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Instead of our typical trip to Vegas to celebrate our delayed Anniversary, Mother Dear gave us the chance to explore a long dreamed of locale, NOLA. We had an almost perfect trip and New Orleans is all it’s purported to be. All of the downsides to any large city exist, but are clearly outmatched by the upsides. And then there is the food, my GOD, the food. We ate ourselves stupid, and regretted it a couple of times immediately afterward. But looking back, I wouldn’t have skipped anything.
It was
our first trip, so it was a touristy trip. We tried the things you
see on tv over and over instead of trying to find hidden gems.
Especially shocking was how good SO MANY of the classics turned out
to be. Only twice was I disappointed, and by disappointed I mean the
place was only good. Much more often I was surprised by how much
better the place was than expected, a rare treat repeated and
repeated in the Crescent City. If you are from our neck of the wood,
or anywhere else than NOLA, it is a completely different world, and
one worth experiencing for multitudinous reasons. Vegas is a
different world but it is a calculated and manufactured experience, New Orleans
has evolved in a storied and historic manner into what it is, you
can feel it everywhere you go. Nothing like it. True Dat. |
We stopped here before looking for our hotel after arriving. They
looked at us sadly…sold out. Undeterred we stopped after some sight
seeing and beignets (after the second time that morning!), and
picked up the classic and a couple bags of local chips and returned
to the surprisingly beautiful courtyard of our hotel for some lunch
in the warm Louisiana afternoon. |
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Not surprisingly, the Muffaletta (at least the original) is a really nice Italian sandwich. Round and dense loaf of sesame-crusted bread is loaded with cheese, salami and ham. Check. The real distinguishing factor is the addition of the olive salad. When they say olive they mean olive and the rest of the garden in the pickled salad. Upon study we found at least a dozen veggies in addition to the olives, from cauliflower to capers to pimento and Italian herbs you have a supremely tangy and pungent condiment which, cuts right through the thick bread and rich fillings. The bread soaks up the pickling liquid and holds everything together which is why I imagine they don’t make them to order.
If I were to go again, I would get an extra cup the the olive salad
and load it into the sandwich. It’s delicious and in addition to the
bread makes the Muffaletta what it is, I just wanted more,
fortunately, you can get it right there.
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Thar She Be |
Looks Delicious, Is Delicious, Just Wanted More Of The Special Ingredient |
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Ratings | |||||||
Food |
Service |
Ambiance |
What's Best |
What's Worst |
Overall |
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B | C | B+ | B+ | C | B+ | ||
The Quarter | Needs More Salad |