The 2011 Challenge

Two years ago, we initiated what has become dubbed "The Challenge" as a way to motivate ourselves to expand our culinary horizons. In 2009, I attempted (and failed) to avoid eating in the same restaurant for 365 days. Last year, Rene spent his time recreating restaurant dishes at home. While we may have not reached our end goals in our respective challenges, we learned a lot along the way. Hopefully you readers did as well.

And with the dawn of a new year, it is once again time to throw down the gauntlet. We received a number of suggestions for this year's challenge. Eating dessert after every meal sounded like a delicious recipe... for diabetes. Vietnamese weekdays would have won out except that I can not afford to pay the Crescent City Connection toll so often. And unfortunately, The Folk Singer put the kibosh on "Awful Offal Humpdays" because she said there was no way that she was eating tripe, sweetbreads, or tongue for dinner once a week.

In the end, I decided to dovetail off of a suggestion from a reader who thought it would be fun if every week I had to eat at a local restaurant that I have never been to before. Given the lag time between dining at a restaurant and writing about the experience, I knew that such a challenge would not be feasible as written. Plus, Rene and I try to cover as much ground as we can individually, and there are quite a few spots that he has written about but I have yet to visit, such as Le Foret, Dominique's, and Rue 127. Still, the goal behind this suggestion is to push your faithful bloggers to cast a wider net over the local dining scene, an expansion that many other readers have encouraged us to undertake.

So without further ado, the 2011 Challenge is stated henceforth:

Once a week, every week, I will write about at least one local eatery that has never before been written about on Blackened Out. This includes write ups by Rene and myself. Basically, if the restaurant does not have a label (a full list of which is located on the left midway down the page), then it's fair game to be included in the challenge list.

BONUS: The first 15 qualifying restaurants listed in the comments of today's post MUST be included in The Challenge. Only one restaurant per commenter. Changing IP addresses in order to submit multiple entries is grounds for disqualification. No purchase is necessary. Void in Alaska, Hawaii and wherever else prohibited.

The 2011 Challenge. In the words of Barney Stinson, it's going to be LEGEN... wait for it... DARY.

Room for Improvement

We are closing in on the end of 2010, and with that comes our yearly performance review. But this year instead of looking back on what we did wrong and what we did right, we would like you the readers to offer up some suggestions on how we can improve Blackened Out.

No, Lumbergh. We will not start writing on Saturday and Sunday.

While we love writing about food, our increasing responsibilities outside of Blackened Out have made it more and more cumbersome to provide entertaining and insightful material to you every day. We strive not to throw up just anything on the blog simply for the sake of posting. "Mailing it in" serves no real benefit for you, and it reflects poorly on us. (Though I'm not saying that we have not in the past.) Thankfully, because there are two of us, we are able to post something worthwhile almost every day. Still, often at times it is a struggle for us to be creative week in and week out.

So with that in mind, we are open to your suggestions. Many people have expressed a desire for us to venture outside of the usual spots that so many other people are writing about, and we think that the 2011 Challenge will introduce our readers to a few more places off the beaten path. Stay tuned till Monday when details of the 2011 Challenge are revealed.

In addition, here are two other questions which we would like your opinion on:

1. Does anyone actually use the Blackened Out on the Town calendar? (For those who don't know, the calendar is located on the left hand side of our web page.) We spend quite a bit of time entering in all of the events that are happening in the city, but we have no real way to track if any of you are benefiting from our efforts. An alternative option may be a weekly post dedicated to all of the upcoming food and wine events in the city.
2. What is your reaction when we write about our bogey or double bogey experiences? Are reports of the bad meals just as informative as the good ones? Or would you rather us just stick to places that we would recommend you try?

Thank you in advance for your feedback. The comments are open. We will see you again in 2011.

Who Dat?

Huge game tonight for the Saints. Get some rest, stay focused, and finish strong.

