Boudin Archives - There Goes Connie

Eating Creole in NOLA

04/06/2016 By: CCPearsoncomment

There are so many world-class and world-famous restaurants in New Orleans, Louisiana. Some are priced WAY out of my price range. Probably MOST of the famous ones fall into that category. Emeril Lagasse has made a fortune in that city. There are certainly times when you are in the Big Easy to celebrate a significant birthday or anniversary. By all means, GO to one of those ritzy places and enjoy every bite.

However, if you want to have some great food at reasonable prices along with the other normal people in town, then may I suggest Gumbo Shop on Saint Peter Street in the French Quarter?

Front exterior of Gumbo Shop

The building has been around for awhile. A restaurant has been in that spot since the 1940’s. It has something of a warehouse feel and look to it. The furnishings aren’t plush. They are serviceable. In other words, they “get the job done.” There were only a couple of unisex bathrooms with a long line of ladies waiting, but that’s not all that unusual, now is it?

Looking up from our table in the courtyard.

You can’t make a reservation, so expect to stand in line for awhile if you don’t go early for lunch or dinner. Gumbo Shop is open daily starting at 11:00 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays it closes at 10:00 p.m., but on Fridays and Saturdays it stays open until 11:00 p.m.

I did some research on creole vs. cajun cuisine before our recent trip to Louisiana. I found that cajun is considered “country food” while creole is “city food.” Cajun cooks generally don’t use fancy ingredients, tomatoes or dairy products. Their ingredients come from the land. The “Holy Trinity” of cajun cuisine consists of onion, celery and bell pepper, and a cajun roux is made with oil and flour. On the other hand, creole cooks use many spices, prepare creamy soups and sauces, and their roux is made with butter and flour. Mark Falgoust, Executive Chef at Grand Isle Restaurant, said, “Cajun folks used 1 chicken to feed 3 families. Creoles used 3 chickens to feed 1 family.” Chef Isaac Toops at Mid-City Restaurant summed it all up by saying, “We have incredible ingredients here in Louisiana. Farm to table, gulf to table, swamp to table. We have it all.” Suffice it to say, that visitors to south Louisiana are in for some mighty good food.

But, back to Gumbo Shop. Under their name, they proudly say “Creole Cuisine.” Items you will find on their menu that you’ll rarely find in North Alabama: boudin (a type of sausage made with pork and rice), andouille (a sausage), crawfish (it might be in remoulade, in etouffee or over pasta), po-boys (big sandwiches made on French bread), and bread pudding. Oh my, the bread pudding.

Chicken espagnole with rice.

Warm bread pudding with whiskey sauce — naturally the whiskey had been cooked down. We did NOT have to stagger back to our hotel. 🙂

Steve and I both ordered Complete Creole Dinners and got 3 courses for just $26.99 each. Actually a bargain in the French quarter, we thought. Perfect loaves of French bread are brought to the table to start the meal, and the rest was equally delicious. Besides the chicken and bread pudding pictured above, we had red beans and rice, 2 kinds of gumbo, macque choux corn, smothered turnip greens, shrimp creole and jambalaya. If you are a frequent visitor to New Orleans or if you are about to make your first trip, I believe you’ll be glad if you fit Gumbo Shop into your itinerary.

7 Ways to Feel Like You Really Went to San Francisco

06/15/2015 By: CCPearson4 Comments

(This is a print we bought as a souvenir. It hangs in a place we pass frequently to remind us of our wonderful time in the City by the Bay.)

1) Ride a cable car. It’s a must! Every movie or television show you’ve ever seen that is set in San Francisco shows them. The views are wonderful. The drivers are entertaining. It doesn’t cost very much. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t. Steve and I both rode UP, then he chose to walk back down through Chinatown and the Crooked Street. I wish I’d been with him.

2) Stroll around Fisherman’s Wharf. See what’s for sale. Smell the fresh seafood. Savor the feeling of being on the Bay. People watch. Enjoy the colorful boats docked there.

3) Eat sourdough bread SEVERAL TIMES. Crusty on the outside, soft on the inside. So yummy! Boudin’s is the place at Fisherman’s Wharf.

4) Eat chocolate at Ghiradelli Square. Yes, it will cost more there than at your local grocery store, but just do it so you can say you did. There are other neat things to buy there, but don’t by-pass the chocolate. I’m telling ya.

5) Take a narrated bay cruise to Alcatraz. Even if you don’t actually go into the former prison, it is still eye-opening to understand where it is, who was housed there, what an escape would have involved, etc. Let’s just say it will enhance your understanding in novels and old movies.

6) Drive up to Napa Valley and Sonoma to tour a vineyard. It’s only a few miles up the road. Steve and I are non-alcohol people, but we still enjoyed seeing the gorgeous fields of grapes and learning about the wine-making process. Somewhere in my mind, I knew that yeast was involved, but it wasn’t until I walked into the Gloria Ferrar Winery and started looking for the homemade bread (without finding any) that I knew for sure that yeast was a part of the process. And, just so you know, there are plenty of sodas, juices or flavored waters available while the rest of your group has their wine-tasting.

By the way, everyone scattered for lunch in the town of Sonoma. We happened upon a Mexican restaurant called “Maya.” Here is the review I shared on Trip Advisor about it: The Best Mexican We’ve Ever Eaten “My husband and I were in Sonoma for a few hours recently and happened upon Maya for lunch. We were so pleased with the results. We shared “Oh-So-Good” Nachos and Chicken Enchiladas. Both were absolutely bursting with flavor and fresh ingredients. Our service was good, and the prices were very reasonable. We would highly recommend that you give it a try.”

7) View the Golden Gate Bridge from every possible angle. It truly is a beautiful symbol of the city, and what a serendipity for Auburn fans that it is painted ORANGE. We happened to be on a tour bus by the time we headed out of San Francisco. The tour director brilliantly made sure we heard Frank Sinatra croon “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” as we drove over it for our final time on this visit. A perfect moment in my book.

For a hotel in a great location, we liked the Hilton Fisherman’s Wharf. See the website here.

Several restaurants we recommend are: Alioto’s, Beach Street Grill, and Joe’s Crab Shack. All three are reasonably priced with good food.

On our next visit to San Francisco, I’m sure we’d repeat numbers 1, 2, 3, and 7 again, and maybe even 4, 5, and 6. Why skimp on fun??

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