Crescent Pie & Sausage Co. - Mid-City - New Orleans, LA

A place that makes their own sausage and I am in the area and hungry, lunch at Crescent Pie and Sausage is it.

The restaurant is located in the middle of a residential neighborhood. The decor is pretty simple but along with the look of the staff gave me the hipster vibe. However, it is not that kind of restaurant and all types of people from old to young were dining here.

Our server was a really nice guy, but it seemed to be his first day and he struggled a bit (forgetting to offer specials, etc) but he went out of his way to create a good experience. 

I ordered the special for the day, Red Beans and Rice with andouille and cornbread. The house-made andouille was exceptional! The red beans and rice, on the other hand were lukewarm; it needed more flavor. The cornbread was a little dry for me, but flavorwise was good.

Besides their sausages, the other thing they are known for are their pies. My dining companion ordered the Mid City Slammer Pizza (Andouille, Grilled Chicken, House-Smoked Coppa, Cheddar, Mozzarella and Red Sauce). Again the andouille stood out and was the star. The pizza overall was good. The crust was thin and crispy. I also liked that the toppings were the focus and it wasn't just another slice loaded with lots of cheese.

Yummy sausages and an awesome atmosphere is what I found in Crescent Pie & Sausage Co.


Crescent Pie & Sausage Co.
4400 Banks St New Orleans, LA 70119
(504) 482-2426
www.crescentpieandsausage.com

Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar - Irish Channel - New Orleans, LA

The first thing I noticed walking into Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar is that the restaurant is separated into two parts: downstairs for counter pickup and upstairs for full service dining. 

The decor of the restaurant is very rustic and embodied what one would expect a burger bar to be (woods, metals and a huge bar). I would also envision it as the perfect place to watch a game but there really wasn't enough TVs and the one that they did have were oddly placed.

Our server was nice or at least she tried to be. Some of the other reviews I read about the restaurant had complaints about the service being extremely slow but I did not encounter that. After ordering, there was maybe a 20 minute wait for the food but it tasted fresh so commonsense in my mind is that does it takes some time to cook to food.

With various burger choices from veggie to elk to bison, my boyfriend (the safe eater) selected the House Burger made of beef. This is obviously not a unique choice but he still exclaimed that is was one of the best burgers he has had in a while.

He paired the burger with Onion Rings. I would never order onion rings but I liked these. The batter was light yet crunchy.

I wasn't very adventurous in my burger choice either but the sprouts, basil aioli, jalapenos, red onion, guacamole, Abita caramelized onions, and white cheddar cheese on the Turkey Burger sold me. Turkey can be dry and bland, but this was spicy, flavorful, juiciness!

I had my burger with Sweet Potato Tater Tots that were top two I have ever had. My boyfriend doesn't like sweet potatoes fries or anything of that nature and liked these a lot.

My boyfriend also got a Chocolate Milkshake and he liked it. It was the thick kind that you need two straws drink but not so thick you need a spoon and definitely not the gross watery kind.

I wanted my sweet finish too and ordered an Ice Cream Sandwich but it was a huge disappointment. The cookies were so hard that it took me sometime struggling with it before I could even get a bite. I was going to give up but finally I broke through. The cookies tasted stale and the ice cream was the icy kind that I do not like. I took about two bites and didn't finish the rest.

Besides the disappointment in the dessert, overall we were happy with the food. Seeing bison and elk burgers on the menu, I would come back and try something a little more adventurous and at the end of the day this is a burger bar and they make good burgers.


Charcoal's Gourmet Burger Bar

2200 Magazine St New Orleans, LA 70130 (504) 644-4311 www.charcoalgourmetburgerbar.com

Byblos Market - Metairie, LA

Byblos Market is the grocery/restaurant hybrid of the chain of Mediterranean restaurants in the the New Orleans area of the same name. I figured this location would be a grocery store with a small counter in the back for take-out, but there was quite a few tables of seating.

As a first timer, I was a little taken aback when I walked up to the counter and was not acknowledged. Luckily, I spotted the menu taped to the counter and was able to look over it. I realized that orders were being placed at the register and as I was walking away, it was at that point, the guy at the food counter finally asked me what I was ordering. Towards the end, they warmed up a little bit but unless you speak their language, you will feel ignore because they barely look up and talk in native tongue amongst themselves.

