ISO food recs in the mid-Atlantic/southeast/New Orleans

Next Monday daughter and I are embarking on a whirlwind college tour that in 4 short days will take us to Baltimore, Charlottesville, and Richmond, Va, Raleigh/Durham, and New Orleans.

Needless to say, this frenetic itinerary will only permit brief, and very much en route, food stops, but we plan to make the best of it.

So I humbly request suggestions for any and all good food in any of these places, or any places in between. We are flying from Raleigh to New Orleans, so no stops in Georgia, Alabama, or Mississippi are possible, but to offset this I have arranged a free afternoon in New Orleans. Hmmm, what to do?

Thanks in advance.

I can speak pretty well to New Orleans even if I have not been now, in about 4 years. For one thing, bless that city's scene, not that much changes; for another, I get a daily e-mail written by one of New Orlean's main food writers, Tom Fitzmorris, so I stay a bit current.

That said, I wonder how I'd spend one afternoon, one afternoon in New Orleans. I assume you are looking for something memorable and, well New Orleans-y, not just, say a good meal on the way to the airport. And there are so many choices, all so correct. New Orleans is as much the corner bar and po boy as it is the centuary old creole tradition. You have to decided, I suppose which is the one experience you want this time. Here's my suggestions:

Late lunch, Galatoires - This is where all the famous dishes still exist and still exist in states that made them famous in the first place. Lunch for two would present an awful choice of which dishes, especially in the appetizer catagory. Shrimps remulade, crab meat maison or crab meat ravigote (which are about the same thing), oysters brochette, oysters rockefeller, you cannot go wrong. Galatoires is famously on the tourist path (hell right on Bourbon), but it is also a most New Orleans of places, and very much a locals place above all else.

Commander's Palace - An alternative if you are looking for fancy. CP is Galatoires just a bit more modern. You can still get shrimps remulade and eggs sardou, but instead of bread pudding, you get bread pudding soufle. Like Galatoires it is as much a tourist place as a locals place. Me, I'd might lean a bit more here than Galatoires for a few reasons. It's a littler warmer/friendlier, and it's a bit more convinient unless you are already in the French Quarter. Still, if you really want to "get" New Orleans, I would go to Galatoires first.

Mother's - There are probably better versions of nearly everything on the menu here at other places around town, and the po boy sammy's are unique in style as compared to other places (say the way Al's would be unique re: italian beef), but no other place gives you as many ideas of New Orleans down-home cooking, done so well, and so accessible. As in the places above, it is hard to pick one or two dishes.

Heading out to the lakefront for seafood, best is probably Brunings. I mention Brunings not so much because it is in the top 5 places in New Orleans (maybe top 25), but the lakefront seafood experience is so different than what you could have in Chicago. Summer is crab season, and if you do not get hard shell crabs in Baltimore, you might want to try here.

Camelia Grill - If you are near Tulane, hungry and just want a great burger here it is, and if your daughter goes to Tulane, she'll be there plenty next year too. It's New Orleans in the sense that a counter-grill place exists with Maitre d' and linen napkins, but it is not really New Orleans food. Just good food.

Let me know if you need more.

Rob

Hi dicksond,

In the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, my recommendation for NC barbecue would be Allen and Sons just north of Chapel Hill. Driving from Durham or Raleigh, take I-40 west, get off at the exit for Airport Rd/Hwy 86 and go maybe a mile NORTH. Allen and Sons is the shack-like place on the left near the railroad tracks.

In Durham, the Q Shack has gotten good reviews from chowhounds on the South board, though I haven't been there myself.

Where will you be staying in the Triangle, by the way? There are a couple other places I'd recommend in Chapel Hill (e.g. 411 West, Squids) but if you aren't staying there I'm not sure if you'd want to drive over from Durham or Raleigh.

In Durham, Magnolia Grill is an upscale, "new American" kind of place, very good the times I've been there. Reservations definitely recommended.

There's a lot of discussion of Triangle places on the South board. Here's one hound's list of personal favorites:
http://www.chowhound.com/south/boards/s ... 14579.html

Also, since I know you like Mexican food, I'll add that you might stumble across some worthwhile taquerias there. The county Chapel Hill is in has experienced the largest increase in Hispanic population over the last few years than any other county in the country. I see from the South board that the Triangle hounds were organizing a taco crawl on Roxboro St. in Durham -- it might have been this past weekend. I hope they post on what they found.

have fun!

