St. Charles Tavern After the NFC Championship Game

I happened to be in New Orleans this year for both the NFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl.  Surprisingly, I actually remember both of the games and the good times I had.  I guess I'm growing up... a little.  The atmosphere in New Orleans for the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings wasn't just electric; it was like nuclear-powered energy flowing through the entire city.  While I didn't get to actually go to the game, I had an amazing time tailgating on Poydras and enjoying the festivities.

Home Sweet Dome

While the day was spent drinking cheap beer, tailgating, eating jambalaya and fried chicken, and general tomfoolery, things settled down when the game came on.  After intense hours of watching a TV outside with static every time a helicopter flew overhead, the game came down to an overtime field goal by Garrett Hartley, and the city erupted into joyous pandemonium!  Below was the scene on Poydras street, just minutes after the field goal split the uprights.  The Saints were going to the Super Bowl!

Party on Poydras

After many more hours of jubulant celebration and following Megan's pom-pom that led use to Bourbon Street, Brandon, Megan, and I eventually wandered back towards Brandon's apartment where we made a stop at a local 24 hour joint: St. Charles Tavern.

St. Charles Tavern

St. Charles Tavern sits in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans, just minutes away from both uptown and downtown locations.  The Tavern was established in 1917 and has been serving breakfast, burgers, and New Orleans' famous poboys ever since. 

Famous Tavern Hash Breakfast

I glanced rather incoherently at the menu and quickly picked out the Famous Tavern Hash Breakfast.  Hey, if it is famous, I might as well try it, right?  The breakfast came with chicken and andouille hash, scrambled eggs, grits, and a biscuit.  Needless to say, I stuffed every bit of that late night snack right now my pie hole, and it all tasted glorious with one exception.  The biscuit truly disappointed me.  It came out already sliced in half, and with an extreme lack of flakiness that makes biscuits so delicious.  As for the hash, wow!  This mixture of potatoes, sausage, chicken, onions, bell peppers, and more was right on.  The hash made me happy on its own, but after throwing in the grits and eggs, I was in gluttonous heaven.  But hey, it's alright, because the Saints were going to the Super Bowl!  Who Dat?!

Super Bowl at Cooter Brown's in Nola! WHO DAT??

Hey!  Anybody remember when the Saints won the Super Bowl?  Well I sure do, although I was pretty hammered when it happened!  It all started at Brandon's apartment in New Orleans where I had a shot of Wakey Whiskey with him before heading to Cooter Brown's with Brent and Daniel.  We were running a little late as we wanted to be there when the doors opened at 11 A.M., but luckily Andrew and Megan were there already to hold a spot down.  We arrived before noon and promptly began chanting Saints cheers and "Put on the game!"  Did I mention that this was about six hours before kickoff?

Cooter Brown's Tavern and Oyster Bar, New Orleans, La

While Brent dealt with his hangover and Daniel drank his water, Andrew and I began sharing pitchers of delicious brew.  I started things off with a pitcher of NOLA Blonde.  NOLA, which is synonymous with New Orleans, Louisiana, in this case stands for the New Orleans Lager and Ale Brewing Company.  NOLA Blonde is a pretty decent American blonde ale with some nice, citrusy hops.  We drank merrily as we downed the pitcher and went back for Andrew's selection.

NOLA Blonde

Before my beer-induced obnoxiousness got too out of control, I decided it would be a good idea to sample some raw oysters.  After all, Cooter Browns is an oyster bar, and I happened to be in New Orleans.  There isn't much better!  These salty, slick, fresh Gulf oysters made me extremely happy as I continued with my pregame preparations: more drinking, of course!

Raw Oysters at Cooter Brown's Tavern and Oyster Bar

The oysters were a true treat.  I mixed up some ketchup, horse radish, Crystal hot sauce, and worcestershire sauce to dip my oysters in.  After dipping them, I placed the mollusks on saltine crackers and then added a special treat.  I placed a few drops of Crown Royal to the oyster and then plunged the entire collection of flavors and textures into my mouth.  It was like heaven on my tongue!  It turns out that whiskey and horseradish are perfect compliments!  Who knew?!

Coonass Special and Cheese Fries

Needing to soak up a little beer for reasons that will soon be disclosed, I went to the food counter and picked out the most famous sandwich that Cooter Brown's offers: the Coonass Special!  This delightful poboy comes with Mrs. Wheat's meat pies, provolone cheese, and gravy, served on French bread.  Meat pies on a sandwich is a great idea, and gravy adds so much more!  Oh, and what's better than cheese fries to help absorb some liquor?