A Butcher Christmas Story

A few weeks ago, on a cold and windy Monday night, I found myself alone at home with no food in the refrigerator and no motivation for a trip to the grocery store. The Folk Singer had gone to the Big D (and I do mean Dallas) for work for the entire week, so I was left alone to fend for myself. I had already knocked out the leftover Pizza Delicious from the night before, so my choices were frozen dumplings from Hong Kong Market, Jazzmen Rice, eggs, and marinated Greek olives.

Looking back, that potential spread sounds pretty darn tasty, but on that night I decided to take a walk to Cochon Butcher instead. Downtown living has its obvious advantages in terms of commute time for work, but the walkable distances to the Quarter and Warehouse District are an added lagniappe. So I strolled by Ditcharo's where the bartender sat alone on a high backed chair, feet on the bar and book in her hands. Past the waiters smoking outside the backdoor of Herbsaint, alongside Lucy's where all of the double doors were shut to keep the wind out, and in front of a half-full dining room at Emeril's.

When I arrived at Butcher, only one other table was occupied, so I had no guilt in taking up the corner table where I scrolled through my BlackBerry while waiting on dinner. It wasn't too long when the runner brought over the kitchen's last order of marinated brussels sprouts and my BBQ pork sandwich. (Both of which were excellent, by the way. I have had some ridiculously good brussels sprout dishes lately, so maybe an all brussels sprouts blog post is in order. But I digress.)

About midway through my meal, a large group sauntered in for dinner. After a few moments, I realized that the group consisted mostly of mentally challenged adults and a trio of 20 somethings acting as their chaperones. By this time all of the high tables were full save for the one next to mine, so I offered to move to the bar so that they could all sit together. No such move was necessary I was told, so I stayed at my table while the newly arrived crew surveyed their menus and ordered their food in a form of organized chaos.

I soon finished my meal, but instead of quickly getting up I decided to sit and experience the moment. This group had such a happy innocence about them as they smilingly placed their orders - cold roast beef sandwiches and potato salad, two hot dogs with "catsup" only, a cranberry juice with no ice - with a heightened level of insistence but also obvious gratitude. They asked questions of their handlers like whether their bag was packed and what they were doing tomorrow.  At one point I asked one of the chaperones if their group was local, and he responded that no they were in town visiting from New York and were leaving for home tomorrow. I asked if they had enjoyed their time in my city, and he said that they had. I didn't want to pry with too many details.

The Folk Singer will probably tell you that I am the most spoiled, selfish, and snobbish boy to ever walk the halls of Jesuit High School. She will tell you that I have never wanted for anything in my entire life and that I am inexplicably rough and tough on the ones who love me the most. Personally, I think her characterizations are rife with hyperbole, but my Mom will say that she is not too far off. So it seems that I have lost the swing vote.

But not even a stone hearted grinch such as me could take in those few moments without a serious dose of self reflection. Here is a group of people who most likely do not enjoy the daily freedoms and opportunities that I take for granted. Yet, on their week away from home, they have decided to sit down for a special meal at a restaurant which I can walk to on a Monday night for no other reasons than the fridge is empty and I am too lazy to go to the grocery.

To most of us, Christmas is synonymous with giving and receiving gifts, special gifts which theoretically represent the thoughtfulness of the gifter or the importance of the giftee. But often these end of the year gifts have the unintended effect of discounting the routine gifts exchanged between people everyday.

The same can be said when considering the grand holiday feasts in light of routine meals throughout the year. While finishing my last bites of BBQ pork, I reflected on the fact that a regular Monday night dinner for me obviously meant so much more to the group of people sitting one table over. Celebratory meals during Christmas are de rigeur, but think about all of the simple pleasures of the table that we take for granted every day. How lucky are we natives of New Orleans that every day of the year we can enjoy a po-boy, a steaming bowl of pho, or a plate of red beans and rice for a minimal price and just a short trip to our favorite restaurant? How lucky are we that the bounty of the Gulf is at our finger tips? How lucky are we to live in a town where we live to eat? How lucky are we not to live in Anywhere, USA? How lucky am I?

All of the above thoughts passed through my mind as I sat at my table soaking in the scene at Butcher. Eventually, I made my way to the register, when the Christmas spirit came upon me.