Amata

[edited 11-18-04 to correct egregious error in driving directions to Allen and Son. Sorry!!]

We are staying in Durham, Priceline deal at the Millenium (and a blanket thanks to Mike G for demystifying Priceline and saving me a lot of money check out http://pub210.ezboard.com/bpricelineandexpediabidding for the inside poop).

VI is really our local NOLA expert, but I will add that when I was there in January I had a bowl of oyster soup at the Bon Ton Cafe that was one of the best dishes I've ever eaten. I also liked being in a place that was more oriented toward the locals than toward the tourists (not open weekends!) and enjoyed the excellent service. But I especially appreciated those oysters. And the bread pudding. Bread pudding was one of those things I didn't think I particularly cared for until I had it in New Orleans. The Bon Ton's version is famous, and appropriately so.
We also ate off the main tourist track at Upperline. Though it might not be the one place to eat on a single day in New Orleans, if your daughter ends up there, be sure to check it out as well. I especially liked the sweetbreads.

I spent almost two-weeks in my hometown N.O. in May. Too many restaurants visited. Here were some of the favorites: Drago's in Metarie for charbroiled oysters should be a must stop and it's near the airport ! In the French Quarter, stop by Acme or Felix's for raw oysters and a poorboy sandwich. On the more refined level, try Emeril's Delmonico, Stella! or Brigtsen's. Also more casual are Mandina's (try the turtle soup) or the famous Uglesichs for local favorites.

Okay, Durham. (Chapel Hill is only 10 miles away, but I know you won't have much time to drive around.)

Here's the web site for The Q Shack in Durham. It has two owners, one a Tar Heel and one a Texan, so they do both NC style and Texan style BBQ.
I think it'd be about 5 miles from your hotel.

www.theqshack.com

I really do miss the oyster po'boy sandwich I had while in New Orleans about 3 years ago. IMHO this simple but elegant sandwich beats all the gumbos, jambalayas, and beignets thrown at the tourists. Funny how some tastes can last as memories for a long time.

Durham. Absolutely and unequivocally, the Magnolia Grill. Most recent report from first rank chow colleague just last week.

New Orleans.
Depends: Do you want to be wowed by innovation and trendiness? Do you want to hit the cliches or the classics? Will chow take a back seat to ambience at times?

For us, what we wanted, were places that would serve us the freshest stuff grown and caught locally, and cooked (where applicable) in the most traditional, non fru-fru manner.

Extensive Dec 2003 rpt :
http://www.chowhound.com/south/boards/n ... 10636.html
"Restaurant Mandich, La Cuisine, Hymel's, Harbor Seafood (too long)."

Of anyplace, the one absolutely positively NOT TO MISS two-fisted chow place is Restaurant Mandich (lunch M-F, dinner Fri-Sat). I cannot over emphasize this enough. The chow is 9.98 on a scale of 10. The ambience about a 5, however--which may not do much for your daughter. Along the drive into the old ninth ward, try to get a shapshot of the billboard on the right for the fried chicken place that advertises: 'More Cluck For The Buck'.

If you are flying, try to grab a stop at Harbor Seafood, 5 min from the airport (also in post above). Certainly debunks CH perpetuated urban myths about the oyster pre-eminence of Acme, Casamento's and so forth. IMO, the best chow/quality/value on our trip, and a 'fun' laid back 100% locals place. If you do go to Harbor Seafood, there is a seafood market right next door. Don't make the mistake we made--going in after lunch to look around. Definitely go in the market first and see what's currently running. We saw some stuff so fresh and cheap it was unbelievable, stuff we would have ordered had we only realized that it was then in season (i.e. terrific looking 16-20 fresh head on gray shrimp). As it was, the $3.25 per doz oysters were crystalline and huge, the $14 twin large softshells the same, but we missed out on those fresh shrimp steamed because we didn't know about them. Has that good local Abita ale on tap too.

Steve, thanks for the ringing endorsement of Magnolia Grill. I always hesitate a bit when recommending a place I haven't been to in a few years.

Magnolia Grill is at 1002 Ninth Street; here's a link for the restaurant:

http://uncpress.unc.edu/magnoliagrillcookbook/mg.html

Hey, Dicksond, is this daughter of yours the reason why you are always driving around to soccer tournaments? If so, shouldn't she also be looking at the powerhouse of women's soccer, UNC-Chapel Hill?

