Food, Glorious Food

As our delightful concierge at the NOLA Conv. Ctr. Marriott informed us yesterday evening, "When in Rome..." -- which in the case of the Big Easy means planning one's activities around one's choice of lunch and dinner destinations.

Seafood is king here: shrimp, mussels, crawfish, redfish, and more. There are Creole dishes, with lots of the aforementioned; and Cajun, with meats such as ham, chicken, and the delectably spicy andouille sausage. Gumbos, jambalayas, and the like are smorgasbords of several ingredients.

I'm relying heavily on the Frommer's New Orleans guidebook for suggestions. Last night was a splurge at Emeril's, the original of celeb chef Emeril Lagasse's restaurants and still the best, according to Frommer's. Order the andouille-crusted Texas redfish and you won't be sorry. Ditto Emeril's famous banana-cream pie.

Michael and I hope to make the trek to Willie Mae's Scotch House, an unassuming soul-food institution that was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Katrina and rebuilt by the community. Founder Willie Mae's great-granddaughter is now the chef and the guardian of the secret fried-chicken recipe that's earned accolades in both Frommer's and the Food Network's list of the best soul food in the US.

As Ben Brown remarked when he found me pounding away on the hotel treadmill yesterday, "Getting ready for a big dinner, eh?" Well, yes, of course! Small price to pay for a delicious taste of the best NOLA has to offer.

Bon appetit!