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La Boulangerie

Chocolate Almond Croissant

How most girls feel about designer shoe boutiques is how I feel about bakeries.

I gawk at the artistry, I’m enchanted by the selection and it’s hard to settle on a single item. There should be a fifth member of the Sex and the City crew who’s a foodie searching out places like the Big Gay Ice Cream and Prune for the best eats in NYC. In stilettos no less.

On this dreadful Monday I would give a pair of Jimmy Choos for a Chocolate Almond Croissant and cappuccino. I’ve been fantasizing about La Boulangerie.

La Boulangerie is a french bakery located Uptown in the heart of Magazine street among trendy, quirky shops. A welcome respite from Creole and Cajun food (although not necessarily lighter) they offer sandwiches, breads, soup, quiche, coffee and of course, pastries.

During our annual New Orleans trip, despite having eaten a continental breakfast at Avenue Inn, my mom and I fueled up for a day of shopping with a snack at La Boulangerie. Stumbling upon it’s pretty gold and blue awning, we popped in and took our place in line. Pouncing on an open table, I sat while my mom ordered so I have no opinion about the service.

We split a Chocolate Almond Croissant and I soaked up each bite accompanied by sips of a single shot cappuccino. The croissant was filled with sweet almond paste and chocolate, which I would have preferred more of, but then again who doesn’t like more chocolate. The substantial pastry was tender, flaky and strewn with almond slices.

Much like Sucre and other area bakeries, they offer special King Cakes during Mardi Gras season, both a traditional and French version. I was tempted to buy one, but the thought of lugging around a cake box and then five extra pounds post-consumption was a strong deterrent. Needless to say, everything looks and smells heavenly.

I believe La Boulangerie now accepts credit cards and cash, but I didn’t pay for this round. Get there early because like a secret sample sale, the good stuff runs out fast.

Don’t just take my word for it, New Orleans food bloggers Foodographer and The Hungry Nomad have also written about their experiences, in addition to the Cynical Cook. If you liked this post, read more of my Restaurant Stories.

La Boulangerie
4600 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone 504-269-3777

Crackberry

Crackberry

Valentine’s eve is upon us. It’s cold, rainy and all I can think of is Pinkberry. Or as it’s known on the streets, Crackberry.

Pinkberry has no need for one more iota of press or undying confession of admiration. It probably scoffs at my undeterred crush.

For whatever reason I haven’t researched more thoroughly yet, I feel as though their frozen yogurt is a superior quality and if they would let me, I’d position myself with an unhinged jaw directly under the pineapple/coconut flavor levers. One shining difference between them and other mainstream froyo places is that you buy a size and then have the opportunity to fill the space with any of the available toppings (versus paying per ounce). I made my mom eat their glorious frozen yogurt with all the toppings the container could hold twice in one day.

The nearest Pinkberry is in New Orleans or Birmingham and I haven’t decided whether that’s actually a good thing or not. Right now, not. To get your Pinkberry fix, there are two locations in New Orleans – one near the French Quarter on Canal and one on Magazine in the Garden District/Uptown.

Pinkberry
French Quarter
300 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone 504-899-4260
http://www.pinkberry.com

Uptown
5601 Magazine Street
New Orleans, LA 7011
Phone 504-899-4260

Dish Tease: Beatty Street Grocery

$5 Meal Deal

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Acutely recognizing my weariness from a tiresome week, one Friday my husband eagerly took it upon himself to take care of dinner. He was just looking for a reason to get to Beatty Street Grocery. I was all for it.

Unfamiliar with Beatty Street Grocery, I was surprised to learn of it’s history and tenure as a downtown Jackson establishment for 72 years. In addition to being a convenience store, they also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner.

We each got their version of a meal deal which is an eight ounce hamburger, french fries and a drink for $5. That’s crazy cheap.

Now, it might not be the best burger ever but it was filling, large and solid – so much so that I wonder how they can afford to have such low prices. The burger had all the tradition fillings of lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and mustard. The french fries are the standard, previously frozen variety but I have a soft spot in my heart for crinkle cuts. They also offer a four ounce version of the burger, which I will be selecting next time. I couldn’t finish the eight ounce so my husband polished it off for me.

He brought home take-out but insists we return because visiting the physical location is part of the experience. Despite varied opinions on the internet, I will try it for myself and always am in favor of supporting local, long time restaurants. Lastly, leave your checks or plastic at home because they only accept cash.