"I need to pay my tab, and I want to buy that group dessert," I said while handing over my credit card.

The man behind the counter paused and said, "Aw, that is very thoughtful of you. You're a good man."

As I signed my receipt, I thought: "I wish The Folk Singer would have been here to hear him say that."

Merry Christmas to all.

Reveillon

Photo courtesy of Noteworthy in NOLA.

New Orleans has many local traditions, but none are more linked with the holiday season than the Reveillon celebration. Rooted in French Catholicism, the Reveillon is traditionally a meal taken early on Christmas morning after midnight mass. Because Christmas Eve was a day of fasting, the Reveillon was an extravagant and luxurious feast.

Today, one need not keep a vigil till the wee morning hours of Christmas in order to take part in a Reveillon celebration. In conjunction with the "Christmas in New Orleans" campaign, local restaurants now serve a Reveillon menu for the entire month of December and into the first few days of the new year. A full list of participating restaurants with Reveillon menus can be found here.

The Drinking Lunch

The month of December is known for celebratory meals, especially long Friday lunches. As the "unofficial" Friday before Christmas, today just so happens to be the biggest lunch day of the year. In this month's issue of OffBeat Magazine, we review the Rib Room, a restaurant that is a year round specialist in three hour boozy lunches. When taking your holiday lunch, there may be no better choice in the city.

In a recent Business Week article, Joel Stein examined the current state of the 3 Martini Lunch. We thought that this paragraph was a great opener:

"Businesspeople used to know how to waste time. Instead of updating their Facebook wall and shopping on eBay, they ordered three martinis at lunch and headed back to the office four hours later."

Even though the Mad Men days may be a thing of the past, at noon today many a man will attempt to recreate that lifestyle, if only for an afternoon. The only remaining question is: How do you take your martini? Here are our preferences:

Rene - A martini is gin served ice cold and with a healthy dose of vermouth. A 4 to 1 ratio is best. Reminds me of a story of a guy who had his martini recipe printed on the back of his business card. When he would order a martini, he would pass the bartender or waiter his business card, back side up. Some may say that is being an asshole, but I say prior preparation prevents poor performance. While I like olives, I prefer a twist of lemon and a bowl of olives to snack on. If they have Hendrick's Gin, as they should, I take it with a slice of cucumber, it is good for the eyes. A vodka martini with a "telegram from a bottle of vermouth" is just a shot of vodka. There is nothing pleasurable about that.

Peter - I have never been a vodka drinker, so I defer to gin. (Even though I usually make the official switch from gin to bourbon at the first cold snap, but then again it was 78 degrees yesterday.)  Like Rene, Hendrick's is also my #1 choice. But I prefer a little citrus in my martini, so a twist of lemon is a necessity. As for the level of vermouth, I prefer my martini as wet as a Slip 'n Slide.

What would Don Draper do?

Parking and Restaurants

Greg and Mary Sonnier ran the fabulous Gabrielle in the Bayou St. John neighborhood for years. Name an award bestowed upon restaurants and chefs, they have won it. Following the levee failures, the Sonniers purchased what they thought was a restaurant on Henry Clay in what many have called the Isle of Denial. Enter fierce neighborhood opposition, add a few years of wrangling, and the Sonniers are still waiting to open Gabrielle.

The issue is that the commercially zoned restaurant had its restaurant title stripped away. Two days ago, Gabrielle was up on the City Planning Commission docket with the hopes of reinstating the building as a restaurant. The CPC's own staff recommended that the zoning be changed back to allow Gabrielle to open as a restaurant.

Slight tangent which will make sense in a few moments. Years ago, Eddie Sapir ran for mayor. You may remember this because literally every cab in the city was festooned with Run Eddie Run orange bumper stickers. Well, rather than win mayor, Mr. Sapir has turned the full brunt of his political muscle against a husband and wife who simply want to serve great food. I don't know Mr. Sapir and don't know his side of the story. He isn't an elected official, but he is sure acting like one. And I have a problem with that.

Now, on Tuesday's docket there were a number of items. One involved the Sonniers the other was a zoning ordinance for Hopper's wine store to open across the street from Whole Foods on Magazine. Now, I fully support both business, but check this out.

