deliciousmagazine.co.uk 135newAmericanrestaurants.Chef
MarcusJacobscombinesGulfCoast
ingredientswithSoutheastAsian
ideas.The menuchangesregularly,
butlookoutforcharredpig’stails,
ribs andthelip-smackinghouse
pickles.Fordrinks, tryoneoftheir
‘set-ups’:classicmake-your-own
cocktailsforwhichyou’regiven
bottlesofyourchosenalcoholand
mixeronice.Theblackcherrysoda
isasurefirewinner.
Startedby JamesBeardAward-
winningchefs DonaldLinkand
StephenStryjewski,Cochon
Butcher(cochonbutcher.com), in
the Warehousedistrict,is a paean
to the Louisianaloveofmeat
sandwiches.The PigMacis notto
be missed, noris theirtake ona
muffuletta(seerecipe,p137).
POUR MEA STIFFONE...
Whenit comestodrinking, it’s
hardtogetit wrong. Eventhemost
unassumingneighbourhoodbaris
likely toofferlive music,friendly→
PO’BOYS&PRALINES:
mustn’t-misslocalfood
Ifyouneedtosoakupyoursazeracs,
or justfuela day’ssightseeing, a
po’boyisunbeatable.Shortfor‘poor
boys’,thesearethedefinitiveNew
Orleanssandwiches:crunchy
baguettes filled with roast beef, fried
oysters,shrimporjustaboutanything
else.Thenamedatesbackto 1929 ,
whenstrikingstreetcarconductors,
theso-called‘poorboys’,weregiven
thesandwichesforfree.It’sthebread
thatsetsthemapart:a crisp,fluffy
baguette.You’llfindpo’boyswherever
youturn,buttryAcmeOysterHouse
(acmeoyster.com)intheFrench
Quarterfora classicexample.Besure
to startwithhalfa dozenoysters,
whichwillbeshuckedinfrontofyou.
If youhadn’tguessedfromthe
beignets,NewOrleanianshavea sweet
tooth.You’llcatchthebutteryaroma
ofpralineshopsthroughouttheFrench
Quarter. Almonds are traditional inpralines,butintheNewOrleans
versionAfrican-Americancooksused
thelocalpecans.Leah’sPralines
(leahspralines.com)hasbeencooking
pralines in the French Quarter since
1944, using a recipe that dates back
evenfurther.AsSuzieStokes,whoruns
theshopwithhermother(Leah’sniece),
says,“Pralinesareasimportantto
NewOrleansasMardiGras.”
Oh,andif yougeta tasteforthe
localcoffee,youcantakehometinsof
thelocalchicoryversion.It’savailable
allovertheplace,buttryUncle
Wilbur’s Emporiumon DecaturStreet.hungry traveller.