Archive for the ‘New Orleans’ Category
Hey PCC’ers…sorry for the long delay between posts, but Adam and I just got back from a whirlwind tour of Central Florida and all the attractions, including its cuisine, so I’ve been a little out of the loop. However, I promise this week’s feature is worth the wait and a place that is a must visit for all you seafood lovers out there, and comes out of our last culinary whirlwind adventure to New Orleans in May. I have already featured two of those restaurants here and here, both of which we were a bit disappointed with. Still, I know there is good food to be had in ‘The Big Easy,’ and this next restaurant proves it.
Casamento’s Restaurant has been feeding the locals and visitors alike at its small but mighty restaurant located on the famed Magazine Street for over 80 years. Started in 1919 by Joe Casamento, an Italian immigrant, they have been serving up great seafood and other local favorites in what customers have often referred to as a “giant swimming pool”…because of its tiling décor. Apparently Joe realized tile would be easier to keep clean than various other materials, so he had the whole place tiled…and I mean EVERYTHING. Still, regardless of the decor, it is the food that keeps bringing people back, especially their oysters, which they are famous for as the best (locally known).
We first got wind of Casamento’s long after our first trip to the Big Easy. In planning for our 2nd trip to New Orleans, we happened to catch this clip of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives” and we were sold hook, line, and sinker…
You’ll notice from the video clip that Guy mentions their unusual schedule. In fact, they are closed June, July, and August, opening back up in Mid September; and although I’m sure this is disappointing to their customers, they do it for good reason…most of their prime seafood is out of season, so they really would not provide a good product. Also, because this place stays so busy, they likely are also in need of a major break! Lucky for us, we caught them one week before they went on vacation, but we still got to wait in a pretty gnarly lunch line…!
Pretty unassuming from the front, but you really do get the sense you are in a swimming pool when you enter those doors. It is a fairly narrow building, much like many of the restaurants in New Orleans (hey…they’re old ;)). The line you stand in makes its way through the restaurant and right next to the oyster bar. What is so cool about this is that you are able to watch them shuck hundreds of oysters while you are standing there and you can even order them while you’re waiting.
I mean if that is not fresh, I am not sure what is….from cooler to plate in just under a minute if not less.
…and that there is the same guy who was shucking all those oysters in the clip too. He is not only their best, but an oyster shucking champion! And I will agree he is mighty fast.
After my last experience with oysters at Acme Oyster House, I have to say I was by no means an oyster lover. Although I don’t know if I would put myself in the lover category quite yet, the oysters at Casamento’s definitely changed my opinion. You could literally taste how fresh they were and their cocktail sauce complemented them well. I happily ate a few while we were waiting and our friend Garrett (New Orleans native) polished off at least a dozen. He said they were the BEST HE’S EVER HAD! In all, waiting by the oyster bar was a fun interactive experience and really made the time pass while we waited for a table.
When we were seated, I did not really need to look at the menu. I knew I would be getting the soft shell crab sandwich that I saw in the clip above. I figured I had never tried the dish and I might as well give it a try at a place that is famous for them. Adam, on the other hand, was still not feeling well, having pretty much not been able to hold down food for a whole day, so he went with the spaghetti and meatballs, hoping that the carbs would help his stomach settle and be bland enough as to not upset it further. Garrett also ordered the soft shell crab and the gumbo, while Audra got the shrimp dinner.
What is so crazy about the soft shell crab is that you are literally eating the whole crab! I mean above is exactly how it comes out to you…fried legs and all. They are all edible of course, which is the large difference between soft shell crab and your typical crab. Soft shell are harvested and cooked before their exoskeleton has a chance to solidify and harden, but it is weird nonetheless. I must admit I was a bit wary of biting into something like that, but being the good little foodie that I am, I took a big ol’ bite for the sake of PCC… 🙂
Not the most flattering photo…I know, but it gets the point across. These are big sandwiches…or loafs as they are called here, because they are made with thick Italian loafs of bread, thus making it a whole lot of effort to get that bite in. I was pleasantly surprised by the taste, texture, and flavor…but in a good way, and happily ate my whole sandwich. Garrett informed us that this was not the best soft shell crab he had ever had, so if I liked this as much as I did, I am in for a real treat if I ever get one better.
SIGNATURE DISH: Casamento’s really has two signature dishes…oysters and loafs. It would seem from both that clip and their website that they are really known for is their oyster loaf, but I guess that is splitting hairs. Either way, the oysters are fabulous and truly the freshest and best tasting I have had to date. It is easy to see how their master shucker won an award, because not only is he quick, but he knows the good ones to pick. I think if we ever return, I will surely try the oyster loaf, because it looks delicious and I believe it must be better than the soft shell crab.
TASTE: I thought everything I ate was delicious and truly fresh tasting. Too often I have had seafood that is wimpy and does not taste fresh or even good for that matter. Both the oysters and soft shell crab sandwich were fantastic and I would easily go back for them. I loved the bread the sandwich came on…so simple yet tasty enough to bring the sandwich together. As I said above, I want to give that oyster loaf a try, so hopefully one day I will get the chance.
AMBIANCE: It’s truly a unique restaurant and really does feel like the inside of a pool or a restaurant from the 20’s. It is very small and thus it takes a little while to be seated if you are visiting at a peak time. But still, it is a fun and boisterous atmosphere while you do so. Their decor is not overly fancy, rather all you need to be comfortable while enjoying a good seafood.
PRICE: This is where things got a little harried…After 2 beers each, the 2 doz. oysters (which are $8.50 a dozen), the soup ($4.25 a cup), the soft shell crab sandwiches ($13.50 a piece), the shrimp platter, and the spaghetti, our bill was quite hefty. I understand they are serving fresh seafood and these may be market prices, but come on…$13.50 for that simple sandwich was a bit ridiculous in my opinion! Therefore, this is not a place to order a sandwich if you’re on a tight budget.
SERVICE: The service could have been better. It was great while we were waiting at the bar. The men manning the oyster bar were very hospitable and a delight to hang out with. However, that is in major contrast to our waitress, who was actually sort of impatient. I imagine this had to do largely to the fact that they are trying to get a large amount of people through the restaurant on a limited lunch time, but I still felt she was a little snippy and could have treated us like she cared.
So…although the prices and table-service were definite detractors, I still really enjoyed my experience at Casamento’s, and I would for sure go again, if at least so Adam could actually try some “real” food this time (he wanted the oysters SOOO BAD!). I give Casamento’s Restaurant 3 ½ ‘Little Piggies.’
And we’re back…from vacation that is, and I was more than ready to get back to reality after a week of relaxation and gluttony. I love vacation, don’t get me wrong. Traveling and road tripping is the best, however after a week or more I do start to get a bit antsy and start to think about that list of things I gotta do at home. But speaking of trips and gluttony…this week’s feature came from a long weekend that was just that. I mentioned previously that we visited New Orleans back in May with our friends, Garrett and Audra, and that this trip in particular had a great deal of PCC worthy places planned out. I would have to say that since my little blog started, that particular trip had to be the most amount of feature restaurants we have tried to undertake in one trip. We hit up 7 worthy joints in just 3 days! True, that does seem pretty crazy and indulgent now, but hey go big or go home right?! :)
Well, I already told you about our first meal out at Drago’s, which unfortunately left us pretty disappointed, making us look forward to our next restaurant that much more. In fact, from its notoriety on television, this next place was at the top of my list and it didn’t hurt that they are known for their fried chicken…one of the best evidently. Willie Mae’s Scotch House has been a New Orleans staple since the late 1960’s, where Willie Mae herself started serving up southern home-style meals to the locals. Unfortunately, their original location was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, but luckily the city stepped in to help them rebuild so they could continue to serve the good ol’ southern favorites, most famously their fried chicken; and when I say famous…I mean famous! We saw this restaurant featured on both Travel Channel’s “Deep Fried Paradise” and “Chowdown Countdown,” both claiming this chicken as “TO DIE FOR.” And it doesn’t stop there. Bon Appetit Magazine even named Willie Mae’s Scotch House as its BEST FRIED CHICKEN winner. That is some famous fried chicken if I do say so myself, and fried chicken that famous deserves to be tried…(as if I would actually turn down fried chicken :)). So let’s just say I knew it was a must visit!
