Take Me Back to New Orleans! Donald's Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya

Donald, what have you done?

It wasn't enough for you to seduce me with Cochon's Wood-Fired Oyster Roast and Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwich during my visit to New Orleans last year. But then, you had to send me home with an autographed copy of your cookbook, Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, so I could recreate these delicacies at home.

I did recreate those, and more. Need I remind you of your grown-up version of Chocolate Yummy, with its rich pecan shortbread crust, topped with cream cheese, a silky layer of dark chocolate pudding, and fresh whipped cream, just another one of your creations that melted my heart? I think not.

Since Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and we're miles apart, I sought comfort in pulling out my cherished Rustic Cajun to bring back those fond memories of our time together in New Orleans. I'm sure you know what I'm about to say; I can tell by that smirk on your face. Yes, I've fallen in love all over again - this time with your Old-School Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.

Please take that smirk off your face. Besh isn't going to be happy when he finds out I choose your jambalaya over his gumbo!

I didn't realize there are two types of jambalaya - Cajun and Creole, but I was drawn in when you explained how you prefer the Cajun type because it's simpler and more rustic. Funny, that's my style. Simple, rustic and elegant! When you described how the chicken and sausage flavor blend into the rice, creating a dish with a robust meaty flavor, I was in my car and off to the store within minutes, distracted by thoughts of satisfying country cooking clouding my head. I choose the most beautiful vegetables I could find, a plump free-range chicken, some tasty Cajun andouille sausage, and a few more spices.

While my chicken roasted, I chopped vegetables and made the homemade spice blend, taking in all the aroma and warmth filling the kitchen. It's wonderful using the roasted chicken carcass and vegetable trimmings to make the broth, but I was truly swooned with your method of developing layers of flavor with each step, by searing and caramelizing the sausage and onions in order to develop color and deeply browned flavors, and adding and reducing small amounts of chicken broth to achieve the MSG effect, as you call it (that unique saltiness that you just can't achieve by adding salt).

Although I'm devastated I didn't make it to New Orleans this year, to spend another delectable and leisurely afternoon at Cochon's bar, eating oysters, alligator bites, gumbo, and Louisiana cochon, and sipping Moonshine with Tyler, you were definitely in my thoughts as I savored each incredible bite of your Jambalaya, two nights in a row. Oh Donald, my Donald.

Old-School Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana
Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

1 chicken (3 1/2- to 4-pound), roasted
2 medium onions, 1 quartered, 1 diced small
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 pound smoked sausage (such as andouille), diced
2 tablespoons butter
1 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
2 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
1 bunch scallions (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon Donnie’s Spice Mix (recipe below)
2 teaspoons salt
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 1/2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed

Preparation:

1. Roast the chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rinse the chicken in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken in a roasting pan, rub with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the oven and roast for 35 minutes. Turn the heat up to 425 degrees F and roast for another 10-15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, transfer to a plate, cover with foil, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes to allow the juices to settle. When cool enough to handle, pick all the meat from the chicken (discard skin) and use your hands to shred it into pieces. Save all the juice and fat from the roasting pan and plate and set aside. Refrigerate chicken until needed.

2. Prepare the vegetables: While the chicken is roasting, cut and dice all the vegetables and reserve the vegetable trimmings to go in the stock pot when you prepare the chicken broth.

3. Make the chicken stock: Place the carcass, quartered onion, and vegetable trimmings into a large pot. Add 10 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 1 hour. Strain the broth, and discard solids. You should have about 6 cups.

4. While the broth is simmering, prepare Donnie's Spice Mix (recipe below) and dice the sausage.

5. Final Preparation of the Jambalaya: Heat the oil in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, and add the sausage. Sear until the sausage starts to color. Parts of the sausage will begin to stick to the pan. When there is a good coating stuck to the pan, pour in 1/4 cup chicken broth, and scrape it loose. Let this cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the sausage to a plate, and set aside.

6. Return the pan to the heat, and add the butter. When it melts, add the diced onion, and cook about 10 minutes, until a nice deep brown color. About halfway through, the onion should start to stick to the pan; deglaze with 1/4 cup chicken broth, and let this reduce until the skillet is dry (or au sec, as they say in French kitchens). When the onion starts to stick again, add 1/2 cup broth; when this is almost gone, add the bell peppers, jalapeños, scallions, celery, garlic, spice mix, salt, bay leaves, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook the vegetables for 10 minutes, stirring often, until they start to stick to the skillet. Deglaze with another 1/4 cup broth and reduce again until dry, then add the shredded chicken, 1 cup broth, and the juices from the chicken, and reduce again by half.

7. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a heavy-bottomed pot, and add the sausage, rice and the remaining 4 cups broth. You want this mixture to have plenty of room, so the rice will cook more evenly. Cook, covered, over low heat for 40 minutes.

8. Remove pot from the heat, and keep covered for 10 minutes more. If the rice seems unevenly cooked, leave this lid on a little longer, and it will even out. When jambalaya is done, transfer to a casserole dish so it does not overcook in the pan, and serve.

Donnie’s Spice Mix

2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Combine all spices in a bowl, and store in airtight container.

Sunday Morning Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwiches

Sam Sifton, New York Times' restaurant critic, published a list of the 15 best things he ate in New York City in 2010, comprising "restaurant dishes of uncommon excellence and flavor." He went on to say "... But these dishes make up just one part of a year’s meals taken at the professional table, one sleeve in the accordion folder marked “2010 Delicious.” Add meals I ate out of town on assignment or off the clock or on the way to the clock, and the catalog swells. There is, for example, the sandwich of deep-fried oysters and house-made bacon I had this year at Cochon in New Orleans, served on white Pullman bread with a chili-spiked mayonnaise..."

I was so tempted to order Cochon's Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwich when we traveled to New Orleans and dined there a few weeks ago. The couple at the end of the bar was happily polishing one off as we grazed through several small plates on the menu, including the amazing wood-fired oyster roast. However, I did come home with James Beard Award Winning cookbook, Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, which has Cochon's Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwich, and I was eagerly waiting for the chance to make it at home.

I made some minor substitutions by adding a little Creole Spice blend I made for another recipe, using fresh brioche rolls instead of bread, thick applewood-smoked bacon in place of Cochon's housemade bacon, and oysters from Prince Edward Island rather than the Gulf, but oh my, let me tell you, this was quite the sandwich for our Sunday morning dining pleasure!

Fried Oyster and Bacon Sandwiches

Adapted from Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana

Makes 2 sandwiches

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

(I also added about a tablespoon of homemade Creole Spice Blend)

Peanut or vegetable oil, for frying

12 large raw oysters, shucked

2 brioche rolls, or 4 slices white bread, toasted

Mayonnaise for spreading on the rolls

6 applewood-smoked bacon slices, cooked until crisp and drained

Iceberg lettuce leaves, whole or shredded

1 large tomato, the ripest and sweetest you can find, cut into thin slices

Whisk together flour, cornmeal, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl or breading tray.  Heat 2 inches of oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350 F (Alternatively, fill small electric fryer with oil to fill line and heat to 350 F).

Toss the oysters in the seasoned flour, shake off excess, and fry for about 3 minutes, until lightly golden brown, and then drain on paper towels.

To assemble the sandwiches, spread the toasted buns with mayonnaise, then build upward, starting with the oysters, then bacon, lettuce, tomato, and bun tops.  Scarf immediately.

This sandwich is all about using the best and freshest ingredients you can find - plump oysters; ripe, sweet tomatoes; thick, smoked bacon; and soft, fresh rolls or bread.  It's a winner.

***

Crown City Beignets

I'm surprised we even made it a week.

Home from New Orleans for exactly one week, before succumbing to homemade beignets. Thank you, Cafe Du Monde, you have ruined us! And, of course, we also brewed up some of your Coffee & Chicory Cafe Au Lait to go with our beignets, Crown City Beignets. However, we didn't stop with the liberal dusting of powdered sugar. John, my virile saucier, jazzed up our beignets with a few decadent dunking sauces.

Jim and Melinda followed the aroma wafting over the wall; Jim and Carmen pulled up curbside for a to-go plate on their way to visit Jim's mom; Pammy cut her Home Depot shopping short; and Mom was lured out of the house a little earlier than normal...

People tend to respond quickly when an offer of fresh, homemade beignets gets out on the street.

John's Dunking Sauces (from left to right)

Raspberry-Champagne Puree, Orange-Basil Crème Anglaise , Nutella Crème Anglaise 

Beignets

Slightly adapted from John Besh

My New Orleans: The Cookbook

Makes approximately 30

"Like many delicious treats, this preparation takes a bit of time and planning. You can speed up the process of proofing the dough if you leave the dough covered at room temperature for an hour or so, instead of letting it rest in the refrigerator overnight."

