NOLA - Alligator and Po Boys

It’s a new day in New Orleans and we spent our first morning out with the alligators! This is one of our top things to do while we’re here so we woke up early and got on a bus from our hotel out to the swamp to see some Alligators. Of course, it rained because we’re super lucky and it felt like bullets were pelting us for the full hour but it was worth it. We were drenched but Alligators like rain and the thunder held off long enough for us to stay out looking for some gators.

Our list of things to do during our vacation is more like a list of things we want to eat before we leave so today we decide to tackle Alligator after seeing the real thing live in the bayou. Thanks to the recommendations from our hotel concierge we have a plan. Once we change out of out soaking we clothes we head over to bourbon street and walk around.

LOCATION: 739 Iberville St. New Orleans, LA 70130

We have no idea what we’re doing but we make it to Felix’s Restaurant and Oyster Bar for lunch today and the best part of a tourist-y location is that the waitstaff is so used to tourists they know exactly what to recommend. We find our Louisiana Alligator and order it blackened thanks to the advice of our waitress. Christel and I are trying to order as much variety as we can so we both do 1/2 Po Boy and a Side. I go with the Oyster Po Boy and the Seafood Gumbo while Christel gets the Etouffee so we can try both.

This was a good first real meal in New Orleans for sure. We were pretty excited for the Alligator and it ended up being really good. Like people say, it taste a lot like chicken, it has a mild flavor and we thought it was great and cleared the plate pretty fast. I actually like it more than chicken because it’s more tender like a fish might be. Blackened is the way to go in this area so we were happy with that decision too thanks to our waitress.

The po boy and the gumbo/etouffe were what got us. My po boy was so good and balanced really well. I like the bread here because it reminds me of Vietnamese/French bread that’s fresh but not hard on the outside yet. I’m not a fan of getting my mouth all cut up from overly hard bread and this melded down really well. This was a pretty simple po boy so the flavors weren’t out of this world but it was a good sandwich over all and I enjoyed it.

Christal and I had to look up the difference between gumbo, etouffee, and jambalaya several times in our prep for this trip. Gumbo - considered a soup generally has a variety of meats like shrimp, chicken, and andouille. Etouffee - is thicker than gumbo and served more often as an entree focusing on meat like shrimp or crawfish. Jambalaya - is a multi - meat dish cooked with rice instead of served over rice like etouffee or gumbo. I liked mine more than Christel’s but she liked hers more than mine so it worked out the way that we ordered it. I feel they have a slightly bitter, darker flavor that I’m not a huge fan of and while it’s full of protein like seafood I don’t think I’ll ever be craving either anytime soon. Just something that’s not for me.

NOLA - Cafe Beignet

It’s our first night in New Orleans and we’re settled in our hotel right down the street from the French Quarter and Bourbon street. We set our stuff down, talk to the concierge and head out to explore the city. Christel and I aren’t huge drinkers so this may have been a mistake but we’ve both been meaning to come to New Orleans and Christel’s mom vetoed our plan to go out west to Antelope Canyon so here we are. We’re just aimlessly walking around trying to see what’s good and since it’s September, the streets aren’t terribly touristy but we’ve got some people around exploring and maybe getting a little bit more drunk than we are. We decide to rectify this and grab a daiquiri slushy at one of the many bars that line Bourbon street. But it’s just the two of us and we’re both light weights so we just test it out on our first night and order one to share of the staple “Hurricane” flavor which seems pretty much like cherry to me but we won’t question it. In our wanderings we just happen to stumble on to one of our ‘To Eat’ places and pop in.

LOCATION: 334 Royal St. New Orleans, Louisiana

It’s a fantastic welcome to New Orleans, frozen daiquiri in one had and Beignet’s in the other, I think we’re doing alright. This location of Cafe Beignet is super cute and cozy, there’s a small indoor dining area and we head all the way to the back to the counter to place our order. We decide to split and order because it comes with three beignet’s for $4 and we take it to eat outside on their patio. The great thing about New Orleans is that there’s live music everywhere. It’s just a fun relaxing place to be and we’re enjoying our first day easily.

We don’t have a benchmark yet for what beignets should be like because these are our first but we’re impressed. They taste great and the powdered sugar gets everywhere but that’s the fun of eating something like this. They just remind me of fried dough at festivals in the summer time and I love that feeling so I’m in. Christel is in love and wants to come back every day for these but we know there’s also Cafe Du Monde to contend with so we’ll head over there later this trip to scope out the competition and pick our favorites so stay tuned.

ROC - Reunited

Christel is here visiting me in Rochester and I seriously could not be happier right now. I’ve planned a bunch or Rochester highlights this week before we head of to New Orleans for a mini vacation but you can’t take the asian foodie out of us so of course we some how end up back at Taisho Bistro.

LOCATION: LOCATION: 100 Marketplace Dr. Henrietta, NY 14623

One of my stops planned this week is to go to Abbot’s Frozen Custard, a Rochester staple but we can’t just eat ice cream because we’re too hungry so right next door to Abbot’s is Taisho which sounds like a perfect stop for lunch.