We decided we would make it our lunch spot on our 1st full day, and according to our Google map it was “walkable” from our French Quarter hotel. Well, let’s just say that Google was a little deceiving and between that and the park being closed for us to cut through, we had to walk a good 2 plus miles in the heat, and I was maybe not dressed for walking walking. :) It didn’t help that Willie Mae’s is not necessarily in the best neighborhood either, and although not funny at the time, it is quite humorous now to think about Adam having to practically drag me away because I thought maybe we should ask the “guys on the porch” for directions. Yeah…blonde moment I know! After a good trek we finally reached our destination, which we could tell we were close when we saw the house with people gathered all around it, which although at this point we were starving, meant we still had to wait.
Lucky the wait was not outrageous and we even moved ahead a bit because that couple behind us was not allowed in due to a sleeveless shirt incident. So I will say it now…Men beware…put on a shirt with sleeves before you venture to Willie Mae’s.
Walking into the main dining room is literally like walking into the front room of a house, the main dining area is not much bigger than that. There is another back dining room past the kitchen located in the middle, but overall it is easy to see why people have to gather outside. When we were seated we all knew exactly what we were getting…fried chicken! And then we each chose our respective sides. Garrett and I both chose red beans and rice for our sides to try a traditional New Orleans’ favorite, while Audra went with fries and Adam got potato salad.
Looks pretty dang good huh? And with all that food we also each ordered some of their homemade fresh corn bread, which actually was not out of the oven until we were finished with our chicken. But, of course, that was not enough to hold us back, so we all grabbed a piece of chicken and dug in. The first bite was definitely crispy and juicy. But what I began to quickly notice was it was also VERY GREASY! With each bite you could taste the oil that the chicken was cooked in, and because it so heavily battered, that oil seeps into the breading and then squirts out with each bite.
Don’t get me wrong…I know that this a fried dish and some of that is supposed to happen, but it was a little over the top. The breading was also entirely too thick in my opinion. and that with all the grease after the first piece or so started to make my stomach feel a little queezy. I mean, come on…I know that there was an oil spill that week, but this was ridiculous, especially when chickens are on land!…(bad metaphor I know, but we think this was also the dish that put Adam over the edge and caused him to be sick the rest of the weekend). And as far as the red beans and rice were concerned, neither Garret nor I did enjoyed them. Whatever spices they used tasted funny and not what I am used to.
In short, by no means was this the best fried chicken I had ever had, but sadly close to the opposite. The saving grace for the oily greasy chicken was their corn bread. When it made it to our table I was not really hungry, but wanted to give it a chance. Holy cow! It was so warm, fresh, and buttery, I could not resist eating my whole muffin. It was the perfect end to the meal, but a meal in which we all left feeling a little sick and kind of surprised by how famous this chicken was…
Although I know fried chicken is more of a local thing where everyone knows the best place in their town, but I thought since this was so well known in popular culture, my socks were going to blown off and they just weren’t. :(
SIGNATURE DISH: I am pretty sure you realize it by now, but they are most famous for their fried chicken…I’m talkin’ WORLD FAMOUS! They do have other southern home made favorites, but from looking around the restaurant while we were there, no one else had anything other from chicken.
TASTE: I don’t know if it because I had such high hopes for this chicken, but unfortunately it just did not live up to the hype. I would not describe it as inedible, but I don’t have good memories; and there is no way it was even close to the best I have ever had. As I mentioned, the breading was too thick, too oily, and not really seasoned. Instead it was just heavily breaded and heavily soaked fried chicken that left a pit of oil in my stomach; and of the 4 or us, only Audra thought it tasted all that good.
AMBIANCE: I thought being located in a house, it was very cute and historical. It really made you feel at home and was decorated just simple and classic. Although a bit crowded, it does feel like you are truly enjoying a home cooked meal, especially because you are literally in a home.
PRICE: Each of us ordered the fried chicken dinner which came with one side and then we also ordered the corn bread on the side. The meal is $15 for 3 pieces of chicken and a large side portion. This was a little high for three pieces of fried chicken and sides, but my guess is you’re paying a bit for the “best” factor. Not worth it.
SERVICE: Our waitress was very attentive, but a bit short tempered. I equated that to being swamped and it being hard to move around inside, but she seemed to keep forgetting things we asked for. Also, it kept taking time to get Adam a refill on his Diet Coke…which never bodes well :).
