VittlesVamp

Link Love

The link in question is Chef Donald Link.

Many friends have asked if I hit any great new restaurants on my recent trip to New Orleans. In truth, besides the market stalls, dives, luncheonettes and holes-in-wall that I ventured to during my walking tour, my standout faves where two old faves from Chef Link - Peche and Cochon.

In fact, first meal of the trip was a late dinner at Peche, kicking off with a half dozen of Gulf oysters. Those lovelies did not disappoint. Neither did his Cajun rendition of "Shrimp Toast" enrobed in sesame seeds and topped with slices of pickle. And, the main was spectacular. Pictured above, it was a whole Speckled Trout, flash-fried and served atop a tamarind sauce, showered with pickled carrots and daikon, roasted peanuts, and loads of cilantro. Also gobsmackingly good were the turnips. Yes, you read correctly. Take a look...

This seemingly banal side dish was featured in the New York Times Magazine with a recipe. Seriously. If the Citrus-Glazed Turnips are on the menu, they're a must.

Now, lets talk about my late lunch at Cochon. This where we sat, with the wood-burning oven throwing off a heady scent that made my mouth water.

That oven was put to good use in the service of the kitchen's Wood Fired Oysters with Chili Garlic Butter...

And, that was followed by the restaurant's namesake - Louisiana Cochon served with Braised Green Beans, Pickled Pears, and Pork Jus...

Hellz to the yassss.

And, in case you are wondering, some real warmth and hospitality came our way from both the back and front-of-house at both Peche and Cochon.

These are what you call oldies, but goodies - so, so good. So, while looking for the shiny new hot spot is certainly with merit, don't sleep on the merits of a standby that consistently stands and delivers.

A Real Taste of New Orleans

Took a quick trip to New Orleans. Hadn't been in ages. High on the list of "must do" activities was taking Culinary Backstreets' walking tour in the city. The one hitch? My ankle has been a freakin' mess and I knew I would be hobbling a bit as I made my way.

I needn't have worried. This is, after all, The Big Easy.

Chatting with our guide James, while swooning over a Praline-filled Beignet at Loretta's, I was assured that a slow stroll was more than acceptable. That said, would have been happy to stay at Loretta's all day and have another order of the Beignets.

Eventually, I was convinced to amble to the next stop - which luckily was only a couple blocks away.

Always good to hit a bar before noon. Molly's at the Market was a go-to in the aftermath of Katrina, due to its working pay phone and working taps. Not sure if the Frozen Irish Coffee was on hand then, but it sure was when we hit it...

Lightly boozy and heavily delicious.

The slow and steady tour went on and on from more stops in the French Quarter to places in the Marigny and then over to the Treme. First stop in the latter was Lil' Dizzy's, a family-run lunch spot with some seriously good Southern cooking. Think Gumbo, Hot Sausage Po-Boys, and some amazingly crisp Fried Chicken...

It took a lot of willpower to finally leave Lil' Dizzy's, but I was told that the next place was worth the effort.

It was.

Just a few blocks away, this welcoming sight greeted me...

That pot on the fire? Filled with grease for the weekly Friday Fish Fry. Open since the 1950's, Little People's Place has been more than a bar in the Treme. Family-owned and run, it is a community gathering place that means so much to its neighbors in the 9th Ward.

How much? Just take a look...

This, my friends, is a meticulously created diorama of the bar's interior, built by a long-time regular. This is love.

There was one more stop on the tour. No photos taken. It was a stop for a Sazerac at Bar Tonique on Rampart. Now, this was the right way to end a long day in New Orleans.

After all that, took an Uber back to the hotel, put my foot up and iced my ankle for a while. Still had the faint taste of anise and rye on my lips though.

I do like The Big Easy so very much.

Shout Out To My Foodie Friends

Yes, I host a lot of dinner parties. But, I am not alone in this endeavor. Happily, I have friends that often host me in return -- friends with some serious kitchen skills.

I'm thinking of Nick and Steph with their homemade pastas and glorious salads. Then there is David and Cat who not only make the most amazing cocktails at their Sunset Park pad, but also throw pizza throwdowns. There is Tracy, who regularly whips up dishes that marry citrus with umami and a freshness that makes dinner at her table seem like I have dined at a high-end spa. And, lets not forget to shout out about the mad talents of Mark and Wendy, whom I have partnered with on dinners from time to time. They are so hardcore in their culinary ways that they woke up in the wee hours to make their own coconut milk for a Sri Lankan feast we were preparing.

And, providing a little photographic evidence of my tasty friends' tables, with snapshots from a recent Vietnamese dinner at Brett and Emily's new Prospect Heights apartment. I mean, c'mon! Look above at that Bo Kho, a rich beef stew with noodles, scented with star anise, cinnamon, and lemongrass. And, then there is this...

Um. Yeah. As delicious as it was colorful, this was a bangin' platter of Goi Ga, a Vietnamese shredded chicken salad with crunch from cabbages, peanuts, and fried shallots.

My friends know how to bring it. I am one lucky lady. And, they are lucky in return.

Symbiotic culinary goodness.