NOLA Foodie Time Warp (Part 1): Bud's Broiler

Blogger's Note - This is Part 1 of a two part series highlighting the recent return of two of my favorite "only in New Orleans" eateries. Sometimes the simple meals are the ones we miss the most after they are gone.

Sauce. Just cover me in sauce.

Sure, other Bud's Broiler locations have been up and running since shortly after Katrina, but this month's reopening of the original on City Park Avenue has been greatly anticipated. (Hell, even my dog* was excited.) I could not wait to get my hands on the above #4 with sauce, grated cheddar. and onions.

A note about the hickory smoked sauce: I think one of the most underrated touches at Bud's is how they keep a pot of sauce warming on a burner at all times. A small but crucial step in the euphoria that is a #4.

In the instance of fairness, I decided to skip the french fries in favor of trying another one of Bud's specialties: #7 - a butterflied and charcoal grilled hot dog with chili, cheese, and onions. This is why life in New Orleans is worth living.

It was a divine experience, which called for much patience considering that there were 10 people ahead of me in line when I got there and 15 people in line when I left. As I ate in the upstairs dining room (which thankfully has a much improved A/C window unit), I overheard a woman talking on her cell phone while she waited for her number to be called: "Girl, you are never going to believe where I am. Bud's Broiler on City Park. I swear yo Gawd they have the same dirt on the floor. You got to come here for lunch this week." She took a bit of poetic license in her description. The joint is actually cleaner than it has ever been before, even though they somehow preserved the old wooden tables with names carved in the them. There are even a few outdoor tables for seating.

As much as I love Bud's, my feelings pale in comparison to those of The Pope. His first question upon hearing of the reopening: "24 hours?" Unfortunately such is not the case, so La Papa will have to continue making his late night sojourns to the one on Clearview. In any case, during "normal" business hours, The Pope Mobile need only make that short drive to City Park Ave to accomplish a long journey down memory lane.

* This link is safe for work. Sound is not necessary but preferential. You can fast forward to 1:30 if you would like.

Cheese

Like it. Love it. Live it. If you enjoy cheese as much as we do, we have two suggestions to satisfy your craving for fromage.

The first is a free cheese tasting tonight at St. James Cheese Company where you can indulge in two of the finest parmigiano reggiano and goudas from around the globe. No, we are not talking about that stuff in the can. If you're lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the St. James Girl, the winner of both the 5000th and 20,000th blog visitor sweepstakes. That's like hitting the Powerball... twice.

On the other end of the spectrum in the case you're more of a good ole shredded American kind of cheeselover, well then we've got you covered as well. Picture this: It's 4am. You have just finished imbibing your 8th Flaming Dr. Pepper at the Goldmine. You want Camellia Grill, but they're already closed. F&M's is too crowded to wait for cheese fries, and late night run through Taco Bell just won't cut it.

When it seems like all hope is lost, just stop and think: WWTPD? (What Would The Pope Do?)

Head on out to the 24hr Bud's Broiler on Clearview and get yourself some cheese fries... and a double meat #4 with sauce... and a #9... and a defibrillator.

Late Night Eats

After midnight. You just walked out of a concert, are in between bars, or headed home. But you're starving. Whether it be for a late night pick-me-up or sobering sustenance, you need food and not just some beef jerky and a bag of combos from the Circle K. Here are a few places you may want to head to:

1. Que Crawl - This purple truck parked outside Tip's has been a heaven-sent for concert goers since it's arrival shortly after Katrina. You can't go wrong with the pulled pork sandwich and an order of grit fries, but branch out and try the taquitos or papusas if you are feeling adventurous (i.e., "not sober").
2. Camellia Grill - Burger or omelette? Can't decide? Have both. Don't forget the chocolate freeze.
3. Mimi's in the Marigny - It's where you go if you wish you were eating tapas on La Rambla in Barcelona.
4. Yuki Izakaya - Located on Frenchman in the Marigny, this is a great place to order Japanese small plates if you are with a large group.
5. Hoshun - Someone told me that they serve late, but I can't attest to that. But if you have an after midnight craving for raw fish, apparently this is the place to go.
6. Clover Grill - This French Quarter landmark has been serving up solid diner food 24/7.
7. Bud's Broiler - The one on Clearview that is open 24hrs is, of course, where The Pope likes to hold midnight mass. Nothing like a #4 and an order of cheese fries to end the night.
8. Fat Harry's - Or as Legend calls it, "Uncle Larry's." Everyone talks about the cheese fries, but I prefer ordering the quesadillas and then going to...
9. Fump & Manny's - For some reason, cheese fries just taste better at 5am.

Top 10 New Orleans Sandwiches

Nothing like starting the week off with a little controversy.

