Guess that Dish / Restaurant - September Edition

Welcome back friends!

The weather is changing & eating outside has come back into style. I am so glad the summer of 2012 in NOLA is over and fall is here. So, with that in mind, please take a look at the photos and descriptions below. Can you guess that dish or restaurant?

Clues for Photo #1: This is just one of the reasons I have been having chest-pains as of recent. This classic New Orleans spot is right off the avenue. The kicker, Scott Kushner eats here for free until the end of time.

Clues for Photo #2: This New Orleans newcomer is one of the hottest spots on Magazine Street. Great Value! Very diverse menu with something on it for everyone.

Clues for Photo #3: This sandwich was a true monster as you can see. SO GOOD! I had never heard of this bywater restaurant. It is located in an amazing historic building.

That should be enough to feast your eyes on for now. Can you guess any of those spots or dishes? Bring it on!

Maurepas Foods + Tales of the Cocktail = Great Meal

So, I finally made it down to Maurepas Foods in the Bywater & I am proud to say, it did not disappoint. A group of 4 signed up for the Tales of the Cocktail 5 course food & vodka pairing dinner. It was epic!

As you can see, the menu was fairly extensive and experimental. The total cost per person before tip was $65. 360 Vodka sponsored the event & did a great job with shirts, coasters, and providing the booze.

Below are some of the plates Maurepas served with the variety of exotic vodka cocktails:

Above is the sweet peppers and cucumbers which was a great opener - very refreshing!

The best of the 5 courses pictured above - Fried Tofu Sandwich. The bread was terrific!

Photographed above is the gulf crudo & kimchi puree. This was a great palet cleanser, but a bistro style portion.

Last, but certainly not least is the grilled beef with the aged balsamic salad. Delicious. This meat looked like it was cooked in a sous vide = perfect!

Overall, Maurepas seems like the place to be in the bywater. Hip with all walks of life inside having a good time. Loud & exotic. I cant wait to go back!

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!"

Vietnamese DIVES

Due to my continued obsession with vietnamese food I am constantly in search of new vietnamese restaurants and cuisine. Most the traditional restaurants like Kim Sun and Pho Tau Bay get old after 5-10 visits. I know, i am husky. This constant eating out and trying to get further out of the box has brought me to more authentic spots for vietnamese cuisine like Tan Dinh and Kim Ahn Noodle House.

But after 40 visits to Tan Dinh, i am ready to start the adventure all over again.

Last week i tried an amazing vietnamese restaurant. Tucked in the exotic and historic Bywater / Marigny neighborhood is the Lost Love Lounge. This hip and happening local bar has comfortable seating, a nice TV, and interesting conversations and people everywhere you look. What is particularly interesting is that in the back of the bar is a dim / quaint vietnamese restaurant.

The prices at the Lost Love Grill were about $1 higher for each item than a traditional vietnamese spot, BUT it was totally worth it. To get a laid back, dark and stormy, bar atmosphere is priceless when the time is right.

All the traditional, made for american, vietnamese dishes were on the menu. The very noticeable chef in the kitchen was most definitely authentic. He had one of those dark Fumanchu beards that he continued to stroke as he tasted the pho broth throughout the night. It reminded me of the sensei in Kill Bill. The springrolls, buns, and pho's were all very tasty and came out fresh and quick. What stood out the most was the guy handling the ordering at the cash register from New Zealand. This guy was fascinating. First of all, how did he end up at the lost love lounge? I dont recall this chaps name but he was extremely friendly and very helpful. I realize this sounds weird, but you will understand once you make to L3.

I hope this post makes you hungry for my next post which will focus on other strange places in the city to find vietnamese.