Welcome to New Orleans (and WFB!)

After creating this blog six months ago to track my adventures working in Brussels, Belgium this summer, and after two widely popular (or at least I like to think so) guest blog posts at Wild and Crazy Pearl and FreeFoodBoston, I've decided the time to enter the blogosphere for real is right now! For the moment, this is a blog about whatever I feel like blogging about--maybe one day it will take on a focus, or maybe it never will--you'll have to stay tuned to find out. For this, my inaugural post, join me in reliving the food I ate on my recent trip to New Orleans.

Two weeks ago Sara and I decided it was time for a vacation, and decided to visit my cousin Laura and her wonderful roommates at the New Orleans Moishe House. Off we went on a long weekend for an adventure in Creole and Cajun cooking.

Our mandatory first stop was at Cafe du Monde, in the heart of the French Quarter. Friends, I've recently been using the phrase "life-changing" to describe things that were just fun, but these really were life-changing. Fried balls of dough covered in sugar have never been something I crave before, but Cafe du Monde has perfected them, and now, while writing this, I can feel the drooling beginning again. These beignets are the perfect texture--much like the Belgian waffles I adore, there's an ideal juxtaposition of the crispy fried outside against the soft, doughy inside that is just a touch undercooked. A mountain of powdered sugar that was several inches high didn't hurt either.

The next day I finally got the Holy Grail of New Orleans cuisine--the po'(-)boy. As an avid sandwich lover, I expected great things from the po-boy. The first one I ate, at Johnny's Po Boys, was slightly disappointing. They had dozens of po-boys to choose from, which all sounded delicious, but for my first taste I decided to stay classic and get the fried oyster po-boy. This also happened to be one of the more expensive choices, which raised my expectations even more. Unfortunately, the oysters were way overcoated and then overcooked, resulting in very dry, very crispy oysters that just tasted like the cornmeal they were coated in. When I picked some of the oysters off and just ate the bread and the other toppings, though, it was delicious. Love that tangy mayo!

My second po-boy was much more successful, and also much less traditional. I've been having a meatball craving for weeks now and decided to get my fill by trying the meatball po-boy from Mahoney's. This was what I would call a meatball sub, but a delicious version of it. The tomato sauce was a spicy rustic Creole tomato sauce, the meatballs were moist and flavorful, and the bead was light and doughy all at once (my favorite).

Finally there was the brunch food. Laura took me to her favorite brunch spots for some more Southern classics. The chicken and waffles was, once-again, life-changing. I don't usually like sweet food for brunch, and I especially don't tend to like sweet food with meat in it. This, however, was totally worth leaving my comfort zone. The fried chicken was perfectly cooked (a boneless piece of chicken that wasn't dry!?!?!), with a nice crust of breading on the outside. The waffle was no Waffle Truck waffle, but it was close. To top it off, the cheesy grits were smooth and the perfect vehicle for more Louisiana Hot Sauce. The next morning at Elizabeth's we decided to go back to the world of waffles and got the cornbread waffle with sweet potato and duck hash and pepper jelly. When I first ate it, I declared that it was one of the best things I've ever eaten. On further reflection, I do have a few more critical thoughts. The pepper jelly was a little overpowering, which made it hard to taste anything other than the heat, and I wish the cornbread waffle had a bit more cornbread taste to it. Still, it was fantastic, and I will definitely be back next time I'm in New Orleans, perhaps to taste the salmon and brie grilled cheese that looked equally delicious. As an added bonus, they served me one of the best Bloody Mary's I've ever eaten.

Since this blog is called Waffles Fries and Beer, I also have to mention the beer. If you are ever in New Orleans on a Friday afternoon at 2:00, you MUST go visit NOLA (New Orleans Lager and Ale) Brewing. They give a complimentary tour that includes UNLIMITED tastes of their beer, which is delicious. The company owner is the tour guide, and spent 15 minutes after the tour talking to Sara and I about beer, where to get the best po-boys in the city, and pouring me a special blend of two of their beers, which he called Brewers Crack. Did I mention it was FREE.

So, the food of New Orleans. It was delicious, and thanks to Laura and the Moishe House for being such great hosts and tour guides! Stay tuned to this blog to see what else happens, and what else I eat.