1. Roast Beef Po-Boy - Parkway Bakery: Words cannot describe the magic of Parkway's roast beef. The beef and gravy somehow become one with each other to make for a spectacular sandwich. The only possible way to improve on this po-boy would be to add fried shrimp .... Oh, right. I believe they call that the Surf & Turf, and it's now a permanent fixture on the menu. Then again, why mess with perfection?
2. Muffuletta - Nor Joe's: Sure, Central Grocery may have started it all, but who wants to wait in line and deal with surly service? At Nor-Joe's you only have to tolerate surly service. This sandwich is not for anyone with an aversion to the finer things in life. Things like cheese, Italian deli meats, briney olives, and bread. Its about time someone around town made a Muffuletta Charcuterie Board. In fact, I just did.
3. Roast Duck Po-Boy - Crabby Jack's: This thing is amazing, if only for the fact that you can't get it anywhere else. Succulent roasted duck in a brown au jus - it also wins the "high class" award.
4. Mozzarella - St. James Cheese Company/Fernando - Stein's Deli: So similar, yet so different? Both start with foccacia, pesto, and fresh mozzarella. At St. James they use salami, while at Stein's they layer on the prosciutto. The St. James Girl (surprisingly) gives the edge to the Mozzarella because the cheese is slightly melted.
5. Banh Mi - Pho Tau Bay: The bread might be the best specimen of classic New Orleans style french bread in the city. The fillings are straight from Vietnam. My favorite is the chef's special liver sausage and rolled ham, but you can't go wrong with the char grilled pork. By the way, the sandwiches are small (and cheap) enough so that you can order both.
6. Oyster Loaf - Casamento's: Oysters - it's what they do, which is why Casamento's is closed during those dreaded summer months when oysters are not at their peak. Piled high on toasted and buttered "pan bread" with a few pickles and a couple of dashes of hot sauce. You can't get much better than that.
7. Meatball Parmesan Po-Boy - Mahony's: The fresh mozzarella alone catapults this sandwich to the Top 10, but the handmade meatballs and red gravy are integral ingredients of the final product. The anise flavor in the meatballs provides a sweet overture to the final product.
8. #4 - Bud's Broiler: Onions? Yes. Double Meat? Yes. Chili or Sauce? Yes. (Wait, I said "or" - I have always been a sauce man myself, but I don't judge the chili lovers out there.) And if that wasn't enough, you can get this sandwich late at night.
9. Fat Kid Special - Liuzza's: Have you still not tried this yet? Panneed chicken breast topped with roast beef and gravy. How can that NOT be good? And if you wanted to be really fat, may we suggest putting fried pickles on top of all that. Dear God, my keyboard just went into cardiac arrest. Someone get me a bushwacker, STAT!
10. Italian Special - R&O's: Slices of Italian sausage and meatball, covered in red gravy, and topped with mozzarella. The seedy Italian style bread is unconventional for a po-boy, but it works. Plus, ordering a po-boy called the Italian Special makes it seem like you just put a hit out on that jerk from third grade.

Coming Tomorrow - the sandwiches we once loved, but now they are gone.

Late Night Eats with The Pope

On Monday night I decided to stay downtown after work to unwind with some friends. As the night wore on, we made our way to Masquerade inside Harrah's (a move which is usually a recipe for disaster). Lo and behold, La Papa also happened to be in the building. I found His Holiness stacking a mountain of red chips at a poker table, with a huge smile on his face and a graveyard of empty Miller Lite bottles on his drink cart. It was clear that for a brief moment in time, The Pope had put aside concerns relating to lawsuits, loss of interest in the spread of Catholicism, eliminating abortion, genocide, and tyranny; instead he was only worried about drawing a flush on the river.

It also quickly became quite obvious to me that The Pontiff, shall we say, had indulged in a bit too much of the sacrament. Being the good friend that I am, I offered The Pope a ride home, and he gladly accepted. Ready to call it a night and head straight home, I waited while The Pontiff racked up his winnings. But alas, La Papa had a detour in mind: "I'm starving. Let's go to the 24 hour Bud's Broiler on Clearview." Though I was not hungry in the least, we all know that The Pope does what The Pope wants to do. So off we went with yours truly at the helm of The Pope Mobile.

I can eat. A lot. Sometimes I think that I may be able to give Kobayashi a run for his money. But when La Papa's appetite is fueled by holy water, the man is on an entire other level. His order at midnight on a Monday: a DOUBLE MEAT #2, a #9 with onions, and a large cheese fries. When he unpacked his to-go bag, I witnessed a glorious display of greasy goodness.

The service at Bud's was unexpectedly fast for the day and time, but the food was freshly prepared as usual. I have reserved a place in my heart (and belly) for Bud's ever since the first time I dined as a youngin' at the original Bud's located on that triangular plot of land on City Park Avenue. If there is any food worth driving out to Clearview for, it is most certainly a charcoal broiled burger slathered in Bud's signature hickory smoked sauce.

Bud's Broiler - Birdie during the day. Eagle anytime after midnight.

For Lunch Today...

Thanks to the Chairman of the Bored for reminding me of this spot. Bud's Broiler offers a break from the boring, but make sure you cover your work attire with a poncho. The best order by far is the number 4 with hickory sauce, onions and mayo, with a side of French fries and a strawberry milkshake. You may disagree with that assessment, but you are completely wrong. The nearest location to downtown occupies the corner of Calhoun and Claiborne; but there is one on Causeway for Captain Corporate. Of course we are all eagerly awaiting the re-opening of the one across from Delgado.