With a little food, Brent's spirits picked back up and he quickly joined Andrew and I in our inebriation.  The two of them had agreed on a menu of drinks to go through, and being a fan of drink menus, I decided to join in.  On the menu were shots of Jager, Patron, and Timberwolf, a glass of Crown and water, and chugging pints of Abita Andygator.  Rough, yes, to a normal man.

Abita Amber

Sticking with Louisiana beer, I had a pitcher of Abita Amber at some point.  I know that because I have a picture of it.  Also consumed before the Super Bowl was a pitcher of NOLA Hopitoulas.  This IPA is brewed with six malts and six hops, then is polished off with some additional dry hopping.  The name comes from a famous street in New Orleans called Tchoupitoulas, and clearly there is a reference to the amazing hops in the beer.  Hoptastic!  We were joined by Brandon, who had been studying since we left his apartment, Amanda, and Katie in time for more drinks... and then... hours later... THE GAME!

Oh yeah, remember when the Saints won the Super Bowl?!  Somehow I was still conscious for the entire game, and the after party!  Go me!  WHO DAT?!

Saints Superbowl Victory Celebration from Cottage Films on Vimeo.

Things To Do
New Orleans

La Carreta on Government Street

Not too long ago I met Megan for lunch at La Carreta on Government Street.  This local Mexican Restaurant got its start in Hammond, La area before expanding to Baton Rouge and other locations in South Louisiana.  In fact, business has been so good for owner Saúl Rubio that he has recently opened a second location in the Red Stick on Bluebonnet Blvd.  Still, the Mid-City location is easier for me to get to from work, so it was there that I dined!

La Carreta on Government Street

The restaurant recently underwent a renovation that moved the entrance to the patio area that used to be the back of the establishment.  La Carreta actually has one of my favorite outdoor dining spaces in Baton Rouge, so if you are ever in the mood for Mexican food on a nice day, it is a good spot to hit up. 

La Carreta's Salsa

Obviously one of the best things about Mexican dining in the United States is the free chips and salsa that customarily accompanies every feast.  La Carreta's salsa has a few chucks of fresh tomato that are mixed in with an otherwise liquidy base of tomato juice and herbs.  The flavor is fairly ordinary but still tastes fine if you like a classic salsa to go with your salted corn tortilla chips.

La Carreta Special: Beef Burrito, Chicken Tostada, Beef Enchilada

I ordered the La Carreta Special for lunch.  It came with a beef burrito, a chicken tostada, and a beef enchilada.  The tostada got buried under a pile of lettuce, sour cream, and pico de gallo while the burrito and enchilada could be found a little easier on the plate.  Unfortunately the ground beef that stuffed the burrito and enchilada was nothing to brag about.  It was plain and bland and I think I've honestly been happier with burritos at Taco Bell.  This really surprised me as I've had great experiences with La Carreta in the past.  Perhaps the best advice is to stick with chicken or steak and avoid the ground beef.  I'm sure I'll be back at some point to sit on the patio and enjoy some cerveza.  I'll just have to be more careful about what I order!

Thai Kitchen with Megan

Thai Kitchen stands tall on the list of Baton Rouge Thai restaurants, though there are several other places that I like equally well for different reasons.  Thai Kitchen is the larger, more corporate feeling Thai location that always has a crowd and serves what I thought was consistently good food.  They are not a hole-in-the-wall like Rama and they do not offer a buffet like Thai Pepper.  Instead, Thai Kitchen serves their sushi bar and Thai cuisine in the well-known Southdowns Shopping Center, right next to Spectrum Fitness and around the corner from a popular watering hole, The Bulldog.  The tables at Thai Kitchen are made from carved wood with an Asian flair that matches the rest of the decor, and they also feature karaoke bar which is prominately advertised around the building.  Megan accompanied me on a recent trip to Thai Kitchen to see what we could find to satisfy our appetite. 

Neau Nam Tok

For an appetizer, our knowledgable server recommended the Neau Nam Tok.  This marinated and charbroiled beef came out sliced thin and seasoned with Thai herbs, hot pepper, and fresh lime juice.  The beef and herbs were served with crispy cabbage to make "cabbage wraps" out of the dish.  I have to say that this was my favorite part of the dinner (It was almost better than the company, but not quite!).  Not to say that everything else tasted bad, but rather, this appetizer is one that I can see myself getting over and over again.  The tender slices of tasty beef oozed with juices that brilliantly blended hot, sweet, and sour all together into one outstanding bit.  The hint of lime, the spice of pepper, and the tang of the herbs mixed in a symphony of flavors that orchestrated my taste buds.  Yeah, I'm getting that again!