So although I had such high hopes, those hopes were not even close to met; and I have to, unfortunately, give Willie Mae’s Scotch House 1 1/2 ‘Little Piggies’
So can we officially say summer has flown by so far? When we arrived in Indiana, I knew the next time I would get to see my parents was in August. Well, that went from feeling like forever to just two short weeks away; and with the amount of house “projects” we seem to have continuously going on (all my fault by the way :)) this summer has been kinda hectic…to say the least. But such is life, and to be honest, it is not in my personality to just let things around here take care of themselves. So, I was destined to take on everything seemingly at once the minute we bought a house; and in all honesty, I have really been enjoying seeing the progress we are making and all the potential this place has. Plus, all I have to do when I get a little tired or frustrated is transport myself back to one of our many great vacations and reminisce, which is exactly what I’m doing this week.
I’m assuming that many of you will or have taken at least one “trip” or vacation this summer, even if it was a small weekend getaway. Summer seems to be that time when jobs can be a bit more relaxed, the weather is nice, and those trips seem a bit more possible. Well, Adam and I are no different (perhaps we even take more trips than most), and we like to plan a few trips each year, not usually long, but just long enough to escape, relax, and try some amazing food we’ve seen in pop culture. I think a part of me has always had the travel bug (Adam definitely does!), so it is just one of those things we do whenever we can. But enough rambling…let me get to the point I was trying to make. With all the traveling we do, since starting PCC we typically plan our trips around places that will give us and "blog worthy" dining spots. So if you are traveling with us, be sure that we are going to eat our way through a city and have researched all of our possibilities thoroughly. 🙂
All of this brings me to this week’s feature restaurant on PCC. You all know that the point of PCC is to find those places we have seen featured in pop culture and give an honest review. So having planned our first trip to New Orleans 2 years ago, we knew a "must visit" spot was one we had just seen on Travel Channel’s "Man vs. Food" ‘New Orleans’ episode and had heard about from countless other sources. I’m referring, of course, to the the N’awlins landmark… Mother’s Restaurant. You can see why we knew we had to go…
“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved June 30, 2010, from“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved June 30, 2010, from
“Man vs. Food” [Video]. (2009). Retrieved July 22, 2010, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPeeIKWyQkI
If that video does not tempt you, I am not sure what will. Mother’s is not any fancy new Po-boy shop that has recently sprung up and is getting lots of hype…no sir. They have been serving up great sandwiches since 1938, which I would say at this point makes them an institution. Opened by Simon and Mary (Mother) Landry, people came from near and far (and still do) to get a taste of these simple yet delicious Po-boys, as well as their take on some of New Orleans’ favorites. In fact, so many people are coming to Mother’s that you can be guaranteed to wait in a hefty line each meal time; and since you’ve had time to think in that line, you best know what you want when you get to the front of that line, trust me…but we’ll get to that. 😉
Traditionally Mother’s was known for their ham. Later on, however, their roast beef began to gain a lot of notoriety for its juiciness and flavor; and it was these two simple meats that would later give birth to two of their most popular sandwiches…The "Ferdi Special" and "Debris Po-Boy." The Ferdi was actually named after a regular customer who one day decided he wanted both the ham and beef together… thus the Ferdi was born. The Debris was also a customer invention. You see, the roast beef is cooked and then sets in a gravy to stay moist and soak up all of the flavors of the seasoning. It is only cut right when you order that sandwich. Knowing this, the customer asked if he could have the little bits of meat that fell back into the gravy juices upon being cut, and the owner says to him, “You mean some of the debris?” This was only the beginning my friends!
As I mentioned, we had already put Mother’s on our radar screen and trip itinerary before our first visit to New Orleans. We knew it would be our lunch spot for our first full day, and let me tell you… it did not disappoint. We made the 10-minute hike from the French Quarter and knew we must have been approaching it when we saw a line stretched down the block. We quickly hopped in, perused a menu some women had printed, and decided on our order so we would be prepared, although it wasn’t much of a decision process. :) Now the way it all works is that the line slowly works its way through the front door and to the counter where your order is placed, and you better be ready because the girls at the counter are not the most patient and they expect you to be ready. In other words, probably best to know what you want and not have any questions…could get a little hostile. After you order, by the time you have wrapped around to the cash register, your order is ready. Someone will then seat you at an available table. What is so deceiving about this place is it appears upon first glance to be very small. However, they have a large back room filled with tables, so there is plenty of room, although they are typically packed full.