Ingredients

1 cup lukewarm milk, about 110°F

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 package dry yeast

4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

4–6 cups peanut or canola oil (Cafe Du Monde uses cottonseed oil)

1 cup powdered sugar

Optional:  Raspberry Champagne Puree and Creme Anglaise Dunking Sauces (recipe below)

Preparation

1. Pour the warm milk into a large bowl. Mix 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar, the yeast, and a heaping tablespoon of the flour into the milk, mixing with a whisk, until both the sugar and the yeast have dissolved.

2. Once bubbles have developed on the surface of the milk and it begins to foam, about 10 minutes, whisk in the butter, salt, and vanilla. Add the remaining flour and sugar, folding them into the wet ingredients with a large rubber spatula. Knead the dough by hand in the bowl for about 5 minutes, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 6–8 hours.

3. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out on a floured surface to a thickness of 1/4 inch. Cut into 2-inch squares, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and allow the beignets to rise for about an hour.

4. Heat the oil in a large deep skillet over high heat until it reaches 350°F. Use a candy thermometer to check temperature. Fry the beignets in small batches in the hot oil, turning them every 30 seconds or so with tongs, until golden brown all over. Use tongs to remove beignets from the oil and drain on paper towels. Put the powdered sugar into a fine-mesh strainer and dust the warm beignets generously with the sugar.

Newf Notes:

Although the expiration date on our yeast packages was far into the future, the first package of yeast did not bubble and foam, so I started over with another package before adding and wasting all the other ingredients. Make sure the yeast bubbles and foams!

We did put the dough in the refrigerator overnight, and then took it out and let it sit on the counter, covered, for a few hours before rolling. After rolling, we allowed it to sit another hour. I used a little square cookie cutter to cut the dough.

The dough did not really "rise" at all on the counter, but puffed up beautifully once put into the hot oil. We used peanut oil instead of canola oil.  I fried 4 beignets at a time and made sure to monitor the temperature of the oil with a candy thermometer. Our Presto Fry Daddy worked really well, but the oil temperature rapidly rose 375-380 F quickly, so I unplugged it periodically to keep it closer to 350 F.

I constantly turned the beignets as they cooked, pushing them back into the oil as they floated to the top, in order to achieve an even deep golden brown.

As soon as the beignets come out of the fryer, and have drained briefly on paper towels, dust them liberally with sifted powdered sugar.

Raspberry-Champagne Puree

6 ounces fresh raspberries, with a few reserved for garnish

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup Champagne

Combine raspberries, sugar, and Champagne in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until liquid is reduced and raspberries are broken down, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain through a chinois to eliminate seeds.

Vanilla Creme Anglaise

Enhanced with optional flavorings

2 cups 

half-and-half

1/2 cup sugar

4 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Optional flavorings:  Nutella, Orange-Basil

In a medium saucepan, bring the half-and-half and vanilla to a simmer. While it is heating, combine the yolks and sugar in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until pale yellow in color.

Slowly begin adding the hot cream mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly until all the half and half mixture has been added. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat a spoon.

Remove from the heat.  (If using additional flavorings, see below).

Allow to cool.  Strain through a fine mesh sieve. This sauce may be made 2-3 days in advance.  

Optional Flavorings:

Nutella: Whisk in about 1 tablespoon Nutella to 1 cup of the warm creme anglaise. Allow to cool and press through a fine mesh sieve.

Orange-Basil:  Add 8 torn basil leaves and the zest of 1/2 orange to the warm creme anglaise.  Allow to cool, and press through fine mesh sieve. The basil flavor will be extracted as you press the creme anglaise through the sieve.

Not a good idea to wear black when eating beignets and powdered sugar

Dooley, Coronado Crown City's King of Mardi Gras

Tranquil Thursdays - Crescent City

A few more photographs from our recent trip to New Orleans...

Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler - Let the Good Times Roll in New Orleans

The Navy sends John to a few conventions a year, to less-than-exciting places like Panama City. When he asked me to tag along with him for a quick jaunt to New Orleans, my mind wandered off to visions of the historic and colorful French Quarter, dining opportunities at a few of the well-known chefs' restaurants, and a welcome break from the legal world. It would be our first visit to the Big Easy.

Fast forward a few weeks...

Tired, cranky and hungry after a 3:00 a.m. alarm, 6:00 a.m. flight, and mid-afternoon arrival, we checked in at our hotel and set off on foot to the French Quarter, hoping to stumble upon a quaint and cozy restaurant, glass of wine, and bowl of steamy gumbo. After walking up and down the narrow and broken sidewalks, breathing in the not-so-faint odor left behind from the mules pulling carriages, and finding nothing close to my vision of a casual, yet romantic evening, I grudgingly settled for a dive bar (most restaurants serving dinner had not yet opened and the others we saw were empty and unappealing).

