If there is a better ice breaker than sharing a meal, I’ve never heard of it. A couple of weeks ago, a Twitter pal asked me when the best time to go to a certain restaurant was, and I replied, “When you go with me!” From there, a lunch date was born. I met up with Joey and a couple of his lovely companions at Coquette Bistro & Wine Bar. This Uptown French bistro serves beautiful dishes in either large or small servings, which makes it easy for sharing and discovering. We all took advantage of their $20 three-course lunch. This menu changes daily, and like their dinner menu, it features fresh local ingredients.
Now, here’s the part of the post where I feel like I let you guys down. When I’m into the conversation of my company, I lose track of everything else. I didn’t take a menu, so I cannot remember what every dish’s proper name is. I contacted the restaurant to see if I could possibly get a copy, but I have not heard back from them. I will make another effort to do so, as I like to share as much info as possible with my readers. Many apologies, but I was just having too much fun.
My lunch mates enjoyed a few glasses of wine from the varied yet tidy list, but I was a good girl (for once) and abstained. Coquette creates their own specialty liqueurs and infused spirits, such as a blood orange vodka and a fig brandy. If you are curious about Coquette’s bar menu, give them a visit on Wednesdays when wines are $5 a glass and Thursdays are host to $5 specialty cocktails. These are offered all day, so if their $20 three-course lunch menu is a little on the solid side for you, go ahead and customize your own $20 four-course liquid lunch.
Coquette2800 Magazine StreetNew Orleans, LA 70115(504) 265-0421
The New Orleans Buffalo Exchange is collecting canned food and other non-perishables through the month of July to be donated to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans & Acadiana. Donations will go to Gulf Coast families who have been directly affected by the recent oil spill. Donate three nonperishable food items and receive a $5 off coupon for your next $20+ purchase at Buffalo Exchange.
You can also donate your 5-cent bag cost to one of two charities working directly with wetlands conservation, the American Bird Conservancy and the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund. Join us in helping our neighbors and preserving our coast!
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday (wow, tomorrow!) for the next NOLA Eats event at Little Tokyo Small Plates & Noodle Bar. I have the finalized menu and I think everyone will be pleased with the selections.
I’ve received quite a few RSVP’s for tomorrow night’s event and even more “maybes”. If you’re a “maybe”, I highly suggest you let me know ASAP if you will be attending. I believe we will probably reach maximum capacity, as far as what I deem will be comfortable in the largest room.
The menu is perfect for eating throughout the night and there will be so much food! Vegetarians, there’s plenty to keep you interested. Meat-eaters, ALL the food, even the meatless items, are delicious. The price per person is $35, inclusive of tax, gratuity, unlimited sodas and a couple of alcohol selections.
SUSHI
Fresh Salmon Roll
Vegetable Roll (vegetarian friendly)
SMALL PLATES
Crispy Fried Gyoza
Vegetable Spring Rolls (vegetarian friendly)
Tempura Green Beans (vegetarian friendly)
Sweet Potato Fries (vegetarian friendly)
FAMILY-STYLE DISH
Yaki Soba with Vegetables (vegetarian friendly)
ADULT BEVERAGES INCLUDED
Sapporo Sake
Sycamore Lane Pinot Grigio (or other selection chosen by me)
Any additional food and/or bar items can be ordered, but unless you pay cash at the bar, you will need to pay me upon ordering. I will be happy to place the order for additional food items on your behalf.
If you need to contact me, I always have my BlackBerry by my side. Here’s my info:
Food isn’t just something I consume. I enjoy breathing in a dish’s aromas. Savoring each bite and decoding ingredients. Capturing an eye-pleasing arrangement with my camera. The latter, especially, is what makes this post about the new Uptown Little Tokyo (aka Little Tokyo Small Plates & Noodle Bar) of exceptional length.
My adorably awesome friend Dorothy told me to come see her at her weekend gig, the new Little Tokyo on South Carrollton. Not wanting to pass on the opportunity to see Dorothy or miss out on delicious food, we aimed to catch lunch, but just missed it (and Dorothy’s shift), so we opted for dinner. Oh, darn. Now, for those who are looking for weekend lunches, they offer the menu until 4 pm even on the weekends.
