Dining ain’t easy when it comes to being a vegetarian in New Orleans. Daniele, NOLA-Eats.com vegetarian correspondent, shares a positive experience with us at one of our city’s most famous restaurants. -Leslie
As a vegetarian in New Orleans (and I suspect the same is true of most cities), it is very difficult to find a fine dining experience that measures up to the experience a meat-eater would have at the same place. Too often my dining companions are enjoying interesting, well-executed meals while I am at the same table staring at a plate full of limp, steamed vegetables with a balsamic reduction thrown on them as an afterthought. Such an experience is sure to make me a one-time customer. If a well-trained kitchen staff at a reputable establishment can’t be bothered to make a veggie dish that is on par with the rest of their offerings, then I can’t be bothered to give them anymore of my hard-earned money.
Okay, enough of my crabbiness. I actually do have something positive (and tasty!) to share with you with regard to fine dining in NOLA: brunch at Brennan’s. Perhaps it is cliché and it’s certainly not cutting-edge. But you know what else I can say about brunch at Brennan’s? It is vegetarian-friendly and it is delicious.
If you are a regular reader of my columns, you know I am a great lover of brunch. So when my boyfriend asked where I’d like to go for my birthday dinner, I told him I’d rather have brunch at Brennan’s. This is how it went down:
I got the prix fixe menu which included an appetizer, a main, and a dessert. A three-course brunch, don’t you love it?
I started things off with strawberries in sweet cream. It was basically like eating strawberry shortcake without the shortcake. Wonderful.
For my main dish I got eggs sardou: poached eggs on artichoke bottoms in a bed of creamed spinach topped with hollandaise sauce. This is perhaps my idea of the perfect brunch dish because it incorporates my favorite way to prepare eggs with two of my favorite vegetables.
As if I wasn’t stuffed enough from all that I still had a dessert to eat. I opted for the Crepes Fitzgerald, since Alex was getting Bananas Foster. The crepes were filled with cream cheese and topped with marinated, flambéed strawberries. These were also great and actually lighter than I expected them to be.
See? My story has a happy ending – I had a great experience at a New Orleans culinary institution and didn’t have to contend with one bland vegetable.
Brennan’s
417 Royal St
New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 525-9711 Get Directions
When conversation turns to brunch, I immediately think of Surrey’s. I have it in my mind that it’s very popular with locals, but you wouldn’t believe how many people I’ve talked with that are not familiar with it. This, my friends, is my ode to Surrey’s.
Surrey’s is truly a destination for breakfast and brunch foods. While known for their freshly squeezed juices, shots of wheat grass and vegan/vegetarian dishes, you can also indulge in one of my favorite selections, the Bananas Foster French Toast. Tucked away inside the butter-laden bread pieces is cream cheese and bananas. The BFFT is the arch nemesis of wheat grass, and it will rock your world.
It’s sweet. It’s chewy. It’s rich. Look at those crispy little bits on the edges! Why eat pancakes when this dish can satisfy so many breakfast cravings?
Speaking of wheat grass, this is what a $9 beverage combo looks like. Pricey? Yes. Quite possibly the most delicious glass of O.J. you will ever sip? Oh, yes.
Perhaps you’re in the mood for something green, but in a solid state. Here’s the Spinach Cheese Melt with Grilled Chicken. If meat isn’t your thing, add tofu, instead. My favorite meatless dishes are the Vegan Avocado Mash and Creamy Black Beans. Those two sides alone make for a delicious and filling meal.
Now, there are a few tips I want to give you if you haven’t visited Surrey’s. First, they are only open until 3:00 pm. Boo! Hiss! Food this good should be available any time I want it. But, too bad. Secondly, while they close at two, for the love of all that is good in this world, do yourself a favor and do not walk in that door at 2:40. You are probably pushing your luck at 2:30. Service can be a little bristly, which I attribute to the table-flipping mentality that is prevalent here. You see, Surrey’s is tiny. In order for the servers to make money, they’ve got to get you in and roll your ass out. So, if you don’t want major attitude, be mindful of the clock. Lastly, don’t forget to bring cash, because plastic is not accepted. If you forget, there is an ATM on the premises.
