Author: Ernie Seals

Good ideas beget other good ideas. One of the main reasons I wanted to check out The Dish was to see if I could learn something new. I learned a long time ago during my short marriage to my macrobiotic ex that when you remove the meat from the middle of the plate, good things can happen. That’s when I learned to make a soy sauce/tahini gravy to go with my wild mushrooms and brown rice. Very good stuff. I love meat, live for barbecue, but we all know meat comes with baggage in the form of accepted sides prepared in accepted fashion. Not to mention heartburn and indigestion. Even if you always order the Meat Lovers at your favorite pizza joint, taking a break from warm blooded flesh can often be refreshing, and, in this case educational. On this day, at this new counter service in White Star, I took a chance on the Hibiscus Quesadillas, and that chance paid off wonderfully.

The quesadillas were stuffed with black beans and hibiscus and a vegan gouda that made a wonderful bite plain, but was even better with the excellent (of course) guac and the nut based “queso”. The star of the show for me though was the light lime juice and cilantro dressed slaw which immediately made me think of a new way to dress my fish tacos. The red bell pepper was a nice edition as well, but the movement from creamy slaw back to a more traditional taco style dressing really turned the light on. And that’s the thing about vegan cuisine. It sometimes mirrors traditional dishes, with vegan substitutions. Sometimes it’s an homage like a vegan “queso”. Sometimes it is just a straight up better rendition of a classic veggie construction like guacamole. And sometimes it steps outside of the lines entirely with something you’ve not had before like a lime and cilantro dressed slaw. All of which can set you on a new course in your own kitchen. I remember some pretty awful vegetarian meals when I was younger, but I think that was mainly due to people who couldn’t cook but wanted to eat healthier serving up some plain and very uninteresting fare. I’m pretty sure their steaks and pork chops and fried chicken would have sucked too because they hadn’t yet figured out that all herbs and spices are plant based and salt is mineral, not animal. Now that so many people who really know how to ply the trade are going plant based, you never know what pleasant surprises are right around the corner.

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In my ongoing investigation of Mississippi tamales, I went to Doe’s, and, although they were better than Fat Mama’s Tamales in Natchez, it wasn’t by much, and neither came close to a Mexican tamale. I know Doe’s throws down good food, so my only explanation for the continued existence of Mississippi tamales is that people grew up with them and they have some deeper significance to the people who love them than real tamales do. Maybe they are like that green bean casserole that only occurs at Thanksgiving. You know the one, canned green beans and canned fried onions combined with a can of Campbell’s cream of mushroom. Not really great food, but comfort food spiced with many memories. If I was just in it for the tamales, I would probably go back to Tio Javi’s on Constitution, since Muffaletto’s is no longer an option. And I think the French striped paper napkins at Doe’s are cool. Definitely a steak or chicken fried steak at Doe’s when I go back.

Taco Bell and McDonald’s are starting to look more and more like Japanese vending kiosks as they do their best to eliminate the personal touch that just isn’t all that wonderful from the minimum wage crowd. Luckily they still pump out the product we grew up with. To me, Taco Bell is the bar. If you aren’t as good as Taco Bell, why are you even open? I don’t stay out past 2 am any more so I don’t visit Taco Bell as often as I used to, but I still like to drop by every now and then. This visit was driven by my trip last week to Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and my disappointment that I hadn’t stopped at Taco Bell instead. This Triple Double Crunchwrap box ought to hold me for awhile though.

I feel like Roman’s is the closest you’re going to come to a guaranteed good time in BR. The servers are always super pleasant. Everyone who works there looks like they are oh so happy to be alive, and, most importantly, they can cook serious food every single time you visit. It helps to have actually been around forever to make your place feel like it’s always been there, but Roman’s is a step beyond that. Graceful and grateful at the same time. Very nice pieces everywhere, and although some parts are worn, they are also clean and comfortable.

Sometimes when I go I’ll run with my standing order, hummus and fried cheese. Other times I just have to have the lamb like today. They always bring the bread just after my Lebanese iced tea, then the salad with the creamy garlic dressing and feta, and then the perfect entree–grilled lamb skewers with tzatziki and hummus and rice pilaf.