Upon entering the restaurant, you can tell that this location caters to the “UniversityPlus” crowd. (That’s my lingo for the 20-something to 30-something demographic.) The music has been lively, the staff youthful and menu offerings different from the other Little Tokyo restaurants. More fun, perhaps? Yes, definitely.
Our server suggested my husband try the Ramune Soda, a carbonated Japanese beverage that isn’t for people with weak thumbs.
Only with the plastic tool that accompanies the soda are you able to enjoy the soda. The refreshing and bubbly beverage is only attainable after you (or your significant other/dining companion with stronger thumbs) depress the marble into the neck of the bottle. With great force and furious anger, you will be sipping on your soda in no time. My husband describes the flavor of Ramune as Crystal Pepsi meets bubble gum.
As much as I love fries, I would pass up a platter to dive into these tempura green beans and sweet potato fries. Both are served with a wasabi ranch dip, but it has just a slight bite, so even the kiddos can partake.
One thing you might not know about me is that I believe there is no such thing as the weather being too hot for a bowl of soup. If there are seemingly edible items floating in a savory broth, chances are I’m going to eat it and not ask too many questions. I was actually excited to learn that they serve ramen bowls. Have you ever met anyone that gets excited by soup?
You can customize your ramen to your liking. At this visit, I opted for the miso base and added chashu pork and hard boiled egg. At other visits, I’ve added extra green onions, which I think I prefer to the extra sprouts. I’ve tasted the mild and “little bit spicy” heat levels, but one day I’m going to be brave enough to order my ramen “gonna spit fire” spicy. Yes, that’s how the menu describes it.
For those wondering, the little white hard boiled egg white-looking sliver with the pink swirl is naruto kamaboko, a type of processed fishcake. It’s made from bits of white fish species, sort of like crab sticks. That is also a type of kamaboko.
Hard Boiled Egg = Crazy Delicious
Noodle Surprise!
In addition to my selections, my husband ordered the gyoza and chicken yakitori. Unbeknownst to me, gyoza is a popular accompaniment to ramen. I didn’t try any of the dumplings, so I can’t say much more than how appetizing they looked. I wasn’t blown away by the chicken yakitori, but I rarely order chicken when dining out. Even prepared perfectly, it’s still just chicken.
It’s virtually impossible to take my son to a Japanese restaurant and have him not order sushi. His favorites, which are done well here at Little Tokyo, are the fresh salmon roll and tuna roll. It is my understanding that they do not currently offer sushi during lunch service, only dinner.
Even after gorging ourselves on all that food, we just had to share a dessert. We ordered the mango ice cream, which comes drizzled in chocolate syrup. I would have preferred it so much more without the topping, but my son loved it. I haven’t met a kid that has turned down chocolate syrup.
We’ve been back to Little Tokyo several times since they opened a month or so ago. Most recently we celebrated Nolan’s fifth birthday. Management allowed us to bring our own cake (the Berry Chantilly from Whole Foods) and the staff went out of their way to make the night special. I had my husband bring Nolan to the bathroom to wash up, and when he came out, we all had microphones and sang “Happy Birthday” to him, karaoke style.
Oh, yeah. You read correctly. They offer karaoke rooms, equipped with flat screen televisions, high-end sound system and comfortable seating. And this, my friends, is where the next NOLA Eats event will be. So, save the date: Saturday, July 3rd @ 8:00 pm – ’til. I’ve got the largest room reserved for a very unique and probably very embarrassing night of food, cherry sake bombs and karaoke. Feel free to state your interest here, as I will be rolling out the invite and RSVP list very soon.
