If they’re further away in Louisiana - which would make sense - we probably won’t make it. Oh well.
So true about OC. I’ve had really good meals there, even Cajun-style seafood in a Vietnamese owned restaurant. Living in central L.A., we’re deprived of Vietnamese cooking. Unless you count all the pho places popping up, which are great but…
It’s pretty bad on the westside, also! Luckily, I still have family behind the orange curtain, so I sometimes meet them at my fave Vietnamese places!
The places in New Orleans were in environs of the city, so definitely doable with taxi.
Me too!
Currently MOPHO
https://www.yelp.com/biz/mopho-new-orleans
which is right in the heart of the city, is considered one of the best, but I have not been yet.
New Orleans Vietnamese is definitely worth a visit if one has never tried it. Quite different from what I am used to here. I went once to Tan Dinh in Gretna, with my partner’s family - it is right over the bridge from downtown.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tan-dinh-gretna
The biggest difference I noticed was how much heartier the dishes are, the cuts of pork and other meats in the dishes tend to be gargantuan compared to the skibbly bits I associate with more “authentic” Vietnamese.
That said, I doubt I would “waste” a meal to try it, unless I had a lot of time down there. The authentic Louisiana food is far more “important” to the causal, infrequent visitor, I should think.
Yeah… I figured that was pushing it. Thanks!
Hi Y’all -
We pulled it off. Christmas in New Orleans.
I hadn’t planned on taking a lot of pictures. Figured my husband needed a break from patiently waiting for me to get the right camera angle before digging into his meal. But apparently he suffers from folie à deux and wanted pictures. Yay. So here’s my first report.
After 3 flight delays and turbulence we were exhausted. We ordered room service and fell out. No pictures of the food - I think it was shrimp - but this was a nice presentation.
Christmas Eve Dinner at Clancy’s
Crab Salad
Smoked Duck Gumbo
Smoked Pork Loin in a Creole Mustard & Green Peppercorn Sauce w/a Stilton & Red Wine Demi Glacé, served w/Yams, Collards & Roasted Cauliflower
Clancy’s Smoked Duck - Bok Choy & Buttered, Herbed Spaghetti
This beautiful dish speaks for itself. Even our taxi driver was raving about it.
We ordered the Creme Brûlée Bread Pudding to go.
Clancy’s is a classic restaurant with bow tied waiters and southern hospitality, located on Annunciation St. in a sweet little neighborhood known as Audubon. It was a delightful setting for Christmas Eve dinner. Thanks to @CiaoBob’s rec we were able to experience it.
Lüke - St. Charles Ave., New Orleans
(online picture)
Old Fashioned
.
P&J Local Oysters
Louisiana Rabbit & Chicken Liver Pate w/Pickled Watermelon, Pickles, Two Mustards & Other Tasties
Crispy Brussels Sprouts w/Marcona Almonds, Green Apples, Jalepanos, Espelette Honey & Progress Milk Barn Cheese
Seafood Gumbo a la Creole
!
This is a John Besh restaurant in the Central Business District. We had seen a New Orleans Christmas special on KCET. It really inspired us. One of the segments was chef Besh doing his at home Christmas morning breakfast. It was fried pork cutlet on grits w/sauce. I called it Creole schnitzel. Apparently I was onto something. There is indeed a pretty rich German heritage in NOLA. Lüke’s is actually described as Franco-German.
If we were locals this would definitely be a regular spot. Lüke is a classic brasserie in an elegant but relaxed setting. Tables are set with white tablecloths and two waiters to a table. But the vibe is unstuffy, jovial with a cool mix of patrons.
I don’t want to embarrass @CiaoBob 
, but thanks again!
Great evening!
Not really possible (in this context anyway).
Glad you enjoyed.
Hey NOLA Lovers. I have another request. My cousin will be staying at Le Meridian in the Central Business District for a few days. I already have Lüke to recommend. Does anybody have other suggestions?
bon ton cafe
Isn’t Herbsaint in walking distance from Le Meridien?
I’ll text it to her. Thanks!
Edit: Just checked it out. Looks yum!
Another NOLA request! This thread has gotten pretty big and I’m sure it’s in here somewhere - but indulge my lazy behind. My nephew and crew are going for a few days of… well, I don’t really want to think about it. But, they are aspiring foodies. I’m sending them to Lüke for dinner. What’s your rec for a good French Quarter Po’ Boy? Thanks!
Found it! Any preference?
French quarter is Killer Po-boys. We went to the one at Erin Rose so you can get a cocktail at bar, and they bring sandwich to you there. There’s another location in French Quarter about a block away.
Guy’s had the best fried food ever! No grease whatsoever! Someone gave me great advice - go based on location! If you want a fun walk along magazine street, then Guy’s (we stopped in for a drink afterwards at Le Bon Temps Roule, after since Guy’s does not serve booze.)
Both were excellent and fun experiences. 
This is great! I’m going to text this to him. Thanks!
BTW… We went to R’evolution. I’m with your husband. The gumbo is the bomb! They laughed because I had the Seafood Gumbo as appetizer and the Death by Gumbo as my entree.
I haven’t done my R’evolution report yet. It was dark and my pictures don’t do it justice. Plus I need to figure out how to keep it short and sweet, as it could get massive. Our awesome waiter, Justin, gave us a tour of the whole place. It was a great time.
Did you go for dinner? Next time, we’ll do that. It was an awesome gumbo, the two bites I was able to wrangle out of my husband! Love your order! We’ve been traveling most of January and just got back from Mexico - need to post some places myself!
Yes dinner. We were staying at the Royal Sonesta, but still had a hard time snagging a reservation. So glad we persevered. It was fabulous.
Mexico! My favorite place on the planet. What parts did you visit?
How was the Royal sonesta? Would you stay there again?
We went to San Miguel de Allende for 4 nights, visiting Canada de la Virgen, and then two nights in Guanajuato. We hadn’t been to Mexico in over 15 years, but we had such a wonderful time we are thinking of returning very soon!
The Royal Sonesta was very nice. The staff was really helpful and friendly. It was decorated beautifully for Christmas. We didn’t reserve a suite or one of the rooms w/french doors & balcony because we knew we weren’t spending a lot of time indoors. But thanks to a tip from @Jason (I think) we booked a room in the back. It was very quiet. We knew we weren’t going to spend much time on Bourbon St. so it was nice staying in a hotel right there.
I’m so jealous about San Miguel de Allende. It is definitely on my list. Last time we went it was to Playa del Carmen. It has gotten more touristy in the last 10 years, but there are still a few unpopulated areas. We’re thinking Merida if we go to that area again.
Welcome home!