Ultimately, I took the Chicken Shawarma entree I ordered to go. The dish came with a Salad, Rice Pilaf, Hummus and Pita Bread. The price may have swayed me opinion a little bit, but I was pleased by the quality of the chicken which was flavorful and very tender all white meat. The salad was good but I wish it had olives, the Rice Pilaf was so-so (it was like eating plain white rice) but the quality was good and the hummus was delicious and creamy smooth.

If you don't want to take my word, I will say that the place was pretty full during lunch and with people of Mediterranean decent so that speaks for something.

Byblos Market
2020 Veterans Memorial Blvd Metairie, LA 70001
(504) 837-9777
www.byblosrestaurants.com

Ogden Museum of Southern Art - Central Business District - New Orleans, LA

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is five floors. That many floors makes the museum sound big, but art is actually displayed on only three of the floors. 

The museum has a good variety of art, and although I personally didn't see anything wowing, the various art pieces are very representative Southern art and life and frankly that is what the museum is all about.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art
925 Camp St New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 539-9600
www.ogdenmuseum.org

Criollo Restaurant & Lounge - French Quarter - New Orleans, LA

Criollo Restaurant & Lounge is located inside the Hotel Moteleone. If you didn't know any better, that may make the restaurant difficult to find, so to help you out if you intend to dine there, once you enter the hotel, go to the right and you will see it.

I was very captivated by the ambiance of the restaurant. A lot of dark browns and woods were used in decorating this restaurant but that is offset by white walls and huge windows lining the restaurant. Despite the dark colors, it was still bright and since I do not like a poorly lit restaurant that was a huge plus for me.

But, what I really liked about my experience at Criollo, is our waiter. He was funny yet professional and as attentive as they come. I was able to get that Southern hospitality which doesn't always seem to exist in New Orleans. 

At Criollo, like most other restaurants, they start you off with bread but what makes theirs different, is that they serve it with three kinds of butter. Butter can't sell the bread though, so thankful the bread was actually good and fresh. The Foccacia Bread was like the really good homemade kind with actual olives in it.

My boyfriend ordered the special for the day, Chicken and Waffles. He was at first disappointed that it was Chicken breast not chicken parts but the well-seasoned, tender pieces chicken made his not think twice about that one. The Waffles were fresh but on the crunchier side. What really sold the dish was the two accompanying sauces. Instead of regular maple syrup it was their own sweet sauce along with the option of a spicier one.

I, on the other hand, ordered off the COOLinary menu and for my first course, had the Soft Shell Crab Belle Meuniere. The soft shell crab was lightly breaded and fried. Along with the brown butter sauce, onions, tomatoes and wild mushroom, it created a delectable light lunch. It was subtle but flavorful and had just the right amount of sauce that the dish didn't become soupy and the Soft Shell Crab never got soggy.

For my second course, I indulged in the White Chocolate Creme Brûlée. I was amazed by this creme brulee. It wasn't too sweet and you could distinguish the white chocolate flavor without it overpowering the dessert as a whole. The fresh fruit and the pastry shell were a great touch to an already outstanding dessert that I honestly would go there solely for. 

If you cannot tell by now, I LOVED dining at Criollo. Obviously I will be back for many more times to come, but now that I have experienced New Orleans dining at Criollo Restaurant, cocktails at Carousel Bar (located just next door) are definitely in order on my next visit.


Criollo Restaurant & Lounge 
214 Royal St New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 681-4444
www.criollonola.com

Audubon Aquarium of the Americas - New Orleans, LA

I was pleasantly surprised by my trip to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. I thought this was going to be something that catered only to kids and that I would be bored as hell, but I had a good time. It is a small place but I still managed to spend over 1.5 hours here. Besides seeing all the sea/wet animals, inside the aquarium you can also check out Parakeet Pointe, but since I was too lazy to use my map I never found or saw it, but it must be interesting, I suppose. 

At the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas there is definitely lots to see, experience and learn about if you are about that aquatic life or even if you're not.


Audubon Aquarium of the Americas
1 Canal St New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 581-4629
www.auduboninstitute.org/visit/aquarium

Hot Wok Chinese Restaurant - Metairie, LA

When I first spotted Hot Wok, it reminded me of the type of Chinese take-out restaurants you would find in New York and automatically peaked my interest. After passing it quite a few times, I finally had the urge for wings and fried rice and went inside to get my American Chinese on.

