Eating at a New Orleans-style restaurant north of the Mason-Dixon Line is always a gamble. Plenty of cooks think they can make good Southern food, and when it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad, well, you know. How many times have we gambled and lost, suffering our way through runny red beans, pale gumbo, dried out cornbread, rubbery chicken-fried steak?
Lucky for us, our gamble on Saturday paid off. On a weekend getaway in New York City (yes, New York City), while driving into Times Square, we passed a corner joint that looked like something straight out of the French Quarter: The Delta Grill. Pink and green on the outside, belt-driven ceiling fans and Mardi Gras flags on the inside, the atmosphere was comfortable and classic NOLA. A quick browse of the menu made our stomachs flip with pleasure - red beans, andouille sausage, crawfish pie, gumbo, jambalaya, etoufees, muffulettas, blackened fish, Abita beer, and more. All the Cajun and Creole specialities were there. They even knew how to make a Sazerac (C's latest cocktail craze). All the bases were covered. Now, let the games begin.
With so many things from which to choose, how could I possibly? I ordered a cup of the "chicken and smoked pork andouille gumbo," a slice of crawfish pie (photo above), and a side of red beans and rice, accompanied by a pint of Abita's Restoration Ale. Chris settled on a fried oyster po-boy (photo below), dressed, with a Sazerac. Each bite took us back to NOLA. It was spot-on in every way, perhaps even surpassing some meals we've had in the actual French Quarter! The gumbo was dark like chocolate, deep and rich, and full of tender morsels of chicken and smoky andouille. The red beans were creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of heat and herbs. The real star, however, was the crawfish pie, a rare find indeed - peppers, onions, and lots of crawdads with plenty of seasoning. The oyster po-boy was humongous, served on crusty French bread with lettuce, tomato and just a hint of mayo, as it should be. The briny oysters were dredged in seasoned cornmeal flour and cooked to perfection. A few shakes of hot sauce and a side of sweet potato fries rounded out C's meal. Laissez le bon temps rouler!!!
Lucky for us, our gamble on Saturday paid off. On a weekend getaway in New York City (yes, New York City), while driving into Times Square, we passed a corner joint that looked like something straight out of the French Quarter: The Delta Grill. Pink and green on the outside, belt-driven ceiling fans and Mardi Gras flags on the inside, the atmosphere was comfortable and classic NOLA. A quick browse of the menu made our stomachs flip with pleasure - red beans, andouille sausage, crawfish pie, gumbo, jambalaya, etoufees, muffulettas, blackened fish, Abita beer, and more. All the Cajun and Creole specialities were there. They even knew how to make a Sazerac (C's latest cocktail craze). All the bases were covered. Now, let the games begin.
With so many things from which to choose, how could I possibly? I ordered a cup of the "chicken and smoked pork andouille gumbo," a slice of crawfish pie (photo above), and a side of red beans and rice, accompanied by a pint of Abita's Restoration Ale. Chris settled on a fried oyster po-boy (photo below), dressed, with a Sazerac. Each bite took us back to NOLA. It was spot-on in every way, perhaps even surpassing some meals we've had in the actual French Quarter! The gumbo was dark like chocolate, deep and rich, and full of tender morsels of chicken and smoky andouille. The red beans were creamy and flavorful, with just the right amount of heat and herbs. The real star, however, was the crawfish pie, a rare find indeed - peppers, onions, and lots of crawdads with plenty of seasoning. The oyster po-boy was humongous, served on crusty French bread with lettuce, tomato and just a hint of mayo, as it should be. The briny oysters were dredged in seasoned cornmeal flour and cooked to perfection. A few shakes of hot sauce and a side of sweet potato fries rounded out C's meal. Laissez le bon temps rouler!!!
To sum up, yes, we spent the weekend in New York City. But the day after our awesome Southern lunch, the Saints won the NFC Championship and are headed to their first Super Bowl (Who Dat!!). Mardi Gras is right around the corner, then perhaps, a trip to Jazz Fest is in order. We (heart) NY, but we're in a New Orleans state of mind.
1 comment:
What a find! Should I assume you will be visiting NYC more often?
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