I get to NO and nearby pretty regularly for family and business. Commander's Palace and the others are nice for a big time, but I just can't get enough of Acme, which Bacchus also mentioned. Great place to spend an afternoon. Other than cafe con leche and Cuban toast or churros, the best breakfast in the world remains the similar cafe au lait and beignets at Cafe Du Monde. Touristy, yes, but still the best.

You'll want to get out of Durham and see Chapel Hill. I won't get into a debate about the relative merits of the two fine Universities down that way, but Durham is to CH as Lansing is to Annn Arbor, only much more so. Allen & Sons is the natural choice; well off the beaten path, but not too far. And benchmark pork 'cue with easily the best hush puppies I've ever had.

Charlottesville, VA has several good restaurants downtown on their mall, about 6 blocks from UVA. I was there last summer and had several good meals downtown.

I really enjoyed a couple of seafood dinners at the Blue Light Grill. Great raw oysters.

http://www.bluelightgrill.com

Another place you might find interesting is the Michie Tavern. I won't say it is the best food in the world it is a nice place to have a meal. I enjoyed it.

http://www.michietavern.com

I second Steve's recommendation on Restaurant Mandich. It's not in a scenic neighborhood but it's not to far from the French Quarter. My wife considered it more of an Italian restaurant with a little N.O. influence. She thought the veal parmesan was the best she's had outside of New York. However, it you're having just one or two meals in N.O., you might want something that you can't get elsewhere. They do have a great turtle soup and many other things. I seem to recall that they may have a web site with a menue as well as many of the other places I mentioned earlier.

Eaten a ton in NOLA over the past 5 years...

I think if I had one recommend to give to someone visiting NewOrleans for the first time, it would be Mother's. The Debris sandwich, oozing with bits of beef and gravy that fall off the roast and into the pan, it is a cousin of a perfect Chicago Italian Beef and given that they also have wonderful Po Boys and other sandwiches, its hard to beat as a NOLA classic. Atmosphere is akin to a deli, but with distinct New Olreans character.

Another classic sandwich is the Muffaletta at the Central Grocery or Luigi's next door in the quarter. The Olive Salad used on these babies brings a tear to my eye - I buy it bottled to take home, but nothing replaces a fresh one. Probably my favorite sandwich in the world outside of a perfect corned beef.

For a sit down meal, Jaques Imo's is fantastic. It's in the garden district, next door to an outstanding bar, Maple Leaf. It has a full menu online, chock full of deep fried seafood, outstanding souther fried chicken... I had chicken livers and the fried chicken and a few abitas, hard to beat that meal. He has opened a restaurant in NYC, so I'm not sure if he's MIA and what that does to the quality.

I honestly don't think there is a better food town than NOLA, certainly none as unique.

VI, Actually, we are arriving in New Orleans late in the evening, touring Tulane (yes, I know it is a party school - how could it be otherwise?) in the morning and flying out early that evening (5ish, I think), so we should get a late dinner, breakfast (Camellia Grill, no doubt), and a large, leisurely lunch (mmmm). Will skip CP, as I have done that already.

All, Now we just need to choose between Mother's, Galatoire's, Brunings, Acme, Drago's, Harbor Seafood (to go for the flight?), Restaurant Mandich and the five or six other places mentioned for the other two meals. Of course, the daughter may vote for a beignet somewhere in here.

Bruce - will aim for the Blue Light in Charlottesvile - thanks.

Amata wrote (when not keeping the city on its toes )

is this daughter of yours the reason why you are always driving around to soccer tournaments?

No. I referee, and the son does as well (and plays a little bit), but the daughter turned in her shoes a few years ago. (To be honest, she was really awful). However, her desire is to visit UNC, and I am slipping Duke in since we are in town. Once she notices, Duke may go by the board. In any event, we will definitely find our way to Allen and Sons, and consider Q Shack and Magnolia depending on time.

Many thanks to all. Now I have too many options. On the other hand, what will I do in Baltimore, and in transit from there to Charlottesville (which probably means Richmond environs)? Guess we will just have to wing it

dicksond wrote:we should get a late dinner, breakfast (Camellia Grill, no doubt), and a large, leisurely lunch (mmmm).

