Gettin' My "Foodon"

Hahaha I absolutely love this picture of Chef Paul Prudhomme! 

I recently signed up for "Groupon" to get mah save-on (hehe) after hearing my friends score some pretty sweet deals like "20 yoga classes for $20!".  I'm a sucker for deals/sales as I feel most people are (quite likely the reason sites like Groupon or Social Living have had such success).  I was checking my e-mail one morning (as many of you already know, Groupon sends you e-mails daily with the deal for the day) and to my surprise, the deal for the day was "Pay $30 for $60 worth of food at K-Paul's!".  I had heard of K-Paul's Louisiana Kitchen restaurant all of my life.  But being deprived of dinner outings growing up, I had never been.  Growing up in New Orleans and not going to K-Paul's (well at least when chef Paul Prudhomme was in his prime) is kind of like being a kid and never going to Disney World (which I have never been to either).  Yep... I had a pretty awful childhood apparently... haha just kidding, love you mom and dad!!  For those of you who aren't familiar with Paul Prudhomme...he's kind of a big deal.  He's cooked for two U.S. presidents and many heads of congress.  He embodies Cajun cooking.  So of course when I saw this deal pop up I asked my mom if we could get it and immediately made reservations for two for that following week.  I remember driving by his restaurant as a kid and seeing lines wrap around the block...needless to say I was super excited to try out this legendary chef's cuisine!   

Picture I found online from the restaurant (the camera died after our meal so I couldn't take one myself)

My dear mother and I showed up promptly at 6:30 (our reservation time) to K-Paul's.  A very friendly hostess lead us to our table.  I was surprised at how casual the restaurant was.  Don't get me wrong--it was very nice looking and people were dressed nicely, but nothing like Commander's Palace attire (tie/ jacket, cocktail dress, etc).  We were seated in a small table at the back of the restaurant near the kitchen.  The kitchen had two huge windows on either side that allowed dining guests to view everything going on inside.  I liked this aspect of the restaurant, it made you feel as if they had nothing to hide.  Another interesting tidbit about the restaurant that the waitress shared with us is that the restaurant has no freezers and that the menu changes daily!  Therefore they only use fresh ingredients.  Another plus in my book!

the windows providing the kitchen view

Glancing at the menu, my mom and I decided to do the multiple appetizers and dessert route (I like my variety..).  As our four appetizers to share, we decided on the following: turtle soup, pan-fried rabbit tenderloin, dancing crab fingers, and a seafood stuffed artichoke.  I also ordered one of their specialty cocktails, a pomegranate martini- YUM! 

pomegranate martini!

The waitress first brought out a bread basket with an assortment of four differnt kinds (two of each).  My personal favorite of these assortments was the  jalapeño cheddar bread roll.  My mother's favorite was the sweet corn muffin.  They were all delicious (even the plain bread roll was not so plain tasting!).  The molasses corn muffin had a very unique flavor ...not sure if I could eat mass quantities of it, but I appreciated its presence nonetheless! 

The waitress brought out our appetizers two at a time.  The first round consisted of the turtle soup and the dancing crab fingers.  You can find a description of the turtle soup here but as for the dancing crab fingers, no such luck, I'll have to go on memory.  The plate was neatly adorned with blue crab claws which had been breaded and deep fried, served on a pile of mixed greens and accompanied by a creamy caper dill dipping sauce.  The sauce was incredible.  After my mom and I demolished all of the crab, we proceeded to dip each leafy greens into the sauce.  The turtle soup was also fantastic: spicy and flavorful, just the way I like my food!

Turtle soup:already began eating it before I took the picture...whoops

Dancing crab fingers with creamy dill caper sauce(also ate some before the pic)

The next two set of appetizers consisted of the pan-fried rabbit tenderloin and the seafood stuffed artichoke.  I would have to say that the sauce used in the seafood stuffed artichoke was phenomenal.  As for the dish as a whole, my only complaint is that it was very difficult to eat the way it was presented.  I wish there was a way of better incorporating the artichoke into the dish other than as a substitute for a bowl.  The pan-seared rabbit was great, no complaints about that one!  The spinach on top was cooked to perfection and whatever sauce the rabbit was in (I really wish I could remember the details...I want to say some sort of sherry sauce, not sure) was flawless.  The combination of all three elements: the sauce, the rabbit and the spinach were done so in complete harmony.  The sauce definitely made the dish but did not take away from the star of the show: the rabbit (oh how I love me some wabbit!).  I can't believe I didn't eat rabbit for a majority of my life because I thought rabbits were "too cute" to eat...nothing THAT delicious is too cute to eat. 