Re: Hoppers, the Commissioner, Poco Sloss, requested that the Commission waive the parking requirement and grant the zoning ordinance. When Gabrielle came up for review, Mr. Sapir waxed, I am sure poetically about the pain, misery, and confusion that Gabrielle would cause on the neighborhood and in particular the parking nightmares it would cause. When it came time for the Commission to vote, they informed the Sonniers that unfortunately they couldn't overlook the lack of safe, secure parking. The Sonniers request was denied.

Something is rotten in New Orleans.

What restaurant in New Orleans has safe, secure parking? Tick thru your list of 20 restaurants you routinely go to. How many of them have a parking lot attached? For me about the only one that does is Nine Roses, and I think that is in Jefferson Parish. Galatoire's, Patois, Clancy's, Rue 127, Commander's Le Foret, August, Cochon, La Boca, etc... None of these places have parking lots (Some of those listed do have valet, though). New Orleans restaurants and parking are mutually exclusive.

Secondly, Hopper's and Gabrielle are separated by a 8 city blocks. Now, Hopper's is off site consumption, but to me if parking is a requirement than you can't waive it for one and not the other. Thirdly, and this is where Mr. Sapir's cab driving supporters may be pissed off, there is a public policy argument against parking lots as this article points out.

But even more so, the city, state, and feds are cracking down on drunk driving. If MADD really focused on what it needs to do, it would be against parking lots in any fashion. Especially parking lots attached to bars and restaurants. See, if I know a place has terrible or no parking, wouldn't the smarter thing be to just take a cab?

At the end of the day, the Sonniers' battle with the city over reopening Gabrielle is a black eye on this city. It makes me ashamed of New Orleans. There are obviously forces working behind the curtain to make sure Greg and Mary Sonnier stay in a perpetual state of sadness and uncertainty. And for what purpose? The neighborhood will say parking and noise. But currently the premises is licensed as a special event catering hall. When they host events, more cars come into the neighborhood then would if they ran a restaurant.

Finally, we all have to deal with bullshit and stuff we don't like. That is part of being an adult. The house across the street from me? It has sat in disrepair for 2 years. Around the corner there is an empty lot which harbors these field mice that send the hounds into a tizzy. To the Isle of Denial I say this: Grow up and come out from behind Mr. Sapir's apron.

"Would Anyone Care for Dessert?"

During the holiday season, most diners throw caution to the wind when it comes to money spent, drinks imbibed, and calories consumed.  If there ever is a time to splurge and order dessert, that time is now.

Which got me to thinking: What is the best dessert in the city? Last week I made a strong case for the Peanut Butter Cup Pie at Cochon, with it's rich chocolate ganache and creamy peanut butter mousse. Turns out that dish may have been bested just a few days later, with another grown-up version of a classic kid's favorite.

As Rene put it, the Smores dessert at La Petite Grocery, "Rules my face." This dessert has a graham cracker crust, rich chocolate filling, and a layer of toasted marshmallow on top. The best part is cutting through the Smore with a spoon and then dragging it across the plate to the scoop of slowly melting chocolate ice cream on the opposite side. Absolutely delicious.

I must confess that I do not normally order dessert when I dine, not so much because I don't like dessert but rather because I figure that I should skip the extra calories. But when I do order dessert, 99 times out of 100 the concoction will predominantly feature chocolate. I am not big on fruit desserts.

So which restaurant makes your favorite dessert? Is it a special version of bread pudding, banana cream pie at Emeril's, or the dulce de leche crepes at La Boca?  Willy Wonka, our requisite Sultan of the Sweet Tooth, lays claim that the seasonal blueberry crumble at Herbsaint takes the cake.

What say you?

Drinking Wine is Good For You and For Animals

Normally, Lindsay rolls her eyes when I mention wine tastings that I would like to go. But when I told her about the Pinots on Parade at The Green Goddess tomorrow night, her eyes got really big and she asked, "Can we go, please?"