The place itself has no ambiance. It's just a hole-in-the-wall, average-looking take-out restaurant where you should never take a date to sit down and eat. Just as I had expected, the place was run by New York transplants who had taken ownership of the restaurant about a year ago.

This is a pretty good place, and even ordering Buffalo Wings off of the "American food" section I was satisfied. It was obviously not the typical buffalo flavor but was good sized wings with a proportionate amount of sauce that had a nice flavor to it.

I also ordered a pint of Roast Pork Fried Rice. It could have easily been a tasteless, greasy, soggy mess but it was really great rice. It tasted fresh not microwaved.

I went in also wanting to get an order of Fried Crab Stick but they no longer sell them so I settled with the Fried Crabmeat Cheese Wontons instead. They were just okay. I wish the wontons were a little crispier and that you could actually taste the crabmeat in the stuffing and not just cheese.

Regardless, prices are really good and I enjoyed the rice, so I will be back again when I'm craving Chinese!



Hot Wok
901 Veterans Blvd Metairie, LA 70005
(504) 831-3328

Morton's The Steakhouse - French Quarter - New Orleans, LA

While it is a chain, I have encountered a few people who recommend Morton's The Steakhouse. I, however, tend to avoid any restaurant with Steakhouse in its name, because I don't exactly love steak. My boyfriend loves steak though and has always wanted to come here so with their participation in COOLinary I felt it was the best time to give them a try and get 3 courses for the $35 versus just the entree for the same price.

Their New Orleans location is located just outside the French Quarter on busy Canal Street. To enter the restaurant you have to take the elevator up to the second floor where you are greeted by their warm and friendly staff and sophisticated dining room. I was very impressed by their staff. They all worked as a team to ensure a magnificent dining experience. It was not a one man show where only your waiter servers you and other employees  just walk past your table like you don't exist. You are acknowledged by everyone you encounter.

At Morton's they have an extensive wine list, and a few interesting cocktails. I wanted to do something different then my usual and selected The Crush. Maybe it will be my new crush, I thought? It was made up of a few ingredients (vodka, Prosecco, grapes, etc) but essential tasted like grape flavor and sparkling wine. It may very well have been a bad choice on my part but I was even more disappointed once I saw the price.

The Ahi Tuna Tower was delish but I wouldn't say it was the freshest tuna or avocado. The chips were crispy and thin how I like them.

The Sliced Beefsteak Tomato Salad was simple yet amazing. Who knew tomatoes, red onions and blue cheese could be so gratifying?

The Baked Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp was heavenly. I liked that they were baked not fried because the combo of the grease and the richness of the sauce could have caused some serious stomach issues. The Shrimp was surprisingly light and stuffed with a decent amount of 100% crabmeat. The Parmesan Cappellini was saucy but not overwhelming and the capers add a nice tart flavor that didn't overpower. I accompanied the dish with their Steamed Broccoli which apparent had Hollandaise sauce but I didn't notice.

Steak is what Morton's is all about, so don't think we were going to leave without at least ordering the 6oz Filet Mignon. My boyfriend order it Medium and they delivered on that. It was tender with a juicy pink center otherwise known as a succulent cut of meat. It did lack flavor but was well cooked. The steak was paired with the Chicago-Style Horseradish Mashed Potatoes which was a great accompaniment.

For dessert, they had various options including a choice of souffles. The Grand Marnier Souffle sounded the most interesting so I went with that one. It was a little too wet in the middle and too rubbery on top. I was having trouble cutting through the top with my spoon so I ended up eating around it but the flavor of the dessert was good. It wasn't too sweet.

I didn't love the Cheesecake. It was very basic with just a strawberry on top. The cake was extremely dense and tasted like taking a tub of cream cheese and eating directly from the container.

Although the desserts failed to excite me and I wasn't fond of my cocktail choice, I was impressed by the Stuffed Shrimp entree. Plus, I really liked the ambiance and service was remarkable so it made me like a restaurant I otherwise wouldn't.


Morton's The Steakhouse
365 Canal St New Orleans, LA 70130
(504) 566-0221
www.mortons.com