Christel has been set on having me try Okonomiyaki another Osaka style pancake appetizer that has shrimp, bacon, and vegetables served with okonomiyaki and mayo sauce. This is literally a Japanese style pancake thats made with flour, egg, shredded cabbage, and the meat and vegetables of our choice. This is my first try at one and Christel has told me of places that make it right in front of you on a flat top. Taisho isn’t one of those places but the Okonomiyaki comes out and it smells amazing and looks huge.

She cuts me a quarter of the Okonomiyaki and I dig in. I like the blend of batter and cabbage, it makes it a little lighter and fluffier. For me the sauce is a little overpowering and heavy and I’m not sure I’m convinced. I would rather have takoyaki but Christel says okonomiyaki is the way to go. I’ll have to try it again somewhere else.

For the main course I order Beef Udon Soup. We’ve been discussing it recently and I’m totally in the mood for some Udon but I don’t like it fried as much as I like it in a soup. This Udon soup comes with beef, scallions, corn, egg, fish cake, and cabbage. It’s nothing special but it hits the spot for sure.

Taisho’s menu is so big, they don’t make particularly amazing tasting dishes but when I’m craving something, this place is sure to have it and it’s adequately made so I’m pretty happy that it’s around the help me hit the spot whenever I may need it.

ITHACA - Taco Time

I’m back in New York and I’ve driven back to Cortland to visit Caleb. I’ve been craving tacos and will not shut up about them so Caleb has decided to humor me and take me out for some in Ithaca today for lunch. I’m pretty sure he’s just happy that I’ve made a decision about a meal for once, my love for tacos is a benefit to us all.

LOCATION: 101 N Aurora St. Ithaca, NY 14850

In the heart of downtown Ithaca is Viva Taqueria. We don’t tend to come down here because parking is tricky or expensive and Caleb isn’t a fan of these kinds of things but thanks to google and yelp he’s decided to make the effort to get me good tacos and for that I’m grateful. I’ve never been in this area and Viva Taqueria is a bustling place. Right on the corner, you can spot it from down the street streaming with people and packed with patrons on this weekend lunch hour. We go inside and the place looks big but jam packed with tables all over the place and very little room to walk. We only have to wait a few minutes before we’re seated at this small table near a couple of little girls on a play date. It’s going to be an interesting lunch. We each order a bottle of root beer and I finally get the tacos I’m craving.

I order the Hard Shell Tacos because I love corn tortillas but most places use flour for their soft tacos so I tend to order hard for safety, plus I love that crunch. The hard shell tacos come as 1 chicken, 1 beef, and 1 chorizo filled with beans, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa fresca and a side of rice, beans, and escabeche on the side. Caleb orders a burrito because he feels they’re superior but we’ll not talk about that. These tacos are what I’m looking for. I like the variety of meats that I get to try and I enjoy all of them. I’m not a huge fan of rice and beans so I pick at that a little but the escabeche has a great tart kick to it that reminds me of out pickled carrots and radishes too. I’m not blown away so I don’t know that Caleb and I will come back down here with the hassle of parking and the plethora of college kids everywhere but it hit the spot for the day and I’m pretty happy that we’ve come down here to get food. I do like the area and we do some light shopping on our way back to the car on this really beautiful, sunny day. Theres a book store and record store that we stop in and I love it. Tacos, books, and music, I’ll take it.

FL - I Heart Mac & Cheese

The summer Emily travels continues with a trip to visit my Aunt and Uncle again but this time back in Florida. One of my cousins, Kevin, from Germany and his friend have come to America to visit some beaches and take time off so I’m meeting up with them to lend a hand and give my Florida cousin, Michael, a break from the hectic family life. Pembroke Pines has been my second home since I was old enough to fly on a plane by myself and I love it here. Of course, it’s been a little while since I’ve visited and new places to eat have popped up and Michael has set aside time while the adults are working to have lunch at his new favorite spot by the house.

LOCATION: 15999 Pines Blvd. Pembroke Pines, FL 33027

I’ve never seen a grilled cheese and mac and cheese place that’s made to order before but I’m already wishing there was one of these in Rochester. It’s our new go to place and any time I come back to florida, we’re coming here. I love grilled cheese now but for me, pasta wins out over a sandwich. I heard mac & cheese has counter lineup that allows you to customize your dish and since I’m here visiting and Michael is treating me to lunch, I’m going all out.

This place has a set menu for people who like examples of options or for those who don’t want to get too complicated in building their own. Kevin and his friend order pepperoni pizza mac and cheese off the menu because their English is a little less than handy and I pick the Lobster and White Truffle Mac and Cheese off the menu because it looks too good to pass up on my first time here but Michael goes custom, all day. My Lobster mac is pretty expensive, coming in at $17.95 but Michael loves me an I’m okay with being the baby of the family sometimes. This mac comes with lobster, munster cheese, lobster cream, white truffle oil, and Scallions but i also add mushrooms and have them top it with some breadcrumbs before they toast it in their pizza oven like toaster with a conveyer belt.

I love mac and cheese. It’s great and I’m so pumped to have a place like this that does it to order with the cheese all melted and mixed in right in front of me. This is for sure our new must whenever I visit from now on and I’m already looking forward to coming back.