Be aware that Camellia Grill is the greasiest of greasies. More fondly thought of as a late night hangover preventative or day after cure. Nothing subtle. Depends on degree of adventure sought. If only one 'breakfast' opportunity that comes after a late night dinner, might contemplate the most touristic of touristic choices--beignets and French Roast at Cafe Du Monde down in the quarter.

Harbor definitely a superb pre-flight option (skip the gumbo/turtle soup if your appetite is limited by late lunch, go for the oysters in all forms/fresh shrimp/soft shells).

btw--there's reputed to be a good rock/blues club next door to Jacques Imo's (not that I recommend Jacques Imo's, but I don't know your daughter, it might be just right for her, and it sounds like its HER trip!!! above ALL else). Me, sometimes I get almost as much pleasure from sussing out what folks want and delivering, as I do personally from fulfilling the never-ending chow quest .

Actually, Steve, I have had breakfast at Camelia before and remember enjoying it, though this was probably 20 years ago. Anyway, I always thought it a breakfast spot.

Steve Drucker wrote:

dicksond wrote:we should get a late dinner, breakfast (Camellia Grill, no doubt), and a large, leisurely lunch (mmmm).

Be aware that Camellia Grill is the greasiest of greasies. More fondly thought of as a late night hangover preventative or day after cure. Nothing subtle. Depends on degree of adventure sought. If only one 'breakfast' opportunity that comes after a late night dinner, might contemplate the most touristic of touristic choices--beignets and French Roast at Cafe Du Monde down in the quarter.

Steve, are you really thinking of the same Camelia Grill that I remember, the one just around the river bend at Carrolton?

I know its not the most refined of foods, but I think of the Camelia Grill as the least greasy spoon of any grill of its ilk. Sure, the burgers are griddled, but the meat is so exquisite you do not feel guilty in the least. And those milk-shake whipped omelettes are, if anything, a bit on the dry side, not greasy--Dickson, I like mine with french fries, chili and cheese, but for breakfast I would almost always get the waffle. After the Condiment Queen's, the best around.

Rob

Steve, are you really thinking of the same Camelia Grill that I remember, the one just around the river bend at Carrolton?

Yes, that's the one.

Heck, Camelia grill, taken in its entirety, is indeed a gem. Glad to have been there, but would return only for a cup of diner joe and to watch the show.

Dickson,

Perhaps my favorite off the beaten path find in New orleans is Dolly's Deli at 5151 Canal Boulevard for lunch. basically, from the outside, it appears to be a convenience store with little parking. Inside, it is the home of one of New Orleans' finest freshly made Po Boys.

Upon entering, you will find a counter manned by several grandmotherly looking types who take your order from one of those free menu boards that a soda distributors gives you if you sell their soda in your restaurante convinced to go for an oyster from time to time. The result is really fresh New Orleans Po Boy bread stuffed to the gills with hot fried shrimp or oysters. The seafood is fried fresh when you order it. The sandwich is dressed with mayo, lettuce and tomato.

Prior to discovering Dolly's, my Po Boy of choice has always been the highly regarded Casamento's on Magazine Street. Now, in this city of such culinary pleasure, I usually stop at Dolly's on my way in from the airport.

On another note, I am convinced that Camelia Grill's Chili Omelet was contrived as one of the great greasy hangover cures in one of America's great drinking towns.

The report - Will missed your post until I had returned. Next time.

I seem to have misplaced my notes, so I will try to get this from memory.

Opal, Va, just off route 29 has a grill called something like stop and eat in your car. The food we ate was execrable (think a steak-um with cheese and mayo, and fries cooked at too low a temp so they are more soaked in oil than cooked and you get the idea) but the pizza others ate, New York style it appeared, looked pretty good. The charm of this place, if you can find it (and what the heck else is there in Opal?) is the three panel greek relief below the counter with full nudity (!). Incongruous to me at least. Should have asked for that story.

We went to a movie in Charlottesville, rather than eating. The tip on going downtown to the mall was good. Breakfast was at a place called the Tavern on Emmet (biz 29) just north of the UVa campus. Good corn pancakes, excellent omelette, and lightning fast service, particularly given that the cook seemed to be spending most of his time visiting with people in front of the restaurant, and the place was a little busy. Mushy, but flavorful potatos. We would go back.

