A Food Hangover Like None Other – Part 2 (Time for Lunch, Y’all)
Lunch in New Orleans is one of the greatest of all leisure activities. It’s vacation. It’s relatively early and still a new day. And it’s unlike the usual daily lunch hour for most of us which is always a bit rushed and entails a lot of glancing at watches.
When eating lunch in New Orleans, I easily leave that all behind and relax. No emails. No phone calls. No rushing back to the office or, worse, back to the courthouse to argue all afternoon.
And unless you’ve consumed the hair of the dog for or with your breakfast, you’re sober again and ready to get out and experience this unique American city. So, adopt an “I’ve-got-nothing-but-time” attitude and make your lunch last.
Our second part in this series on New Orleans touches on both mine and some of my collaborators’ favorite eateries to lunch. And maybe drink a little, too.
The Market Cafe – Located on Decatur Street, this establishment is rife with atmosphere and is in one of the oldest buildings in the French Market. It serves up traditional creole dishes. I discovered this place only recently thanks to my brother and sister-in-law, and it was utterly delightful. Our lunch included gumbo, red beans and rice, and jambalaya with sausage and fresh bell peppers – all the fan favorites! A little bonus to the experience is that there is always a jazz combo playing somewhere near your table.
Criollo – The Hotel Monteleone on Royal Street is one of my favorite places to stay in New Orleans, if not my favorite. Historically significant with a breathtakingly beautiful interior, it screams old New Orleans opulence the second you enter. While many people are very familiar with the famed Carousel Bar in the hotel, most may not be aware there is a wonderful restaurant beside the bar. Criollo boasts seasonal menus, which always entail creative creole and seafood dishes.
My husband and I entered Criollo kind of unassumingly one day not expecting anything besides a hotel restaurant to grab some lunch; it quickly became a relaxing, delicious lunch of fresh crab cakes, gumbo, and some perfectly seasoned trout amandine. I am not ashamed to say a cold bottle of pinot grigio disappeared quickly during that outing.
Perhaps the greatest compliment I can give Criollo is that a very close, dear friend of mine lives and works in New Orleans, and every time I visit I call her to come eat lunch with me. We have frequently met up at Criollo, and she loves it. A local’s tip of the hat is always a good endorsement.
Royal House – My most recent trip to New Orleans was over the holidays to attend the Sugar Bowl to watch the Ole Miss Rebels play. Many of mine and my husband’s like-minded friends decided to make a week out of it, and do up NOLA right. We certainly did just that. Unfortunately, our eating and drinking forays that week were more successful than my beloved Rebels’ game outcome, but I digress.
Many of our good friends kept flocking to Royal House on Royal Street. A fresh oyster bar that serves up heaping seafood platters, jambalaya, and a host of other tasty Cajun delights, there is a consensus this place is all about the atmosphere and great customer service. There is always a line waiting here, but it seems to be worth it.
Turkey & The Wolf – This groovy sandwich shop was Bon Appetit’s #1 New Restaurant in 2017 besting all new restaurants across America. And with good reason. Creative, playful sandwiches prepared perfectly. It’s located uptown in the Irish Channel so plan to stay in the area around Magazine Street after you eat for some fun shopping. A few bites into the collard green melt with cherry pepper dressing, and you understand why so many folks make the trek from the Quarter to eat here. The fried bologna sandwich is just fantastic, especially paired with a wedge salad with bacon and blue cheese. And they’ve got booze!
Central Grocery & Deli – You can’t escape the experience of a muffuletta. Piles of Italian meats and a briny olive salad make this one of New Orleans’ most well-known sandwiches, running neck-and-neck with the po’ boy. Central is currently closed for renovations after it suffered damage during Hurricane Ida, but they are offering their sandwiches at Zuppardo’s up in Metairie, and their online store can ship still ship sandwiches or olive salad. Many other New Orleans restaurants serve muffulettas but check to see if Central has re-opened. That sandwich is one-of-a-kind.