Veal Sweetbreads for our Anniversary
We will be in town for our 30th anniversary this October. My husband is a fan of Sweetbreads. I have seen them mentioned several times. Does anyone know which restaurants serve them?
I would love a recommendation for a romantic, special place for us to celebrate this wonderful event. We are staying in the French Quarter.
Thank you for your help!
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I've eaten sweetbreads a few days in a row now in the New Orleans area and I would very confidently suggest the dish at La Provence as the winner. I assume others have not mentioned it because it is a current special and not on their permanent menu.
The dish consisted of three full sweetbreads (double-breaded in crumbs and eggwash for the best sweetbread crust I've ever had), three small peppers with a fresh goat cheese stuffing, english peas and house-raised Berkshire pig bacon lardons. I can't exactly describe the beauty of the dish but it is something to inquire about, if you are interested in a trip to La Provence. La Provence also has what I consider to be the most comfortable and tasteful dining room in the area; excellent for a special occasion.
Susan Spicer's sweetbreads at Bayona did not thrill me. They are very simply fried (eggwash and flour?) and served over a scant amount of "sherry mustard" (so scant that it really can't be tasted above the sweetbreads). The remainder of the plate is composed of a generic tower of shallow-fried potato and a few haricot vert. A good meal if you're hungry but nothing to write home about.
I have not tried the sweetbreads at August but I can't imagine that they'd be anything less than great.
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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112La Provence
25020 Highway 190, Lacombe, LA 70445›2 Replies -
If the main event is the sweatbreads, my hands-down favorite in the city come from La Boca. They are first lightly poached and pressed, then stripped of their membranes and grilled. Definitely a pleasant departure from the classic paneed treatment. That said, the ambiance, while quite pleasantly dim, is a lot more lively and less elegant than Bayona's; it is a South American-style steakhouse, after all.
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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112La Boca Restaurant
857 Fulton St., New Orleans, LA 70130›6 Replies-
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re: faubourg
paz5559
Jul 29, 2010 07:36 PM
Best I have had, by far, were at Bistro Daisy (http://goo.gl/qKgA
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Bistro Daisy
New Orleans, LA, New Orleans, LA -
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re: foodmuse
Absolutely. Sweetbreads are too often breaded and fried, which they are too delicate for. Sweetbreads actually come from two different parts of the animal, either the thyroid in the throat or the thymus which is closer to the heart. One is way fattier than the other, but I can never remember which. Either way, at La Boca, they grill the leaner one, which is superior, IMHO.
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La Boca Restaurant
857 Fulton St., New Orleans, LA 70130
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re: philmaur
I agree with Bayona and I'm generally underwhelmed with their food although they seem to have a very loyal following.
I unfortunately recently had a bad experience at the usually reliable Brightsen's. Last time I was there they dreadfully overcooked one of the sweetbreads...
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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112
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bourbonstjoe
Jul 21, 2010 07:50 PM
Fourth the recommendation on Bayona. That was the second appie I had during the dinner the GF and I had there and the preparation was wonderful! Though we dined inside from what I remember of the glimpses of the patio it looked like it had amazing atmosphere.
Preemptive Happy Anniversary Tothfairy!
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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112›1 Reply -
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Second on MiLa and Bayona. Also, Cafe Degas had them as a special at lunch not too long ago, and they were easily the most amazing sweetbreads I've ever eaten. Perhaps since it's your anniversary if you called ahead, they might do them for you at dinner? And, it's a lovely, romantic setting.
Best wishes,
Renee-----
Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112Cafe Degas
3127 Esplanade Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119›1 Reply -
nomadchowwoman
Jul 21, 2010 03:03 PM
I've had wonderful sweetbreads--wonderful everything--at August. And at MiLa. Both are restaurants we've gone to for celebrations. (Both are very near the FQ though not in it.) Bayona (in FQ) also does excellent sweetbreads.
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Bayona
430 Dauphine St, New Orleans, LA 70112