Raleigh/Durham
Mr. Drucker - we are still searching for Allen off I40 at route 86. The phone book indicates it exists in some locations, but not that one. It became late and we were starving, so we wandered to another Q place which was closing as we arrived, and finally ended at the Q Shack in Durham. All is well that ends well. Very nice smokey, silky, soft, brisket, chewy barbecue pork butt (used in place of shoulder so they can cook it with the brisket) that I prefer to the mushier shoulder, tho the flavor was not that great. Good sides (mac 'n cheese, okra, fries, potato salad, fried pie), and they kept the place open to feed us. Worth going to for brisket, IMO.

We also ate at Bullock's barbecue, which has changed into a coffee shop, far as I can tell, though they claim to be the oldest Q in town. God-awful, mushy ribs. Good flavor in the pulled pork, and a lovely vinegary sauce, but mushy meat (Warning: I am not a great fan of pulled pork in general as I prefer Q that offers some resistance). They offer a pretty full menu, so it could be a good coffee shop, but for bbq, don't go.

Will continue with Nola in a separate post.

NOLA report

I have been instructed by the daughter to withhold all personal details unless specifically authorized to share them. Suffice it to say, by the time we arrived in NOLA, we were pooped (6 colleges, 4 towns, 4 days - just crazy) and our feeding plans were curtailed for survival purposes. It also was quite hot and humid.

Arrived late and went to Felix's Oyster for a dozen, and this 'n that. The oysters were good and fresh, but not wonderfully flavorful. Perhaps by 10pm, the fresh taste of the sea is waning? Quite nice onion rings for the one who does not eat seafood, with the seasoned corn meal breading they use on fried seafood. There were a couple of conventions in town, so the smell of barf was strong and the FQ was tiring, which may have affected my visit. Beyond the onion rings this was my worst visit to Felix's, though I do not think it reflects on the place, just the moment.

Lunch at Mother's was excellent. Shrimp 'n Oyster and a Debris po' boy. I see the connection between Italian Beef and Debris, though the beef here is more lightly seasoned. Had intended to do Galatoire, but it did not work out.

Finished with a stop at Harbor Seafood in Kenner to pick up some boiled shrimp for the plane. Everything looked great, and the shrimp were wonderful - giant, cooked perfectly, nicely seasoned. Definitely will stop back.

Thanks to all. Only sorry time was so short and we did not sample more places.

dicksond wrote:NOLA report

Arrived late and went to Felix's Oyster for a dozen, and this 'n that. The oysters were good and fresh, but not wonderfully flavorful.

There certainly is the whole issue with summer oysters. They've been described by others as milky and bland, although some food writers generally consider gulf oysters blander than northern oysters. Then again, is that not what the cocktail sauce is for?

rg

dicksond wrote:Raleigh/Durham
Mr. Drucker - we are still searching for Allen off I40 at route 86.

Oy, to paraphrase Roman Polanski's Fearless Vampire Killers, but 'You've got the wrong vampire!' May I rot in hell from now until forever if I have ever spoken well of a bbq place other than a weekend shed in Jasper FL (A&B BBQ) or some long ago brisket I've eaten in TX or Fri night at Hodges here in South Atlanta; but not counting certain Peterson street vicinity practitioners whose brisket bounty pours in from the back porch during odd months and only at arcane phases of the moon.

Some friends whose chow judgement I value have recently relocated to Durham. So far, and not for lack of trying over the course of six weeks, their Raleigh-Durham chow 'keepers' are one taqueria and Magnolia Grill. Nix so far on Greek and Chinese and the local Penang. And sad to say--no bbq.

Meanwhile, my atlanta born wife never met a Brunswick stew she didn't like, as opposed to me, who NEVER met 'stew' I would allow in even thru the side door. But I do like that smoky TX brisket, hold the sauce.

Dicksond, that was me, not Steve Drucker, who recommended Allen & Sons. I'm really sorry you couldn't find it! But glad that the Q Shack served as a good alternative.

Just for (anybody's) future information, here is a blurb I copied from a Chapel Hill web site:

"Allen & Son Pit-Cooked Bar-B-Q
6203 Mill House Rd (at NC Highway 86 North), Chapel Hill, (919) 942-7576. Open Tue.-Fri., 10am-8pm; Sat., 7am-8pm; closed Sun.-Mon. Plain old country cookin'. Specializing in barbecue, cooked over hickory wood-unique to this area."

Apologies to Steve and still thanks to all.