Now, go out there, eat at Surrey’s and conquer your morning (or afternoon)!
In today’s post by vegetarian correspondent Daniele Farrisi, a nod to an accommodating Mid-City restaurant. -Leslie
I feel like I write an inordinate amount about brunch on here. There’s a reason for that. Brunch is my favorite meal to eat out. I am always excited to try new places for brunch and revisit old favorites. I had been relying mostly on neighborhood stand-bys for the past couple months, but once spring finally came to New Orleans, I got the itch to travel… all the way to Mid-City.
I have a lot of love for the Mid-City neighborhood. I used to live there before the levee failures forced me to seek shelter on higher ground. I try to get back for a visit every now and then and eat some delicious food while I am there. The Ruby Slipper Café is a newer addition to the neighborhood. It’s been open for over a year (maybe even closer to two?), but I just made my first visit there a few weeks ago.
I think one of the reasons that brunch is my favorite meal to eat out is because it is generally much easier to find vegetarian items on a brunch menu than a dinner menu. Ruby Slipper certainly has ample veggie selections to choose from, however, I was specifically craving poached eggs. The Eggs Blackstone dish caught my eye as I scanned the menu: poached eggs… tomatoes…. biscuit (this was looking good) … hollandaise sauce (yes, please!)… bacon. Bacon?! Nooooooo!
Seeing bacon on the list of ingredients was certainly an unwelcome blow, but I was determined to get some poached eggs. So I asked our server if I could get the Eggs Blackstone without bacon. He happily obliged and even agreed to give the withheld bacon to my pork-product aficionado boyfriend. That’s what I call a win/win situation. As the waiter set my plate in front of me, he pointed out that the kitchen gave me some fruit salad on the side to replace the bacon. Little extras like that go above and beyond just accommodating my special requests. They show me that vegetarians are valued customers at The Ruby Slipper Café. And I would much rather spend my money at an establishment that values my patronage rather than one that merely tolerates my existence.
And let that be a lesson, if all that stands between you and a delicious meal is some unwanted animal product, just ask your server if it can be omitted. You might be pleasantly surprised.
*sigh* I have been sitting on this blog entry for almost two weeks now. I have been super busy planning the NOLA Eats king cake party, and then I got sick, blah blah blah…so, here we are. I’m still backed up from taking time off to get well, so I apologize for the lack of detailed commentary on the food. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment or email me. Thanks!
Ahhh, Sunday. Universally the laziest day of the week. Us New Orleanians know how to make the most of a lazy Sunday, and it’s called brunch. My husband and I took our children to Stanley, a smart soda fountain/diner mash-up for brunch a couple of weeks ago, and while the atmosphere is more casual than Chef/Owner Scott Boswell’s Stella!, the dishes remain creative and thoughtfully put together.
As you can see from the photos, the dishes are obviously beautiful. I am pleased as punch to report that they were as delicious as they were pleasing to the eye. Stanley is a great spot for lunch, brunch or an early dinner (they close at 7:00 pm daily), and excellent for people-watching in the Quarter.
If you are interested in a more in-depth review of the ice cream, check out Lindsay’s review over at her blog ScoopAdventures.com. Unfortunately, I share her opinion of the frozen confections served at Stanley. It was the one thing I felt was a tad disappointing.
One more thing I wanted to add: My daughter had just turned the big “1-0″, so I wanted a candle to stick in her banana split. Our server told us that they did not carry candles for birthdays, so I ran — literally — all over the Quarter searching for a pack. None of the stores carried them for sale, so I followed my instincts and went to Muriel’s Jackson Square right across the street from Stanley. The server that assisted me was happy to give me one of theirs and refused a tip. Bonus points for Muriel’s!
