Home » Special Features » The World’s Best » Best Local Food Specialties New Orleans
New York? Pizza. San Francisco? Dungeness crab. Mexico City? Tacos. Los Angeles? Food trucks. What better way to explore the world’s coolest cities than through the foods they are best known for? Here are Night+Day’s hotlists for the destination dishes (and one beverage) that define our favorite places.
Best Local Food Specialties in....
Best Local Food Specialties: Gumbo
New Orleans
Gumbo Shop 630 St. Peter St., French Quarter, 504-525-1486 gumboshop.com
The Draw: Green gumbo, otherwise known as gumbo z’herbes, is a Lenten tradition. If you’re not in town during the lead up to Easter, it can be almost impossible to find, but this French Quarter restaurant makes it year round. The Scene: A cool patio greets guests at this casual but elegant space. With a menu that includes vegetarian versions of local favorites like red beans and rice, the Gumbo Shop is a place where everyone can get a taste of the Crescent City. Hot Tip: The legendary Leah Chase makes the city’s most famous green gumbo at Dooky Chase in the Treme, but she only serves it on the Thursday before Easter. If you’re in town, line up with the rest of the city for what has fast become an annual event.
K-Paul’s 416 Chartres St., French Quarter, 504-524-7394 kpauls.com
The Draw: Gumbo can be midnight black and as complex as mole. This French Quarter stalwart makes gumbo so “dark” it’ll swallow your spoon. The Scene: Paul Prudhomme started the Cajun craze in the 1980s, and in doing so became one of America’s first celebrity chefs. In New Orleans, he’s remembered for blending the big, bold flavors of Cajun country with the more refined Creole cuisine of the city. Decades later, his restaurant is required eating for anyone hoping to understand New Orleans gastronomy. Hot Tip: Another favorite dark roux gumbo is the duck and andouille sausage version from Prejean’s in Lafayette. Each spring the Cajun restaurant sets up a booth at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Even in the heat, the thick gumbo is one of the festival’s top sellers.
Li’l Dizzy’s Cafe 610 Poydras St., Central Business District, 504-212-5656;
1500 Esplanade Ave., Mid-City, 504-569-8997
The Draw: This popular neighborhood soul food restaurant serves up steaming pots of savory Creole gumbo filled with the bounty of both land (ham, spicy homemade sausage) and sea (crab meat, Gulf shrimp). The Scene: The Esplanade location draws a boisterous crowd of cops, politicians, and musicians. The Central Business District branch is a favorite of area lawyers and judges, though you should expect slightly higher prices here. Owned by Wayne Baquet, whose family has run a string of popular Creole restaurants, Li’l Dizzy’s is equally famous for its fried chicken, trout baquet, and bread pudding. Hot Tip: Keep an eye out for the national media’s major players. Two of Baquet’s brothers—one an editor-in-chief of the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the other the Washington bureau chief for the New York Times—are Pulitzer Prize winners.
