Musings on food, cooking, and dining by a New Orleans Foodie

Yesterday I spent the afternoon in the French Quarter, beginning with a leisurely two hour lunch at one of the best "Cajun" restaurants in town, the Bon Ton Cafe (401 Magazine Street - at Poydras, 504-524-3386). After a wine and cheese tasting on Wednesday night at The Columns, I woke up yesterday, ready for some fried food (not that I overindulged or anything). Fortunately I got a call from my friend Kevin R. Roberts with an invitation to lunch; we must have been on the same wavelength.

I drove down Prytania and after only a few minutes was the lucky recipient of a parking spot in front of Chuck's Bar, on Gravier St., I believe. Since I was early, I took Kevin's advice to wait at the bar and order a Rum Ramsey Cocktail, a secret family recipe of Bon Ton Cafe. Though it was an obligatory trial, I have no desire to re-order the cocktail. It was essentially a rum-sour, a bit too sweet for my taste; I had to follow it up with an Abita Amber. While waiting at the bar, I struck up a conversation with a nice couple from St. Louis who chose Bon Ton to celebrate a birthday. I knew right away that they weren't locals; the yellow guidebook gave it away, but I digress. As I was attempting to explain the difference between Cajun and Creole/New Orleans cooking, Kevin showed up just in time to bail me out of the explanation. He took over with great enthusiasm, and I was left to enjoy the rest of my super sweet cocktail.

We were seated in the middle of the room at a four top, just as most of the lunch rush and business people were clearing out. The Bon Ton is a throwback to the old New Orleans restaurant; one large open room separated by pillars, baskets of crackers on the table, checkered tablecloths and waitresses in white uniforms with black nametags, that read "Flo." I kid you not... that was our waitresses name!

Since the service was a bit slow on the uptake, we were ready to order when our waitress showed up. My choice was a no-brainer; the Soft Shell Crab Alvin, two beautifully fried softshell crabs, topped with crabmeat and a dark, rich buttery sauce, accompanied by a few crispy fried homemade onion rings. Kevin had a filet mignon, cooked medium. It looked great from across the table, but I was too enamored by my soft shell crabs to even fancy a bite. Of course I had a couple more Abita's, while Kevin pretended to enjoy a supersweet Ramsey Cocktail.

Since we were both full, we opted to skip dessert, but quickly gave in to the thought of Bon Ton's homemade bread pudding with whiskey sauce. Of course, we split one gigantic piece, on separate plates (I think we both shuddered at the thought of two grown men splitting a piece of bread pudding from a single plate). The sauce was as strong as if I had ordered whiskey on the rocks, and the bread pudding was outstanding. Near the end of our meal, the couple from St. Louis stopped by our table to chat, and we both autographed their copy of Kevin's book, the Neighborhood Restaurant Guide.

Though the Bon Ton is not on the forefront of modern cuisine or on the tip of the tongues of food writers, I can't think of many restaurants in town that are "old-school" New Orleans and serve such consistently good food. It's always got a great crowd, only open for lunch and dinner during the week, so I'll write about it and you can read about it, but let's keep it a secret from the other food writers. ;)

When I moved back to New Orleans three years ago, the first thing I looked for was a restaurant for comfort food. Inevitably, the definition of comfort food can vary, depending on who you ask, but for me, it has always included Mexican food. Perhaps it was the weekly trips to Casa Garcia (in Metairie) as a child, or my propensity to enjoy spicy food and ice cold margaritas; but I'll just accept the fact that I can eat Mexican or Tex-Mex (or New-Mex or Cali-Mex) on almost any occasion.

The closest Mexican Restaurant (remember, I am using this term to encompass all of the variations of Mexican food) to my house happened to be Superior Grill (3636 St. Charles Ave., 504-899-4200), and that is where I made my home. My Sunday afternoon treat to myself was dinner at the bar, usually chicken enchiladas washed down with a couple 2-for-1 house margaritas. What started out as a place to eat occasionally has become one of my regular dining spots. Is the food good? Yep. Are the drinks good? Not bad. But the comfort? Exceptional. I like having a regular waiter, I like that the bartenders know my name, and most of all, I like the fact that I can make a meal of their queso dip - to go (It will cost you $4.34 and only takes them a minute at the bar... don't forget to tip the bartender).

There are plenty of restaurants that are on my "must try" list, but I still continue to eat frequently at Superior Grill. Their beef is exceptionally grilled and has a great mesquite flavor, their tortillas are homemade and tasty, and their cheese dip is second to none. Yes, I like the food at Superior Grill; it's pretty good Tex-Mex. I ate there Sunday night after work, and I ate there last night after a few drinks, and there's a good chance I'll eat there again this week. Some people find comfort in meatloaf and mashed potatoes, some enjoy the familiarity of Chinese take - out, but for me, Superior Grill will always be there to help me think of the good times I have living uptown.

Ok, so it's been a while since I posted, but I'm back. Well, I never really left, but the career change has really thrown me for a loop. I have abandoned my Ben Franklin (early to bed...) attitude and now have to fight hard to stay up late on my days off. My 6am cup of coffee has now turned into the 10am cup of coffee and I can now catch all of the erotica that plays on Cinemax late at night (not that I'd do that anyway). Working Friday through Monday has also kept me from socializing with many of my old friends, but they tend to stop by the bar to say hello. The change has been positive overall, but the adjustment period has kept me from cooking and writing. Oh, and my Dell computer malfunctioned and I've just received my replacement.

So here are the plans... in writing. Why am I writing them? So that I have no choice but to stay committed to my goals. One new restaurant review per week on this site, and by the end of the summer, have an article published or have a committment to have one published. Yes, in print. Professionally (that means I will get paid for it- even if it is payment in cheeseburgers or spare auto parts, I don't care).

It's Monday, my favorite day of the week. For most, it is the beginning of an arduous work week, but for me it is the start of my relaxation; kind of like everyone else's Friday. If you want a drink tonight, or any Monday, stop by the Columns, it's a party. And I promise, you will hear from me soon.

-Kevin