Louisiana Libations and Local Eats
Our long weekend was drawing to a close. After sleeping in and sampling some more beignets, we decided that an afternoon of football and beer was in order. Now bear in mind, before this trip, I would have told you that the local beer scene in New Orleans was…limited. In fact, during a family visit less than a decade ago, I had gone to the local Winn Dixie in search of Guinness (or any dark beer for that matter) to make my famous BaconMedic Chili. Dark beer is one of the critical ingredients for this dish—sadly, my options were so limited that I was forced to abandon my plans for chili that day. How limited were my options? The coolers were full of Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Corona. When I asked the friendly clerk if the store stocked any darker beers, he looked confused and pointed me towards the Heineken.
My previous failed attempt to obtain some high quality suds fresh in my mind, I hesitantly tried some of the local brews during dinner on the previous evening. I was pleasantly surprised (dare I say shocked?) to find that there are quite a few excellent local breweries doing great things in New Orleans. After some research and some talking with a few locals, I learned that the craft beer scene in the Crescent City has exploded over the past several years. Local breweries are popping up all over with each bringing their own version of unique local flavors to the table. With equal parts optimism and skepticism firmly in place, we hopped in the car and headed off to Tchoupotoulas Street, home to three local breweries.
NOLA Brewing
We decided to make our first stop NOLA Brewing simply because we had already sampled one of their beers and enjoyed it. NOLA Brewing makes the Blond Ale that had cooled us off at Harry’s Place on our first day in the city. It turns out that NOLA had quite the selection of craft brews for us to sample. So we did exactly what anyone in our situation would do: flights!
NOLA Beer Flight with Fried Boudin Balls.
The BaconMedic flight consisted of 4 tastings – Green Wave Kristallweizen (5.4% ABV), Spud Light (a potato brewed IPA, 6.5% ABV), Blood for the Brood (Blood Orange IPA, 7% ABV) and the most interesting choice of the day (or perhaps, year), Boil Advisory (Blonde Ale, 5% ABV). Only in New Orleans can one get a beer made with CRAB BOIL! Yes, you read that right-the same spice mixture Cajun chefs use to boil mud bugs with is now in a beer, and you know what? This fun blonde was actually pretty darn tasty. Now as any craft beer aficionado can tell you, there has been a run of brewers creating spicy beers, and while some work, many often do not, leaving the drinker with the feeling that they just drank a bottle of carbonated hot sauce. Boil Order was a rousing success, hitting a perfect balance between beer and spice.
While my sample of Boil Order had me suddenly craving crawfish, it passed when I noticed that McClure’s Barbecue was stationed just to the left of the bar. If I didn’t see it, I certainly would have smelled it, as the sweet smell of smoked meat hung lovingly throughout the tap room. While they offered all the usual suspects as far as BBQ, along with a selection of burgers and fried chicken, I stuck with the New Orleans culinary theme and ordered a plate of fried boudin balls (3 in an order, $7.50) with a spicy horseradish sauce. Without getting into details of what boudin is, let’s just say it was a perfect compliment to all 4 beers. Crispy on the outside and delicious on the inside, the 3 pieces left me wanting more.
As hard as it was to not head back up to the counter and order everything on the menu, I managed to stay strong, with the realization that we still had two more breweries to check out. It was time to move on to our next stop: Urban South. As we walked out into the afternoon heat, I recall thinking that Urban South would need to be pretty damn good to beat out what I had just experienced at NOLA.
Urban South, geographically a mile up the road on Tchoupotoulas, seemed like a million miles away. Unlike NOLA, where we were one of only two couples in a subdued and relaxed atmosphere, Urban South was anything but. Housed in a large, high ceilinged warehouse, Urban South was loud and crowded, eliciting memories of the Hofbräuhouse I visited in Munich during by high school trip.
Urban South - complete with bouncy house.
Large televisions showing multitudes of week 1 NFL games were everywhere, as well as a bouncy house for the children of families drinking beer (An odd thing, I thought, but then again, in a state with drive through windows serving daiquiris, is it really that strange?). And while Urban South didn’t have an onsite BBQ restaurant, they did have a gentleman selling boiled crawfish and crab legs, the perfect accompaniment to beer in the Big Easy. Banners hung from the rafters the way sports teams display championships, with Urban South clearly showing off their multiple awards for brewing great beers. This gave me hope that we were in for another great sampling of local brews.
Unfortunately, and I presume because of the crowd, there was a large sign at the bar: NO FLIGHTS. Realizing that ordering four pints of different beers would end our afternoon quickly and remembering that I still wanted to try one more brewery, I decided that I had narrow my sampling choice down to just one 10 ounce beer.