Seafood stuffed artichoke on some grits...aww yeaa

Pan-fried rabbit..mmmmm

My mom and I then had to make one of the hardest decisions of the trip:  what to get for dessert (for those of you who know me know I LOVE my sweets).  I was torn between the classic bread pudding and "chocolate hill". I had it down to these two options because I am obsessed with chocolate and because bread pudding, when done right is INCREDIBLE.  We finally decided on "chocolate hill" mainly because my mom was pushing it (she loves her chocolate as well). When the dessert arrived, I knew we made the right decision.  Not only did it look beautiful and delicious, it tasted beautiful and delicious.  Every bite of that dense, rich chocolate bundt take seduced me into the next.  And just when I thought it couldn't get any better, we got to the center (filled with an amazing chocolate ganache sauce)....OUT OF THIS WORLD.  For all you chocolate lovers out there, this dessert is a must.

I made this picture "X-Large" just so you get a little drool on those keyboards ;)

I forgot to mention earlier, that half way through our meal I realized that none other than chef Paul Prudhomme himself was sitting at the table next to ours!  I didn't recognize him at first because he lost so much weight compared to his earlier years!  At the end of our meal, we asked our super friendly (maybe a little too friendly...she asked us how our meal was every 2 minutes kind of friendly...) waitress to take a picture of my mom and I and the chef.  Just my luck the camera I had borrowed from my friend Courtney died on the spot!  Oh well at least I got to meet the living Cajun cuisine king himself!  


Some final notes about K-Pauls: don't come expecting a light meal.  Almost everything is fried and comes with some sort of cream sauce or is heavy in butter content (Paula Dean's dream come true).  Also, if I had to describe the style of cuisine in one sentence: it is very Cajun and traditionally so.  This is one of the reasons why I feel as if K-Paul's has lost some popularity since it opened in 1979.  It was still one crowded joint, but the long lines down multiple blocks seem to be a thing of the past.  Paul Prudhomme has stuck to tradition and with all of the innovative, modern cuisine foodie's are craving I feel as if the Chef has suffered from not incorporating smoked salmon, avocado, or quinoa in his menu.  Also, sadly I feel as if the decrease in popularity has to do with the Chef getting older and his name losing recognition in younger generations (my generation was probably the last to recognize Prudhomme as the embodiment of Cajun cuisine).  Over all I give K-Paul's 5 stars for traditional Cajun cuisine, and 5 stars for a friendly staff and atmosphere.  The prices I think may be a little steep but hey, this is one place you will definitely not be leaving hungry! 

Dat Dog=DANG GOOD

Dat Dog on Freret St.

OK...so I have a confession to make: I LOVE HOT DOGS.  On almost any given day, at any grill party, given the choice between a hot dog and a hamburger: I will chose the hot dog (especially if they're Hebrew National brand!).  So when I saw this little shop open up in January 2011, I knew I had to go. It was pretty empty that first month, but I kept on insisting my little brother who lived only 2 blocks away from it to go with me. But..he always claimed he was too busy or didn't want to go because he was hanging out with friends (what's new, apparently I'm not cool enough for him...) And what's worse, living so close, he didn't even know it existed! 


I was abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina from late February until late June, so I didn't get the chance to go until yesterday, much to my dismay.  Upon my arrival back to the dirty dirty, one late June afternoon, I was driving down Freret street and was surprised (but simultaneously not so surprised, if you know what I mean...) to see that "Dat Dog", which had been deserted in the months of January and February, was POPPIN'.  People were lined up out the door to get their sausage/wiener fix!  I always knew this place would be big, but I never expected it to receive this much attention!  It was even mentioned in the Wall Street Journal as one of the best places in the U.S. to get a hot dog.  Ahh! Alas...my dream come true!  A gourmet hot dog place not more than a 5-minute drive from my house!


When I first stepped inside, the first thing I noticed (other than the delicious aroma's escaping from the kitchen) was that it was HOT in there.  They have a relatively small space for the crowd density it attracts daily (and no AC that I noticed).  But apparently they're planning on expanding and moving into a larger spot across the street (mentioned in the WSJ article).  YES!! Excellent idea, because literally that is the ONLY problem I have found with this place!  Their menu offers two traditional "wiener" choices and nine different gourmet sausage selections along with a wide variety of toppings and some deliciously seasoned french fries.  Here is their menu below: (to view their menu, you can also go to their website ).