Today’s post by Daniele is actually last Thursday’s post by Daniele. After Halloween, I was totally exhausted and completely slacked off on the blog updates, not even knowing there was a *nod included to a time-sensitive event. Big apologies to Daniele and her readers! -Leslie, The Slacker
Wow, was I bummed when Coffea, the coffee shop around the corner from my house, closed earlier this year. And, wow, was I happy when Satsuma Café opened up in its place a few months ago. I finally made it over there for brunch a few weeks ago.
One of my favorite things about Coffea was the ambiance and I am really happy that Satsuma has kept the funky, eclectic vibe going: mismatched furniture, original art on the walls, and warm sunlight filtering through the front windows.
The menu at Satsuma is still fairly small, but I’m hoping it will expand as business gets going. Vegetarians, fear not! Even though the menu is small, we haven’t been forgotten. There are meat-free breakfast and lunch options. Also, be sure to check the specials board for dishes using seasonal ingredients. In fact, I think the most distinctive thing about Satsuma might be their ample use of local produce.
I got the veggie-Gruyere sandwich and the iced tea du jour (jasmine… yum!). The sandwich itself was good. Your standard grilled veggies on fresh-baked bread. The Gruyere was definitely an inspired addition, giving the sandwich an added layer of sharpness. But what was really memorable for me was the salad that came on the side. It consisted of hearty fresh greens that up until now I had only eaten thoroughly cooked. There was definitely kale, and I believe Swiss chard and some other stuff. Everything was tossed together with a delicious blue cheese dressing. Wow, I had no idea you could make a salad like that.
Speaking of kale and blue cheese, I feel I must make a “True NOLA Eats Confession” to y’all. Those of you who attended the Fall Harvest Potluck last month may remember the kale and blue cheese salad that I made to share. Yeah, I totally stole that idea from Satsuma Café. Thanks guys!
Satsuma Café will have a booth at the *Mirliton Festival on Saturday, and I know I will be stopping by. I encourage you to do the same, or pop in to the café itself the next time you find yourself on my side of the tracks.
Satsuma Café
3218 Dauphine St
New Orleans, LA 70117-6729
(504) 342-2484
Today, Daniele, our vegetarian contributor, writes about her long-lost love — a damn good bagel. -Leslie
In this week’s post I am going to show my Yankee roots for a minute and talk to y’all about bagels. I love bagels. Bagels in my homeland of the NY/NJ area are delicious and plentiful. Bopping down to the neighborhood bagel shop in the morning for some fresh-baked, warm, chewy goodness was a ritual that brought me joy and comfort when I lived up North.
And then I moved to New Orleans – where the bagels are scarce and a good bagel is even scarcer.
If I recall correctly, there was one bagel shop in town when I moved here in 2004. I think it was called Bayou Bagels? But they only had two locations and neither of them were near my house. They didn’t return after Katrina, which is just as well because their bagels were extremely mediocre. Their staff clearly didn’t know a thing about what makes a good bagel, as evidenced by the fact that my shouts of “No! Please don’t toast it!” were met with confused looks from the lady behind the counter as she retrieved my bagel from the toasting rack. Which leads me to Bagel Rule #1: If you have to toast a bagel, there is something wrong with it which. Toasting a bagel means you have something to hide: staleness, lack of density, poor crust formation, excessive preservatives – something.
Post-Katrina there have been a few stores and coffee shops in the area that carry H&H bagels imported directly from NYC. I do enjoy H&H bagels very much, but something is lost when they are frozen and shipped 1200 miles away. The inside isn’t quite as dense and chewy. The outside isn’t quite as crisp and crunchy.
But there is a glimmer of hope.