I managed to sip down a martini with an order of mediocre fried oysters and rosemary-heavy Crawfish Étouffée. I probably should have taken John's lead in ordering a Hurricane to start - maybe the sweetness would have remedied my sour mood. Unfortunately, as we walked back to the hotel, I quietly regretted the trip.

Had I known our hotel was just a hop, skip and a jump from the Warehouse District, with some of the most fabulous restaurants in town, I surely would have been bellied up to the bar at Cochon, dipping my Fried Alligator into the Chile-Garlic Aioli, slurping oysters off my Wood-Fired Oyster Roast plate, and sampling chasers of Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine. Yes indeed, I would have been as happy as the pig on the brick wall, and my first impression of the Crescent City would have been quite different.

At five the next morning, I awoke with a somewhat refreshed attitude, and was ready to get out and explore. We didn't wait for sunrise, and felt our way along the edge of the Mississippi, through the darkness and eerie fog. We followed the path back up to Decatur Street, to the legendary Cafe Du Monde. At some point the night before, determined to do a little research and have a better plan of attack, I read Cafe Du Monde was a must for Coffee and Chicory Au Lait and Beignets. Oh my, this place is such a cash cow, and I now plan to offer beignets and Newfie Tongue doughnuts when I open my own cash cow coffee cart in Coronado!

As I sipped on incredibly smooth and tasty coffee, and shared two orders of warm and pillowy fried dough, covering my black sweats with a permanent layer of powdered sugar in the process, I glanced up at the painted mural on the wall and managed to eke out a smile. I won't go so far as saying I saw Jesus, but I realized I was slowly waking up to more than another ordinary day, and could feel my first impression of New Orleans lifting away with the fog.

We explored the French Quarter for a few more hours, dodging the lemony spray of the street sweepers as they freshened the streets. We admired the rustic wood, ornate ironwork, gaslamps, balconies draped with purple, green and gold Mardi Gras beads, and intimate courtyards, and we attempted to capture the charm of the morning calm with our cameras.

I retreated back to the room, and John set off to the convention. Our next stop was lunch at August, one of Chef John Besh's acclaimed restaurants. We were excited to meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Bunkycooks, who came from Atlanta to eat and drink with us for a few days.

I recently acquired Besh's first cookbook, My New Orleans: The Cookbook, and have spent hours mesmerized by the stories, stunning scenic and food photography, and recipes I want to try. The restaurant was gorgeous, our four servers extremely attentive, and the food unbelievable. We also received a personalized list of restaurant recommendations and a tour of the two kitchens. In addition to the Gnocchi and Carbonara, John and I shared Grilled Local Swordfish with a warm salad of fresh radish, pickled beets and Plaquermines parish citrus.

handmade potato gnocchi tossed with blue crab
and black truffle

black garlic carbonara pasta a la chitarra, La Provence bacon, and
Maravilla Ranch eggs

visit to the pastry/pasta/catering kitchen

After lunch, we all hopped in the car and took a self-guided tour of the Garden District to view the historic southern mansions and "gingerbread" decorated late Victorian houses, and then ended up back at the Quarter...you guessed it, eating and drinking again! Our first late afternoon stop was for cocktails at Napoleon House, a 200-year-old landmark, and one of the most famous bars in America known for its Pimm's Cup.

For a change of scenery, we meandered down the rugged sidewalks and cobblestone alleys, and into a few shops, before ending up at Mr. B's Bistro.  This place was hopping, but we snagged a few barstools in the corner and enjoyed Fried Oysters on the Half Shell, Gumbo Ya Ya, and an informal Sazerac 101 mixing class.  Head over to Bunkycooks for her post on this sophisticated cocktail.

The next morning, we were back at Cafe Du Monde with the Bunkys, craving more coffee and beignets. After breakfast, we walked over to see Steamboat Natchez, the last authentic Steamboat on the Mighty Mississippi River.

While John attended the convention that morning, and Gwen and Roger took care of some On the Road with Bunkycooks' business, I returned to the room and made lunch reservations at Cochon, #1 on our coveted list of restaurant recommendations. With a few hours to kill before lunch, I wandered the Warehouse District, and stopped in at Emeril's New Orleans to inquire about dinner reservations.

It was getting hot and muggy, but I still had an hour to kill before lunch. I peeked in the door at Cochon, and saw a cute bartender behind the bar looking like he needed to mix me a drink. Within seconds, I was cooled off, relaxed, chatting with Tyler, and sipping an Orange Whiskey Cocktail.