Dat Dog Menu on 08/12/2011

My only suggestion to this short but sweet (or salty rather..) menu would be to offer "suggestions".  They have some very interesting toppings and gourmet sausages and I think to offer "specialty dogs" would be a good idea.  In other words to suggest wiener or sausage and topping combinations and to give each "specialty dog" a creative name.  For example different dog species! Like "The German Shepherd" with one of their German sausages/wieners(Or I don't know..perhaps that would hit too close to home with some dog owners, imagining their own Rover in a bun...). These kinds of specialty suggestions are common in pizza and hamburger places and I personally love it because sometimes they offer combinations I would have never thought of and end up LOVING (like Reginelli's "Sun Pie" specialty pizza, one of my favorites!).  

As I was contemplating what to order for myself, I noticed that on the left wall near the register the owners have cleverly hung up a "dog house".  Here they place the name of someone or something in order for them to "contemplate the err of their ways".  Hahaha...  How clever! When I was there yesterday "congress" was in the dog house!  Just felt the need to comment on that...anyway, back to the food! I asked my brother to order first because I love to take time weighing all of my options.  My brother ordered the "Alligator Sausage" with andouille sauce, mustard and ketchup (he's not very adventurous with his toppings, but it was great nonetheless):

Dat's Sebastian's Dog right durrr!: Alligator Sausage, delishhh!

I finally decided on ordering the "Crawfish Sausage" (mainly because I've never had crawfish in sausage form and oh yea... because I LOVE CRAWFISH!!!).  I wasn't sure what the sausage would taste like so I didn't go too crazy on my topping choices but I got what I knew would be good: diced onions, tomatoes, sauerkraut, jalepeños, and brown mustard...HEAVENLY!:

My Crawfish Sausage piece of heaven. I'm literally drooling looking at this picture right now, gross Sofia...

All of these delicious dogs come on a toasted sourdough bun (mmm sourdough...).   As we were munching down on our delicious lunch, who walks in but one of my best friends, Marian and her boyfriend visiting all the way from Amherst, Mass.  After seeing our gourmet sausage sandwiches, they decided on ordering the same thing!  I love that "Dat Dog" has become so popular but still has not lost it's neighborhood feel (Not to mention our server was one of my brother's old buddies from high school!). Next on my list to order at Dat Dog (other than every single sausage they have on the menu of course) is an order of their "golden brown fries".  According to my friend Lara (who's food opinion I trust almost more than anyone else I know) they are TO DIE FOR.  And better than Rally's!  Which is a pretty bold claim...Rally's fries are one of my favorite guilty pleasures, they are so well seasoned in fact, that I would just as happily eat them without ketchup!  I plan on putting Lara's claim to the test on my next visit.

Overall, I give "Dat Dog" two thumbs up!  Or if I want to be corny (and you know I do...), two paws up!  Excellent, simple food and fresh ingredients with a friendly staff. I also think they have a great casual atmosphere if you don't mind the scorching heat...but believe me, every bite is worth the sweat!

NOLA Foob (Food Noob)

Growing up as a kid, I was fortunate enough to have parents who could cook and didn't mind doing so almost every night.  Eating out was a rare occasion for my family.  Once I started college and going out to eat more regularly, I discovered that I really didn't know my own city...well at least my taste buds didn't.  I always knew New Orleans had good food but little did I know the vast amount of amazing restaurants it had, just waiting to be discovered!  And as any of my friends can tell you... I LOVE FOOD.  This coming year is my senior year at Tulane and I plan on going all out- trying out new restaurants, nooks, bars...everything!  I am no food expert, but this is my attempt at keeping a food journal as I taste test my hometown.

In order to start, I needed to create a list of new places to go.  I have begun writing this list using already existing food blogs and websites like "urbanspoon" and "yelp!".  I also decided to look at the Gambit's "Best of New Orleans 2010" (I will be checking out their "Best of New Orleans 2011" once it comes out too) and try out all of the restaurants listed that I haven't been to yet.  This list is pretty large seeing as I haven't even been to infamous restaurants such as Commander's Palace or Galatoire's. So I will also write about some already well known New Orleans favorites!  There will be a K-Paul's post coming up seeing as I've never been and I just recently purchased a $60 groupon for $30 for K-Paul's!  ChAchINg- cHaChINGGG $*$! Now that's what I call CASH MONAY!  Ok so here we go, my first nola noobie restaurant review:

