House of the week: Victorian Camelback on Mazant

It's that time of the week again where I torture myself, my boyfriend, my friends, family and yes...even my dog...with yet another house I will never be able to afford. The irons are hot, the pincers are rusty and my checking account balance is stapled to my forehead.  Let the pain begin!

The house I found this week is in an up-and-coming neighborhood called the Bywater that lies just below the Marigny between Franklin Avenue and the canal. One of the many cabbies we've traveled with told us that "they" plan to relocate the port to the Army Reserve base near the end of Poland Avenue. Regardless of the truth, the Bywater is growing and already contains some killer local spots like The Joint BBQ, Jack Dempsey's, Bacchanal Wine Shop, Elizabeth's and last on my list, but certainly not least, Vaughan's.

The house, ah the house, is a 1900s Camel-back Victorian double that has been remodeled into a single, 3 bedroom - 3bath beauty. My usual list requirements are all accounted for; high ceilings, hardwood floors, pocket doors between the living and dining room and exposed-brick fireplaces. But, the bonus features include a whirlpool bath in the master bedroom, a stunning kitchen replete with a breakfast nook and a gorgeous courtyard with a huge, shaded deck.

I think the price is really not all that bad (regardless of whether or not I can afford it) at $359,000.

"He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher... or, as his wife would have it, an idiot." 
                                                                                       -Douglas Adams

A Coquette-ish Christmas

So it wasn't actually Christmas, it was the eve before Christmas Eve...er...actually...it was the afternoon before Christmas Eve. It was the 23rd of December, okay? Anyhow, John and I decided we were way past due for a visit to the fairly-new restaurant, Coquette, on the corner of Washington and Magazine.

It was just like me not to make reservations, but though the corner restaurant was packed (people were even dining at the bar), it didn't take more than 15-20 minutes before we scored a table. We ordered quickly after perusing the menu during our wait, and it wasn't long before our food came flooding out of the kitchen.

First and foremost, I have to talk about the bread. Anytime you go out to dinner, quite often a basket of bread will be brought to the table and though filling, it isn't always something you remember fondly about the meal. At Coquette, they serve a warm loaf of their own, house-made ciabatta that is so tasty, it will literally knock your socks off. This divine loaf is sliced and served with a sea-salt enhanced, creamy butter that John and I gobbled without reservation or concern about having enough room left over to eat what we had actually ordered.

Our appetizers arrived in soon thereafter. John chose the Market Vegetable Salad that was supposed to have included a cashew puree and navel oranges, but they served him the salad from the prix fixe lunch menu which was local greens, candied pecans, goat cheese and Dijon vinaigrette. We didn't actually realize their mistake until John had already scarfed down more than half of the salad. We chalked it up to a happy accident since John really enjoyed what he got anyhow.

I selected the Tempura Shrimp with a garnish of sambal (chili sauce), grapefruit, nicoise olives and cilantro. The large pieces of shrimp were fried perfectly with a crispy, tasty batter. Both of us commented on the odd combination of grapefruit slices and pitted olives, but I thought it was a nice shock of contrasting flavors.

For his entree, John picked the Steak Frites, sliced pieces of rare hangar steak piled high with French fries and drizzled with a shallot vinaigrette (for the steak) and malt aioli (for the fries). His dish was so tasty that I continuously poked my fork into his plate stealing flavor-drenched fries and, on occasion, a nice hunk of steak. But, in all fairness, John was doing the same thing to me.

I ordered the Cochon de Lait, which is slow-roasted suckling pig that has been injected with Cajun seasonings and butter. The dish I had was also served with sauteed Brussels sprouts, pureed sweet potato and topped with apple marmalade. Though the meat was a tad dry, the whole dish sang when each bite was carefully composed of everything on the plate and I devoured it in no time.

Finally, we had what was likely one of the most unusual desserts I have ever eaten, Butterscotch Pudding with broken snicker doodles, bourbon and bacon ice cream. I am a huge sucker for anything Butterscotch, so it was not difficult to make my choice, but I have to admit that the bacon ice cream really struck me as being particularly delicious. Rich with a smoky flavor, it is an ice cream that, though delicious, I would not be able to eat in large quantities. Only one thing would deter me from ordering it again and that was the foam garnish on top. Maybe I will never be one to appreciate the latest fads in haute cuisine, but I will never understand foam. It recalls to mind the wickedness of my youth when salting snails in my backyard could keep me entertained for hours on end. C'est la vie!

Where? 3001 Tulane Avenue...Pizzicare

The Metry-Lady driving the cab screwed up her face and said "Where?" forcing me to tell her, for the second time, that we wanted to go to 3001 Tulane Avenue. She shook her head and turned back towards the steering wheel.

"It's a pizza joint on Tulane Avenue?" 

"Yep."

"Do they have good pizza?"

"We've heard good things, but this will be our first time."

"Pizza Care?"
"Pizza-car-ay"
"Okay, whatever you say!"

John and I arrived late in the lunch hour to the brand new, black & white tiled, very clean and even shiny Pizzicare. Only two other customers were dining in that day. We browsed the menu for extras, even though we knew exactly what we wanted due to a delicious-sounding Twitter post touting the Charcuterie Pie.

We started with some Garlic Knots and a Pizzicare Salad made with baby spinach, pancetta, red onion, mushrooms and artichokes with blue cheese dressing. We really enjoyed the dough, nice and crusty, but the knots seemed decidedly un-garlicky and mostly Parmesan. I was disappointed with the salad mainly because instead of offering me some thick, house-made blue cheese dressing (that you can get in almost ANY other restaurant in New Orleans), I was handed a packet of Paul Newman's. Plus, there was no pancetta to be found, but there was a hefty addition of grated mozzarella.

Though we were both feeling a bit full by this time, we had no difficulty digging into the Charcuterie Pie with Genoa salami, pancetta, sopressata, fresh arugula, fresh mozzarella and garlic oil.  It was simply delicious and I made sure to include some of the peppery, bright arugula in every bite...which is no easy feat, let me tell you. By the time we left, there were only two slices left and half a salad. I guess you know now what I had for dinner!

House of the week: Creole cottage on Dauphine Street

Living in the French Quarter was a dream I had when I first headed down to New Orleans. The historic aspect of this town was a huge attraction to me after all and the Vieux Carre IS history. You won't find an older neighborhood anywhere else in the United States. There are a ton of homes with iron-wrought wrapped balconies and gorgeous gingerbread-like trim, but there are also a few places that look like they just might collapse in the next big tropical storm.

I'm about to show you how deceiving those tumble-down facades actually are...

For example, check out this particular abode on Dauphine Street. It's an ancient-looking Creole cottage that was built way back in 1911. The shutters are old with rusty iron hinges, keeping the interior hidden from the general public walking by. The plaster looks worn, beaten by a century of adverse weather, disrespectful tourists and even a civil war. Now take a look inside. You tell me, is this house worth $675,000? It's like Mama always said, "You can never judge a book by its cover!"