Travels
Returning
to New Orleans
Nothing satisfies a craving for music,
history and
top-flight Creole cuisine
like a trip back to Louisiana's Crescent City.
The article was written as DeAnna George. It appeared in the October
2007 issue of Orange Coast magazine.
Never mind that the plane touched down at
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport four hours
before, or that I had already unpacked in the Chateau Sonesta
balcony suite overlooking the French Quarter’s famous Bourbon
Street. It’s only when I was sitting among friends in a
restaurant occupying a historic 1850s building and delving into
platters of crab cakes, oysters on the half shell, gator
sausage, and dark and steamy seafood gumbo that I felt like I
was truly back in New Orleans.
Don’t get me wrong. I love the city’s music: the
finger-snapping jazz, the heart-pumping blues, the
toe-tapping zydeco. And I treasure its history, a rich blend
of European, African, Caribbean and Native American
influences that
date back to the city’s time under French and Spanish rule,
before the Louisiana Purchase made it part of the United
States.
I’d last visited in 2005 for the French Quarter Festival, an annual weekend celebration in mid-April that prides itself on being the largest free music festival in the South. Just a few months after I left, Hurricane Katrina hit, the levees failed, and the city was left in tatters, a victim of the costliest natural disaster in American history.
Some wondered if New Orleans could ever recover. I didn’t. Too many people rushed to its aid, and it’s a testament to the strength of the city’s culinary culture that many of the most ardent supporters have been the chefs and restaurateurs who preserve its tradition. Take Chef Paul Prudhomme, for example. When there was no electricity to power his K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen restaurant in the French Quarter, he and his staff bought trailers and other equipment to create a portable kitchen behind his seasoning company in Harahan, just outside New Orleans. They used that kitchen to serve 50,000 meals to rescue workers over a four-month period, says Shawn McBride, the company’s president and CEO. Former Commander’s Palace executive chef and now Food Network star Emeril Lagasse has done his part by hosting a number of benefits to help relief workers and displaced victims, and also serves as an official spokesman for the New Orleans tourism council. Even in Orange County, staff members at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen in Downtown Disney reached out to their sister restaurants in New Orleans – Red Fish Grill, Bacco and Ralph’s on the Park, as well as others, to offer assistance.
I watched from a distance as the city made progress, feeling torn between wanting to help and not wanting to get in the way. I read about the recovery. I donated where I could. I stayed informed. And I waited.
When it came time for this year’s French Quarter Festival, all the signs indicated that merchants – especially in the French Quarter – were reopened, ready and even eager for business. It was all the news I needed to make my way back.
And my timing couldn’t have been better.
Though the rebuilding effort is still visibly under way in much of the greater New Orleans area, the French Quarter is as vibrant as ever. Every street remains a slice of another time. Historic buildings, many from the 18th and 19th centuries, still boast their famously shuttered windows and wrought-iron lace balconies dripping with lush ferns. The streetcars run along the waterfront, and St. Louis Cathedral’s central tower rises majestically over Jackson Square as it has for nearly two centuries. I couldn’t have been happier to see the district’s timeless appeal is still so firmly intact.
I was just as happy to see the kitchens in the landmark restaurants like
Arnaud’s, Antoine’s, Brennan’s, Court of
Two Sisters and Galatoire’s bustling with activity. One that
was missing, however, was Victor’s at the Ritz-Carlton, New
Orleans. During its year and a half rehabilitation after the
hurricane, the hotel took the opportunity to do something
different and redecorated the Old World-flavored dining room
into a sleek and modern space now called Melange. The new
name reflects the restaurant’s effort to take diners on a
culinary tour of New Orleans. Its menu offers some of the
signature dishes of famous local restaurants – such as
Broussard’s Pompano Napoleon and Palace Café’s Pepper
Crusted Duck. Chef de Cuisine Eric Aldis personally visited
each restaurant to learn to create the dishes, and then
taught his staff. For a visitor on a short trip, it can be a
great way to sample the region’s many tastes and flavors.Because I seem to be on an endless quest to master the perfect roux or remoulade sauce, I was also happy to find the local cottage industry of culinary classes is back in full swing, too. Judy Jurisich of the New Orleans Cooking Experience, which operates a range of classes through the House on Bayou Road, a bed and breakfast inn on the fringe of the French Quarter, says the school’s number of classes and students has bounced back this year from their pre-Katrina levels. And there’s a twist, she says: Many of their visitors are combining a vacation with volunteer efforts. “The people are wonderful and supportive, and we – the whole city and industry – are delighted to welcome them to our city,” Jurisich says.
Her sentiment is echoed by the organizers of the French Quarter Festival, which has not only bounced back, it set a single-day attendance record this year. The 2007 event also featured 16 stages of musical entertainment – the most ever – as well as concessions from more than 50 local restaurants. And that’s one of the festival’s best attractions. While the music draws much of the attention – and it is a terrific way to see some of the finest local talent – it’s also a great opportunity to sample dishes from some of the top local restaurants, from the Desire Oyster Bar’s Cajun Jambalaya, to the Gumbo Shop’s Chicken Andouille Gumbo, to the original Hurricane cocktail from Pat O’Brien’s Bar. I always try to visit a few new restaurants while I’m in town, and the festival makes it easy to sample a variety without having to invest in a full meal every time.
After enjoying our first day of the festival, my husband and I treated ourselves with dinner at Antoine’s Restaurant, which is the oldest restaurant in the French Quarter. Here, dining is an event – not the sort of place you want to squeeze in between cocktails and a show. Our group of eight was seated in the cavernous annex – by far the largest of the restaurant’s 15 dining rooms, though the wood paneling and dim lighting still gives it a cozy appeal – and proceeded to eat our way through three courses over three and a half hours.
I
started with the Bisque d’Ecrevisses, a rich crawfish bisque
offered only during crawfish season and which proved itself
more than worthy of our server’s high recommendation. Next
came the Poulet sauce Rochambeau, a grilled chicken breast
served atop a slice of baked ham and smothered in a tasty
combination of béarnaise sauce and Antoine’s own sweet and
savory Rochambeau sauce. I used the puffy soufflé potatoes
to soak up every drop.We left Antoine’s full, completely smitten with its great-tasting food and vowing to return. But I can’t say we were surprised – a restaurant that has been serving its French-Creole cuisine for nearly 170 years knows a thing or two about serving a good meal.
What is always a surprise are the great culinary finds we make by following our noses into some new restaurant and ordering up something that looks good on the menu.
On this trip, my new discovery was Oceana Grill. After tasting the Barbequed Shrimp and the Smoked Duck with Praline Sauce, I’ve added it to my ever-growing list of restaurants to return to again.
Yet the longer my list gets, the more difficult it is to decide. Emeril’s or K-Paul’s? Arnaud’s or Galatoire’s? And what about the newer breed earning accolades, like Muriel’s, which garnered a rave from Zagat Survey earlier this year? Again, so many possibilities.
The French Quarter Festival will mark its 25th anniversary next year (April 11-13), and the folks putting it together say plans are under way to make it bigger and better than ever. But with many restaurants to visit, I’m not sure I can wait.