Now, it has nothing to do with the wines. Lindsay wants to go because part of the purpose of this parade of Pinots is to raise money for Animal Rescue of New Orleans. (The event also raises money for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.) As you may have picked up on, the Louapres are dog people. Hounds get most of our attention, but any dogs in need are friends of ours indeed.

So here is the skinny on the 411. Tomorrow night at The Green Goddess (307 Exchange Alley in the French Quarter) from 7-10 pm, guests will taste a large swath of what some have called the finest grape in the world. There will be snacks a plenty and an opportunity to rap with Chef Chris about any number of topics. Also, rumor is Paul Artigues, the day time chef and star on Treme, will be there. The cost is $60 a person and reservations can be had by calling 331.3347 or emailing Chef Chris chef@greengoddessnola.com. I'm looking forward to sampling the Nicholas Portel 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin and the Corton Grand Cru from Maison Champy.

While researching an article in last month's offBEAT Magazine, I learned from Drs. Bazan and Moises that the Pinot Noir grape has the most health benefits of any grape. Because of its thin skin, Pinot Noir will not just grow anywhere (like many grapes will). You see the skin of the grape is where all the "healthy" stuff is, things with scientific names like antioxidants and polyphenols. The skin of a grape protects it from rot, insects, bacteria and other such detriments. The skin of the Pinot grape is very thin. To compensate for this thin skin, the antioxidants and polyphenols in the skin are very effective at doing their job. Whereas in a thick-skinned grape, like Cabernet, the healthy compounds do not have to be as effective to protect the fruit.

What are these health benefits? Well, research by Dr. Bazan has shown that wines made from Pinot Noir can help ward off Alzheimer's, strokes, and other neurological conditions. Also, wine is good for the old tickervasuclar system. Furthermore, studies have shown that people who volunteer and give back to those in need have better health outlooks and are generally happier than those who do not. Don't believe me? Fine. Die young.

In short, if you want to be healthy, drink wine. If you want to be more healthy, drink wine made from the Pinot Noir grape. If you want to be most healthy (like me), go to Pinots on Parade.

Bar Hoppin'

The above image has undoubtedly popped up in your inbox at least once over the last few weeks. "Where to Drink in New Orleans" is the creation of Ian and Gen, and their little watering hole guide has become the fortune teller for adults looking for the perfect pint or an expertly mixed Manhattan. And not to be mired in exclusivity, the guide even gives advice for douchebags from Metairie/Kenner who don't have drugs to sell.

New Orleans is a city filled with bars - bars where everybody knows your name and bars where you go simply for the reason that nobody knows your name or wants to know your name. I'm not sure if there has ever been an accurate count of all of the bars in the greater New Orleans area, but I would guesstimate that including every one on the above graphic would be an impossible task.

Still, the first question that pops into most people's minds is: "Why didn't they include ________?" Personally, I am shocked that both the Goldmine nor F&M's were left off the map. If you were designing a guide to drinking in New Orleans, which bars would you make sure to include? If you don't want to disclose any of your off the radar spots for fear they will become overrun with outsiders, I understand your hesitation. I remember how much fun Hyde Park Corner was before they started playing "Back That Ass Up" every half hour.

Coincidentally, it has come to our attention that a revised version of the drinking guide is currently in the works and that this new version will include both updated content and a few graphic design tweaks. For more information on ordering prints of the New Orleans Drinking Guide, send an email to wheretogetdrinks at gmail dot com.

Bottoms up.

Kiddie Korner

From Mike S. "You guys make me wish I was twenty something with no kids again. Alas, I am not. Any ideas for kid friendly events and/or restaurants."

Mike,

Let me speak from experience. I have two nephews who seem to enjoy spending limited amounts of time with their "Truckhead Fartface" in highly controlled settings, so I know all about dealing with kids. One time I took them to Daneel Park and then to Sucre for gelato, cakes, and other sugary things. This was at 10 in the morning. So consider that a great idea.

I don't know if your kids like Christmas, but they should. If so the Marine Forces Band of New Orleans is putting on a Christmas music concert tonight at the Alario Center. The suggested admission fee is an unopened, new Christmas gift. So you can kill a few birds here. One the men and women of America's finest fighting force can entertain them with songs about Jolly Ole St. Nick. Second you can teach them the value of giving to the less fortunate.