Recently it was one of my best friend's birthdays, who also happens to be quite the big food lover.  I wanted to take him somewhere new and delicious for breakfast, and somewhere he had hopefully never heard of!  So I did some online research and decided on a place called "New Orleans Cake Cafe and Bakery" located on 2440 Chartres St. in the Marigny.  Their menu seemed creative and moderately priced, so I went for it.  You can check out their awesome menu on their website: www.nolacakes.com .  But don't be fooled!  They have daily specials that are changing all the time and not just one, when I went there were at least 6-10 specials for that one day!!! Also, they apparently have super delicious cakes, cupcakes, and baked goods which I did not get to try...next time!  Anyhoot, when we arrived, I almost immediately knew I would love the place.  It was tucked away in a cute little spot in the Marigny, all by its lonesome.  Despite this fact, it was jam-packed!  From the look of the employees on their website and their location I expected to find the crowd there to be mostly the stereotypical Nola hipster, but I was mistaken. Perhaps it was due to the fact it was located in the Marigny, but the cafe provided a wonderful eclectic mix of customers.  We managed to snag a table in the middle of the restaurant, and this is what I observed:  Directly in front of me was a large group of what seemed to be young businessmen and women.  To my left, a group of middle-aged men and women seeming to be of the upper-middle class.  To my right there sat a couple, decked out in old, torn faded clothing, combat boots, and covered in tattoos.  And right behind me, a mother who appeared to  be in her 30's with her daughter who did not look older than five.  

The restaurant service style was similar to that of Oak Street Cafe or Stein's Deli.  There were a pile of Menu's by the cash register which you looked at in line and then placed your order and paid at the register.  What Jonathan and I unfortunately failed to realize was that there were two large white boards chalk-full of all of the available specials for the day, each one seemingly more delicious than the next!  Beneath the cash register was window stocked with the freshly baked pastries of the day...they all looked MOUTHWATERING...not even kidding, I had to restrain myself from getting one before what I knew would be a humungo breakfast.  Next to the pastry window was their cupcake display.  One of them particularly caught my eye, it was a very pretty but a very unusual light green color.  I asked the employee what it was and he said it was their lime cupcake and it was made with fresh lime juice...yummmmmm!  It seemed to be pretty popular: they have a deal that if you order a lunch entree you get a cupcake for just $1 and almost everyone seemed to have gotten that one.

Pastries!

I had already read their menu online, so my mind was set before even showing up on what I was going to get (maybe that's why I didn't notice their two large white boards with the specials...I was blinded by my hunger).  I got one of their omelets which was described as such: Roasted Vegetables w/Onion, Portobello Mushrooms,

Tomato, Spinach, Zucchini & Fresh Herb Goat Cheese.  You were given the choice of freshly baked bread or a homemade biscuit.  I asked the server what he recommended and he said that you could also get a bagel as a side item or even a croissant and pointed me to the wide variety of freshly baked breads they offered.  I went for the challah  bread, to which the server replied "good choice"... and lemme tell ya..it was a goooooood choice indeed!  Jonathan ordered the "special omelet" which came with bacon, brie, and spinach and a bagel.  He also got a fresh cherry limeade juice which was delicious and super refreshing (and I usually don't like cherry flavored things)!! The juice came with real cherry bits on top and a lime wedge on the side. We sat down at the table, waiting anxiously for our named to be called for our order.  The service was pretty quick despite how crowded it was and the steady flow of people filtering in and out purchasing anything from loaves of their freshly baked bread to pastries, or even just a sandwich to go. 

More pastries: including their delicious looking cinnamon rolls up top!

I was so excited when our name was finally called and the quirky looking waitress brought over our order.  The first bite of my omelet was delicious!  Everything I had hoped for.  Folded in the light yellow, fluffy omelet laid the hidden gems. The roasted vegetables were well seasoned and cooked to perfection.  And every now and then a creamy bite of goat cheese would take over...mmm!  If you like your food spicy I highly recommend squirting some Sriracha on there (one bottle located on every table)...perfection!  Every now and then I would scoop some egg, veggies, cheese, and Sriracha on my challah bread...soooo good!  Jonathan's omelet was delicious as well, but I liked mine better!  If you are a huge fan of brie, however, I would say go for it because they were anything but skimpy on their brie portions...yum!  I didn't get a chance to try the bagel but Jonathan says it was pretty legit as well.  I finished the whole entire omelet (and they give pretty generous portions here) and loved every second of it!  Ahhh can't wait to come back and try their pastries and their lunch menu!  This place is definitely worth a few visits to taste their wide variety of options.  Supposedly during Mardi Gras season they have some of the best king cake in town...I'll definitely volunteer to be the judge of that come January!   After wiping our plates clean, we went and grabbed dessert at one of my favorite new places which I will write about in my next blog entry.  In the meantime, here are some pictures of our breakfast adventure (I don't have a camera yet so they were taken on Jonathan's cell phone...so I apologize in advance for the poor picture quality).

bacon, spinach and brie and my roasted veggie one in the back!

Cutting into the bacon, brie and spinach omelet!