Fortunately, the beer menu was strong and I had lots to choose from. Urban South has everything from basic ales (Who Dat Golden Ale, a nod to Saints Nation, 5% ABV) to IPAs, Lagers, Ciders, Sours and even a Whiskey Barrel Aged Stout (Midnight Hour, 12% ABV). In keeping with the fun spirit of Louisiana, beer slushies were also offered. I ended up settling on a 10 ounce pour of Holy Roller, a New England Style IPA (6.3% ABV). Like all beers of this type, I found it sweet, juicy, and completely refreshing. Ready to get up and move on to our final stop, I found a strong gravitational pull sucking me back to the bar. Maybe it was the atmosphere that reminded me of my college days, maybe it was the great beer I had just finished, we may never know what spurred my decision, but I quickly found myself with another 10 ounce beer in front of me. This time I tried the Never Bitter (But Slightly Petty) IPA (6.5% ABV). As I sipped on this delicious brew, I reflected on just how far Louisiana beers had come over the past decade.
Unsure if we were up for a third brewery, we once again stepped out into the heat and humidity that is New Orleans. Just walking towards the car made it very clear that it was much too hot to do anything other than sit in an air-conditioned bar drinking cold beer and watching a game. Decision made, we headed two miles down Tchoupotoulas Street to our third spot, Port Orleans Brewing.
Once inside, we pulled up a couple of seats at the bar and immediately the couple next to us struck up a conversation. As is typical in Louisiana, people are amazingly friendly and we spent the next hour with our new friends Chad and Jean discussing beer, cruising, the NFL and how Roger Goodell is the Devil (only Saints fans can possibly feel the level of hate towards the NFL Commissioner that Patriots fans feel).
The great beer at Port Orleans only made the day better, and ordering a flight here was only difficult because we were limited to four different pours per flight. I started with the perfectly named 3-Day Weekend Summer Ale (ABV 4.5%), which, considering how hot and humid it was, hit the spot perfectly. Next up, the Geaux to Port IPA (Pronounced Go, as in Go/Geaux Tigers, a nod to LSU Football fans, 7.7% ABV). This perfectly balanced American IPA was both juicy and smooth with a touch of citrus, also quite refreshing. The last two were the Gleason IPA and the Tropical Gleason IPA (both 5.8% ABV). Both brews are named for former Saints safety Steve Gleason, who currently suffers from ALS; proceeds from each are donated to Team Gleason and its mission to help care for people living with this horrible disease. I have to admit, I’m a complete sucker for any small business that is willing to donate even a couple of pennies from what is generally a very small profit margin so these choices were a no-brainer for me. A flight turned into a couple more pints with our new friends, but it was all good—we were helping to support a great cause! Also, both of these beers were perfectly drinkable – smooth and hoppy, with the Tropical having just enough citrus to make it near perfect.
Port Orleans Flight—Gleason and Tropical both support the Team Gleason Charity.
Reaching the bottom of the pint glass is a stressful time. You must weigh the decision if you need just ‘one more’ or if it’s time to call it quits and go home. Here the BaconMedic needs to remind you to drink responsibly—there are cabs and rideshare apps like Uber or Lyft that will get you home safely after you’ve had a few beers—make use of them. Knowing we still needed to see a few things in the city and pack for our return trip home, the decision was made for us. As we headed back to the French Quarter I was struck with the sudden realization: I was damn hungry. A stop at the hotel for a quick shower and change was all we needed before we once again headed out into the early evening heat, seeking ‘just the right place’ for dinner.
Deanie’s Catfish Platter
The only thing on my mind was catfish. It was all I could think about. I’m still thinking about it now as I write this blog post. Delicious, deep friend, flakey, catfish. I know that I had eaten it the day before, but it was so good that I just didn’t want anything else. While virtually every place in New Orleans has catfish on the menu, I came to the realization that only Deanie’s guaranteed the perfection I was craving. While I encourage you to try different foods when traveling, I also believe that when you find perfection, don’t be afraid to go back and enjoy it again.
We headed back to Deanie’s and were quickly seated. Before long, we were enjoying our plate of red potatoes (I still can’t get over the fact that not only are these the ‘bread,' but also that I love them). Our dinner selection was similar to the previous evening’s with one exception: we ordered oysters from the raw bar instead of my normal favorite, charbroiled. I was briefly concerned that I had made a mistake; however, when the plate arrived and I popped one of those babies in my mouth, my fears were quickly allayed. They were as fresh and delicious as one could hope to be served. Perfectly balanced, sweet and briny with a dab of horseradish and crystal hot sauce, this little guy was culinary perfection.
Now I have to admit, I’m relatively new to loving raw oysters, so I may be easily impressed, but I am certain that my love of these oysters was justified. Most my oysters to date have been from the Northeast, so I had forgotten that one of the single best places to get them is in New Orleans. Gulf oysters are plumper, softer and meatier than what I am used to back home. While I only ate 6 – I still had a gigantic platter of catfish deliciousness coming my way – I suddenly realized I could spend another whole day exploring the local oyster restaurants in New Orleans. Sadly, that will have to wait until my next trip back to New Orleans. Full of perfectly cooked catfish, we returned to our hotel to catch some rest and pack so that we could enjoy our final short day in the city.
Morning of our last day came too quickly and we woke hungry. We slept in just enough to realize it was closer to lunch than breakfast, so our options were almost too numerous to count. While a plate of hot beignets would have been perfect, I was on a mission. I wanted a muffuletta.
