.

New Orleans, Sushi, USA

Sushi at Chiba (New Orleans, USA)

April 15, 2012 No Comments

A new sushi restaurant in New Orleans? This I must try. So far I have not been impressed with the New Orleans sushi scene. Most sushi joints serve sushi rolls covered in various sauce, many deep fried, and really not healthy at all. So you can understand how excited I was to try out Chiba hoping that it would resemble more of what sushi should be about: fresh fish preferably not drowning in sauce. This is a sushi spot for true sushi lovers. In fact I quickly learned that the restaurant prides itself on serving less common fish and no Americanized sushi rolls (which means no crispy/fried sushi)! Great if you are looking for a healthier meal.

Chiba is a beautiful modern, clean and roomy restaurant located on Oak street. I love everything on this vibrant and eclectic street, Chiba is a great new addition. We ordered several sushi dishes and loved each one. The perfect amount of rice on each roll (not too much) and fresh fish. Delicious! Being from Vancouver its hard to rate this as the best sushi I’ve ever had but I can easily say that it is the best sushi I have ever had…in New Orleans.