I happened to catch a rerun of the Food Network show “Diners, Dives And Drive-Ins” in which they paid a visit to Surrey’s Juice Bar and Café on Magazine Street to profile their “Brooklyn-style” homemade bagels. I remained skeptical, but my interest was piqued. So the next time I went to Surrey’s I went ahead and ordered the bagel plate and I have to say I was really impressed by what I got. So impressed that I think I have ordered the bagel plate 4 out of the last 5 times I’ve been there. The bagel had all the hallmarks that a good bagel should have: dense and soft inside with a crispy crust. It’s served with a little salad, some capers, and your choice of either cream cheese or a delicious avocado mash. I always pick the avocado mash. The recipe seems to change a bit depending on what herbs are available, but it is always great. Last time I had it they went heavy on the fresh basil which sounds kinda weird but works really well with the mellow, buttery taste of the avocado.
However, when I went there and ordered the bagel plate last weekend, they broke my sacred Bagel Rule #1. Yes, my friends, I am sorry to report that my bagel arrived toasted. I’m trying to remember if the previous bagels I’ve had there also came toasted. I’m pretty sure they did not, but now I am worried that my brain has created false memories of wonderful fresh bagels as a reaction to the continuous disappointment I feel when I try to eat bagels in New Orleans. Please, Surrey’s, I’m pretty sure you’ve got a good thing going on. Don’t stick it in the toaster and ruin it!
It’s Thursday (for real, this time) and Daniele has another tasty entry from the vegetarian perspective. If you weren’t hungry before, her pictures will change all that. (Pssst! I think I smell a NOLA Eats brunch event!) -Leslie
I’ve been a fan and frequent customer of the New Orleans Cake Café since it opened in 2007, so it’s no surprise that I found myself there for brunch again this weekend. As it turns out, they were celebrating their second anniversary by offering free pieces of cake to each customer. Um, hell yeah I want a free piece of cake!
I got the red velvet because I am trendy like that. (Is red velvet cake still trendy?) Trendy or no, the cake was perfectly delightful. Not just because it was free and unexpected but also because it was moist and delicious. What a great way to start brunch. Yeah that’s right – I said start brunch. I tried to save a little bit of the cake to have after my meal, but my will is weak.
I was really happy when the Cake Café opened on the corner of Chartres and Spain in the spot previously occupied by La Spiga. I am a great lover of breakfast-y and brunch-y foods. I am an even greater lover of establishments who offer such foods close to my home. As a vegetarian, I think I gravitate toward breakfast foods because I know that I’ll have options no matter how meat-centric the restaurant is.
Of course, Cake Café is more than a neighborhood place I settle on because it is close and I can eat there. It is freaking tasty as all get-out! There are lots of choices for vegetarians and their carnivorous friends alike – omelets, sandwiches, salads, soups, and of course baked goods. I highly recommend keeping an eye on the specials board. The dishes found on there make creative use of seasonal ingredients and there are some hidden treasures on there. My boyfriend has also gotten into the habit of buying a loaf of their ciabatta to take home when he visits.
On my last visit, I went with an ol’ stand by: a roasted vegetable sandwich with goat cheese. Sometimes I get sick of the roasted vegetable sandwich as it seems to have become the token vegetarian offering in many restaurants. But Cake Café’s addition of goat cheese and use of fresh bread baked in-house give new life to a dish that can teeter on the edge of dull. The tanginess of the goat cheese plays well against the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini, and peppers. A handful of fresh spinach adds another layer of texture. All sandwiches come with on your choice of bread. I chose challah, which I think worked well with the sweet and savory mix that was happening with the other ingredients.
If you happen to find yourself hungry for breakfast or lunch in the Marigny, I highly recommend stopping into the Cake Café for a bite. Just be sure to save me a table!
Combine new media & social networking with food & libations and you get NOLA Eats, a New Orleans-based social dining group and blog. Founder, Event Coordinator and habitual socializer Leslie J. Almeida writes about her favorites in New Orleans restaurants and nightlife while promoting a "live local" lifestyle.
You can follow more of Leslie's NOLA adventures by connecting with her on Twitter, Facebook and Flickr.
