Bistro Food

I cringe when i hear the word "bistro." I cringe again when i hear la palabra, "tapas."

Why?

In my opinion, both words are synonymous with RIP-OFF.

Although, bistro food is delicious, it also puts a big emphasis on presentation. Presentation is great, but it sure doesn't fill you up. Can you really take anything away from the meal other than a photo when it comes to presentation ? The answer is NO.

So many new restaurants are some form of a bistro: smaller plates and less food combined with higher prices. It just makes me mad. I guess, if you are being treated to a meal by the company, there is nothing better than bistro food, but if you are on your own nickel, walk/run away.

This leads me to the hottest and worst trend spreading across America...TAPAS! Tapas have hit New Orleans like wildfire and i dont have the right equipment to exterminate the fire out. These "small plates" were never meant to be turned into a meal. I get it, women love tapas. But what about the men? The variety that tapas gives a table is great, but i think the plate size can only be justified for appetizers and/or dessert. I simply dont dig it.

Whatever happen to the good ole cafeteria style hot plate restaurant like Rocky & Carlos?

The Company Burger

How do New Orleanien's feel about Five Guys entering the market? Is Five Guys really that good? In my mind it is way too greasy and way too limited in terms of menu design. I just don’t get the five guy hype.

Is New Orleans even into chains?

I can tell you what I am most excited about...THE COMPANY BURGER opening this week at 4600 Freret. The Company Burger is going to be a nitty gritty burger joint founded by former Newman Superstar Adam Biderman. Adam will be assisted by his father in a beautiful newly renovated open-air diner style kitchen in what used to be Wagner’e Meat. Kind of ironic that “you can’t beat Wagner’s Meat” is soon to become “You can’t beat Adam’s Burger.”

What most people don’t know about Adam is that he was all state in two sports while attending Isidore Newman High School which is about four blocks away from the foot of his new restaurant. Bids was a dominant defensive linemen and also was very impressive in track and field where he broke records in the shot-put. Adam would later attend the university of Georgia where he played football before pursuing a career in food. The Biderman family is the proud owners of Hiller Jewelry – THRILL HER WITH HILLER & if Hiller doesn’t thrill her, take her to the company burger

Also interesting to note, Adam makes his own pickles and gained a good bit of notoriety in his culinary days in the ATL. Biderman was also honored recently at Hogs for a Cause for his unbelievable BBQ. I have full confidence that The Company Burger will make a swift climb to the top of the New Orleans Burger hierarchy and I cant wait to take my first bite of his burger. The Company Burger will be closed on Tuesdays every week.

Let me know where you think the best burger is…

Ethnic Value

After an impressive night of middle eastern cuisine I thought it would only be appropriate to give my #1 thought in finding value in food:

GO ETHNIC!

Ethnic food (ie. Middle Eastern, Ethipian, Indian, etc…) is by far the best bang for your buck that I know of. The reason for this is that the meats are basic, the vegetables are a large portion of each of the cuisine, and the spices give the food its name and character (not the décor). Of course, there are exceptions to the rule ie. French and Italian which tends to be more on the bistro / tapas line. Just think of countries that would be expensive to visit and one that would not be & that can be your rule of thumb on ethnic dining.

Nothing makes me happier than a huge pile of food for a very little price. For example, Nirvana Sunday night buffet. $10 for all you can eat delicious food! And did you know that you can do take out on the buffet? Three quick tips on the Nirvana buffet. Take it out, ask for a to go soup container, and make your own rice at home in a rice cooker to save room for the important items.

Next week I will attack my tips of the trade for middle eastern.

Value on a Daily Basis!

So, moving along with educating my readers about value, the question becomes, how does the average individual save money on a daily basis in the food world:

One simple answer: COUPONS!

Every Sunday the local newspaper will have coupons in the back of the paper with the rest of the ads. Pull it out, grab some scissors, and have some fun. The keys to clipping are staying regular and to be organized. Try using a folder with sleeves similar to what little boys collect baseball cards in. Also try separating the coupons by function within the house ie. Cleaning, food, etc…

Once your coupon’s are clipped you simply need to check the weekly specials / promotions at both your local grocery and your local drugstore / pharmacy.

If you really want to get tricky, go to each manufacturers website to investigate if they offer any additional coupons online.

By following this painless and simple methods, I believe a household can save up to $500 per year.