The seafood scene in New Orleans

Shrimp po-boy

Our recent trip to New Orleans was all about the seafood scene.

I tried several restaurants' take on a local favorite -the po-boy sandwich (a french baguette stuffed with fried seafood of your choice including shrimp, oysters or fish along with fresh veggies/mayo/remoulade). Nola poboys relatively non-pretentious version of the po-boy was my favorite and would make a great lunch or an evening snack.

Raw oysters at Acme Oyster House

Oysters came in different forms - raw, fried and char-grilled ((grilled with a lot of garlic sauce and parmesan). My favorite were the raw oysters on offer at the famous Acme oyster house.

Crawfish was another common ingredient in a lot of dishes served in restaurants. Of the multiple crawfish-based dishes that I tried, my favorite was a crawfish hash from Nottoway plantation, an antebellum-ear plantation about at an hour's drive from the city.

I also tried an omelette at the Beignet Cafe in the French quarter and thought it was alright. Crawfish ettoufet (crawfish tails cooked in a broth and served with rice) is another popular dish. Our experience at the New orleans creole cookery, where we tried the ettoufet was awful. But I would definitely try it again at another place.

Flounder at Atchafalaya

We had a fine dining experience at a couple of restaurants in town. One was the famous Commanders palace in the heart of the city. At Commanders Palace, we tried their shrimp and quail for lunch. Food was very delicious, although I thought their portions were small for the price. I was also not a big fan of its ambiance. Felt like a tourist trap.

On the contrary, Atchafalaya, a quaint little restaurant, was clearly a winner in terms of food and ambiance. Our meal included corn bread with jalapenos and olives, mussels in garlic sauce and fries for an appetizer, their special flounder. Absolutely nothing that I could complain about. Perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection, it offered the most memorable food in the city.