2007-02-28

New Orleans Dining 01: Arnoud's Remoulade

Arnoud's Remoulade Cafe on Bourbon ST in New Orleans
I stumbled across this place on Monday night. There aren't many places to get a good meal in the French Quarter after 10:00 PM. This is one of them.

Located right in the middle of all the insanity and debauchery that is Bourbon Street, it's around the corner from the world famous Arnoud's and Arnoud's jazz kitchen (where I once had an awesome turtle soup). Though I didn't realize it at the time, it is actually part of the Arnoud's family.

I sat down to eat at about 10:30 and was ready to devour the silverware after a long day on the trade show floor at HIMMS. I couldn't decide what to have so I just ordered "A Taste of the Bayou."

First came the File Gumbo in a metal plate/bowl. It was amazing. It had a rich smooth flavor with just a little heat. I could have eaten another gallon of it.

Next came the Craw Fish Pie and Jambalaya. The portions were respectable, but not ridiculous like you sometimes see at the Cheesecake Factory.

The Craw Fish Pie was, well, a craw fish concoction with the texture of warm tuna salad. It was baked in a pastry -- kind of like an old school Hot Pocket. But it was so much better. The creole flavors were great and the warm texture made it something that would be perfect on a winter's day. Though I don't think they have many of those in Creole country.

The Jambalaya was good, too, though I didn't enjoy it as much as the other two items. It was a little drier that I expected.

If I hadn't had the Gumbo first, I probably would have enjoyed the Jambalaya more, but the Gumbo set the bar incredibly high.

Top it off with an Abita draft or two, you've got a fantastic New Orleans late dinner.

No comments: