Lindsay "Scoop Adventurer" C.'s Profile

Since its opening a few months ago, I have visited Catch three times for dinner.  Why?  Because it is close to my home and the food and the service are great!  The décor is very inviting.  The owner has hired a very friendly staff and attentive manager who checked in with my table during each visit. The restaurant can get loud if the bar is busy (typically during Saints games), but a big plus is that the bar is smoke-free since it is connected to the dining room.  

The food...where do I start?  I really enjoyed the sesame barbeque salmon with corn maque choux and warm Creole potato salad (so much that I ordered twice out of my three visits).  I recently took my parents to the restaurant and my mom loved the salmon dish as well (and to you gluten-free people out there, the dish is gf and the chef is very willing to accommodate).  Between my husband and other guests we have tried most menu items and everyone has been pleased with both seafood and non-seafood entrees.  During my most recent visit, the server told me that the chef will be expanding the menu to include some more seafood dishes.  I was a little disappointed by the desserts that I have tried...they don't stand up to the excellent entrees.  Overall, Catch provides a wonderful dining experience.  I will continue to bring guests to this inviting restaurant.

I have tried many pizza shops around town, and I have come to the conclusion that Naked Pizza is the best pizza in New Orleans.  Not only is it healthy for you (there are probiotics in the crust and all of the ingredients are all natural), it tastes good!  You can really tell that they use good ingredients.  I really like the multi-grain taste of the crust.  My favorite pizza in the Hawaiian Pizza with pineapple and ham (that is some seriously good ham). Gluten-free crust is available to those who need it.  2 for 1 Tuesdays are the best.  Definitely worth checking out!

I am a big fan of Fuel Cafe.  I'm there at least once a week, sometimes more.  Usually I stop in for some coffee and a muffin or scone in the mornings on the way to work.  Coffee is very good and some flavors are Fair Trade.  Muffins are excellent!  Really taste like homemade.  My favorite is the Spiced Apple muffin.  My husband regularly enjoys the Praline Bacon Scone...yes you heard right...bacon...sweet and salty...stuffed in warm pastry...yum!  I don't think the prices are outrageous; they are comparable to other coffee shops in the area.

Just the other day we stopped by for lunch and had an equally enjoyable experience.  Unlike another reviewer's experience, the ice tea was just fine.  I enjoyed a well-flavored bowl of Moroccan Chickpea Stew while my husband ate Cuban sandwich.  I tasted his sandwich and it was very well done (many restaurants forget to put the pulled pork in Cubans which is essential).

Definitely worth a stop for some great coffee and/or food.  There are handful of tables outside which is a great place to sit and people watch on a nice day.

Joel Dondis, founder and owner of Sucre, recently read about my ice cream blog and invited me and my husband to tour the Sucre confection studio.  During my visit, I had the chance to sample some chocolates and gelato and learn more about the gelato making process.  It was a great experience and Joel was a very friendly host.

Here is a small sample of what I learned (you can read more on the blog if interested):

1) The Avery chocolates are my favorite.  They are the perfect combination of salty and sweet, with oozing caramel goodness in the middle.

2) Joel prides himself on using the freshest, local ingredients in his gelato.  He feels that fresh ingredients are important because they play a large role in the final flavor of the product (I agree).  We smelled the raw sugar from plantations in Franklin, Louisiana which is combined with local milk from Smith Creamery (Mount Hermon, LA) and other ingredients to make the final gelato base.  

3) Gelato really is the best right after it comes out of the machine.  We had the chance to try the yogurt flavor (great tangy taste), the brown butter pecan (my favorite of the day), and the peanut butter crunch (with fudge and big pieces of butterfinger...OMG).  

I would definitely recommend a trip to Sucre for anyone who enjoys tasty, thoughtfully prepared, sweet treats.  The gelato has an excellent, smooth texture with a burst of flavor in every bite.  The chocolates and other confections are made with care and made by people who are really passionate about what they do.  Stop in next time you are walking along Magazine street!

