NOLA by Committee

There are a lot of *awesome* reasons to go to New Orleans with a group of friends, but one of the biggest upsides is that with a lot of people, comes a lot of food. Two weekends ago, six of us shared, sampled, and savored our way through menus around town, barely stopping to give thanks for the amazing weather. Here are some sneak peeks of our favorite meals.

STANLEY
Stanley offers a fabulous brunch menu in a gorgeous space filled with natural light, right on a serene corner of Jackson Square. And while the phrase “comfort food with a twist” has become quite the cliché, dishes like Bananas Foster French Toast and Softshell Crab Eggs Benedict certainly have not. We loved how Stanley put its own New Orleans stamp on every menu item.



JOHNNY’S
The six of us gobbled our way through the po’ boys around town, and I can now say with certainty that the fried shrimp po’ boy at Johnny’s is my all-time favorite. This thing is simply outstanding, a prize winner among golden standards: pillowy bread with the lightest of crunch topped with just-golden shrimp, fresh veggies, and a simple, prolonged dash of Crystal hot sauce.


COCHON BUTCHER
Cochon Butcher is the fabulous meat market and casual restaurant from the folks at Cochon. Sitting pretty on a quiet street in the Warehouse District, Butcher provided the ideal Sunday lunch spot. We arrived early, shortly after they opened, and had the place to ourselves -- but by the time we left, the place was jam-packed with hungry diners. Among the highlights were things like lamb sausage and foie gras butter, but my two faves were the heavenly “boudinwich” and a gorgeous bowl of shrimp-n-grits.