Hello — my name is NoLA, short for New Orleans, LA, and today I am going to warp your senses of smell, feel and taste to a point of delusion. You might experience the one or all of the following side effects: disruption of time and space, temporary blindness and extreme hunger. Let’s begin.
It’s a bright and summer morning. After a short walk with your favorite companion from your hub in the Marigny to the French Market, the air around you takes on a sweet and aromatic fragrance of baked goods and coffee. Your lungs dig deeper, craving for more of that scent and looking for a taste. You now find yourself in front of one of my many French inspired cafes. Colorful and of lively pastel colored walls, the French streets take ahold of your sight. Your order is ready, in your hands now, a toasty chocolate croissant for you and a set of powdery, fresh out the fryer, beignets, for your travel buddy. Perhaps you also receive a couple of cafe au laits to accompany this breakfast of luxury. The chocolate croissant, in its warm and baked flaky and layered texture, submerges your taste buds of melted chocolate, activating the sweet and bitter parts of your tongue as the roof of your mouth indulges the flaky layers of this simply delicious baked good. Your eyes relax as the dopamine now secreted by your nervous system floods your brain and body as you continue to delight yourself with this chocolaty treat. You take a sip of your beverage, realize how good life is and can be. You are now enjoying yourself under a tree, sitting on a bench overlooking the Mississippi River and Downtown. Take a bite of that beignet you satisfied you. With your fingers, you separate a bite of this fried donut, dipping it onto the paper bag that’s filled with heavenly dense clouds of powder goodness and toss it in your mouth. You thought life couldn’t get much better and suddenly as you chew down this crispy cloud, you’re on the top of the world, a thousand mile stare, ready to set all plans into motion. You are then grounded again as you and your companion realize the hundred year old recipe, the history behind this fried luxury. With its sweet and mousse like interior entertaining your taste buds, your teeth continue to break down the crispy and smooth outside enhancing the flavor. You take a deep breath and relax. Sip a beverage. Back to the croissant. Now the beignet. Yess.
Its now lunch and breakfast has faded into the background. Inspired by the joy you’ve just experienced, you’re now ready for food. You begin to crave a taste of that authentic New Orleans cuisine. You’re now outside the French Quarter, closer to your hub. You’ve passed by this Po’ Boy shop many times before, always surrounded by locals, always on. Perhaps the best known hole in the wall, this store shares the building with a laundromat. In a made to order fashion, you find yourself holding the longest sandwich you’ve ever seen. You love all things in bread, especially when there are two pieces of bread holding some delicious content together. Your choice today, the fried catfish. Did I mention my seafood is the best east of the Mississippi? Yessr, so go ahead. With two hands and one mouth your front teeth begin to sink through this non-toasted, fluffy, and, dense duo of French, bread tearing a piece of this sandwich for your mouth to work on. Pleasure now takes over you. Your molars begin to chomp on the fried fish and the intermittent takes of fresh and crunchy lettuce and its favorite acidic counterpart that is a tomato. Your nose picks up on a light mayonnaise and buttery note as you prepare yourself for your next bite. Your tongue has just been smacked around between a smooth and crispy catfish and the acidic and savory balance that carries your taste buds along to a better place. This Po’ Boy has just drenched all your senses with pleasure, bringing them all into a state of alignment as you continue to stuff your face. Three dozen sessions of chewing and this notorious gang of taste in your mouth has you wanting more. “It’s only lunch” you tell yourself. You then processed to share with your partner, “I will taste you again, Po Boy..*sniffle*”. As you prepare for your last bite you thank once again all the hands that came together for this incredible dish. As you take your last bite, future you whispers out with an air of caution “just don’t get the roast beeefff…”. Muaha-ha!
After vigorous physical training alongside the River, it’s now dinner time and you are ready to feast. What comes next is a feature of New Orlean’s Best baby, thats right tonight we are showcasing the charcuterie that is the smoky garlic and peppery pork sausage, more commonly knowing as the Andouille Sausage. Thought to have originated in France, those French, this sausage is a staple of the Creole cuisine that has developed so abundantly. Tonights feast showcases this staple in two simple dishes: baked beans with sausage and rice cooked in a sausage, celery and tomato base commonly known as a jambalaya. Alongside this smoky feature, a crawfish etouffee that will delight your senses and a gumbo to complete this NoLA platter. The guest of honor, is you. And you are doing this in style, enjoying the views of the French Quarter from one of my many picturesque balconies. It’s a cool night and the party is ready to begin. Fill up dear the night is young. Start with the beans and you will find yourself stupefied by the smoky and garlic goodness that is this simple take on rice and beans. From there, move on to the rich and creamy balanced by the acidic smoothness that is my crawfish etouffee. When you’re done there, try the spicy and complex in layers of flavor and texture that is my jambalaya smothered on a bed of white rice. Don’t fill up just yet, the gumbo requires room. Simple yet complex in flavors, the shrimp here is outstanding and surely will leave you wanting more.
An hour later, you and your companion after a long day of feasting now feel that you have developed a taste of New Orleans. Come again, we have so much to talk about.