Anyway, after about an hour, we made it to the counter and Adam’s order was a no-brainer…debris Po-Boy, pure and simple. I mean old boy couldn’t shut-up about it prior, so there was no chance of anything else. 🙂 I, on the other hand, faltered slightly when seeing the large menu overhead, but in the end went with the same, including a small piece of their ham…after all, it is what they’re known for, and it’s on the friggin’ sign for cryin’ out loud! Had to do it, right? Also, we got a side of the sausage, because seeing it in the line it looked crazy good.
A little confession…these pictures are all actually from our second visit to New Orleans a year later (this past May). Although this past trip we didn’t eat there, they let me come in when they were closing so I could snap some shots since I didn’t take any on our first trip. I did this so you can at least get a sense of this place, even though it was nowhere near as crowded as a typical lunch rush would be.
But back to our story…after we were seated, we looked down at our mouth watering sandwich choices and dug right in. What make these Po-boys so great is that though are simple and not a lot of fuss, they are dripping with wonderful flavor. The debris is somewhat messy because they dip the whole thing, bread and all, into that gravy, but that is what makes it all the more delicious!
Unfortunately, the ham and sausage were nothing to write home (or too much in this blog ;)) about, but that didn’t matter much, because the Debris totally made up for it…worth every ooey-gooey bite if you ask me. We were both so hungry it didn’t take us long to chow these down and enjoy every possible morsel, extra debris and all…and the fact that you just kept wanting more of that flavor helped. So if you are looking for a top-notch sandwich and a place that serves up New Orleans history in a non-stuffy atmosphere, Mother’s is certainly the place that won’t disappoint. So if you are traveling to New Orleans and want a po’ boy, Mother’s is your best bet!
SIGNATURE DISH: Although Mother’s Restaurant serves up a variety of New Orleans’ style fare, they are truly known for their signature ham and Po-boys, especially their Ferdi Special and the Debris. These typical sub-type sandwiches are their staple and seem to be what is drawing in the crowd.
TASTE: You can say it is just a sub sandwich, but that wouldn’t come close to being accurate about the Debris Po-boy. This ain’t no regular sub or even Po-boy for that matter. The amount of flavor and seasoning they are able to infuse into the roast beef and gravy drippings is simply amazing! And sometimes simple bread, condiments, and meat are all you need to be good; and in this case, they have mastered this art. The debris was out of this world – melt in your mouth tender, and by soaking that bread, each bite just gave you a dose of that wonderful flavor. As for the other items, I can only speak to the ham and sausage…which I don’t think I’d order again on their own.
AMBIANCE: They aren’t worried about fussiness or wowing you with their décor. In fact, one might say that with the bright fluorescent lights, stark surroundings, and dingy floors, it borders on the feel of an old school cafeteria. But who cares…I think that’s part of the charm. You look around and this seems to bother no one. None of the hundreds that pack this place every day are here for a pretty/dainty place to eat some fancy chefs version of gourmet…rather they are here simply for delicious food and unpretentious surroundings. So if you are in need of fancy diggs, this is not your kind of Big Easy joint.
PRICE: Here is where I have a little bone of contention with Mother’s. Their prices (I felt) were a bit steep. With a debris Po-boy coming in at $10, I thought that was sort of expensive for what it is. Now don’t get me wrong…it’s delicious and I would likely pay the price again, which is probably why they can have their prices where they do…people will pay for it. However, I was just surprised given that we ordered our lunch was just over $40. I guess that’s the Big Easy for ya…it’s expensive anywhere you go.
SERVICE: The line was a bit much, especially given all the places to eat in New Orleans. However, it was totally worth it, and we were treated nicely by everyone, even the servers behind the counters who are notoriously impatient when you order. Although we could tell they were trying to move us through quick, they were kind and helpful. What can I say…they seem to run a real smooth ship and are able to get people in and out fairly quickly and without issue. Also, I was very impressed and thankful for how they allowed me to come in after hours and chat with everyone and take pictures. It was customer service at its finest, and top notch in my book.
Looking back, we should have probably eaten there again last May…seeing as how many of the meals we tried this last time didn’t quite live up to the hype. Oh well, that’s why I do this…to find out the real truth about these places and see if they are truly worthy. Mother’s Restaurant…worthy it was. 4 ‘Little Piggies.’
