Big Easy Eats in TLH

Mardi Gras season is upon us, with the largest day to celebration — Fats Tuesday — approaching Feb. 25. We could also be almost 400 miles from the Big Easy, but it surely’s not laborious to savor the flavour of New Orleans proper right here in Tallahassee. OK, we might not be in the French Quarter catching beads and doubloons, having a Hurricane — or two. However take coronary heart! 

We will discover gumbo made with a soul-satisfying deep roux, chow down on purple beans and rice, gobble crabs doused in Cajun spices and even discover stay crawfish. On the sweeter facet, you may devour New Orleans-style stuffed snowballs and dive into king cake.

Extra excellent news — you don’t have to attend for mardi gras to search out these meals in Tallahassee. Most can be found all 12 months.

What’s New Orleans-style delicacies anyway?

The web site for Auguste Escoffier, the famed faculty of culinary arts, states that the time period “Creole” got here to incorporate these of French, Spanish or African ancestry, co-mingling their cultures in a colourful delicacies. Cajuns descended from the French settlers of the Canadian area of Acadia. The Acadians relocated to rural southern Louisiana and combined with different ethnic teams, resembling Irish, Spanish and German folks.

However I like this description of New Orleans meals right this moment from American Heritage — “Louisiana delicacies, no matter it might be known as, is the literal melting pot of America.  In a pot of gumbo served right this moment in a conventional New Orleans home, there’s a French roux, African okra, Indian filé, Spanish peppers, Cajun sausage, and oysters equipped by a Yugoslav fisherman, all served over Chinese language rice with an accompaniment of scorching French bread made by one of many metropolis’s best German bakers.”

The Vietnamese are additionally having a significant affect on New Orleans delicacies. Many Vietnamese refugees landed in the Gulf Coast as a result of they have been drawn to the fishing business, mentioned Alex Bui, proprietor of New Orleans Seafood on Mahan Drive. 

Vietnam and Louisiana have been as soon as colonies of France, and that heritage is mirrored in dishes and elements — even the baguette, he mentioned.

New Orleans Seafood is a small storefront with just a few tables however Bui, with assist from his daughter Lexus, serves a hearty gumbo, purple beans and rice, po’ boy sandwiches and right now of 12 months, now you can get contemporary crawfish delivered alive from New Orleans. 

The crawfish are cooked Vietnamese Cajun model, oozing butter and garlic. They’re so standard, it’s finest to name in advance.

You may also discover stay crawfish at Coosh’s Bayou Rouge on the northside, with a crawfish boil deliberate for midday to six p.m. March 14.  The  theme at Coosh’s  is “Day by day is Mardi Gras” however it is going to be much more of a celebration on Fats Tuesday when Coosh’s in School City can be throwing a bash.

You may also discover a fairly good Sazerac, New Orleans’ famed drink, in Tallahassee. The brand new downtown venue, Bar 1903, features a Sazerac in its pre-1880 record of drinks.

Listed below are some locations that serve New Orleans-style delicacies in Tallahassee. Wherever you go — laissez les bons temps rouler, my buddies.

Big Easy Snowballs: The dessert store presents New Orleans-style, stuffed snowballs with greater than 75 flavors, both common or made with evaporated milk. There are additionally bitter and sugar-free flavors. Cottages of Lake Ella, 1621 N. Monroe; 850-329-6010.

CK Crab Home: The seafood restaurant presents shrimp, crab and fish platters and Cajun seasoning. 2809 Monroe St.; 850-629-4435.

Coosh’s: The restaurant serves po’ boys and muffalettas, seafood gumbo, jambalaya atchafalaya soup and a number of other different Louisanna-style dishes. On Fats Tuesday, the celebration will start at Coosh’s in School City at 6 p.m., with stay music, giveaways, food and drinks specials. 6267 Previous Water Oak Rd.; 850-894-4110 and 705 South Woodward (by Madison Social); 850-597-9505.

Artful Crab: The chain restaurant is understood for its seafood boils with the choice of Cajun seasoning. 1241 Apalachee Pkwy; 850-671-2722.

Nice Plates:  The restaurant, owned by Luis Guerrero, serves quite a lot of Cajun-style seafood dishes together with gadgets like Cajun yellow rice. 1313 Jackson Bluff Rd.; 850-745-4579.

Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille: The downtown restaurant, one in every of 5 Harry’s in Florida, serves jambalaya, Cajun-seared ahi amongst different Big Easy-style dishes and the restaurant is serving the dish Creole Redfish Napoleon via March 31. 

Jmo‘s SneauxBall Catering Co.: Jarrett Maloy, the proprietor and founding father of the corporate, creates New Orleans-style snowballs. Maloy mentioned the true snow balls are made with condensed milk on prime of  shaved ice. You may get them stuffed with cheesecake or ice cream. Maloy can also be promoting king cake with a cinnamon filling and is planning a Mardi Gras theme particular. He donates a portion of his proceeds to group youth growth packages. 2033 S. Adams St.; 850-933-1239.

New Orleans Seafood: Alex Bui  moved to Tallahassee from New Orleans, the place he owned a po’ boy restaurant. You possibly can both order off the menu, together with crabs on the weekend, or purchase gadgets in the freezer — together with alligator sausage, crawfish boudin and andouille sausage. The menu additionally presents rooster wings and po’ boys. Cease by on Fridays for boiled crawfish, delivered stay from New Orleans on Thursdays. 2819 Mahan Dr.; 850-727-8464. 

You may also fiind king desserts at: 

• Tasty Pastry: Clients can purchase desserts which can be accessible or preorder. The most important dimension cake can feed about 40. 1355 Market St.; 850-893-3752.
• Treva’s Pastries and Positive Meals: King desserts come in quite a lot of flavors however have to be ordered. 2766 Capital Circle NE; 850-765-0811.
• Grocery shops together with Entire Meals, Recent Market and Publix promote king desserts.