Before visiting Angelo Brocato Ice Cream, I had heard many good things.  Apparently, these guys are the real deal gelato makers from Italy.  At 12 years of age, the Angelo Brocato began working as an apprentice at an ice cream parlor in Palermo, Italy.  He then moved to the states and worked on a sugar plantation in New Orleans until he earned enough money to open a small ice cream shop in the French Quarter.  In 1905, he moved his shop to a larger location and opened the city's first sit-down parlor.  To this day, his direct descendants own and run the Angelo Brocato Ice Cream shop. The gelato recipe as well as recipes for Italian cookies, pastries, and candies have been passed down from generation to generation.  How could this be bad?

As I walked into the shop, I had high hopes.  Still decorated to look like the original ice cream parlor, the store was warm and inviting.  The staff were eager to help me make the best choice by providing tastes as needed.  I chose the Amaretto gelato.  Joy! Rapture!  I have tried other excellent gelatos in town with bold flavor and good texture, but THIS gelato has the consistency and flavor that I have been searching for!  Light, creamy texture that easily melts on your tongue.   Intense toasted almond flavor...I could have eaten the entire container! My husband tried the Praline gelato and enjoyed it very much.

Located in Mid-City, this store is definitely worth the trip.  Next time I will have to sample some of the pastries because they looked delectable.  Good place to go if you are looking for great gelato, good atmosphere, and yummy Italian favorites (they even have Spumoni!).

Went back for dinner.  I ordered off of the menu this time while my husband enjoyed the buffet.  Ordered the chicken korma...still three stars.  Unremarkable.  Will probably stick to the buffet.

Yum.  I'd leave it at that if it was helpful:)

Gott Gourmet has wonderful food!  My husband and I decided to walk to the restaurant for lunch the other day and we were not disappointed.  I ordered a Honey Smoked Turkey BLT (on a croissant...mmm) and a cucumber-jicama salad.  Excellent!  My husband ordered the Cochon de Lait Cuban Panini and he loved it.  The atmosphere is bright and cheerful and it smells wonderful when you walk inside.  I can't wait to go back for breakfast!  

Prices are a little high but comparable to similar magazine street resaturants...it was about $12-14 per person.  Unlike previous reviewers, the service was fine and properly attentive (yes they were busy but the server made it back to the table a sufficient number of times). Hours are kind of weird (and shorter on weekends) so call ahead before you go.

I have made two visits to Surrey's, once for breakfast and once for lunch, and I enjoyed both visits.  For breakfast I ordered the Heuvos Rancheros.  The dish had good flavor but a little too much mole; it overpowered the eggs.  My husband ordered the mango stuffed french toast...to die for! Fresh juice was great!  

When I went for lunch, I ordered the crab melt and I would definitely order it again.  I was pleasantly pleased with the significant amount of crab on the sandwich and it had a great sauce on top.  Service is friendly.  The host was very friendly to me and my husband but he seemed to be a little pushy with other customers and bit too concerned about turning over the tables.  My guess is that this attitude was fueled by the long line out the door...expect to find a line on the weekends.  Overall a great experience and I will definitely be returning.

I had high hopes for this place, primarily because it is close to my house and I enjoy good BBQ.  Sadly I was disappointed.  I ordered the pulled pork sandwich...the pork was very dry.  I did not like their sauces.  Mac and cheese was pretty good.  Friendly, quick service is a plus.  I will probably be looking for another place to eat BBQ.

Located on St. Charles in the Garden District, Slice is a decent place to find pizza and other Italian-like dishes.  The crust is made very well, has a great flavor, and is a good balance between crispy and soft.  I am not, however, a big fan of the sauce.  The pizza sauce is very thin and tastes more like marinara sauce instead of pizza sauce.  Despite the runny sauce, I did enjoy the flavor of my pineapple and ham pizza.  Oh and they don't make breadsticks...bummer.  On another trip I tried the lasagna; again it was just okay.  Same sauce.  Service is friendly but the wait for food is long...took about 30 minutes (at least) to receive our entrees during both visits.  I have not had the opportunity to try other pizza places in NOLA, so for now I will return to Slice, but there is a definite possibility that I might find better.