Salú (New Orleans, USA)

Salu is located on Magazine street and offers hot and cold Spanish and Mediterranean tapas (although they also had some Indian dishes).  It is a pretty large restaurant offering both indoor and outdoor seating.  The interior dining area is decorated with eclectic art pieces and a hand-painted circular skylight designed by local artist E. Lee Jahncke.  There is also a large colorful bar offering a wide range of wines. 
This place has been around for over a year now; however, I’ve always passed it by without considering it. What a mistake! Everything from the decor, ambiance, service and food was great. The food….
…ahhh the food was delicious. Although I wouldn’t exactly describe all the dishes as tapas since some came in large portions. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Patatas Bravas, Wild Mushroom and Goat Cheese Empanadas and Grilled Lamb Lollipops. 
As soon as we finished ordering we were served with warm white bread and a plate of olive oil and herbs. Each plate came out as prepared. We went on a Thursday which also happened to be Paella night.  The Grilled lamp lollipops was served on top of roasted red pepper fava bean hummus and crumbled goat cheese with two pieces of flat bread.

The wild mushroom and goat cheese empanadas was amazing. I could go back just for those. It was served in a delicious sauce with Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. 

The patatas bravas (roasted potatoes served in tomato sauce) was perfect. Usually the skin is not crispy however this one was crispy yet absorbed in delicious sauce.  And on to my favorite dish of the night, the Chicken tikka masala. The masala was a perfect blend of spices and flavors, served over top saffron rice and flat bread. It was delicious and the portion was huge considering it was meant to be a tapas…but I’m not one to complain about larger portions. 

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Authentic Spanish Food at Lola’s (New Orleans, USA)

If you ever crave Paella and other authentic Spanish delicacies, then I highly suggest you check out this small and quaint restaurant in Bayou St. John. Living by City Park made Lola’s one of our favorite spots to visit for a nice meal.
On our last visit we started off with the usual: a bottle of their red wine sangria with mixed fresh fruits and a loaf of their freshly baked warm bread served with the most amazing garlic butter on earth.
Next, an assortment of their tapas: calamari salad, oysters, garlic mushrooms and crab meat salad. The Crab meat is tossed with their homemade alioli sauce served over avocado on a bed of lettuce. Yum! And for the main dish the obvious choice is always the seafood paella which is really delicious and tastes just as good if not better than some paella dishes I tasted while travelling in Barcelona a few years back (of course the setting and views are not comparable). To finish off, we never leave without sharing a piece of their flour less dark chocolate cake which is to die for and leaves us usually fighting for the last piece. (see menu) 
Sangria perfection

Crabmeat tossed with our homemade alioli , served over avocado on a bed of lettuce

Marinated calamari tossed with calamata olives, tomatoes, & toasted almonds

Shrimp, fish, calamari, scallops, mussels and vegetables, well seasoned with garlic, saffron and herbs

Chocolate Cake

The Hungry Nomad’s Must-Try Suggestions:

1- Seafood Paella
2- Ceviche
3- Chocolate cake

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