Learn more about Beatty Street Grocery:

Beatty Street Grocery needs help staying financially afloat: WLBT

A Lunch Visit to Beatty Street Grocery: Eat Jackson

Beatty Street Grocery
101 Beatty Street
Jackson, MS 39201
Phone 601-355-0514

A French 75 at French 75

The French 75 at French 75

When all else fails, have a cocktail.

If the city of New Orleans ever needed a new tagline, that could be a strong contender. Appropriate for a place where there are daiquiri bars with drive-thru windows. A city known for it’s passion of the never-ending party has an equally impressive number of bars, restaurants and signature drinks to indulge in.

Ever striving for the quintessential experience, I try and hit Crescent City landmarks on every annual trip with my mom. Thanks to the He Said/She Said NOLA blog, I can now cross #30 off the Only in New Orleans: The 100 Essential Experiences list.

Following a long day of shopping on Magazine street, po’boys at Parasols and a heart wrenching Saints football game at Pat O’Briens, we were dragging our feet but didn’t quite want to call it a day just yet. Meandering away from the loud, neon noise of Bourbon street we ducked down a dark street in search of a cocktail.

Adjacent to Arnaud’s restaurant, French 75 bar is the perfect quiet side-stop to sip on it’s namesake drink, the French 75. Having no knowledge of the actual ingredients,  it includes champagne which is all I needed to hear. It was delightful, bubbly and just sweet enough topped by a twist of lemon.

There are two window tables, mirrors lining the walls and a very polished, classy bar feel. We slowly savored our drinks with a cone of salty, warm gougères. The cocktails aren’t cheap, but in lieu of a beer on Bourbon I’d take a French 75 at French 75 any day.

To learn more about the French 75 cocktail, read the articles below:

• French 75 history and recipe: Esquire
• French 75, a little history and basic recipe: Gourmet magazine
• French 75 recipe: Epicurious

French 75
next to Arnaud’s restaurant
813 Rue Bienvilles
New Orleans, LA 70112
Phone 504-523-5433
http://www.arnaudsrestaurant.com/french-75/

Chez Fonfon

Paris or Birmingham?

Won over by the pretty parks, fancy burgers and neighborhood haunts, Birmingham has charmed it’s way into my heart.

To conclude our weekend trip (yes, back in November) my friend and I went out for one final meal, which started out innocently enough. Two hours later we settled on a restaurant.

We had befriended a local couple, and per their recommendation, went to explore the downtown Five Points area. Stepping out of the car we encountered a handful of homeless men, but no trace of the lively crowd we were expecting on a Saturday night. Peeking into Surin West, we passed because they allegedly specialize in Thai food and sushi (doubtful). Retracing our steps we spotted Highlands Bar and Grill but we were under dressed and it looked overly busy.

Hopping back into the car we drove to Bottega, but found out both the restaurant and cafe were closed for a private party. Back in the saddle, we headed to Giuseppe’s Cafe & Espresso Bar because they’re the best kept secret in town (according to their website). Sadly we went in, got a table, glanced at the menus, opted out and moved on.

From there we headed back to Five Points, destination Highland Grill, but were sidetracked when discovering Chez Fonfon next door. It might have been easier to drive to Paris.

Having never been to France, I can only imagine that Chez Fonfon emulates the same cozy, intimate feeling as a bistro underneath the Eiffel tower. The lights were dim, the quarters close and wine bottles lined a wall.

While musing over our options we torn into a basket of bread and soaked in the glow. To begin, my friend and I split the Little gem bib salad with apples, tomme and tarragon-cider vinaigrette. It was a simply dressed salad, tangy from the dressing and sweet from the fruit.

Craving a healthy reprieve and saving room for dessert, I chose the salmon with lentils du Puy and niçoise olive butter for my entree. The generous portion of fish and lentils were perfectly cooked and complimented by the salty sharpness of the olives. My friend equally enjoyed the Coq au Vin which was tender and moist.

Reluctant to select just one, I settled on the Pear Almond tart for dessert but almost ordered the Chocolate Pot de Creme my friend had. Luckily, she’s the sharing type and let me scoop up a spoonful of the silky smooth rich chocolate mousse. Charmed by the flaky, buttery tart, I savored my dessert with a cappuccino leaving no crumb behind.

I imagine that the croque monsieur and steak frites are delightful, and wish I had room to taste the cheese plate. Chez Fonfon is as enchanting as Birmingham and a fairly inexpensive way to experience the allure of Paris. Just try to avoid the two hour tour to get there.

Chez Fonfon
2007 Eleventh Avenue South
Birmingham, AL 35205
Phone 205-939-3221
http://www.fonfonbham.com