casual/rustic food that should not be missed in NOLA!

[napolean]

We will be visiting New Orleans for the first time next month, and we are craving the simple/rustic foods that make this city great. Crawfish is definitely high on the list along with the usuals: muffaletta, po boys, misc. creole dishes AND ANYTHING else you would reccommend a true foodie should not miss. May have a car to travel out a bit but will be staying in the heart of the city. Thanks!

[edible complex]

Cochon, J'Anita's, Napoleon House, Central Grocery, Crabby Jack's, Cafe Atchafalaya, Cafe Reconcile, Praline Connection, Ye Olde College Inn,Jack Dempsey's, Joey K's, Two Sisters, Dunbar's Creole Cooking

[Big Easy]

I've always had a weakness for the hamburgers at Bud's Broiler. Their slogan is "Where high quality meat and glowing charcoal make the difference." My favorite is the #1, which is dressed with mayo, chopped raw onions, and sweet relish. It's the greatest hangover cure I've ever found.

[N.O.Food]

Cafe Bon Ton, Jacques Imo's, Mandina's, Liuzza's are all options that sound like they'd hit your spot. Poboys can be had at Parkway, Parasol's, and Domilise's but don't get a roast beef there. You'll find decent food at all of these. Crawfish are going to be tough to come by though.

[Panama Hat]

N.O.Food, You said not to get the roast beef at Domilise's. I haven't eaten there in quite a few years but back then, that was by far their best poboy. We use to drive from the CBD to there just to get the roast beef. Has their roast beef poboy gotten that bad? When I say a while, I mean 20 to 25 years ago.

[N.O.Food]

This wwl critic's review pretty much sums it up:

"Now while the gravy on the shrimp is tasty, the roast beef po-boy by itself was thoroughly disappointing. I probably could have overlooked the thin stack of beef, but I found the actual meat was pretty flavorless.

Two more interesting little tidbits about Domilise's po-boys: there are no tomatoes on the sandwich and they put mustard on the roast beef. The first is a big loss. Now I know I could have asked for some, but I like to take it how it comes, and the tomatoes were sorely missed. The mustard on the other hand was a treat because it mixed well with the mayo and the gravy. (I know these aren't groundbreaking changes, but remember, it's the little things that can make an average po-boy better.) "

I really disliked the r.b. A few, maybe 2, slices of what could be store bought r.b. The one I got about 3 months ago had about a 1 to 1 mustard to gravy ratio which I didn't like, so I can't even agree with the wwl critic who liked the mustard. The mustard was fine, but I don't want the same amount as the gravy.

I like big chunks of slow-cooked r.b. swimming in gravy a la Parkway or Parasol's. Domilise's will work for other poboys, but their r.b. is no better than a sandwich made at home with deli meat.

[Bill Hunt]

Definitely not to quibble, but there are a few (myself high on this list), who do love a bit of hot mustard on their RB po-boys.I'm always happy to find even Gulden's, when doing a good RB with plenty of gravy and Swiss, but maybe I am alone in this.

I do, however, agree that the RB needs to have flavor, along with the gravy. The mustard is just a little kick in the seat of the pants.

Hunt

[N.O.Food]

My problem wasn't the mustard, it was the quantity of it. Way too much. My main complaint, however, is the meat. I will assume it came from Winn-Dixie unless someone can tell me otherwise. What's more, the gravy seemed like it started its life as a powder in a Sysco bag. That's not my definition of a good r.b. poboy.

Just to reiterate, Dom's shrimp, oyster, fried stuff poboys are excellent.

[roro1831]

Well if you are looking for fresh boiled crawfish that could be hard as the season pretty much goes through the 4th these days, but most quit buying before that.