Saturday, July 12, 2008

New Orleans Eating Tour: Part Un


With most of my clients on vacation and Lili's Bistro where I cook on the weekends closed for the Fourth of July, I decided to hop on down to New Orleans. The purpose of my trip: eat like a Cajun queen and become inspired to cook like one. Mission accomplished. Daniel Bouloud's After Hours forays into the Crescent City left a niggling bug in my brain for getting a meal at Cochon in the Warehouse District. I got an early start in the city, walking in the heat down Magazine Street, looking for a place to get a small plate and a glass of red wine. The nice man at Martin Wine Cellar told me to head for The Delachaise, corner of St. Charles and Delachaise. On my way there I passed Lilette in hopes I'd be inspired to make a reservation for the next night, only to discover they would be closed for the next few days. That was my first inkling that things in the restaurant world are a tad different in the Big Easy. I would discover many restaurants were closed for the July 4th long weekend (and into the week!), including Cafe Reconcile, the lunch spot my Mother and I were so looking forward to trying!

The Delachaise was real nice and friendly; a straightforward drinking place with class and tapas. Big blackboards lined the wall above the bar, each with its own heading: Bourbon, Red Wine, Gin, Tequila, etc., with their vintages and their prices per. This made ordering very easy. I had the cheapest glass of French red they offered ($7) and the crab-meat johnny cakes with wasabi caviar. Two female barkeeps graciously talked with me about their favorite places to eat while I took notes (the Rivershack Tavern was praised repeatedly). I asked them about Cochon, my destination for the evening. Looks of concern came over their faces and one said "It's OK if you like meat. I mean really like meat. You'll smell like BBQ smoke when you leave." That sealed it! I was going to enjoy my meal!

And so I did. Arriving around 7:30 PM, I think I took the last spot in the place. Very masculine in feel, decor and menu selections, Cochon didn't disappoint me. How could I resist a classic like North Carolina-style pork BBQ (called "Louisiana Cochon"), served w/ fresh cracklins and pickled peaches? This and the buttermilk-lemon pie w/ blueberries made my evening in NOLA a crackin' way to start my Fourth of July trip!