In fact, my original goal when we decided to explore the NOLA culinary scene was focused on its most famous sandwich, the muffuletta. Specifically, I wanted to decide, for myself, who sold the best one in the city. The muffuletta is the kind of sandwich that dreams are made of: it is served on a large, round loaf of bread, there are layers of salami, Italian ham, mortadella, Swiss and provolone cheeses; so as to not be confused with a standard Italian sub, the top layer has an amazing olive salad which consists of pickled olives, celery, carrots, olive oil, oregano and garlic. The best places make the sandwich a day early, allowing all the flavors to combine into one amazing experience.
Central Grocery, home of the original muffuletta.
While there remains controversy on who created the sandwich, Central Grocery on Decatur Street across from the French Market lays claim to its invention in 1906. As such, it’s the most famous one in the city, and lines often flow out the door of this busy Italian grocery store. My love for Central Grocery’s muffuletta started when I was a kid visiting the Big Easy. I would grab a sandwich and a drink to go with it (Dad always said that an icy cold Barq’s Root Beer was the perfect accompaniment to a muffuletta) before I headed down to the banks of the Mississippi to eat and watch the ships go by.
Based on history alone, Central Grocery (my gold standard for the muffuletta, had to be one of the two choices for my unofficial and very unscientific competition. Choosing a competitor, however, was no easy task. Considering I was biased and never tried any other muffuletta, I had zero knowledge of where I might find the best competition. To narrow down my search, I turned to my good friend, Google and quickly found some suggestions.
Johnny’s Po-Boy, home of the grilled muffuletta.
There were so many potential competitors that I’m positive my choice will be controversial, but Johnny’s Po Boy, located just a few blocks away on St. Louis Street won a spot on the roster that day. Johnny’s was chosen not only because of its proximity to Central Grocery (about a 5-minute walk), but also because it happened to be mentioned by the Food Network’s Scott Conant as the best in the city during the same episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate that led me to the life changing catfish at Deanie’s.
Arriving at Central Grocery well before the lunch rush, we were lucky enough to find no line. Hungry and already anticipating the perfect balance of ingredients, I ordered a half sandwich (I had to save room for my next sandwich). Within minutes found myself, sandwich in hand, seated on a vacant bench next to the river watching the ships move up and down the river. Unwrapping the sandwich from the deli paper was as exciting for me as a kid unwrapping his presents on Christmas morning, in fact, screw the Official Red Ryder carbine action two-hundred shot range model air rifle, I want Santa to wrap up one of these delicacies for me. The first bite, as expected, was perfection (hey, there is a reason I keep coming back to Central Grocery for my fix). The bread was freshly baked and perfectly crusty, the cold cuts and cheese were the highest quality, but it was the olive salad that made it. Like the Good Lord intended, this sandwich was made yesterday allowing the olive salad to soak into the bread with the cold cuts. The flavors were melded together so perfectly that I almost forgot about the competition and headed back in for another half sandwich.
The Classic Muffuletta from Central Grocery
In the interest of fair competition, I refrained and spent the next few hours walking around the French Quarter checking out some of the street acts and many artists that dot the perimeter of Jackson Square. Ready for the next competitor and we headed into Johnny’s Po Boy. I followed the advice of Scott Conant and ordered my half muffuletta grilled. I know! I can already hear the muffuletta purists yelling at me, “A muffuletta must be served cold!” I get it, but hear me out. According to Scott, grilling the sandwich adds another layer of flavor making it even more delicious. A muffuletta made even more delicious? I had to try it to see if it was possible.
Fresh off the flat top, the sandwich was almost too hot to handle. The melty cheese and warmed meats added another layer of flavor to an already flavorful sandwich, but it was the crunch the grilling added to the bread that really made this an amazing sandwich. I can truly say I enjoyed every single bite.
Grilled Muffuletta from Johnny’s Po’Boy
I now had an almost impossible decision to make: which muffuletta was the best? Was it the traditional cold muffuletta of my childhood, with its freshly baked bread and incredible olive salad? Or was it the grilled muffuletta with warm, gooey cheese and crunchy bread?
It took a lot of thought, but I finally came up with a winner—well actually two winners. First, in the category of hot versus cold: while both amazing, I loved the melty cheese and crunchy bread, so hot wins out by a narrow margin. As far as who has the best overall muffuletta in the city? With freshly baked, perfectly done bread; top quality Italian cold cuts and a super-secret olive salad soaked into the sandwich, its still the original: Central Grocery. Bottom line? You can’t go wrong with either one, the muffuletta is the king of sandwiches in the Big Easy.
Stuffed full of deliciousness, we started the journey back to the airport. Even though I had just spent two days in this amazing city, it was clear to me that I need to return here soon. Each meal I had left me wanting to explore the growing culinary and brewery scene more. Already thinking about my next trip and the foods I wanted to try, I settled into the waiting area of Gate B2, Lucky Dog in hand. (You didn’t think I would miss out on this classic, did you?)
Have a suggestion or recommendation for the BaconMedic? Think you know where the best muffuletta is in New Orleans? The best oyster bar? Know of a new craft brewery or cool location that the BaconMedic should check out? Let us know on our Facebook page!
