Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sazerwrap Part 1: The Food

The Sazerwrap has been RtBE way of rounding up all the amazing things that happen down at our annual trip to Jazzfest in New Orleans.  This year we will breaking the review up into two parts, Food and Music, today is the food.  Only 11 Months until next years festival! 

Every year it gets harder and harder to put into words how amazing the NOLA Jazzfest experience is. From the amazing friends whose numbers keep expanding to the all night raging to the music and food that just melts your brain and clogs your heart...Things are pretty much magical in that town.

Today we will talk about the calorie inducing portion of the trip, the tasty eats that NOLA is famous for. Each year seems to up the ante on the restaurants we hit and the great variety and quality of the grub and cocktails.

Crawfish Po'boy
EAT: Simple name, but the breakfast in town. We always make it a point to hit EAT at least once for breakfast when we are down south, but this trip we went twice and were just as enamored both times. The staff are great, the decor is weirdly cool, and the food...god damn the food is amazing. On our second morning we thought we might mix it up and hit the Ruby Slipper, but as we walked by there was literally a full bar of people crowding the sidewalk, drinking Bloody's and waiting to simply walk in the doors. Not caring too much we took the stroll again to eat and ordered the same thing again, Jeff and I both days split a Crawfish Pie and a Crawfish Po'Boy...Delightful. Kel grabbed her favorite omelet in the world, Literally, just look at that thing:
This place gets better and better each visit, it is a must, and off the beaten path for tourists which is nice.
Cochon: No pics this time from one of the best restaurants on the planet, but we took some last year. One of the pure joys of our Jazzfest trip is an Oyster and Bacon Sandbo' from Cochon backed by a frosty High Life...close to heaven.
Peche: Just as close to holy comes this brand new fish joint from the Cochon peeps. We took down a bunch of appetizers like that raw plate up there (click on it like all pics for a better look) and each morsel was pure boosh. This place may be on the list of an every-time visit, it was that tasty, so much goodness so little stomach space...well that seems to be growing each time too.
Bayona: we started off the whole trip with this classic NOLA dining experience. The joint was packed to the gill's and older peeps weren't having it, but we did not care, sitting in the warm Spring night with Abita's and good chatter was a blessing after the plane ride.  When we got seated we were quickly helped to food (to the dismay of those around us) and loved all the bites.  Again we opted for a bunch of appetizers and were really blessed with quality and deliciousness. Sweetbreads, a raw tuna dish and some greek cheese spread thing-a-ma-bob (it's official name) were what we went with.  The insane Carrot Cake desert just put it over the top.
Jazzfest Eats:
While we didn't spend a ton of time at the festival itself (just one day this year) we did sample some new food there that needs a shout out. Quickly for those who are new to this, the food at the festival itself rivals the music, it is incredibly delicious and impossible to try it all but you can keep trying. That trio you see up above is a Crawfish Sack, OysterPatties and Crawfish Beignets  Holy Holy Holy....All of them were ungodly good but I could have wolfed down about a dozen of those Beignets, they were divine. 

There were other really fantastic meals (Domenica with their elegant pizza was one) so much, so good, so pure boosh.     
Cocktails: There is so much goodness with the food, it almost over shadows the drink...almost. These three drinks were out of this world. First stop as always was the Swizzle Stick Bar to meet up with our main NOLA gal, Lu Brow. She treated us proper and we hung with her multiple nights and times. A great host, thanks as always Lu! Oh yeah, and that up there?  A gin-gin mule...believe it!
SoBu: my first time at this place Lu had a hand in and I wasn't disappointed. That drink up there? A Judy Collins. Also a Phil Collins was to be had, and a Michael Collins...really top notch stuff at this elegant watering hole in the quarter.
Carousel Bar: Still the reigning champ in our book, The Sazerac at the Carousel Bar in the Montelone. No matter who makes it, from their crack team of mixers this one always just feels so f'ing right it hurts. Joining the list of must-do (that list is getting long) and proudly standing as RtBE's pick of best in town.   
 
After those cocktails it would be back to the girl at the top of this page in our favorite late night drinking spot the Erin Rose, if you go, say hi to Jeff the great and friendly 'tender who hooked us up with good chatter and cold hi-life's all night. God I wish I was back there now...how long to Voodoo Fest?  I may not be able to wait...Part 2 of the Sazerwrap, dealing with the music will be here tomorrow. 

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