Orange Whiskey Cocktail

Tyler was most gracious during our 3+ hour lunch. He chatted about his life, and how he landed in New Orleans at Cochon. We talked about the upcoming Mardi Gras festivities and his favorite parades. He assisted with menu selections, and gave us a complimentary bowl of Duck and Andouille Gumbo, which had not been ready earlier. He mixed John a Louisiana Hayride, and poured us taster shots of Catdaddy Carolina Moonshine, with hints of vanilla and nutmeg, and housemade Strawberry and Apple Pie Moonshines.

August was elegant, Cochon casual, and the food at both restaurants phenomenal.

fried alligator with chili garlic aioli

wood-fired oyster roast

louisiana cochon with turnips,
cabbage and cracklins

duck and andouille gumbo

I spotted a stack of cookbooks behind the bar and purchased one to take home. My copy of Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, is autographed by Chef Link. I asked Tyler to autograph it also - he wished us "Happy Drinking."

A bit more exploring and taking photos in the Warehouse District...

And then a late dinner at Emeril's, sitting up at the Food Bar...

gumbo of the day - chicken and andouille

saffron-chili dusted jumbo shrimp, with sweet potato-smoked corn grits,
skillet beans, Benton's bacon an mango chow chow

And dessert at a Mano's, just down from Emeril's and also on the list...

flourless chocolate and walnut cake with
cooked "red wine" sauce

We soaked up as much as we could, in the short time we had. The Mardi Gras festivities were just kicking off as we left town, so that experience will have to wait until our next visit, when we return to indulge in more of New Orleans' rich creole dishes, classic cocktails, and abundant charm.

Since we've been home, John found Cafe Du Monde's Chicory Coffee at our local Mardi Gras Cafe, and I've bookmarked several recipes to try from my new cookbooks. For dinner Sunday night, I prepared Chicken Sauce Piquant from Link's Real Cajun. It's a classic Cajun dish and a perfect example of one-pot cooking. Piquant means "spicy," but in Cajun cooking it also refers to a certain preparation that involves pan frying meat and making a roux. Paired with Perfect Steamed Rice, we were instantly transported back to NOLA for another wonderful dining experience.

Chicken Sauce Piquant
Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana
Serve 4-6

1 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 (3- to 4-pound) chicken, boned and cut into 1-inch cubes (to save time, use two boneless, skinless breasts and four boneless thighs)
3/4 cup vegetable oil or lard
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 small onion, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
1 small poblano chile, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon garlic, finely chopped
5 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cups canned tomatoes
5 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon dried thyme
4 bay leaves
4 dashes of hot sauce
Steamed rice (ratio of 1 cup rice to 1 1/2 cups water, and 2 bay leaves)

Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish

Whisk together the salt, peppers, chili powder and paprika in a small bowl. Cut the chicken into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle the spices over the chicken and use your hands to toss until evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Have all of the vegetables prepared, the tomatoes cut, and the broth measured out.

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke slightly. While the oil heats, toss the chicken with flour to coat. Shake off the excess flour from the chicken, transfer the pieces to the hot oil and fry until golden brown on all sides. Fry the chicken in two to three batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan — the chicken pieces should be in one layer, not on top of each other.

Reserve the leftover flour. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a deep plate, leaving the oil in the pan.

Add the remaining flour to the oil and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes to create a medium-brown, peanut butter–colored roux.

Add the onion, celery, poblano, and garlic and cook 5 minutes more.

Add the chicken, tomatoes, broth, thyme, bay leaves and hot sauce.

Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened to a light gravy and the chicken is tender enough to shred with a fork. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or hot sauce as desired.

Serve over rice, garnished with scallions.

***

For a review of Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana, see the Houston Chronicle article by Greg Morago, Cooking from the Heart of Cajun Country.  In addition to the Chicken Sauce Piquant, the review provides recipes for Grilled Oysters with Garlic-Chile Butter, and Cathy's Shrimp, Corn and Tomato Stew.

For an interview with John Besh, please see Food Gal's post, Take Five with New Orleans Chef John Besh, on Life Post-Katrina.

And here are the restaurant recommendations from the "coveted" list provided by one of our servers at August: 

Cochan, Herbsaint, Rio Mar, La Boca, a Mano, Dante's Kitchen, Boucherie, Bistro Daisy, Lilette, Patois, Iris, Crescent Pie & Sausage.  Also, around the corner from Cochon, is Cochon Butcher.  Can you tell I loved Cochon?

I hope you enjoyed a sip and taste of our New Orleans' jaunt. Click here for a few more photos.  We would love to have you share any of your recommendations for good eats and sights.