Southern cuisine – lifeofacitygal

Oceana Grill

I’m a huge fan of seafood; so it seems only right to indulge in as many seafood dishes as possible when in New Orleans. Oceana definitely made this happen with their menu options. Located in the heart of the historic New Orleans French Quarter, I can’t believe through my many visits to New Orleans I’d never ventured here. I’m so glad I finally did make it.

To start, the barbecue shrimp were delicious. It was about 5 to 6 gulf shrimp sauteed in a barbecue based sauce with lemon butter and pepper. I could literally eat the french bread and use this sauce for dipping as a separate appetizer (hint hint 🙂 ) That’s just how amazing the sauce was. Gumbo is a must when in New Orleans! Although the gumbo was extremely tasty and had just the right blend of spices and flavors, I did wish it had more of the extras. When I think of Nawlins’ gumbo, I think of literally everything imaginably being in this stuff from crab claws, crawfish, okra, beans, rice, etc. Overall the gumbo still got the job done as far as taste and was a nice compliment to my meal. I also shared an order of their famous char-grilled oysters. These were smothered in their zesty garlic and cream herb cajun sauce, topped with a blend of parmesan and romano cheeses. The seafood already speaks for itself but each restaurant seems to have a “secret or special” sauce for their char-grilled oysters that I fall in love with. Oceana nailed it!

For the entree, I went with the Louisiana fried oyster platter served with fries, coleslaw and jalapeno hush puppies. I added a fresh squeeze of lemon to my oysters and boy was I a happy camper. The seafood is so fresh and just cooked to perfection. Not forgetting to mention it was a pleasant 70+ degree day so dining in the outside courtyard area made the experience even better. When near Bourbon, please stop by. You will not regret it!

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Neyow’s Creole Cafe

New Orleans is home to so many great things. From the historic French Quarter, to the eccentric beauty of the street art and the musical influence shown by the harmonic tunes played through a saxophone by a local. Oh how I love thee. Another important aspect of this culture is the Creole background which is also reflection of the great cuisine you can find here. Neyow’s embodies a lot of things which I’ve grown to appreciate and love about the city of New Orleans and its food.

I think one of the most popular items are the char-grilled oysters. I visited once back in November for a friend’s birthday and went back this month for another birthday celebration. Neyow’s and their oysters were a must for both visits. I think I fell more in love with them the second go round. Whatever is used in the sauce and seasoning is very addictive! I ordered a dozen and barely wanted to share two with other people within our party. For starters, I’ve also tried the gumbo, crab claws and crawfish balls. All were amazing! The stuffing used for the crawfish balls had the perfect mix of flavor for the crawfish. Another order to go please?

For the entree, I also double backed and ordered the pasta on the bayou. The fresh gulf shrimp and crawfish tossed in a creamy sauce with penne pasta is to die for. I remembered uttering “I’m stuffed” but refused to take home leftovers! I also sampled my friend’s shrimp creole which was equally as amazing. The spiciness of Neyow’s special sauce and the sauteed shrimp served with a bed of rice was a pure delight. As if the food wasn’t enough, they are also known for a drink called the ‘Bow Wow’. Not sure what’s in it but its definitely served with a kick. Neyow’s has yet to disappoint. If in the Mid-city area and you want the best char-grilled oysters in New Orleans, stop by and tell them I sent you.

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Just a little Southern Hospitality

You can always find a good barbecue place in NYC. One that happens to be a pretty good choice in my opinion is Southern Hospitality. Part owner, Justin Timberlake, brings his Southern roots to the heart of New York City with Memphis-style ribs, pulled pork, and the southern fried classics. I’ve visited for both brunch and diner and the food is always on point. This particular visit I tried the brisket sandwich topped with fried onions and a sweet BBQ sauce. All sandwiches are accompanied with a pickle and fries but the fries can be substituted of course. To balance it out, I normally try to add I side salad which was a great combination with this sandwich. When someone tags along, I also try whatever they have and this time it was the infamous chicken and waffles. The cornbread waffles were cooked to perfection and the chicken was very flavorful as well. Just the right amount of crisp with each bite. Seeing that I am from the south myself, I love venturing off and finding places like these. Their take on Southern classics here are very good to say the least. If you’re ever in the Times Square area and want to have some authentic Southern bbq with undeniable Southern hospitality, give them a try.