paula

The muffaletta sounds like the way to go. Checked out MiLa but the sweetbreads don't appear to be on the lunch menu. I may have to ask because now I'm craving it. Trying to decide between Cochon or herbsaint for one night. Thanks for the suggestions.

ok I am short on time and would love some suggestions. I will be in New Orleans for a conference Wed-Fri. I'm getting in early for a workshop on Wed but my boss is getting in around 7pm on Wed. Where is s good place to grab a late dinner? Next, where should we go on Thurs for dinner? We are looking for local flavor but also enjoy a nice meal. I just don't have time to read all the wonderful posts here so I would love to know the "not to miss" spots. I should also have time to grab lunch before the workshop on Wed so feel free to suggest a place to grab a quick lunch...thinking poboys. Staying at the Rennaissance Pere Marquette and the conference is at The Roosevelt. Location only matters for lunch. Thanks in advance!!!! This is my fist time in New Orleans and I can wait!

I believe the area can support it and I can't wait for it to open. I do hope that it will be open for lunch as I work in this area. As everyone says it will be nicer once they finish the construction on Gallows and I hope they build some crosswalks so I can walk there without getting run over. Good luck RJ! (oh and I'm pete's wife who let the cat out of the bag )

well, i'm sorry to say that pete signed me up for black and white cookies but a 2 month old and a last minute invitation to a girls night out kept me from baking last night. so we are bringing an assortment of cookies from SIlva's bakery. we are also bringing some plates and napkins and wine.

Can anyone speak to the portion sizes? We're thinking about checking it out for our work holiday lunch/dinner but we have some non foodies who will want full bellies (not just wonderful food) when the meal it done. Can't wait to check it out! May have to find a babysitter this weekend.

Anyone been more recently? I'm thinking about the Oval Room for my b-day dinner in June. Sounds like it's still top notch but I just wanted to check.

I decided to check out Kasha's today in an attempt to eat healthy (curse Halloween candy!). I got a small lentil soup and the fajita chicken pita. The soup had a very flavorful veggie broth and was packed with lentils. I could have used a little more broth with my lentils but it was still enjoyable. The sandwich was good although it fell apart due to the garlic mayo they put on it and maybe the travel back to the office. There is something about their mayo that is sooooo good even though it was strange to find it on this sandwich. I realized rereading Don’s posts that I still haven’t tried the Tofu Delight. Next time…

We stopped by Hell burger (new location) for an early dinner on Sunday. I was surprised at how packed it was at 5-6pm. We were a little concerned about getting a seat but one opened up after we ordered...even found a highchair. We ordered 2 burgers, 2 orders of potato puffs and 1 order of mac & cheese for the little one. The wait for the food seemed long and the little one was getting fidgety (she's almost 2yr). I think the noise was making her uncomfortable too. As soon as we stepped inside she wanted to be picked up...too many people and too much noise. But we managed to keep her calm enough until the food finally arrived. She devoured the mac & cheese and the orange slices that came with the burgers. I was pleasantly surprised that she liked the mac & cheese since it boasted about 7 cheeses...I thought it might be too fancy for her. The one bite I got was very creamy and I can see why she liked it. The burgers were fantastic although we ordered both “recommended” and I think mine was more rare than Pete’s. This is the only place I’ll eat a burger that rare. It was good. I don’t think I will get blackened again but I enjoyed it as a change of pace. I can't believe how full I was for the rest of the night.

I attended a business dinner at Inox on Wed night with 3 other people. The space is beautiful. It was quite warm in the restaurant even though we were the only table in there for at least an hour. I don't know if it was because we were right under the lights or what. It was one of the warmer days this week so that may have been a factor. One issue I noticed was the music. We wouldn't hear anything for awhile and then the music would start up at a very loud volume, and then disappear again. Weird. The 4 of us had a wonderful evening with great food. The service was great...although we were the only table for awhile. They did not rush us and we managed to have an almost 4 hour meal (but it didn’t feel long). The server was knowledgeable about the menu and made suggestions when asked. He also was able to describe the dishes in much more detail than the menu that made the dish even more appealing. Unfortunately I didn't get his name. We shared 3 appetizers (lobster, peirogi, and quail) and the server made sure to bring extra plates for us. They paired a wonderful white burgundy with the appetizers and I wish I had thought to ask the name. We enjoyed the appetizers…honestly I wasn’t paying as close attention to the food since we were discussing business. I had the halibut/scallop combo for my entree. The presentation was beautiful. The scallops were perfectly cooked...the halibut may have been a little overcooked but still enjoyable. The others seemed to enjoy their entrees too (2 strip loins and 1 pork) and especially the wine pairings which were perfect. The nice detail is they suggested 2 wines for each entree so you could choose. For mine they recommended a riesling or the white burgundy I already had. I'm sure the riesling would have been fine but that was not the way I wanted to go. All in all it was a great evening. Rissa came by and Chef Krinn came by and we talked to him for awhile. Pete and I are going tonight for dinner. I am looking forward to trying some more dishes…and paying more attention to the food. I really hope Inox can survive the economy.