But thirdly, you aren't very far from Hong Kong Market. I would suggest heading there before the concert. Let them roam the aisles checking out all the cool products like that jar of something over there. They can watch fish swim in huge tanks and take a gander at crispy skinned bbqed ducks. Then on the way out swing by the pho shop and get them a bowl of soup. What kid doesn't like soup? Make sure to stop by the bubble tea store and grab them a bubble tea. Because no kid friendly night out should be devoid of something sugary, right?

Cochon

You know, as often as we reference Cochon in our blog posts or write about all of the wonderful things going on at Butcher next door, we have rarely written about the food and/or dining experience at Donald Link's Eau du Pork. I guess today is as good a time as any.

I have eaten 3 meals at Cochon over the past 6 months, all of them excellent. I think that the first sentence from my notes on my most recent meal sums up in 4 words what would otherwise probably take me 2 hours to write:

"F*cking love this place."

If I could resist the rest of the menu, I could still leave happy from a meal consisting entirely of the complimentary lard rolls and a bottle of Seghesio Zinfandel. But I can't resist, so I usually compromise by only eating 3 lard rolls and drinking a half bottle of Seghesio. It's enough just self control to keep me going.

There are not many restaurants where I look at the menu and think, "I really want to order everything," but this thought crosses my mind every time I sit down for a meal at Cochon. Boudin balls are light, crisp on the outside, and almost creamy on the inside. Deep fat fried hogshead cheese (above) has a crunchy coating protecting a warm, spicy, gelatinous interior, with a rich cooling ravigote to match. Fried alligator are batter coated nuggets tossed in a fiery chili garlic aioli; put the dish in the center and try to avoid impaling each other with your fork tynes. A summertime special of paneed pork cheeks are paired with baked peanuts to create a buttery, nutty sauce, but it's the turnip and radish salad which brings the dish together with added freshness and crunch. The braised rib is a tender, boneless job, with a nice sweetness from diced beets. The spicy grilled ribs are bone sucking good, and the diced watermelon rind pickles almost taste like candy.

Usually I get so overwhelmed with the small plates and boucherie that by the time I end up ordering my entree, the waiter gives a concerned look and says, "Well, I already have you down for 8 small plates and there only two of you, so maybe hold off on the entree?" Try to pace yourself when ordering, because you do not want to miss out on the oven-roasted Gulf fish.  Served "Fisherman's style" as a skin on filet, the fish is simply dressed with salt, pepper, lemon, a little butter or oil, and a few slivers of garlic. When it's cooked perfectly, the flesh easily pulls from the skin in moist and tender sections. This single piece is alone worth $40 billion in oil spill cleanup costs, but I think BP should subsidize the $24 cost by adding a starch or a veg to the a la carte dish.

Desserts rotate with the season, and most diners fill up their tanks long before it comes time for this final course. But the the strong who survive till the end may be handsomely rewarded with what is (in my opinion) the best dessert in the city. It's a special called the "Peanut Butter Cup Pie" - a rich crumb crust, a thin layer of chocolate ganache on the bottom, and a whipped peanut butter mousse heaped on top.

There are only a few truly "Oh my God" moments in life.  This is one of them.

In the past 5 years, no New Orleans restaurant has received more national and local praise than Cochon. Some think that the accolades are unwarranted, especially the Dean of New Orleans restaurant critics:

"Cochon, even as good as it is, is certainly the most overrated restaurant in New Orleans.... Visitors to New Orleans walk away from Cochon satisfied, as do younger New Orleans diners. Both groups may be eating these dishes for the first times in their lives. Those of us who grew up with the stuff (this requires a certain age) might be less impressed. Beans and ham hocks are good, but can only be lifted so high."

Whether or not the food lives up to the hype is a matter of personal opinion, but regardless, I don't think Father Tom grew up eating poached yard egg with roasted mushrooms over a grit cake.

Cochon - Eagle