Liuzza's

Thank you RBPoBoy for providing the perfect segue into today's post. I love the onion rings at Liuzza's. The batter is not as crumbly as it once was, but still the ratio of fried goodness to sweet onion is well-portioned. Whenever I go to Liuzza's, which truth be told hasn't been as often as it once was, a schooner of Abita Amber and an order of onion rings is ordered as soon as possible.

Just look at that light golden shell. It shatters like bone china on marble when you sink your teeth into the firm, lord of the onion rings. How can one improve on this manna from Mid City? Make your own dipping sauce by combining the hot sauce on the table (which brand varies) with some ketchup. Swirl the onion through the mixture before depositing it in your mouth. Hey, it was good enough for Tony Soprano's last meal.

The rest of the meal unfolded like this. Decent hamburger steak that was a little tough, mashed potatoes that were likely frozen at one point, but a very excellent gravy. I should not have ventured from the Fat Kid Special. And if you know what that means without clicking the link, thank you for reading for this long.

Lindsay went with the eggplant parmesan. The sauce had an overly herbaceous vibe to it, as if someone in the kitchen was trying really hard to cover up Prego's name. Lindsay summed up her meal as this, "Should have stopped at the onion rings.

Liuzza's will always hold a special place in my hear,t as I have probably eaten there more than any other restaurant in New Orleans. But if you just came here for a schooner of beer and an order of onion rings (and maybe a Fat Kid Special), I'd say you would have a pretty awesome meal. Anything else and may luck be with you.

Liuzza's - Par

Monday, Monday

"Every other day, every other day,

Every other day of the week is fine, yeah

But whenever Monday comes, but whenever Monday comes

You can find me cryin' all of the time."

I always find this song playing in my head on a Monday after a Saints loss.  I have a strong belief in the truth of the rumor that productivity in New Orleans on the Monday after a Saints loss is markedly decreased.  Some people might say that we have misplaced priorities.  We call it passion for our city and for our team.

But thankfully, Monday always calls for one of my favorite meals (no matter if the Saints win or lose): red beans and rice.  It's a dish so delicious yet so simple to make that it seems ludicrous to order them when dining out.  Still, some places cook them better than others, and it's usually the neighborhood joints that do them best.  Here are a few of my favorite spots to get a plate of these delicious legumes:

1. Dunbar's - Now comes complete with a JD from Loyola.
2. Mandina's - The only day that they serve them is Monday.
3. Acme Oyster House - Sure, they don't make them in house (I am pretty sure they get them from this guy), but that doesn't make them any less savory.
   
4. Ignatius Grocery - I just wish that they would put ice in their drinks.
5. Liuzza's - And a Fat Kid Special?

Note: I hear that EAT also has great red beans; but they ain't open on Mondays, and I refuse to order red beans at a restaurant on any other day except Monday.

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.

Does it have to be Monday...

Peter, that is a tougher act to follow than Obama's coronation speech last night. But here goes...

Breakfast: Morning Call, but since that would require driving instead I think I would go to Camelia Grill and start my day with a Cheeseburger with grilled onions, cheese fries, and a chocolate milkshake. Why? Because its my last fu*king day in New Orleans.

Lunch: Liuzza's. Fried Onion Rings. Fat Kid Special. 4-5 Schooners of beer. 2 Bushwackers and a United Cab, preferably with a cab account.

Snack: Mila. A Mint Julep from Chris McMillan and an order of sweetbreads with truffle grits.

Dinner: In between lunch and snack, I went home and braised some fatty short ribs in red wine and aromatics. Served on top of mashed potatoes loaded with as many Smith Dairy products I can get my hands on. Lindsay and I eat and drink a bottle of 2005 Chateau la Nerthe. I open a second bottle, pour Lindsay a glass I know she wont finish, and watch Nash Roberts tell me everything is going to be ok.

Late Night Snack: F&M's Cheese Fries.

For Lunch Today...

Fat. Kid. Special.

Liuzza's

Panneed chicken (oh yeah, it's under there) with roast beef and gravy on top. I like to add mozzarella to mine. Wash it down with an Abita Amber in a frozen mug.

Make sure to order it by name. The waiter will have no idea what you are talking about, so then you must explain and watch as he gives you a look which says: "You are ridiculous."

Get it while you can, because this kind of sandwich will be illegal if Obama gets elected.

Lunch Today, Wednesday March 27th

Get on Interstate headed towards the airport. Get off at N. Carrollton. Take North Carrollton to Bienville and turn right on Bienville. Stop at Liuzza's. If you gave up drinking during office hours for Lent, this would be a good time to pick up the habit again. Liuzza's serves beer ice-cold in frosted schooner mugs. Start with one of those.

You would do yourself a disservice if you did not order either the fried pickles or fried onion rings for an appetizer. The pickles are great but the show stopper is the fried onion rings. Home-made with a thin flaky exterior these onion rings are best with a little salt and a mixture of 50% ketchup and 50% hot sauce.

Prior to Katrina, the only thing I had ever ordered from Liuzza's was the Roast Beef Po-Boy, dressed. Following the glorious re-opening of Liuzza's they were unable to make Roast Beef for a long while. Since everyone had to sacrifice something following the storm, I began eating the Panee Chicken Po-Boy. That sandwich is so good, when the roast beef returned for a while I would go half Roast Beef and Half Panee Chicken. Finally in a Eureka moment the two were combined (WARNING: IF YOU GET NAUSEOUS EASILY, LOOK AWAY). When you go today ask them to bring you a Panee Chicken Po-Boy topped with roast beef and gravy, dressed of course. If that last sentence made you recoil in horror,, I apologize; if however, it made you go that sounds awesome, welcome to the Fat Kid Special.

Other great meals there include any of their fried seafood, plate lunches, or Italian specialities. Also, they have an original po-boy (French Fries, gravy, mayo, and cheese) and delicious fried green tomatoes with a tangy remoulade. The only drawback is that Liuzza's only takes cash. However, there is an ATM in the jernt. Which is really what Liuzza's is a perfect model of, the neighborhood jernt.