Guess That Restaurant - Saints Win!

What a game last night. Vick gets sacked 7 times. WHO DAT!

On this historic election day, I felt it was only fair to play a little GUESS THAT Restaurant...

And we're off ----

Clues for photo #1 - What a good looking salad from a place you wouldn't think would have the best salads. The new outdoor furniture / seating is phenomenal. So close to the Mighty Mississippi...

Clues for Photo #2 - obviously a pizza, but from where? Thin crust, low calorie, and actually...pretty good. This pizza is not cheap & I dont quite understand the $1.50 delivery charge.

Clues for photo #3 - Mediocre BBQ that had big expectations coming in. This Metairie lunch spot was hyped as being the answer to New Orleans long battle with good bbq & what a let down it was. BOOOOO! Oh and did I mention the value is not great?

Two out of three of these restaurants will prove to be a challenge for my readers, but give it a try!

Happy Tuesday - GO VOTE!

BBQ in the Bywater

Nothing could be better than getting a bunch of good people together for an afternoon BBQ. Even if it's 90 degrees & super humid. And even better than a regular BBQ, is a BBQ with a bunch of local New Orleans chefs who absolutely know what they are doing! Well, this is what I was lucky enough to attend yesterday!

You may be asking yourself, what is that shelter /bunker pictured above? That's no bunker. It's a hand built slow-cooker built for slow cooking a large piece of meat.

Pictured above is a whole lamb provided and cooked by Two Run Farm. The lamb was placed on a spit at 2 pm Sunday afternoon and cooked for 6 hours! You would not believe the aroma this lamb & slow-cooker produced.

Most of the attendees of this Sunday BBQ, brought a dish to share with the group. Classic potluck. There was salsa, guacamole, cucumber salad, macaroni salad, green bean salad, and much more. The spread was one of the best I have ever seen. There was a keg of Abita and an amazing strawberry & watermelon liquor drink that was topped off fresh spritzer. Perfect for cooling us all down on this horrible July day.

And then GOD said, "let there be burgers!" Oh Yeah! These patties were just like I like 'em - thick. This made me rethink my philosophy on BBQ's. The proper BBQ should have two meats cooking:

(Attack the menu from two angles)

1)Fast meat (ie. burgers) that can be ready in a flash to prevent the group from getting hungry

2) A low and slow meat that keeps the group excited for what's still to come.

ValueNola approves of absolutely everything involved with this BBQ. Great job Two Run Farm! This Sunday get together made me want to say " Goodbye Uptown, Hello Bywater!"

Last Week's Food Related Activities

I spent Tuesday night of last week pickling cucumbers, carrots, ginger, green beans, garlic, and chile's. Some of the brine is actually infused with vietnamese pho broth.

Woke up Sunday morning at 4:45 AM to go fishing in Hopedale, LA which is only about an hour drive from New Orleans: 40 speckled trout, 20 redfish, 4 bullreds, 1 bass, 1 black drum, and a few sheepshead. Definitely a fisherman's paradise!

Podnuh's BBQ in Baton Rouge is the single best BBQ restaurant i have been to in Louisiana. The value is superb and the staff is very friendly. Huge meal for less than $7 is a must!