Today, Daniele brings us a reminder that even I need to consider once in a while. It’s just too easy to fall back on your edible favorites. Daniele shares with us a new favorite she discovers when she takes a pass on an old favorite. -Leslie
Do you ever get in a rut at the restaurants you frequent? I do. To defend myself a little, sometimes I get in these ruts because the restaurants I am frequenting only have one or two vegetarian options. But other times I get into ruts at restaurants that have plenty of options and I have no excuse. Such is the case with Juan’s Flying Burrito. I was in a Juan’s taco salad rut for a long time. On one hand, it’s not such a bad thing. Juan’s makes a fine taco salad. They have lots of delicious house-made dressings to put on said taco salad. Salad is good for you.
There is a certain degree of comfort in staying in one’s food rut. Eating the same thing is familiar. You know you’ll like what you order. You don’t have to spend extra time agonizing over the menu trying to make a decision. But after a while that comfort can turn in to monotony. And why would I spend my hard-earned money on a monotonous dining experience?
So on my most recent visit to Juan’s I made the conscious decision to branch out and get something besides a taco salad. While I was at it, I chose to try something I’d never had before: the sweet and green quesadilla. And boy was I glad I did! Yum! The quesadilla had sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and green peppers in it, held together by just the right amount of cheese. Sweet and savory goodness.
The next time you find yourself about to order the same old thing at one of your usual restaurants, take a minute to give the menu a second look. You could find a new favorite dish. And if it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to the tried and true next time you visit.
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)!
Once upon a time, there was a deliciously tangy and refreshing frozen confectionery dessert and it was called Pinkberry. Pinkberry was very popular on the East and West Coasts, but was mostly unknown in the South. This made Pinkberry very sad. Then one day, two princesses, Celie and Courtney Stumm, decided to open a Pinkberry of their own in New Orleans and the Uptown residents rejoiced at its arrival. There was free Pinkberry for everybody and they all lived happily ever after. The end.
Alright, so it might not quite have gone down that way, but Pinkberry certainly does seem to be well-received in New Orleans. The Magazine Street location did not officially open until Friday the 16th, but NOLA Eats was invited to attend the Grand Opening Preview Party as VIP guests. How could we say no?
Upon our arrival, we walked the pink carpet to the VIP tent. We were able to select our flavor, so since I had never tasted Pinkberry before, I had to go with their original recipe. There was a spread of almost any topping you could think of, including fresh cut pineapple, kiwi, berries and…wait for it…Fruity Pebbles. Daniele was brave enough to try the Cap’n Crunch on her serving, but I don’t think she expected to find that it was more fun than wretched. Apparently, Pinkberry brings well-known locals to the yard, as we saw Jackie Clarkson, Stacy Head and Morris Bart in attendance. Jason Lee (of “Clerks” and “Mall Rats” fame) was reportedly in attendance as well, but I suppose we were just too darn busy gobbling up our delicious desserts to notice. The yogurt itself was light, refreshing and had a mellow tang. My fruit toppings – pineapple, kiwi and strawberry – were firm and fresh. Daniele agreed and had this to say: “I guess I was expecting Pinkberry to taste like all of the other fro-yo I’ve had in my life: a low fat imitation of ice cream. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Pinkberry actually tastes like yogurt – light, sweet and tangy.”
While I try to buy, dine and eat local as much as possible, I welcome our new frozen yogurt overlords. I’ve been more conscious lately of the amount of ice cream-type products I consume, and, to put it nicely, Pinkberry kicks TCBY’s patootie. A half-cup of Pinkberry’s original yogurt is free of rBST hormones, gluten and fat, and is only 100 calories. I think you can officially call me a Groupie.
My husband and I are quite proud of the adventurous little eaters we’ve cultivated. While Sarah and Nolan both name pizza and cheeseburgers among their favorite foods, they can put away more nigiri and sashimi than some adults. I have to make sure Nolan, our four-year-old, doesn’t eat all the smoked salmon and crème fraiche before the adults get their share. Parents, strangers and child-free friends ask us how we did it, and our only reply is that this is something we’ve instilled in them since they were old enough to eat solids. There’s a New York City-based chef that is promoting the same habits, and he will be in New Orleans this Saturday.