This certainly hit the spot. Love their bread. Really enjoy the gouda mac and cheese as well. I’m pretty sure I’ll appreciate it even more when it cools off some.

Picked IHOP over Louie’s this time because I was hoping to find the pigs in a blanket they used to do at the store in the University Shopping Center all those years ago. Also dig their blueberry syrup. No pigs in a blanket, which were nice sized breakfast sausage links wrapped in buttermilk pancakes, but I went for the spinach and mushroom omelet and it did have the fresh ingredients that they claimed to use. Not bad stuff. And they do know how to do pancakes.

They have a community table at the entrance like the bulletin board in the local coffee shop where people can leave cards and brochures and notices. At the register they ask if you want to donate to the program No Kid Hungry in exchange for a free chips and queso on your next visit. The decor is fun and colorful, an art edit of a real taqueria. It’s all so warm and fuzzy. If only their tacos were at least as good as Taco Bell’s, I would pile on the praise. Alas.

The standard taco topping they use is pretty gringo, and I had to tell them to hold the feta cheese. There is such a thing as a whimsical expansion of known menu parameters. There is also lame. Maybe it was just a bad day, but the person who put the tacos together didn’t even bother to heat up the tortilla after it was taken from the plastic bag. There was very little difference between the tempura shrimp and the “spicy” pork, and that is just a shame. You could argue that I just picked the wrong tacos to order, or should have tried something else on the menu–but, if you put taco in the name, you have to deliver on all the tacos you serve. The place is colorful and well meaning. If only they could cook. The do serve beer there and they are in the middle of condo nation so I guess they’ll stay open and I do wish them well, but I am a taco snob and probably won’t visit Fuzzy’s again with so many other options nearby. Including the Taco Bell I passed on the way back to the office. If only I had stopped there instead.

This is like a Lebanese kafta kebob except it is ground lamb and it is Spanish with salsa verde and pickled shallots to add pop. Nothing like this ever actually translated into Louisiana cuisine that I can think of, but I’m seeing a few tailgate possibilities myself.

Pork belly is such a wonderful cut of meat. I suspect it all gets turned into bacon and cracklings down here, but I’m thinking this would be a great addition to a jambalaya. I love Solera for the atmosphere and the fantastic food, but I admit one of the main reasons for my obsession with this menu is to tease out the Spanish influence in our cuisine and turn that tune up a notch or two in my own cooking.

Dave Remmetter may not be Midas, but he does have touch. From Chelsea’s to Radio Bar and now Mid City Beer Garden you walk in, you relax, you feel at home. No easy feat. What they all have in common is good music. That would seem easy enough, but even the right playlist can be played too loud or too soft. Dave always manages to find the people to run his places that can put the music in just the right spot. Music is what the Beer Garden shares with its sister stores. What sets it apart is the sweeping open architecture and the greenery. The bar is behind glass and air conditioned, the porticos surrounding the open air patio are well shaded and the strategic fan placement made it comfortable to be at a table outside with the temperature hovering around 90. No easy feat. Cold craft beer helps a lot with that. And for those of you who prefer cider sometimes, the Beer Garden has the best selection I’ve seen so far in BR.

The food menu is not extensive, but it does feature the world famous Chelsea’s Tomato Basil Soup w/ Grilled Cheese. Those in the know will very much appreciate that resurrection. Those that aren’t should give it a try. There’s also a bratwurst on a pretzel bun (a nod of course to German beer gardens) and you can get a big soft pretzel by itself which I did on this first of what will be many, many visits to Mid City Beer Garden.

I got a real Whopper to go with my Impossible Whopper because I wanted to be scientifically subjective (side by side comparison). Remarkably enough, there was very little difference between the two sandwiches. I was mainly looking for another non-meat fast food alternative to go with fish sandwiches and veggie pizzas or veggie burritos and I think I’ve found one. I will have to experiment again one evening to see how digestible it really is, because although it is plant based, it is also very processed, and those types of “healthy” foods are always hit or miss when they hit the pipes. It was good though, and it is always reassuring to have options that won’t keep you up all night sweating and swilling Mylanta so I’m always on the lookout.