Steamboat NATCHEZ - Official Site New Orleans

The food at @respiteneworleans is straightforward but distinctive, special without being fancy, and the same goes for the feel around the small new spot.

There’s a vibe, but not in the manufactured way of overdone design too common at new restaurants trying to build buzz.

Respite is a neighborhood bistro with the scale of a wine bar and the ethos of a farm-to-table gastropub.

Its beauty lies in mainstay dishes that fully live up their promise, with the added delight of changing, small batch local harvests to discover next to them.

Start with the fig martini, split that regal steak, share a bunch of smaller dishes, dive into the interesting, approachable wine list and maybe go early for what I’m calling the “snacking hour” (they open at 3 pm).

Here’s the a look around, link in my bio has the full read and tips for the best meal here.

#wherenolaeats #igersneworleans #nolaeats #nolafoodie #oysterlover

Grilled oysters, and grilled not a moment too long, with @leosbread to dredge

Respite was once Helena Moreno’s campaign HQ

Fig martini at the liminal hour between summer afternoon and evening

Betel leaf rolls, one of the momentary specials

Eggplant Milanese, a menu anchor

Whole grilled lane snapper, the fish type changes

Cashews with mint and raisins for a bar snack

The street scene is like a natural mural through the windows

Steak frites, done precisely right

A good, interesting, accessible wine list with lesser known values Less

When does a food trend evolve into a local fixture?

It dawned on me that this has happened with bagels in New Orleans during a recent trip to New York City.

For once, in the American heartland of bagels, I felt no need to have one. I knew my cravings were well handled back home in New Orleans, and that’s new.

Bagels have been booming from coast to coast, often driven by large brands expanding. But in New Orleans, it’s been a largely homegrown ascent as people who yearned for a proper bagel set out to fill a void.

Today, New Orleans has its own artisan bagels and grocery store bagels, bagels at the farmers market and on campus, late-night bagels and hangover helpers, bagels for the parade route and platters for holidays and house guests.

There is enough range to cement loyalties and fuel arguments, a sure sign that something is part of the conversation and not just a blip.

Link in my bio has the full story, a romp through today’s bagel scene around town.

Here are a few photo highlights, including

@flourmoonbagels (who’s on Team Pumpernickel?)

@shugsbagels , with the bodega BEC perfected , and check that Rueben too (and open til 2 am!)

@bayoubagelcompany , making local bagels a grocery store find

@humblebagel , doing it on Freret for a dozen years now

@leosbread , with its farmers market stand at all three @crescentcityfarmersmkt

Much and many more in the full story via the link in my bio

#wherenolaeats #igersneworleans #nolaeats #nolafoodie #bagellover Less

For oyster lovers, this Thursday is the night.

It’s the next @chefsbrigadenola OysterNight, with 90+ restaurants, bars, and taprooms taking part.

Each will have specialty oyster dishes for the night from an oysters Rockefeller pizza at @reginellispizzeria to many raw on the half shell.

Look for numerous pop-up raw bars, and a number places where you can sample different oysters from multiple off-bottom cultivated producers in Louisiana side by side.

Some are making a party out of it, like @bourbonhousenola (pictured, photo by @cgranger ) and @pascals.manale with a happy hour oyster pricing all night.

Spent shells go to the @crcl1988 recycling program to rebuild reefs and protect the coast.

Link in my bio has the preview and backstory and a link to a map of all the participants so you can chart out your own oyster crawl

#wherenolaeats #igersneworleans #nolafood #nolafoodie #oysterlover Less