New Orleans is a cultural melting pot, and its mixture of African-American, French, and Spanish influences has yielded some of the best cuisine in the United States if not the world. I don’t think I’ve ever strategically planned out individual meals on a trip as much as I had to with New Orleans because there were just too many things I wanted to eat. If you’re a foodie, this city is a must. Be sure to pack your stomach! Here are all of the must-try foods I had in New Orleans.
Po’ Boy
A po’ boy is a New Orleans sandwich served on French bread and including lettuce, tomato, pickles, mayonnaise or remoulade, and one of a wide selection of meat or seafood options. I crossed two things off of my New Orleans foodie bucket list at once by choosing alligator sausage in the po’ boy I got at Crescent City Brewhouse. The alligator sausage was good – to me I couldn’t tell it was alligator, it just tasted like a spiced sausage. Next time in New Orleans I want to try fried alligator!
Muffaletta
A muffaletta is one New Orleans staple that I had never had prior to visiting, so I was excited to give an authentic muffaletta a try. This is a sandwich that originated in the community of Italians that immigrated to New Orleans. It involves a stack of salami, ham, Swiss cheese, provolone, and mortadella topped with marinated olive salad and served on a Sicilian sesame bread that also goes by the name muffaletta. I was bummed to find out that Central Grocery, the deli where the muffaletta originated, was closed during my time in NOLA due to ongoing hurricane damages, but luckily it’s not hard to find a muffaletta on a restaurant menu elsewhere in the city. I enjoyed one at the bar of Napoleon House, a beloved French Quarter restaurant so named because the building’s original occupant Nicholas Girod, NOLA mayor from 1812-1815, offered his home as refuge to Napoleon Bonaparte during his exile.
Jambalaya
Jambalaya is a favorite Cajun-Creole rice dish full of meats, vegetables, and lots of spice. While enjoying my muffaletta at Napolean House, I overheard the bartender telling the couple sitting next to me that their jambalaya could be served in 3 scoops as a main dish or in 1 scoop as a little side dish, so I decided to add the side dish version on to my meal, and it was yummy!
Boudin Balls
Despite being a fan of Cajun/Creole cuisine, I had honestly never heard of boudin balls prior to my visit to New Orleans, but I got this recommendation from a couple that I met sitting in a bar on Bourbon Street. These are fried appetizer balls made with boudin, a traditional Cajun sausage of pork, rice, vegetables, and Cajun seasonings. I knew I had to try them, and a Google search on the fly told me that some of New Orleans’ best are served at Cajun Mike’s, a little dive bar around the corner from where I was staying. So I went, and was not disappointed at all!
Red Beans and Rice
I paired my boudin balls with an order of Red Beans and Rice with andouille sausage. I swear this was one of the best meals I had in New Orleans. It was a lot of food, but probably a good choice to fill my stomach considering I was doing a bar crawl later that night!
Gumbo
During my French Quarter sightseeing I stopped into the Hermes Bar at Antoine’s Restaurant for lunch, and had a bowl of their delicious seafood gumbo and some French bread. Gumbo is the quintessential stew dish of New Orleans, made with a roux, meats and/or shellfish, and the “holy trinity” of Creole cuisine: onions, bell peppers, and celery.
Brunch at Ruby Slipper
For brunch, Ruby Slipper is a must. There are several locations throughout NOLA, and I ended up going to the one in the Garden District on the morning that I spent exploring that neighborhood. This location was great, and likely less crowded than the French Quarter ones. Pro tip: instead of heading to the restaurant and putting your name in to wait for a reservation, you can get on a waitlist from their website and just show up during the window of time that your table will be ready – excellent for those rough mornings after a night out!
Bananas Foster is a traditional dessert in the NOLA area, so I went for the French toast version of this for a sweet breakfast at Ruby Slipper. Delicious! I also enjoyed a French Truck cold brew coffee – another local favorite.
Beignets
Chances are even if you’ve never been to New Orleans you’ve heard of Cafe Du Monde, the famous spot for beignets, a delectable deep-fried pastry smothered in Confectioner’s sugar. It’s a tourist hotspot, but it’s definitely worth the visit. The other key place to go for beignets is Cafe Beignet. I tried both while I was there and it’s hard to pick a favorite because they were both really tasty in different ways. Cafe Beignet’s are larger and doughier and harder to finish by yourself, so if you’re going with a buddy you may want to split an order. Cafe Du Monde’s are smaller and crispier and you’ll certainly want an order all to yourself. I highly recommend hitting both if your itinerary allows!
Chicory Coffee
In addition to beignets, another “must” to try at Cafe Du Monde is the chicory coffee. This coffee is made with chicory root, which gives it a slightly nutty flavor. This tradition was said to have become popular in New Orleans during the American Civil War, when naval blockades disrupted the coffee trade into New Orleans and Louisiana natives turned to adding chicory to their coffee to stretch out their supply. Today it’s best enjoyed with an order of sugary beignets at Cafe Du Monde!
Pralines
My other favorite southern sweet is pecan pralines (pronounced prah-leens and you’ll get told that by any local if you call them pray-leens). These are little treats similar to fudge but loaded with pecans. The traditional has a vanilla flavor, but today you’ll find a lot of unique spins and flavors. Grab some from any of the confectioneries in town to take home and share (or not)!
Whew. I feel like I gained weight just writing this and reliving all of that delicious New Orleans grub! I cannot wait to get back to New Orleans and do some more eat-sploring.
C to Shining C 