I just got a lunch invitation for next week and they are trying to get a reservation at INOX. I hope they are open for lunch next week! Of course as soon as Pete saw they were opening he went on open table and got us a dinner reservation for next Friday. We have been waiting for this place to open. Hope to see you there Rissa!

I happened upon this place while visiting the party store next door. I didn't stop in that day but I mentioned it to my hubby (Pete) and he said Don wrote about it here. So finally, many months later, I finally stopped in for lunch today. I got a turkey pastrami sandwich. I love the toppings they have - sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, such a nice change from the usual lettuce, tomato, onion (which they also have). Although I took my lunch to go I had some time to look around while it was being made. I noticed all their different flours and grains and all sorts of organic mixes - bread, brownies, etc. It's a great store. I read some other reviews and they mentioned homemade cookies. I'm upset I missed the cookies. I'll definitely have to go back. The sandwich was great and fresh...like homemade. It looks like they do a decent lunch business. I almost got the power veggie but wasn't sure I was in the mood for just veggies today. Next time I will try it.

Here's a recipe I used with our CSA collards earlier this summer. Fantastic...it's creamy without the use of cream. It looks like I took this off of eatingwell.com (due to the inclusion of nutrition facts) or it was probably epicurious.com. I typically pan saute my greens in a skillet with onions etc. This just adds a little something extra. I actually left out the nuts as I didn't have any. Enjoy! Steamed Greens with Lemony Tahini and Cashews Load up greens like Swiss chard with tahini and cashews for an extra healthy meal. Leafy collard greens, kale, and Swiss chard–high in both calcium and B vitamins–are terrific bone builders. Cashews provide healthy fats and protein. Serve this dish with a side of steamed whole wheat couscous, which takes about 5 minutes to prepare–and boom–you've got a quick and easy healing meal. Serves 4 ½ cup tahini (sesame seed paste) 2 large lemons 1 large clove garlic, pressed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 pounds collards, kale, or Swiss chard 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 cups finely chopped onions ½ cup unsalted roasted cashews, roughly chopped 1. Stir the contents of the tahini to incorporate the oil that often floats on top. Put the tahini in the bowl of a food processor. Grate the rind of the lemons and add to processor. Cut lemons in half and squeeze to get 1/4 cup juice. Add to processor. Add pressed garlic and begin to process. Add 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup cold water and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set aside until ready to use. 2. Wash greens well. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces and discard tough stems. Heat oil in a very large nonstick skillet. Add onions and cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add greens (with some water clinging to them) and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Add a large pinch of salt. Cover pan and cook 5 minutes longer, until tender but still bright green. Stir the tahini in with the greens and top with cashews. Nutrition Facts Per serving: 452 calories, 35 g fat (5 g saturated), 30 g carbohydrates, 12 g protein, 8 g fiber, 262 mg sodium (11% Daily Value).

I forgot strawberries are on "the list"...oh well she survived. We have been trying to feed her everything we get from the CSA. I mostly remember to avoid nuts and seafood.

Thanks everyone. It's nice to know we seem to be on the right track. Maybe it's just the teething this week but she won't eat anything...except blueberries and strawberries we found out last night. We do plan on asking the doctor all our nutrition questions and I am anticipating the move from formula to milk. Although one of the doctor's at the office we go to said no finger foods at her 9 month appointment. Of course we had already given her some so we didn't stop but it concerned me for a little while. It's amazing how doctors can vary on the subject of feeding baby.

My little one is 11 months old. She is still formula fed but of course we do feed her fruits/veggies/meat and cereal. I have to admit that I used Gerber food as it is much easier with daycare. I did steam/puree and freeze some veggies for awhile but then baby stopped eating them. She used to love veggies but now she prefers fruits which we give her now that fresh fruit is abundant. She also has decided that anything spoon-fed must be evil. So no more Gerber packs, at least not without lots of crying. She'll eat just about anything she can feed herself. About a month ago I made veggie lasagna with collards and decided to let her try it. She loved it and even seemed to pick out the green to eat before the rest. Since then I have given her a little of anything we're eating (that's not too spicy...she doesn't like spicy yet). She loved the roasted chicken I made although I only give her the inside meat (no skin). When we went for sushi they brought her a bowl of tofu and she couldn't get enough. A lot of food winds up in her lap or on the floor but at least she's trying. My biggest concern is I can't imagine she is getting enough nourishment from the solid food she eats. When we start taking away formula how do I ensure she's getting enough of what she needs? Any thoughts/advice?