Whole Foods Market and Chef Jehangir Mehta, “The Next Iron Chef” runner-up and executive chef/owner of Graffiti Food & Wine Bar in New York City, have joined forces to create The Kids Food Adventure with Chef Jehangir Mehta, a series of hands-on classes to encourage parents and children to be more adventurous with food while making healthy choices. The series, which kicked-off last week in New York City stops at Whole Foods Market locations in Austin, Boston, Denver, Los Angeles and New Orleans.
The event stops in New Orleans at Whole Foods Market’s Arabella Station location this Saturday, April 17.
Children and their parents will go on a “Journey with Jehangir,” participating in interactive store tours, educational and creative cooking demos, and conversations designed to encourage healthy, adventurous cooking at home.
The program is designed for children ages 6 to 11. Space is limited.
The Avenue Pub is tapping a cask of NOLA Brewing Company‘s NOLA Blonde Ale this Wednesday, December 30th at 7pm. According to Polly Watts, The Avenue Pub’s owner, the NOLA Blonde Ale “is fresh hopped with Citra hops. Citra is a new lay available on the market and the primary hops used in Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo.” The brew will be poured at $5.50 a pint.
"The Blonde Ale is a medium-bodied traditional American blonde ale, golden in color with floral and citrus hop aromas."
Oh, Thanksgiving. How I love thee. If there is ever a day that you are not only forgiven, but encouraged to eat your weight in food, it is this special day in November. If there is one thing I love more than food, it’s my family, so it should be no surprise that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite days of the year. We often eschew traditional celebrations in favor of low-key and intimate revelry, so yesterday’s food-fest was no exception.
While I normally disregard most holidays, to borrow a scripture from the Book of Leslie, “Thou shalt not mess with my damn turkey dinner.” We originally planned to make reservations at a nice restaurant, but most menus I found were neither traditional nor sensible. I was not about to pay $47 per adult for Thanksgiving dinner, especially if I was not getting exactly what I wanted. In all of my searching, I came across only one establishment that was cooking up exactly what I craved: J’anita’s @ The Avenue. J’anita’s, formerly a stand-alone restaurant, has taken over the kitchen of The Avenue Pub. I actually found their Thanksgiving menu by following them on Facebook, so, as a side-note, here’s another thumbs-up to a local food and bev business utilizing social media for advertising/marketing purposes. Not only do they have a handle on social media, but the vibe of the establishment is definitely conducive to socializing – GASP! – in person. While there is no table service, we were checked on a couple of times, which may have been because they weren’t terribly busy at the time of day we went. Regardless, it was greatly appreciated.
J'anita's @ The Avenue, Thanksgiving Dinner 2009
J’anita’s Thanksgiving Day menu consisted of a brined turkey and gravy, fresh cranberry sauce, savory bread pudding, honey chipotle sweet potatoes, an “old-school” green bean casserole and, last but certainly not least, their pumpkin cheesecake. Everything was delicious, but the standouts were the turkey and green bean casserole. Often times, turkey is cooked to such a degree that the white meat is dry and crumbly, which usually leaves people fighting for the juicier dark meat. I can honestly say that I had high hopes for their bird, considering what they have done with duck in their spectacular St. Chuck Duck sandwich. The green bean casserole was the epitome of Thanksgiving dinner sides: Rich, textured and occasionally crunchy.
For such a meal, I needed a beverage that wouldn’t be overwhelmed by the stars of the show, the sauces, gravy and butter. Kimmie, the female half of J’anita’s, suggested Lazy Magnolia’s Jefferson Stout, otherwise known as the Sweet Potato Cream Stout. You can definitely taste the slightly bitter coffee notes, and while it had the creamy feel I love in Guinness, it wasn’t as filling. It was certainly an excellent recommendation and I think I have a new “I-really-want-dessert-but-we’re-drinking” brew.
J’anita’s not only offers up a delicious menu, but The Avenue Pub’s brewed offerings are top-rate. Visit their website and sign up to be added to the mailing list for notifications about special events and discounts. They have recently added new premium selections for the holidays, so beer connoisseurs can find themselves at home here. After all, this does seem like a common goal of the folks behind both J’anita’s and The Avenue Pub.
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.