Singha, Thai Lager Beer

Naturally when I eat at a Thai restaurant, I like to get a Thai beer.  For the selection available around here, it doesn't get much better than Singha.  Singha is a light lager beer with a sweet, distinguishably Oriental taste that is common in many East Asian beers.  The head quickly disappears from the glass and it can easily be mistaken for cheap American swill with many of the same tendencies.  All in all, the beer is good, but I don't really drink it except for when I'm eating Thai food.

Panang Curry

One traditional dish in Thai cuisine is curry.  Megan and I shared the panang curry with shrimp.  The dish featured a panang curry paste with coconut milk, green beans, and Kaffir lime leaves served with steamed white rice.  The panang curry is rather mild and the coconut milk and lime flavors stood out and very much complemented the shrimp.  I thought it was pretty good and would certainly recommend it or eat it again.

Pad Thai

The other quintessential Thai dish that you find in America is Pad Thai.  The popular dish at Thai Kitchen has stir fried rice noodles with shrimp, bean sprouts, scallions, tofu, ground peanuts, and eggs.  This particular Pad Thai did not impress Megan and I much at all.  I like Pad Thai a lot, but the taste of Thai Kitchen's dish on this night seemed a little off.  It remained edible, but not the special, delightful dish that it usually is.  Oh well, I guess you can't win them all.  I'm sure that I'll still go back and when I do, you can bet that I'll order the Neau Nam Tok.

Another Good Time at Sammy's Grill

Ever since I started this blog I've been trying hard to not eat at the same standard collection of restaurants that my buddies and I have been dining at for years.  That being said, there is just something about a place that is so constantly good and so familiar that you don't even need a menu to know what you are going to order because you damn near have the entire thing memorized already!  For my group, The Chimes was, and still to a degree is, that kind of restaurant.  However, recently it has been taken over in popularity and frequency by Sammy's Grill on Highland Road.  Click here to read my first post about Sammy's.

Last Friday a group of amigos met at Sammy's for some after-work dinner and drinks.  Earlier in the evening I got a fantastic surprise when Brandon was waiting at my house for me after work.  He was not the surprise though.  He brought a "lady friend" with him that I thought I didn't know, but it turned out to be Amanda Ball, live, and in person!  I was happy.  I love surprises like that!  Soon we were on our way to Sammy's to meet Andrew, Megan, Scott, and some other folks to share some laughs over food and beverage.  I started off with one of my all-time favorite beers: Abita Turbodog.

Abita Turbodog at Sammy's Grill

Turbodog is a dark ale that has flavors of semi-sweet chocolate and perhaps some toffee.  In my mind, it is a real man's beer, although there is no reason that the ladies shouldn't like it too.  To go along with our first round of beers, Brandon, Amanda, and I ordered a plate of Sammy's famous fried cheese.  Their cheese sticks are pretty much amazing.  The huge homemade logs of creamy and rich mozzarella are battered and deep fried until golden brown, topped with parmesan cheese and some garnish, and served with marinara.

Sammy's Famous Fried Cheese

I highly recommend the fried cheese to anybody who has never had it before.  It is amazing how much better it tastes than pre-packaged, frozen mozzarella sticks.  After our appetizer we put in an order or our entrees.  Their soup de jour, or soup of the day, was a chicken, sausage, and duck gumbo that I just had to try.  The gumbo tasted so freakishly fantastic that I ate all of it before I remembered to take a picture.  I apologize for the oversight, but damn it was good!  The gumbo has a light roux which is exactly how I like it because that's how my Maw Maw used to make it.  The chicken and duck meat was tender and the sausage added just the right flavor.  This gumbo might have been the best that I've had since I started blogging!  For my entree, I got one of the most cost-efficient meals in Baton Rouge dining: the Chicken Fried Steak.

Chicken Fried Steak with White Gravy, Mashed Potatoes, Corn, and Garlic Bread

At $7.95, it is difficult to find a larger plate of delicious food at a better price.  The steak is typically very tender and well seasoned with a crispy, flavorful breading and a savory, milky white gravy.  The gravy is also poured on top of the already moist mashed potatoes.  The corn is nothing special but is pretty good for canned restaurant corn.  When you put the whole plate together you have a good meal at an exceptional value, making the chicken fried steak plate at Sammy's one my usuals.  There's not much doubt that I'll consume several more of these dinners, along with the fried cheese, gumbo, and Turbodogs, in my lifetime.  Bon Appetit!  That's French for good meal, as the Reverend Brandon Brown would say.